In this paper we study the hyperbolicity in the Gromov sense of Riemann surfaces. We deduce the hyperbolicity of a surface from the hyperbolicity of its "building block components". We also prove the equivalence between the hyperbolicity of a Riemann surface and the hyperbolicity of some graph associated with it. These results clarify how the decomposition of a Riemann surface into Y-pieces and funnels affects the hyperbolicity of the surface. The results simplify the topology of the surface and allow us to obtain global results from local information.