It is important to at least know some phrases of the local language if you are new to a country. Even if you don’t know the language spoken there, you must know how to greet and meet people using some phrases and slang. So, if you plan to visit Spain, you should learn Spanish expressions used for daily life. The Spanish greetings go just beyond the expression “Hola”. In this article, we are going to see a variety of greetings and introductions you can use in the Spanish language. Some common Spanish greetings include “Buenos dias (Good day), “Buenas tardes” (Good afternoon) or “Buenas noches” (Good evening/night) to greet at a different time of the day.
What are the best ways to learn Spanish greetings?
These super useful greetings can be learned from some authentic media. For example, you can learn from native Spanish videos like movie clips and vlogs on FluentU.
You can even create your own video flashcards with greetings to see other videos that include them. And you can test them using your personalised flashcards. Other resources from where you can learn Spanish greetings are available on some online websites, and audio and vocabulary files available online.
What are the most commonly used Spanish Greetings?
Greetings are a way to introduce and greet someone while you meet them respectfully. So, while you greet someone in Spanish, you need to pay attention to forms(formal or informal) and gender in the expressions you use. So, let’s look at some of the basic Spanish greetings, which are the colloquial and introduction phrases used by Spanish people:
- How to say hello in Spanish
Hola: Hello
When you enter a shop or a restaurant, etc., you get to meet new people and have to greet them by saying hello to make your first impression, you can use this Spanish phrase.
- Good morning in Spanish
Buenos dias: Good morning
It is used to say Good morning until it is noon. Its literal meaning is “Good day”.
- Good afternoon in Spanish
Buenas tardes: Good afternoon
It is a phrase to say “Good afternoon” to someone. In Spain, it may be used until it is evening.
- Good bye in Spanish
Buenas noches: Good evening
This phrase is used to say “Good night”. This phrase is also used when you would want to say “Good bye”
- Spanish greetings and responses
¿Cómo está?— How are you? (Formal)
When you are running a business, it is important to inquire about a person’s well-being before starting any business talk. This shows that you care about them. So, this Spanish greeting word is used to ask how he/she is feeling. It is reserved for older people as a sign of respect.
¿Cómo estás?— How are you? (Informal)
This is used as an informal phrase to ask someone how he/she is.
¿Qué hay de nuevo?– What’s new? (informal)
It is used to ask what’s happening now with someone. It is an informal means to talk to know about their wellness.
So, to respond to the above questions, these phrases are used:
Estoy estupendamente– I’m doing great
Estoy bien, gracias– I’m good, thank you
Estoy un poco cansado/a– I’m a little tired
Estoy mal– I feel unwell
Estoy enfermo, -a– I’m sick
Spanish Greetings in English
Now, let’s learn how to greet someone in Spanish.
Introductions in Spanish
The following phrases can be used to tell your name to someone or ask for their name when meeting for the first time:
¿Cuál es tu nombre?– What is your name? (informal)
¿Cuál es su nombre?– What is your name? (formal)
¿Cómo te llamas?– What is your name? (informal)
¿Cómo se llama?– What is your name? (formal)
Mi nombre es X.– My name is X.
Me llamo X.– My name is X.
Soy X.– I’m X
Goodbye in Spanish: When you want to end the conversation and say goodbye in Spanish, use these phrases:
Adiós– Goodbye
Hasta luego– See you later
Hasta pronto– See you soon
Hasta la próxima– Until next time
Chao– Bye
Cuídate/Cuídese– Take care of yourself
Que tengas un buen día– Have a good day (informal)
Hasta mañana– See you tomorrow
Nos vemos mañana– See you tomorrow
Where are you from in Spanish
When you visit Spain, local people are likely to ask you the question of “Where are you from?” with these Spanish expressions, you can answer their queries easily:
¿De dónde eres?– Where are you from? (informal)
¿De dónde es?– Where are you from? (formal)
Soy de Alemania.– I am from Germany.
¿Dónde vives?– Where do you live? (informal)
¿Dónde vive?– Where do you live? (formal)
Vivo en Valencia.– I live in Valencia.
All Spanish Greetings
Some more Spanish greetings to greet are as follows:
¿Cómo están?—How are you? (Plural)
This phrase is used for greeting a group of people. It is used to ask for the well-being of a group of people. The “n” letter is used to indicate that you addressed everyone while greeting
¿Qué tal?— How’s it going?
It can be used for someone, even in a non-business setting
¿Qué pasa?— What’s happening? / What’s up?
This expression is generally used when talking to your friends or someone younger. It is also used when someone wants to know if everything is right or if there is something wrong.
¿Qué hubo?—What happened?
It is used while talking with your friends and family. You just need to remember that “h” is silent while pronouncing it.
Bienvenidos— Welcome
While using this phrase, don’t remove the letter “s”’ if you want to address a group of people. Whereas you can drop the final letter s if addressing a single person. This is used to welcome someone into your house. If you are speaking to a female, use the word as “bienvenida”, but for a gentleman, use “bienvenido”.
Mi casa es su casa— My house is your house
This phrase is used to ease someone and make them feel comfortable in your home. Change “su” to “tu” if you have invited someone of your age
¿De dónde eres?— Where are you from?
Use this phrase when you want to ask someone of your age or younger than you, “where are they from?”. However, this phrase changes to “¿De dónde es usted?” for someone other than you or someone of authority.
¿Cómo te llamas?— What’s your name?
This phrase is used to ask someone their name. If you want to ask someone older, you can use this phrase instead “¿Cómo se llama?”
¿Aló?—Hello?
It is a common Spanish phrase used while answering a call. Depending on where you are travelling, you may hear “bueno,” “sí,”and“diga” to answer the phone call.
¿Adónde vas?— Where are you going?
This phrase is used to ask someone where they are going. Change it is “va” if talking informally or change to “vais” if talking to a group of people.
¿Dónde has estado?— Where have you been?
This phrase is used to greet someone when you have not seen them for a long time and to meet after a long time.
¿Dónde has estado?— Where have you been?
This phrase is used to greet someone after you have met them since ages.
Spanish Greetings chart

The above chart shows a list of some Spanish greetings.
Formal and informal ways of Spanish greetings
Formal Spanish greetings are used to greet in a very formal way without using a friendly tone and uses a different expression different from the informal one. Whereas, Informal Spanish greetings are used to greet informally in a friendly and casual way in situations where you only talk to your friends or relatives, someone whom you know personally. In contrast, formal greeting is used when talking to your seniors or employers.
Example of formal Spanish greetings : ¿De dónde es?– Where are you from? Informal way of Spanish greeting: ¿De dónde eres?– Where are you from?
Tips for learning Spanish greetings
Use the following tips to learn Spanish greetings:
- Watch movies and TV in Spanish
- Learn vocabulary from Spanish Novels
- Start thinking in Spanish about the words and phrases which you can use to greet and learn them
- To learn Spanish faster, use the technique of active study and immersion, where you can learn it by combining methods of studying and watching videos of Spanish shows
FAQs
What are the basic Spanish introduction greetings used to greet people?
The basic greetings phrases used to greet for introducing include Hola (to say Hello), Buenos dias (to say Good morning), Buenas noches (to say Good evening), ¿Cómo está?(to say How are you?), etc
How do the formal and informal Spanish greeting phrases differ?
The spelling is slightly changed in a formal greeting from the informal one. For example, in informal greetings, we use ¿Cuál es tu nombre?to ask What is your name? and the expression ¿Cuál es su nombre?to ask What is your name?. the difference between these two is that “tu” changes to “su”.
What is the fastest way to learn Spanish?
If you want to learn Spanish fast, follow the active study and immersion technique, where you can learn Spanish by studying from books and watching Spanish movies or videos.
FAQs
How to Greet someone in Spanish Language - Curiotory? ›
The common verbal greeting is “Buenos dias” (Good day), “Buenas tardes” (Good afternoon) or “Buenas noches” (Good evening/night) depending on the time of day. People may also say “¿Como está?” (How are you). A more casual greeting is “Hola” (Hello).
How do you greet a Spanish person? ›The common verbal greeting is “Buenos dias” (Good day), “Buenas tardes” (Good afternoon) or “Buenas noches” (Good evening/night) depending on the time of day. People may also say “¿Como está?” (How are you). A more casual greeting is “Hola” (Hello).
What is the start of a Spanish greeting? ›1. Hola — Hello. This is the most basic of the greetings, and can be combined with any of the other ones found below. Now you can say, “Hola, buenos días,” or “Hola, buenas tardes.” The h is silent!
How do Spanish people formally greet each other? ›In Spain, people greet each other and say goodbye with a kiss on each cheek. Don't be mistaken - these aren't wet, sloppy kisses! In fact, these aren't really proper kisses at all. People usually touch their right cheeks together and make a kissing sound, then repeat the process on the left side.
How would you greet someone at anytime in Spanish? ›¡Hola! – pronounced without the “h” – is your safety net wherever you'll go: to a date, meeting or a Spanish-speaking country. This is the absolute basic greeting you need to know in Spanish and it can be used to salute any person regardless of the circumstance: formal or informal.
What is the best way to greet someone? ›- Good morning/afternoon/evening. These are classic, formal phrases to use when greeting someone, whether it's the first time meeting them or if you've already met them before. ...
- Pleased to meet you. ...
- It's nice to meet you. ...
- It's good to see you. ...
- How are you? ...
- Hey. ...
- What's up? ...
- What's new?
To introduce yourself, you can start with a phrase like “HOLA” or “BUENOS DIAS”. Then, you can say your name with: [ME LLAMO + NOMBRE] or [MI NOMBRE ES + NOMBRE] as in this example: “¡Hola! Me llamo Alex”. You can also say your name using the verb SER with the structure [YO SOY + NOMBRE] as in “Yo soy Alex”.
What are three ways to say hello in Spanish? ›- 1- Hola. It means “hello” or “hi” in Spanish and, as we've already mentioned, this word is the most common Spanish greeting and can be used at all times.
- 2- Buenos días. ...
- 3- Buenas tardes. ...
- 4- Buenas noches. ...
- 5- Ey. ...
- 1- ¿Cómo estás? ...
- 2- ¿Qué tal? ...
- 3- ¿Qué pasa?
If in passing someone says “hola!” to you, it would acceptable to reply: “como estas?”
What are 3 greetings that give a time of day in Spanish? ›Spanish | English equivalent | Context |
---|---|---|
Hola | Hello | Standard greeting |
Buenos días | Good morning | Mornings (until 12:00 p.m. noon) |
Buenas tardes | Good afternoon | Until the sun goes down / depends on the country |
Buenas noches | Good night/Good evening | After the sun goes down / after dinnertime; could be used as a farewell |
How do you start a conversation with someone in Spanish? ›
- ¡Hola! (Hello)
- ¿Cómo estás? (How are you?)
- ¿Cómo te va? (How's it going?)
- ¿Qué tal? (What's up?)
- ¿Qué pasa? (What's happening?)
- ¿Cómo está usted? (How are you?)
- Buenas tardes (Good evening, but also Good afternoon)
- Buenos días (Good morning)
Casual and informal greetings in Spanish
¡Hola, hola! Hey! ¡Oye!
Shake hands with everyone present--men, women and children--at a business or social meeting. Shake hands again when leaving. Men may embrace each other when meeting (friends and family only). Women may kiss each other on the cheek and embrace.
Is De Nada a greeting? ›De nada is probably the most commonly used way to say "you're welcome" in Spanish. It means "it's nothing," and it's a great way to show that you're happy to help.
What is the most respectful greeting? ›The most respectful greetings are formal ones like "hello," or time-related greetings like "good morning" or "good evening." To make it even more respectful, add the listener's formal title afterwards, like "hello, Mr. or Mrs. ______," or even "hello, sir or ma'am."
What are the three greeting rules? ›- Stand Up. When you're greeting new people, do so face-to-face. ...
- Look 'Em in the Eye. Making eye contact indicates engagement and focus. ...
- Smile (and the World Smiles With You) ...
- Take the Initiative With a Handshake. ...
- Say Who You Are. ...
- Observe the Hierarchy. ...
- Get the Name Game Right.
- Hello! In formal greetings examples, hello is preferred to “hi” or “hey.”
- Hi there. ...
- Good morning. ...
- Good afternoon. ...
- Good evening. ...
- It's nice to meet you. ...
- It's a pleasure to meet you.
The most common way to introduce yourself in Spanish is to say "Me llamo" followed by your name. Alternatives include "Mi nombre es" or "Soy" followed by your name. "Hola" can be used for either "hi" or "hello."
How do you end a greeting in Spanish? ›Saludos (Regards) Un saludo cordial/Saludos cordiales (Best wishes/Kind regards) Atentamente (Sincerely) Muy atentamente/Muy cordialmente (Yours sincerely)
How do you greet someone in Spanish in the morning? ›Good morning is buenos días.
How to respond to como estas? ›
How do you answer if someone asks you, "¿Cómo estás?" or "How are you?"? The standard answer is probably "Bien" ("Fine") or "Muy bien" ("Very good"). Of course, both of those responses are often expanded: "Muy bien, gracias. ¿Y tú?" ("Quite well, thank you.
Does Mucho Gusto mean my pleasure? ›Mucho gusto ("a pleasure to meet you")
Mucho gusto is what people say immediately after an introduction. In English, we would say "a pleasure to meet you." A common response to mucho gusto is el gusto es mío (literally, "the pleasure is mine").
Muy bien meaning “Very well”
Let's break it down. Muy means “very” and is often followed by an adverb or an adjective. The word bien is the literal translation of “well”. So muy bien means “very well”, “fine”, or even “OK”, when used to express satisfaction about a situation.
Hola, ¿cómo estás? (Hello, how are you?)
Can you say buenos días as a goodbye? ›Often the greetings “buenos días”, “buenas tardes” and “buenas noches” are also used to say goodbye as they can be appropriate in several contexts such as when kids go to bed at night or when we finish a conversation on the phone.
How do you say hello in Mexican slang? ›A more casual greeting is “Hola” (Hello), “¿Qué tal?” (What's up?) or “¿Cómo estás?” (How are you?).
How do you respond to Buenos días? ›In short – the best (and easiest) response to 'buenos días' is a simple 'buenos días' in return! 'Hola, buenos días', 'buen día', 'igualmente' and 'como está' are also excellent responses! One of the phrases you're going to hear all the time when in a Spanish speaking country is 'buenos días'.
How do you politely get someone's attention in Spanish? ›¡Disculpe!
A great all around way to say excuse me or politely get someone's attention is Disculpe (or disculpa in the tú form).
In Spanish there are two ways of saying "you": There's the informal form, tú and the more formal usted (often abbreviated as Ud.) Whether you use tú or usted depends on a variety of different factors, but it can be a bit intimidating for English speakers used to addressing everybody as "you".
How do you say goodbye in Spanish formal? ›The textbook version of goodbye in Spanish is adiós. Though adiós is a bit more formal-sounding than some of the other options below, it can also fit in an informal context, and it's a good one to have in your back pocket for when you're not entirely sure where you stand with the people you're talking to.
What is a common greeting in Spanish? ›
Hola - Hello/hi (the most common greeting) Buenas tardes - Good afternoon/evening. Hey - Hi (variant) Buenas noches - Good night. Saludos - Greetings.
What is considered rude in Spanish culture? ›Other habits to avoid when dining in Spain is to not place your elbows on the table, do not slurp your food or burp in public. All these actions are considered bad etiquette in Spain. For example, slurping your noodles in places like Japan may be acceptable. But in Spain, it is rude to do this.
What is considered rude in Hispanic culture? ›Beckoning a person with the palm and fingers pointed up is considered rude. Instead, hold your hand in front of you and keep your palm facing down. Then curl your fingers back towards your body. The “okay” gesture with the thumb and index finger is considered vulgar.
Is it rude to say no gracias? ›No, gracias
This is the standard way of saying “no” when offered something. It's also the most polite option. No, gracias means “No, thank you” in Spanish, and it's used in the same way as in English.
'De nada' should be your go-to response to 'gracias' as it´s the Spanish equivalent of 'you're welcome'.
How to respond to muchas gracias? ›Está bien - It's all good
This is also very casual. When one says “muchas gracias por tu ayuda”, you can respond with “oh, está bien”.
¿Cómo estás? in Spanish used as a quick greeting to say Hi! How are you? Clearly, it's very similar to qué tal. Cómo estás is our literal translation of how are you: cómo is the Spanish question word meaning how, while estás means are you (or you are) since it's the tú conjugation for the verb estar.
What is polite in Spanish culture? ›Basic Etiquette
Say hello and goodbye when entering any shop or establishment. Greet people when they enter an elevator/lift. If you need to give an object to someone, pass it to them. It is rude to toss it in their direction. Punctuality is not highly important in Spain.
If you are on a first-name-basis with the person you are talking to, use TÚ. 2. As for USTED, think of it as the Spanish cousin of words like Sir, Ma'am, Your Honor, Mister and Mrs. If you feel like either of these forms of address would be best to express respect, use USTED.
What is the meaning of Mucho Gusto? ›Quick Answer. Mucho gusto. = Nice to meet you. / Pleased to meet you. / It's a pleasure to meet you. examples.
What does es tu novia mean? ›
Translation of "es tu novia" in English. she's your girlfriend is your girlfriend.
What does no este mean? ›Translation of "no este" in English. not this.
How do you say good morning in Spanish to a woman? ›Good morning is buenos días.