PhrasePort🇪🇸 Spanish phrases
How to Say Hello in Spanish: Hola, Buenos Días and Tú or Usted
Spanish greetings depend on the time of day and how well you know the person. Greeting people is expected, so say hello when you walk into a shop, a bar or a lift. The key phrases are “Hola” (Hello), “Buenos días” (Good morning) and “Gracias” (Thank you).
- HelloHolaOH-lah
- Good morningBuenos díasBWEH-nohs DEE-ahs
- Thank youGraciasGRAH-see-ahs
- PleasePor favorpor fah-VOR
- GoodbyeAdiósah-dee-OHS
How greetings work in Spanish-speaking countries
- By time of day. Buenos días is used until lunch, buenas tardes in the afternoon and buenas noches in the evening and at night. Hola works at any time.
- Kisses and handshakes. Friends usually greet with a kiss on the cheek, two in Spain and usually one in much of Latin America. A handshake is normal when you first meet someone or in business.
- Tú or usted. Use usted with strangers and older people, and tú with friends. In some regions, such as Argentina, people say vos instead of tú.
- Small talk. ¿Qué tal? and ¿Cómo estás? are common ways to ask how you are.
Hello by time of day
- Good morningBuenos díasBWEH-nohs DEE-ahs
- Good eveningBuenas tardesBWEH-nahs TAR-dehs
- Good nightBuenas nochesBWEH-nahs NOH-chehs
How are you?
- How are you?¿Cómo estás?KOH-moh es-TAHS
- I'm fine, thank youEstoy bien, graciases-TOY bee-EHN GRAH-see-ahs
Saying goodbye
- GoodbyeAdiósah-dee-OHS
- See you laterHasta luegoAHS-tah LWEH-goh
Please, thank you and excuse me
- Thank youGraciasGRAH-see-ahs
- PleasePor favorpor fah-VOR
- You're welcomeDe nadadeh NAH-dah
- Excuse mePerdónper-DOHN
- I'm sorryLo lamentoloh lah-MEHN-toh
Introducing yourself
- Nice to meet youMucho gustoMOO-choh GOOS-toh
- My name is...Me llamo...meh YAH-moh
More greetings and replies
- What is up? / How is it going?¿Qué tal?keh TAHLReply: "Bien, ¿y tú?" (fine, and you?).
- WelcomeBienvenido / Bienvenidabyehn-beh-NEE-doh / byehn-beh-NEE-dahUse the ending that matches the person.
- Good to see youMe alegro de vertemeh ah-LEH-groh deh BEHR-teh
- See you tomorrowHasta mañanaAH-stah mah-NYAH-nah
- Take careCuídate muchoKWEE-dah-teh MOO-chohInformal. Use "cuídese" with usted.
A short scene: meeting someone
- Lucía¡Hola! ¿Qué tal?OH-lah keh TAHLHi! How is it going?
- YouBien, gracias. Soy Sam, mucho gusto.byehn GRAH-syahs soy sam MOO-choh GOOS-tohFine, thanks. I am Sam, nice to meet you.
- LucíaEncantada. ¿De dónde eres?ehn-kahn-TAH-dah deh DOHN-deh EH-rehsNice to meet you. Where are you from?
- YouSoy de Canadá. ¿Y tú?soy deh kah-nah-DAH ee TOOI am from Canada. And you?
- LucíaDe Madrid. ¡Bienvenido!deh mah-DREED byehn-beh-NEE-dohFrom Madrid. Welcome!
Common mistakes
- Saying “buenos días” in the evening. Switch to buenas tardes or buenas noches.
- Using tú with an older stranger. Use usted until invited to change.
- Skipping the greeting. Say hola or buenos días when you enter a shop or a lift.
For more, see our Spanish phrases for travel and how to order food in Spanish. All phrases here have audio; ask a native speaker if you need a particular nuance.
Questions travelers ask
How do you say hello in Spanish?
The most common way is hola. For a polite greeting, use buenos días in the morning, buenas tardes in the afternoon and buenas noches in the evening.
Do people kiss on the cheek in Spanish-speaking countries?
Friends often do. In Spain it is usually one kiss on each cheek, and in much of Latin America it is one. With people you have just met, a handshake is the safe choice, and you can follow their lead.
When do I use buenas tardes instead of buenos días?
Buenos días is used until about lunchtime. After lunch, use buenas tardes. In Spain, where lunch is late, the afternoon greeting starts later than in many other countries.
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