Introduction
Knowing how to greet people and introduce yourself is the very first skill you need in any language. Spanish greetings change depending on the time of day and the formality of the situation.
Basic Greetings
| Spanish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| ¡Hola! | Hello! / Hi! | Any time, any situation |
| Buenos días. | Good morning. | Until around noon |
| Buenas tardes. | Good afternoon. | From noon to sunset |
| Buenas noches. | Good evening / Good night. | After sunset |
Shortcut: In casual settings, you'll often hear just ¡Buenas! as a catch-all greeting at any time of day.
How Are You?
| Spanish | Formality | Literal meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Qué tal? | Casual | What's up? / How's it going? |
| ¿Cómo estás? | Casual (tú) | How are you? |
| ¿Cómo está usted? | Formal | How are you? |
| ¿Cómo te va? | Casual | How's it going for you? |
| ¿Qué hay de nuevo? | Casual | What's new? |
Common Responses
- Bien, gracias. ¿Y tú? — Good, thanks. And you?
- Muy bien. — Very well.
- Más o menos. — So-so.
- Aquí andamos. — Getting by. (common in Latin America)
- Todo bien. — All good.
Introducing Yourself
- Me llamo María. — My name is María. (I call myself María.)
- Soy Carlos. — I'm Carlos.
- Soy de México. — I'm from Mexico.
- Mucho gusto. — Nice to meet you. (lit. "Much pleasure.")
- Encantado. / Encantada. — Pleased to meet you. (m. / f.)
- El gusto es mío. — The pleasure is mine.
Introducing Others
- Te presento a mi amigo Juan. — Let me introduce you to my friend Juan. (informal)
- Le presento a la señora López. — Let me introduce you to Mrs. López. (formal)
- Él es mi hermano. — He is my brother.
- Ella es mi compañera de trabajo. — She is my coworker.
Farewells
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Adiós. | Goodbye. |
| Hasta luego. | See you later. |
| Hasta mañana. | See you tomorrow. |
| Hasta pronto. | See you soon. |
| Nos vemos. | See you. (We'll see each other.) |
| Chau / Chao. | Bye. (informal, common in Latin America) |
| Cuídate. | Take care. |
| Que te vaya bien. | Hope it goes well for you. |
Tú vs Usted
Spanish distinguishes between informal (tú) and formal (usted) address:
- Tú — friends, family, peers, people your age or younger
- Usted — strangers, elders, bosses, formal settings
When in doubt, start with usted — it's always polite, and the other person will tell you if they prefer tú.
Practice
It's 3 PM. Which greeting is most appropriate?
Someone says 'Mucho gusto.' How do you respond?
How would you formally ask 'How are you?' to your boss?
Which farewell means 'See you tomorrow'?