Greetings in Spanish - formal and informal
Spanish Greetings, Introductions, and Farewells A1 To introduce oneself
Learn how to say the greetings in Spanish
<< Saludos, presentaciones y despedidas. (Greetings, Introductions, and Farewells)
Video
Podcast
Hello in Spanish
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Hola | Hello |
| “Hola” is a common and informal way to say "hello" in Spanish. | |
| Buenos días | Good morning |
| “Buenos días” is a formal way to greet someone in the morning. | |
| Buenas tardes | Good afternoon |
| “Buenas tardes” is used to greet someone in the afternoon or evening. | |
| Buenas noches | Good night |
| “Buenas noches” is used to say "good night". | |
Dialogue on saying "hello"
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Cuál es la manera más común de saludar? | What is the most common form to greet? |
| ¡Hola! | Hello! |
| ¿Cómo se saluda a alguien por la mañana? | How do you greet someone in the morning? |
| ¡Buenos días! | Good morning! |
| ¿Y por la tarde? | And in the afternoon? |
| ¡Buenas tardes! | Good afternoon! |
| ¿Qué decimos antes de dormir? | What do we say before we sleep? |
| ¡Buenas noches! | Good night! |
How are you in Spanish
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Qué tal? | How are you? |
| “¿Qué tal?” is a very common and informal way to ask “how are you” in Spanish. | |
| ¿Cómo estás? | How are you doing? |
| ¿Cómo te sientes? | How are you feeling? |
| ¿Cómo te va? | How is it going? |
| “¿Cómo te va?” is an informal and casual way to ask someone how they are doing. | |
| Bien. | Fine. |
| Más o menos. | So-so. |
| Regular. | Okay. |
| Mal. | Bad. |
The verb “estar” is used for feelings or moods.
We would say: “Yo estoy bien.” => I am good.
The verb “sentir” is also used to express temporary feelings.
We would say: “Me siento mal.” => I feel bad.
Dialogue on asking "how are you"
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Qué tal? | How are you? |
| Estoy bien, gracias. | I'm fine, thank you. |
| ¿Y tú cómo estás Daniel? | And how are you Daniel? |
| Me siento mal. | I feel bad. |
| Lo siento. Espero que te mejores. | I am sorry. I hope you get better. |
Goodbye in Spanish
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Adiós | Goodbye |
| "Adiós" is a formal and standard way to bid farewell. | |
| Hasta luego | See you later |
| Hasta pronto | See you soon |
| "Hasta pronto" is commonly used in both casual and formal settings. | |
| Nos vemos | See you |
| "Nos vemos" is a casual and friendly way to bid farewell, with the intention of meeting again soon. | |
| Hasta la próxima | Until next time |
"Hasta luego" is a casual way to say goodbye when you intend to see the person again in the near future.
It's used in both formal and informal settings.
Dialogue on saying "goodbye"
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Me voy. ¡Adiós! | I'm leaving. Goodbye! |
| Hasta luego. Nos vemos mañana. | See you later. See you tomorrow. |
| Hasta pronto. | See you soon. |
| Nos vemos. Que tengas un buen día. | See you. Have a nice day. |
Key takeaways
Here is a quick summary of this lesson.
- Be aware of the difference in formal and informal settings.
- Use "Hola" and "Buenos días" to greet somebody.
Important! Practise this lesson with a teacher.
We recommend to complement our free lessons with one of our teachers in conversation lessons. We offer both private and group lessons.
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