Vocabulary
Spanish Greetings, Say Hello Like a Native
Greetings are the smallest part of a conversation and the part locals notice most. Get them right and every next sentence lands better.
This guide walks through every situation, first meetings, casual hellos, formal greetings, phone calls, morning to late night, plus the cultural bits (kisses, handshakes) that no textbook teaches well.
Basic greetings by time of day
- Buenos días, Good morning (until roughly 1–2pm).
- Buenas tardes, Good afternoon / evening (from lunch until sunset).
- Buenas noches, Good evening / good night (from dark onwards, or when leaving).
- ¡Hola!, Hi! (works any time).
- Buenas, Casual 'hey there', very common in Spain.
Asking 'how are you?'
- ¿Qué tal?, How's it going? (very common, informal).
- ¿Cómo estás?, How are you? (informal singular).
- ¿Cómo está usted?, How are you? (formal).
- ¿Cómo están?, How are you all? (Latin America).
- ¿Cómo estáis?, How are you all? (Spain).
- ¿Qué pasa? / ¿Qué onda? / ¿Qué hubo?, What's up? (Spain / Mexico / Colombia).
Standard replies
- Bien, ¿y tú?, Good, and you?
- Muy bien, gracias., Very well, thanks.
- Todo bien., All good.
- No me quejo., Can't complain.
- Cansado/a, pero bien., Tired, but good.
- Aquí, tirando., Getting by. (Spain, casual)
First meetings
- Encantado / Encantada, Nice to meet you.
- Mucho gusto., Pleased to meet you (Latin America).
- Un placer., A pleasure.
- Igualmente., Likewise.
- Soy [nombre]., I'm [name].
- ¿Cómo te llamas? / ¿Cuál es tu nombre?, What's your name?
Formal vs informal, usted, tú, vos
Spain: tú for anyone under ~60 in casual settings; usted for elderly people, formal customer service, or clear power gaps.
Mexico and much of Latin America: usted stays common in workplaces and with elders even when friendly.
Argentina, Uruguay, parts of Central America: vos replaces tú (¿Cómo estás vos? → ¿Cómo estás?). Verb forms shift: vos tenés, vos hablás.
Cheek kisses and handshakes
In Spain, two cheek kisses (right cheek first) are standard between women, and between men and women, in social settings. Handshakes for men or in professional contexts.
In Latin America, one cheek kiss (right cheek) is more common. Argentina extends the kiss even between men who are friends.
In professional or first-time settings anywhere, a handshake is always safe.
Phone greetings
- ¿Diga? / ¿Dígame?, Hello? (Spain, answering).
- ¿Aló?, Hello? (much of Latin America).
- ¿Bueno?, Hello? (Mexico).
- ¿Está [nombre]?, Is [name] there?
- De parte de…, This is… calling.
- Un momento, por favor., One moment, please.
Goodbyes
- Adiós, Goodbye.
- Hasta luego, See you later.
- Hasta pronto, See you soon.
- Hasta mañana, See you tomorrow.
- Nos vemos, See you around.
- Cuídate / Cuídese, Take care.
- Que te vaya bien, Hope it goes well.
- Chao, Bye (casual, widespread).
Mistakes to avoid
- Using buenos días after lunch, locals will notice.
- Using ¿cómo estás? as an actual question expecting detail. It's a courtesy, a short 'bien, ¿y tú?' is enough.
- Skipping the greeting entirely and jumping to your question. In Spanish culture, this reads as rude.
- Answering 'bien' with a flat tone. Add warmth, or the person thinks you're upset.
Frequently asked questions
Should I kiss on the cheek when I first meet someone?
In casual social settings in Spain, yes. In professional or Latin American contexts, wait for the other person's cue.
Is 'hola' too informal?
No, it's used in every register from friends to shop assistants. Add 'buenos días' for warmth in formal contexts.
Do people really say 'buenos días' in the morning even to strangers?
Yes, especially in shops, elevators and small towns. Skipping it is impolite.
What's the difference between adiós and hasta luego?
Adiós feels a bit more final; hasta luego is default. Most people use hasta luego for everything short of a permanent goodbye.