Greetings are usually the first Spanish most learners use, and they are a good place to learn how the language handles politeness, time of day and regional variety. This guide covers the phrases you are most likely to need, explains when each fits, and points out where usage changes between countries.
Basic Spanish greetings (saludos)
| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ¡Hola! | Hello / Hi | Works at any time of day and in most situations |
| Buenos días | Good morning | Usually used until around midday |
| Buenas tardes | Good afternoon | From midday until evening |
| Buenas noches | Good evening / Good night | Used as a greeting after dark and as a farewell at bedtime |
| ¡Buenas! | Hi (short and casual) | A shortened form of the three phrases above, common when entering a shop or joining a group |
In Spain, buenas tardes often stretches later into the evening than learners expect, because dinner is eaten late. If you are unsure, hola is always safe.
Asking “How are you?”
Spanish distinguishes between informal (tú) and formal (usted) address. This changes the verb form.
- ¿Cómo estás? – How are you? (informal)
- ¿Cómo está usted? – How are you? (formal)
- ¿Qué tal? – How’s it going? (informal, very common)
- ¿Cómo te va? – How are things going for you? (informal)
- ¿Qué pasa? / ¿Qué hay? – What’s up? (informal, common in Spain)
- ¿Qué onda? – What’s up? (informal, common in Mexico)
- ¿Qué hacés? – What’s up? / How are you? (informal, common in Argentina and Uruguay, where vos is used instead of tú)
Typical replies:
- Bien, gracias, ¿y tú? – Fine, thanks, and you?
- Muy bien, ¿y usted? – Very well, and you? (formal)
- Más o menos. – So-so.
- No muy bien. – Not very well.
For more on describing how you feel beyond “bien” and “mal”, see our list of Spanish vocabulary for emotions and feelings.
Meeting someone for the first time
- Mucho gusto. – Nice to meet you. Literally “much pleasure.”
- Encantado (said by a man) / Encantada (said by a woman) – Pleased to meet you.
- Es un placer conocerle. – It’s a pleasure to meet you. (formal)
- Igualmente. – Likewise.
- Me llamo… / Soy… – My name is… / I am…
- ¿Cómo te llamas? – What is your name? (informal)
- ¿Cómo se llama usted? – What is your name? (formal)
Is “mucho gusto” a greeting or a farewell?
It is used mainly when you meet someone, so it works as a greeting. At the end of a first meeting some speakers say things like fue un gusto conocerte (“it was nice to meet you”), which is a farewell built on the same idea. On its own, mucho gusto is best treated as part of an introduction.
Spanish goodbyes (despedidas)
| Spanish | English | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Adiós | Goodbye | Standard farewell; in some places it can sound a bit final, so many people prefer the options below for casual use |
| Chao / Chau | Bye | Informal, common in much of Latin America and also used in Spain |
| Hasta luego | See you later | Very common, works in most settings |
| Hasta pronto | See you soon | Warm and general |
| Hasta mañana | See you tomorrow | When you will really meet the next day |
| Nos vemos | See you | Informal and very common |
| Hasta la próxima | Until next time | Friendly, a little more relaxed |
| Cuídate | Take care | Informal; formal form is cuídese |
| Que tengas un buen día | Have a good day | Informal; formal is que tenga un buen día |
| Buenas noches | Good night | When someone is going to bed or leaving late |
| Que descanses | Have a good rest | Said in the evening |
Six greetings and farewells to learn first
If you only learn six, these cover a lot of ground: hola, buenos días, ¿cómo estás?, mucho gusto, hasta luego and adiós.
Formal vs informal situations
With people you do not know well, older people, or in professional settings, use usted forms and fuller phrases: Buenos días, ¿cómo está usted? and Hasta luego, que tenga un buen día. With friends, family and people your age in casual settings, tú forms and short phrases such as ¿Qué tal? and Nos vemos are normal.
Learners from some regions will meet vos instead of tú, mainly in Argentina, Uruguay and parts of Central America. Both are understood widely, and sticking with tú is rarely a problem for a learner.
Regional differences
Greetings change from country to country, and slang is the biggest source of variation. A few examples:
- Spain: Two kisses on the cheek (one on each side) are a common greeting between friends, and between a man and a woman or two women. Handshakes are more usual in formal settings. ¿Qué pasa? and ¿Qué tal? are common.
- Mexico: ¿Qué onda? is a common informal greeting. ¿Bueno? is used to answer a phone call, not to greet in person.
- Argentina and Uruguay: Che is a common attention-getter among friends, and ¿Qué hacés? uses the vos form.
- Colombia and several other countries: Phrases like ¿Quiubo? appear in casual speech. Slang like this changes quickly, so listen to how locals speak before copying it.
Slang is best learned by hearing it in context. If you are unsure whether a phrase is appropriate, hola and ¿qué tal? work almost everywhere.
Greetings in specific situations
- At a café or shop: Buenas or Buenos días, then your order with Quisiera… or Me gustaría… (“I would like…”).
- Meeting in-laws or older relatives: Use usted until invited to use tú, and listen to what they use with you.
- Texting: Hola, ¿qué tal? works well, and nos vemos or chao are easy ways to sign off.
- On the phone: Greetings differ again. See our article on Spanish phone conversations.
- Writing a card or message: Un abrazo (a hug) and Saludos are common sign-offs. Seasonal messages are covered in Spanish Christmas card messages.
Tips for practicing
- Say each greeting aloud with a response, not just on its own.
- Practice the formal and informal version of the same question.
- Notice which greeting a local uses back to you, and copy it.
- Pronounce the accented vowel in días, adiós and cómo clearly; accents change where the stress falls.
Quick reference
- Time of day: buenos días, buenas tardes, buenas noches
- Informal check-in: ¿Qué tal?, ¿Cómo estás?
- Formal check-in: ¿Cómo está usted?
- Meeting: mucho gusto, encantado/a
- Leaving: hasta luego, nos vemos, adiós, chao, cuídate