Greetings in Spanish - formal and informal Share Copied!
Spanish Greetings and Farewells A1 To introduce oneself
Learn basic Spanish greetings like "hola" (hi), "¿cómo estás?" (how are you?), and "buenos días" (good morning) to start conversations politely.
<< Saludos y despedidas (Greetings 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.
- “Buenas tardes” is used to greet someone in the afternoon or evening.
- “¿Qué tal?” is a way to ask “how are you” in Spanish, informally.
