Lesson 01 · 5 min read
Spanish Greetings and Introductions
Greetings are the first thing you learn in any language, and in Spanish they change depending on the time of day and how formal you want to be. This lesson covers the greetings, farewells, and self-introduction phrases you will use in almost every conversation.
1. Basic greetings
Use "buenos días" until midday, "buenas tardes" through the afternoon, and "buenas noches" in the evening. "Hola" works at any time and in any setting.
| Spanish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Hola | Hello | ¡Hola! ¿Cómo estás? — Hi! How are you? |
| Buenos días | Good morning | Buenos días, señora López. — Good morning, Mrs. López. |
| Buenas tardes | Good afternoon | Buenas tardes a todos. — Good afternoon, everyone. |
| Buenas noches | Good evening / Good night | Buenas noches, hasta mañana. — Good night, see you tomorrow. |
2. Asking how someone is
In Spanish the greeting and the question usually arrive together — "¡Hola! ¿Cómo estás?" is one breath, not two. Match the formality to the person: "¿Cómo estás?" for a friend or classmate, "¿Cómo está usted?" for a stranger, a teacher, or anyone older than you. The reply is nearly always short, and it is polite to bounce the question straight back with "¿Y tú?" or "¿Y usted?".
| Spanish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Cómo estás? | How are you? (informal) | Hola Ana, ¿cómo estás? — Hi Ana, how are you? |
| ¿Cómo está usted? | How are you? (formal) | ¿Cómo está usted hoy? — How are you today? |
| Muy bien, gracias | Very well, thank you | Muy bien, gracias. ¿Y tú? — Very well, thanks. And you? |
| Más o menos | So-so | Más o menos, un poco cansado. — So-so, a little tired. |
3. Introducing yourself
There are two ways to give your name. "Me llamo Carlos" literally means "I call myself Carlos" and is the everyday choice; "Soy Carlos" is shorter and slightly more direct. Both are correct. "Mucho gusto" — pleased to meet you — is said while shaking hands, and the other person often answers "igualmente" (likewise).
| Spanish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Me llamo… | My name is… | Me llamo Carlos. — My name is Carlos. |
| ¿Cómo te llamas? | What's your name? | ¿Cómo te llamas? — What's your name? |
| Mucho gusto | Nice to meet you | Mucho gusto, soy María. — Nice to meet you, I am María. |
| Soy de… | I am from… | Soy de México. — I am from Mexico. |
4. Saying goodbye
"Adiós" is the textbook goodbye, but in practice Spanish speakers reach for something warmer far more often. "Hasta luego" and "nos vemos" are the ones you will hear in shops, classrooms and on the phone. Notice the pattern in the "hasta…" family: hasta luego (later), hasta mañana (tomorrow), hasta pronto (soon) — "hasta" plus when you expect to see them again.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Adiós | Goodbye |
| Hasta luego | See you later |
| Hasta mañana | See you tomorrow |
| Nos vemos | See you around |
5. Putting a greeting together
A full Spanish greeting is usually a three-beat exchange, not a single word. You greet, you ask, they answer and bounce it back. Skipping the middle beat is the thing that makes a learner sound abrupt, even when every individual word is correct. Physical greetings vary and are worth knowing in advance. In Spain two kisses on the cheek are standard between women, and between a woman and a man, starting on the left. In much of Latin America it is one. Between men a handshake is the norm almost everywhere, and a hug once you know each other. When in doubt, follow what the other person starts.
| Spanish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Qué tal? | How's it going? | ¡Hola Marta! ¿Qué tal? — Hi Marta! How's it going? |
| ¿Cómo te va? | How are things going for you? | ¿Cómo te va en el trabajo nuevo? — How are things going in the new job? |
| Aquí andamos | Getting by, same as ever | —¿Qué tal? —Aquí andamos. — 'How's it going?' 'Getting by.' |
| Encantado / Encantada | Delighted to meet you | Encantada, soy Lucía. — Delighted to meet you, I'm Lucía. |
| Igualmente | Likewise | —Mucho gusto. —Igualmente. — 'Nice to meet you.' 'Likewise.' |
Common mistakes
Buenos noches → Buenas noches
Noche is feminine, so the greeting takes buenas. The same trap catches buenas tardes. Only días is masculine — and it is plural, which is why it is buenos días and never buen día in most of the Spanish-speaking world.
¿Cómo estás, señor Ruiz? → ¿Cómo está, señor Ruiz?
Addressing someone by title signals formality, so the verb has to follow into usted. Mixing a formal title with the tú form is the single most common politeness slip English speakers make.
Soy bien, gracias → Estoy bien, gracias
How you are is a state, so it takes estar. Ser bien is not a thing; if you say soy bueno you have claimed to be a morally good person.