You probably know how to greet people in a few languages:Goodbye!in Italian,Nice day!in French,Hallo!in German, and evenHallo!in Spanish. Today, however, we're not only going to focus on how to say hello in Spanish, but also how to greet people in general. We will try to teach you different greetings in Spanish so that you are prepared for different situations. Let's go there!
Hello in spanish
As we've seen, saying hello in Spanish isn't the most challenging. It's a small four-letter word that also begins withh:Hallo🇧🇷 However, you should keep in mind that unlike English, thehin Spanish it is silent (unless preceded by the letter c).
You can see how it's pronouncedHallo on here🇧🇷 You can hear different accents, which is a big plus!
You've probably come across this greeting with an exclamation mark:
Hallo!
Of course, whether you use them in writing depends on the context, intent, or even your mood. However, we believe that it is an ideal moment to remember that in Spanish there are two exclamation marks, one at the beginning and the other at the end of the word or phrase in question.
So far so good, right? But as we all know, just saying hello in Spanish is not enough. There are many different greetings in Spanish depending on, for example, the time of day or the level of formality. So let's keep going!
Greetings of the day in Spanish
In the English language, our day is divided into four parts: morning, afternoon, afternoon and night. Spanish speakers have decided to make this a little easier and narrow it down to three options. How to say hello in Spanish depending on the time of day.
good morning in spanish
Good morning Good Morning.
While these phrases technically mean "good morning" literally and can be used any time the sun comes up, they work as the equivalent of "good morning" in Spanish.
You can use it to say “good morning” in Spanish until around 2 p.m.
Hello in Spanish
Buenas tardes.
A Spanish afternoon starts at 1 or 2 p.m. and ends every time the sun goes down. However, if the sun goes down too soon, you might still sayGood eveningsomewhat later. Depending on the daylight and region, you can useBuenas tardesuntil 8 p.m. or later.
good night and good night in spanish
Good evening.
Unlike in English, there is no difference between "hello" and "goodbye" after dark. If you have just arrived at a party or are ending the night,Good eveningis the way to go.
In this video you can see how "good morning" is pronounced in Spanish, as well as other greetings:
"How are you?" in Spanish
Saying hello in Spanish isn't everything. We often accompany our greetings by asking someone how they are. So let's look at some expressions to do just that.
- How are you?(How are you?)
- How are you?(How are you?)
These are the most common phrases to ask someone how they are. It is important to note here that these rates change depending on the formality. In English we only use "you" to refer to the person we are talking to, but in Spanish things get a little more complicated.
There are three different ways to refer to the second person singular:Tu,Tumi.Fromused in an informal context (to talk to family and friends) andTuformally (e.g. at work or when talking to older people). Includedis another informal option, but only used in some Latin American countries like Uruguay. If you want more information about pronouns in Spanish, take a look atour article on this topic.
The reason why pronouns are so important here is that the Spanish conjugation changes for each pronoun. So now that we've settled our formalities, let's get back to our prayers, okay?
How are you?miHow are you?are the formal option whileI likemiHow are you?are the informal ones let's look at some examples.
- how are you aunt(how are you aunt)
- How are you, Ms. Rodriguez?(How are you, Ms. Rodriguez?)
If you want to learn more about these two idioms, clickon here.
colloquial terms
We've covered our greetings in Spanish, but we've stayed within the realm of formality and grammatical correctness. It's time we looked at more informal phrases and slang used to say hello in Spanish.
- Hallo!(equalsHallo!ÖNo!)
This is fairly informal and is often used by younger people as a nice way to say hello.
- Hello good!(Tomorrow afternoon evening!)
Just like English, Spanish has an abbreviated way of saying "good morning". Here Spanish again simplifies things and just usesBoa(literally translates well) so it works any time of the day.
Note that this does not mean saying goodbye; You should only use it to say hello.
- No!(No!)
You can use this option when calling someone or surprised to see someone.
- How are you?(And since?)
This is an informal way of asking someone how they are.
- How are you?(How are you'?)
Another informal way to ask someone how they are.
- All is well?(All is well?)
Surprisingly, this is more of a casual way of saying the same thing.
- Which accounts/accounts?(what's new)
This last phrase is used when speaking to someone to ask what they are up to.
There are two options depending on whether you are usingTu(And since?) Ö(What works?).
Let's put it into practice
We've looked at vocabulary in general, but you may want to put this in context. Here are some easy conversations that start with different ways to say hello in Spanish.
formal greetings
- Hello Mr. Lopez. How are you? 🇧🇷Good day Mr. Lopez. How are you?)
- I'm fine, Ms. Slender. And you? 🇧🇷I'm fine, Ms. Delgado. And you?)
- Very good thank you. To have a good day! 🇧🇷Very good thank you. Have a nice day!)
informal greetings
- Good morning Lucy! How are you? 🇧🇷Good morning Lucy! How are you?)
- Hello Lukas! Very good and you? 🇧🇷Hello Lukas! Very good and you?)
- Big. I can not complainI am well. I can not complain.)
Greetings colloquially
- Hello good! How are you? 🇧🇷listen! What's up Lou?)
- barbarian what do you say julia 🇧🇷Big. What's new with you, Julia?)
- Very good, study hard. 🇧🇷I'm fine, I'm learning a lot.)
how to greet someone
We've covered all the different ways to say hello in Spanish, but how you physically greet someone when meeting face-to-face is also important. We went from the more formal to the less formal, just like we did with our vocabulary.
handshake
Any formal situation, like a job interview or a business meeting, requires a handshake. However, when two men greet each other, they usually shake hands as well.
A kiss on the cheek
This is the standard informal greeting in Latin America, except for two males as noted above. However, in some countries like Argentina, men also greet each other with a kiss on the cheek.
A kiss on each cheek
In Spain, two kisses are preferred to one. One on each cheek!
hug
Finally, when it comes to close friends or family members, people may also choose to greet each other with a hug.
goodbye in spanish
Yes, this is an article on how to say hello in Spanish. But we couldn't abandon him without teaching him to say goodbye too. Here are some phrases to help you close the conversation.
- Goodbye!(Goodbye!)
This is the most common and easiest way to say goodbye in Spanish. It works in both formal and informal situations.
- ¡Chau!(Goodbye!)
This word is more colloquial and mainly used in some Latin American countries like Peru and Chile.
- Bye!(Bye!)
We use this expression when we hope to see the person again someday. It works in both formal and informal contexts.
- Until tomorrow!(Until tomorrow!)
When saying goodbye to someone you see the next day, this is definitely the way to go.
Final remarks on how to say hello in Spanish
There are several ways to say hello in Spanish. We probably haven't covered all of the informal variants that may differ from country to country, but we hope we've given you enough to get you started.
If you want to continue learning Spanish, be sure to seek advicethis article.
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FAQs
What is the formal way of saying hello in Spanish? ›
2- Buenos días
This expression is usually more formal than the simple hola, but it can also be used in informal contexts. Maybe you noticed that when we translated it literally, we wrote “good days,” in the plural. No, it wasn't a mistake. In Spanish, for some reason, all these greetings are in the plural.
Casual and informal greetings in Spanish
Hi, there! ¡Hola, hola! Hey! ¡Oye!
Mucho Gusto
It can be used in the beginning and the end of the conversation. Instead of saying “adios” to someone who you just met, you can simply say “mucho gusto!” And if you are wondering how to respond to “mucho gusto”, the best answer is “igualmente” o “mucho gusto también”.
When someone asks you ¿Cómo estás? If you feel alright, you say estoy bien; you could also say, estoy muy bien, to give more emphasis, which means “very good” or “very well.” You can also add one extra word, gracias, meaning “thanks”, and estoy bien, gracias; it means “I'm fine, thank you.” 2.
What is the longest word for hello? ›Hello, Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is the longest word entered in the most trusted English dictionaries.
What is a fancy word for hello? ›Here are some hello synonyms you can use in lieu of the noun form: Welcome. Greeting. Salutation. Regards.
Can I just say Buenas? ›Fun fact: One curious detail is that buenos días, buenas tardes and buenas noches are formal ways to greet in Spanish, but when Spanish natives want to greet friends or family or neighbors in an informal way, they will just say “buenas” as an alternative to “hola.” You will hear this a lot if you pay attention - it's ...
How do you say hello informally? ›Howdy / Hey mate / Hey man / G'day / and Gidday mate all indicate that we know a person quite well. How are you? / What's up? / How's it going? are casual ways to say hello in English and indicate that we've known that person for some time.
Does Saludos mean hello? ›In Spanish, the word saludos simply translates to greetings. However, its extended definition is a greeting that is used to wish health upon others, as salud, or health, is included in saludos. Greeting someone then, is in fact much more than just saying hello.
How do Hispanic greet each other? ›The common verbal greeting is “Buenos dias” (Good day), “Buenas tardes” (Good afternoon) or “Buenas noches” (Good evening/night) depending on the time of day. People may also say “¿Como está?” (How are you). A more casual greeting is “Hola” (Hello).
How do you greet in simple way? ›
- Hello. This is the most basic greeting in English. ...
- Hi. This is a shorter version of "hello". ...
- Hey. Now, "hey" is definitely more casual than "hi" or "hello". ...
- Good morning. / Good afternoon. / Good evening. ...
- It's nice to meet you. ...
- It's a pleasure to meet you. ...
- It's good to see you again. ...
- What's up?
- Hola - Hello.
- Buenos días - Good morning.
- Buenas tardes - Good afternoon.
- Buenas noches - Good evening.
hasta mañana in American English
(mɑˈnjɑnɑ ) Spanish. so long; (I'll) see you tomorrow.
¿Cuántos años tienes? How old are you?
What does de nada mean? ›Spanish de nada (“it's nothing”).
How to respond to que hora es? ›If somebody asks, ¿Qué hora es? (What time is it?) We say, “Son las 5” (It is 5 o'clock).
What is bien mean in Spanish? ›The Spanish word bien (bee-ehn) means 'fine' and it also means 'well'. Conversely, the word bueno (BWEH-noh) means 'good'. From these basic differences in the meaning of each word, you can already see two uses of these words. You use bien to answer when someone asks you how you are doing.
Whats como esta mean? ›¿Cómo estás? (How are you?) It`s a question that they certainly ask you frequently when you come to Spain. Do you know what you have to answer? In this Spanish lesson, we will show you several expressions for being able to answer this question.
What is the 3 hour word? ›The longest English word
The longest word in English has 189,819 letters and takes 3 hours to pronounce. This is a technical term for the chemical composition of titin. Titin is the largest known protein responsible for maintaining the passive elasticity of the muscles.
isoleucine. You'll notice there's an ellipsis here, and that's because this word, in total, is 189,819 letters long, and it's the chemical name for the largest known protein, titin.
What is the oldest word in human language? ›
Mother, bark and spit are some of the oldest known words, say researchers. Continue reading → Mother, bark and spit are just three of 23 words that researchers believe date back 15,000 years, making them the oldest known words.
Is Hey a slang word? ›It all started with one …. as an interjection for, say, surprise or warning, hey is recorded in the 1200s (not common as an informal greeting like hello until at least the mid-19th century). Hey hey, besides doubling as a salutation, has been slang for such things as “a problem” and “sex” in the 20th century.
What's the meaning of Buenas Noches? ›Spanish phrase
bue·nas no·ches ˈbwe-näs-ˈnō-ches. : good evening : good night.
Bill Bryson asserts in his book Mother Tongue that "hello" comes from Old English hál béo þu ("Hale be thou", or "whole be thou", meaning a wish for good health; cf. "goodbye" which is a contraction of "God be with ye").
How do you say hello in 100 languages? ›- English: Hello.
- French: Bonjour.
- Spanish: Hola.
- Italian: Ciao.
- Portugese: Olá
- Maori: Kia Ora.
- Australian: G'day.
- Greek: Geia (γεια)
- Formal: Goddag. Informal: Hej, Halløj.
- Formal: Shikamoo. Informal: Habari, Hujambo.
- Formal: Goedendag. Informal: Hoi, Hallo.
- Formal: Yassas. Informal: Yassou.
- Formal: Dzień dobry. Informal: Cześć, Witaj.
- Formal: Selamat siang. Informal: Halo.
- Formal: Namaste, Namaskar. Informal: Hai, Helo.
- Formal: Merhaba. Informal: Selam.
¿Qué tal? is used in both, informal and formal situations, so you can greet an elderly person with ¿qué tal?
Is Chao formal or informal? ›If you are on the phone with a friend and you are about to hang up the most common expression you can use is “chao”, but if it's a more formal conversation, you better use “hasta luego”. Explanation: Chao is extremely informal and you want to use it only with close friends.
What is the difference between EL and Ello? ›"El" is a form of "el", a definite article which is often translated as "the". "Ello" is a pronoun which is often translated as "it".
What are fancy words for hello? ›- salute.
- greeting.
- welcome.
- salutation.
- ave.
- regards.
- respects.
- hail.
Is que pasa informal? ›
This phrase is very colloquial, so it is rarely appropriate to use in formal settings. Check out the examples below to see ¿Qué pasa? in action! ¡Hola!
What does Hasta Manana mean? ›hasta mañana in American English
(mɑˈnjɑnɑ ) Spanish. so long; (I'll) see you tomorrow.
What does ciao bella mean? Ciao bella is an informal Italian expression literally meaning “goodbye (or hello), beautiful.”
What does Ciao tutti mean? ›If you want to address a group of people say 'Ciao a tutti' which means 'Hello everyone. ' You can also say 'Ciao' to say 'goodbye. ' But stick to this word only while greeting friends or colleagues.
What is Xin Chao? ›xin chào • (吀嘲) (formal) hello. (formal) greetings.
Does Buenas mean hi? ›Fun fact: One curious detail is that buenos días, buenas tardes and buenas noches are formal ways to greet in Spanish, but when Spanish natives want to greet friends or family or neighbors in an informal way, they will just say “buenas” as an alternative to “hola.” You will hear this a lot if you pay attention - it's ...
Is it El pizza or La Pizza? ›If you are referring to one pizza the proper terminology is "la pizza" and if you are referring to multiple pies you say "las pizzas." And if you're looking for your closest pizza place, you can ask for the nearest "pizzería."
Why is Buenas noches plural? ›It's possible that buenos días comes from a longer expression used in the past. People used to say “Buenos días os dé Díos” and they weren't just referring to one day, but the next days too. We shortened this long phrase over time (as we generally like to do) and it became buenos días, buenas tardes, and buenas noches.