Spanish Greetings, Farewells, and Introductions: Essential Phrases & Examples

Greetings, farewells, and introductions are essential expressions for acknowledging someone’s presence, arrival, or departure, and for conveying politeness, respect, and courtesy in social interactions.

While many Spanish expressions are commonly used, their level of formality can vary significantly. Understanding these nuances is key to navigating different social contexts effectively.

Common Spanish Greetings

Here are the most common ways to say hello in Spanish:

Spanish	English
Hola	Hello
Buenos días	Good morning
Buenas tardes	Good afternoon
Buenas noches	Good evening/night
Saludos	Greetings

Note on Plural Form: You’ll notice that Spanish greetings like “Buenos días,” “Buenas tardes,” and “Buenas noches” adopt a plural form, which literally translates to “Good days,” “Good afternoons,” and “Good nights.” While you might occasionally hear the singular “Buen día,” it is less common than the plural forms.

Asking “How Are You?” in Spanish

Knowing how to inquire about someone’s well-being is crucial. The choice of expression often depends on the level of formality in your relationship.

Formal vs. Informal: Choosing the Right Pronoun

In Spanish, the pronoun you use when addressing someone (and thus the verb conjugation) depends on the level of formality:

Use Tú when speaking to someone with whom you have a casual relationship, such as a friend, family member, child, or someone you know well.
Use Usted when speaking to someone with whom you have a formal relationship, such as a boss, a person in authority, someone significantly older than you, or someone you don’t know well.

For a detailed explanation, explore the Tú vs. Usted guide.

Formal Expressions

These are typically used in professional or respectful settings:

Subject pronoun	Spanish	English
Tú	¿Como estás?	How are you?
	¿Cómo estás tú?
Usted	¿Cómo está?
	¿Cómo está usted?

Casual Expressions

These phrases are suitable for informal interactions with friends, family, or peers:

Spanish	English
¿Qué tal?	What’s up?
¿Cómo haz estado?	How have you been?
¿Qué tal todo?	How is everything?
¿Cómo andas?	How are you doing?
¿Qué cuentas?	What’s up?
¿Qué hay de nuevo?	What’s new? Or What’s up?
¿Como va todo?	How is everything going?
¿Cómo va?	How is it? ¿What’s up?
¿En que andas?	What are you up to?

Responding to “How Are You?”

After someone asks how you are, you’ll need to know how to respond.

Common Positive Responses

Spanish	English
Estoy bien, gracias, ¿Y tú/usted?	I’m fine, thanks, you?
Muy bien, gracias, ¿Y tú/usted?	I’m fine, thanks, you?
Todo bien	It’s all good/fine/everything is fine
Muy bien	Very good

Nuanced or Non-Committal Responses

Sometimes you don’t want to give a definitive answer. Phrases like “Ahí vamos” or “Aquí estamos” are often used when someone is not feeling great, but not terrible either, conveying a sense of “hanging in there” or “surviving.”

Ahí vamos	Literal: “Here, there we are/go…” it means, surviving, hanging in there, kind of fine.
Aquí estamos

Common Spanish Farewells: Saying Goodbye

These phrases help you politely conclude a conversation and depart:

Spanish	English
Adiós	Bye/goodbye
Chao	Bye/goodbye
Hasta luego	See you later
Hasta mañana	See you tomorrow
Hasta la próxima semana, día, lunes	See you next Week/day/monday
Buenas noches	Good night

Note on “Hasta” phrases: Phrases starting with “Hasta” (meaning “until”) are very common for saying goodbye with an expectation of seeing the person again. Remember that days of the week are usually lowercase in Spanish. If you need a refresher, check out our guide on Days of the Week in Spanish.

Other Useful Spanish Expressions

Beyond greetings and farewells, these common phrases will enhance your everyday interactions:

Spanish	English
Me alegra verte	I’m glad t osee you /I’m happy t osee you
Un placer verte	It’s a pleasure to see you
Un placer conocerte	Nice to meet you, it’s a pleasure to meet you
Ha sido un placer	It’s been pleasure (to meet you)
Igualmente	Likewise
Gracias por su tiempo	Thank you for your time
Tiempo sin verte	It’s been a while, it’s been a long time
Bienvenido	Welcome
Saludos a todos	Greetings to all/everyone
Cuidate	Take care
Que tengas un bien día	Have a nice day
Que pases buenas noches	Have a good night
Que duermas bien	Sleep well, sleep tight
Sueña con los angelitos	Literally “dream with little angels” it means “sweet dreams”

Example Conversation: Spanish Greetings in Action

Here’s a dialogue between three friends using informal greetings and farewells (note the use of Tú):

Conversation:

Marcos: ¡Hola Maria!
Maria: ¡Hola Marcos!

Marcos: ¿Cómo estás?
Maria: Estoy bien, ¿y tú?
Marcos: Estoy bien, gracias, ¡tiempo sin verte!

Maria: Sí, es cierto, ¿qué cuentas?
Marcos: Ahora vivo aquí en Mexico.
Maria: ¡Que buenas noticias! Oh, Marcos, este es mi prometido.Marcos: Hola, ¡mucho gusto!

Nicolas: Hola Marcos, mi nombre es Nicolas.
Marcos: ¿Eres español?
Nicolas: Sí, soy de España, es mi primera vez en Mexico.

Marcos: ¡Bienvenidos entonces!
Maria: Le encanta Mexico.
Marcos: Sí, es un país hermoso.

Maria: ¿Qué hora es? Creo que tenemos que irnos.
Marcos: Está bien, que bueno verte Maria, espero verte de nuevo.
Maria: Sí, yo también.

Nicolas: Podemos ir a cenar todos este sábado.
Marcos: Sí, ¡sería fantástico!
Maria: ¡Perfecto! Entonces te llamaré mañana, hasta el sábado.

Marcos: Nos vemos, buenas noches.
Nicolás: Que pasen buenas noches, cuídense.

Exercise

1. Translate the following sentences into Spanish:

Hello how are you?
Good morning, my name is Juan.
Hello! How is everything? Glad to see you again.

Goodbye, it was nice meeting you. See you tomorrow.

2. Imagine a conversation with someone using some of the words you learned today, then translate it into Spanish and write it.

Answers

¿Hola, cómo estás?
Buenos días, mi nombre es Juan.
¡Hola! ¿Cómo va todo? Me alegra verte de nuevo.

Adiós, fue un placer conocerte. Nos vemos mañana. (or hasta mañana)