Lesson 2 – Greetings and Farewells
Unit 1: Bienvenidos | Unit Overview | Course Home
Review Flash
(5 minutes — say the Spanish word before reading it)
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| God | Dios |
| faith | fe |
| yes | sí |
| tomorrow | mañana |
| family | familia |
Lesson Goals
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Greet someone at any time of day in Spanish
- Ask how someone is doing (formally and informally)
- Respond to “how are you?”
- Say goodbye with several natural expressions
- Know when to use formal (usted) vs. informal (tú)
New Vocabulary
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| hola | OH-lah | hello | Hola, me llamo Marcos. (Hello, my name is Marcos.) |
| buenos días | BWEH-nos DEE-ahs | good morning | Buenos días, hermano. (Good morning, brother.) |
| buenas tardes | BWEH-nas TAR-des | good afternoon | Buenas tardes, señora. (Good afternoon, ma’am.) |
| buenas noches | BWEH-nas NOH-ches | good evening / good night | Buenas noches, pastor. (Good evening, pastor.) |
| mucho gusto | MOO-choh GOOS-toh | nice to meet you | Mucho gusto en conocerle. (Very nice to meet you.) |
| bien | byehn | well / fine | Estoy bien, gracias. (I am fine, thank you.) |
| gracias | GRAH-syahs | thank you | Gracias por todo. (Thank you for everything.) |
| adiós | ah-DYOHS | goodbye | Adiós, hasta luego. (Goodbye, see you later.) |
| hasta luego | AHS-tah LWEH-goh | see you later | ¡Hasta luego! |
| hasta mañana | AHS-tah mah-NYA-nah | see you tomorrow | ¡Hasta mañana, Dios mediante! (See you tomorrow, God willing!) |
| nos vemos | nohs VEH-mohs | we’ll see each other | Nos vemos el domingo. (See you Sunday.) |
| con permiso | kon per-MEE-soh | excuse me (to pass) | Con permiso. (Excuse me / pardon me.) |
Grammar Focus: Formal vs. Informal “You”
Spanish has two words for “you”:
Usted (formal) — use with:
- Adults you don’t know well
- Older people
- People in authority (pastors, doctors, teachers)
- Anyone deserving extra respect
Tú (informal) — use with:
- Friends and peers
- Children
- People who invite you to use it
Mission field default
When in doubt, use usted. In Latin America, using usted with an elder or a stranger you’ve just met shows respect. You can always switch to tú once they do, or if they invite you to. Starting with usted and being invited to use tú is a sign of warmth — never the reverse.
Asking “How are you?”
| Version | Spanish | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Formal | ¿Cómo está usted? | With adults, strangers, elders |
| Informal | ¿Cómo estás? | With children, peers, friends |
| Quick/casual | ¿Cómo le va? | Casual, like “How’s it going?” |
Common responses:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Bien, gracias. | Fine, thank you. |
| Muy bien, gracias. | Very well, thank you. |
| Más o menos. | So-so. |
| Regular. | OK / so-so (used more in Latin America than “más o menos”) |
| Gracias a Dios, bien. | Thanks to God, fine. (common Christian expression) |
Story: En la Puerta de la Iglesia (At the Church Door)
Es domingo por la mañana. Marcos llega a la iglesia. El pastor está en la puerta.
Pastor: — Buenos días, hermano. ¿Cómo está usted?
Marcos: — Buenos días, pastor. Bien, gracias a Dios. ¿Y usted?
Pastor: — Muy bien, gracias. Mucho gusto en conocerle. Soy el pastor Ricardo.
Marcos: — Mucho gusto, pastor Ricardo. Soy Marcos. Soy misionero de los Estados Unidos.
Pastor: — ¡Bienvenido a nuestra iglesia, Marcos!
Marcos: — Muchas gracias, pastor. Es un honor estar aquí.
(It is Sunday morning. Marcos arrives at the church. The pastor is at the door. … “Welcome to our church, Marcos!” “Thank you very much, Pastor. It is an honor to be here.”)
Comprehension Check:
- ¿Qué día es? (What day is it?)
- ¿Cómo se llama el pastor? (What is the pastor’s name?)
- ¿De dónde es Marcos? (Where is Marcos from?)
¡Practícalo! (Speaking Practice)
Practice this greeting exchange out loud. Pretend you are meeting a pastor for the first time:
You arrive at a church. Greet the pastor appropriately for the time of day, say “nice to meet you,” give your name, say you’re a missionary from the United States, and say goodbye when you leave.
Try using:
- Buenos días / Buenas tardes
- Mucho gusto
- Me llamo…
- Soy misionero/a de los Estados Unidos
- Hasta luego / Nos vemos
Repeat this mini-scenario three times, varying the greeting for morning, afternoon, and evening.
Cultural Note
The greeting kiss and handshake: In most of Latin America, a greeting between people who know each other includes a single kiss on the right cheek (or a touch of cheeks with a kissing sound) from women, and a firm handshake between men. Between a man and a woman who are acquainted, the cheek greeting is standard. As a missionary, follow the lead of the local — extend your hand if unsure, and be ready to receive a warm cheek greeting from women in the congregation without awkwardness. It is a gesture of genuine welcome.
Oración
“La gracia y la paz sean con vosotros.” (Grace and peace be with you.) — Based on the opening of many of Paul’s letters
A beautiful way to greet a fellow believer: “La gracia y la paz.”
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