Greetings & Basic Conversation
Start Every Interaction With a Greeting
In much of Latin America, walking up to someone — a shopkeeper, a taxi driver, a hotel clerk — and launching straight into a request without a greeting reads as brusque or even rude. A quick "Buenos días" or "Hola" before your question costs nothing and immediately makes the interaction warmer. Make this a habit before anything else in this course.
Time-of-Day Greetings
| Spanish | Meaning | Roughly used |
|---|---|---|
| Buenos días | Good morning | Until around midday |
| Buenas tardes | Good afternoon | Midday until dusk |
| Buenas noches | Good evening / Good night | After dark (both arriving and leaving) |
| Hola | Hi / Hello | Any time, informal, works alongside the above |
A safe combo: "Hola, buenos días" — friendly and correct at any formality level.
Asking "How Are You?" — Informal vs. Formal
Spanish has two "you" forms, and picking the right one matters more in this phrase than almost anywhere else:
| Form | Phrase | Use with |
|---|---|---|
| Informal (tú) | ¿Cómo estás? | Peers, people your age, casual settings, most young people |
| Formal (usted) | ¿Cómo está usted? | Elders, officials, hotel/restaurant staff, anyone you'd address respectfully |
If you're unsure which to use, default to the formal usted version — it's never wrong to be too polite, while using tú with the wrong person can come across as overly familiar. Many service workers will use tú back with travelers regardless; just follow their lead after the first exchange.
Introducing Yourself and Asking Someone's Name
| Spanish | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Me llamo... | My name is... (literally "I call myself...") |
| ¿Cómo te llamas? | What's your name? (informal) |
| ¿Cómo se llama usted? | What's your name? (formal) |
| Mucho gusto | Nice to meet you |
| Soy de... | I am from... |
| ¿De dónde eres? | Where are you from? (informal) |
Example exchange:
Hola, buenos días. Me llamo Ben. ¿Cómo se llama usted?
Me llamo Carla. Mucho gusto.
Mucho gusto, Carla.
Simple Responses
When someone asks how you're doing, you need a quick reply, not a monologue:
| Spanish | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Bien, gracias | Good, thanks |
| Muy bien | Very good |
| Más o menos | So-so / okay |
| ¿Y tú? | And you? (informal) — always bounce the question back |
| ¿Y usted? | And you? (formal) — always bounce the question back |
Leave-Taking
| Spanish | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Adiós | Goodbye | General farewell |
| Hasta luego | See you later | Very common, casual |
| Hasta mañana | See you tomorrow | |
| Nos vemos | See you around | Casual |
| Que tengas buen día | Have a good day | Warm, common closer |
Mini-Dialogue
¡Hola! Buenas tardes.
Buenas tardes. ¿Cómo está usted?
Muy bien, gracias. ¿Y usted?
Bien también. Me llamo Ben. ¿Cómo se llama usted?
Me llamo Sofía. Mucho gusto.
Mucho gusto, Sofía. Hasta luego.
Hasta luego, que tenga buen día.
Practice Suggestion
Pick three greetings, one "how are you," and one leave-taking phrase, and use them out loud in a full mini-conversation like the one above — with a language partner, a tutor, or just talking to yourself. Repeating the whole exchange (not just isolated phrases) builds the reflex of stringing greetings together naturally.
Next: Numbers & Time