100+ Spanish Greetings You Need to Know

Spanish is a language with a rich history and culture. Its greetings vary depending on the time of day, context, and intimacy of the relationships. Knowing these greetings can help you communicate more effectively and respectfully in Spanish-speaking communities.

In this blog post, we will guide you through the essential Spanish greetings to help you master them.

Basic Greetings

1. Hola – “Hello”
   Hola is the most common and versatile greeting in Spanish. It’s suitable for all situations and the perfect way to start any conversation.
2. Buenos días – “Good morning”
   Buenos días is a polite way to greet someone at the start of the day, and it is used from morning until midday.
3. Buenas tardes – “Good afternoon.”
   This greeting is appropriate from midday until the early evening, around 7 PM.
4. Buenas noches – “Good evening/night”
   Once the sun begins to set, buenas noches is the respectful greeting to use.

Formal Greetings

When addressing someone in a formal context, perhaps in a professional setting or when speaking to someone significantly older or in a position of authority, it is customary to use more formal phrases:

5. Mucho gusto – “Nice to meet you”
   Often used when meeting someone for the first time.
6. ¿Cómo está usted? – “How are you?”
   The formal version of “How are you?” uses the polite ‘usted’ form.
7. Encantado/a – “Pleased to meet you”
   Use encantado if you’re male and encantada if you’re female, typically when you’re introduced to someone new in a formal setting.

Casual Greetings

With friends, younger people, or those with whom you have an informal relationship, you might use less formal language:

8. ¿Qué tal? or ¿Qué pasa? – “What’s up?”
   These phrases are great for casual check-ins with friends.
9. ¿Cómo estás? – “How are you?”
   The informal version asks someone how they are doing, using the ‘tú’ form.
10. Me alegro de verte – “Happy to see you”
    It is a warm way to express happiness upon seeing a friend.

Other Examples of greetings in Spanish

11. Buen día – “Good day”
12. Saludos – “Greetings”
13. ¿Cómo te va? – “How’s it going?”
14. ¿Cómo has estado? – “How have you been?”
15. ¿Qué hay de nuevo? – “What’s new?”
16. ¿Qué onda? – “What’s up?” (common in Mexico)
17. ¡Cuánto tiempo sin verte! – “Long time no see!”
18. Encantado de conocerte – “Delighted to meet you”
19. Es un placer – “It’s a pleasure”
20. Feliz de verte – “Happy to see you”
21. Hola, ¿qué tal? – “Hello, how are you?”
22. ¿Todo bien? – “All good?”
23. ¿Qué cuentas? – “What do you tell?”
24. ¿Cómo va todo? – “How is everything going?”
25. Bienvenido/a – “Welcome” (male/female)
26. Hola a todos – “Hello, everyone.”
27. ¿Qué te trae por aquí? – “What brings you here?”
28. ¡Hace tanto que no te veía! – “I haven’t seen you in so long!”
29. ¡Tanto tiempo! – “So long!”
30. Hola, mi amigo/a – “Hello, my friend” (male/female)
31. Buenas, ¿cómo estamos? – “Hello, how are we?”
32. Hola, compañero/a – “Hello, mate” (male/female)
33. ¿Qué se cuenta? – “What’s being said?”
34. ¿Cómo está todo? – “How is everything?”
35. ¡Qué alegría verte! – “What a joy to see you!”
36. Nos da gusto verte – “We’re glad to see you.”
37. Buen retorno – “Welcome back”
38. ¡Vaya sorpresa verte aquí! – “What a surprise to see you here!”
39. Hola, querido/a – “Hello, dear” (male/female)
40. ¡Hola, campeón! – “Hello, champ!”
41. Un placer verte de nuevo – “A pleasure to see you again.”
42. Hola, ¿cómo te ha ido? – “Hello, how have you been?”
43. Hola, ¿todo en orden? – “Hello, is everything okay?”
44. Muy buenas – “Very good” (informal and friendly)
45. Hola, ¿alguna novedad? – “Hello, any news?”
46. Estaba pensando en ti – “I was thinking about you.”
47. ¡Qué gusto verte de nuevo! – “What a pleasure to see you again!”
48. ¡Hey! ¿Cómo está todo? – “Hey! How is everything?”
49. ¡Buenas vibras! – “Good vibes!”
50. Un gusto volver a verte – “Nice to see you again.”
51. ¡Qué gusto de verte! – “What a pleasure to see you!”
52. Hola, ¿cómo lo llevas? – “Hello, how are you managing?”
53. ¡Hola, crack! – “Hello, champ!” (informal)
54. ¿Qué me cuentas? – “What can you tell me?”
55. ¡Hola, joven! – “Hello, young one!”
56. ¿Cómo va la vida? – “How’s life going?”
57. Buenos días, mi rey/reina – “Good morning, my king/queen” (affectionate)
58. ¿Cómo sigue todo? – “How is everything continuing?”
59. ¡Hola, belleza! – “Hello, beauty!” (flirty or playful)
60. ¿Qué hay de tu vida? – “What’s up with your life?”
61. Hola, genio – “Hello, genius” (informal)
62. ¡Cuánto tiempo sin saber de ti! – “It’s been a long time without hearing from you!”
63. ¡Buenas y santas! – “Good and holy!” (very informal, regional)
64. Hola, mi héroe – “Hello, my hero”
65. ¡Ey, amigo/a! ¿Cómo va todo? – “Hey, friend! How is everything going?” (male/female)
66. ¿Cómo marcha el día? – “How’s the day going?”
67. ¡Buenas, colega! – “Hello, colleague!”
68. ¡Dios te bendiga! – “God bless you!”
69. ¡Hola, sol! – “Hello, sunshine!”
70. ¿Qué te parece si…? – “How about if…?” (leading to a plan or idea)
71. ¡Hola, estrella! – “Hello, star!” (affectionate or to a child)
72. Hola, guapo/a – “Hello, handsome/beautiful” (male/female)
73. ¡Hola, campeona! – “Hello, champion!” (female)
74. ¡Vaya! ¡Cuánto tiempo! – “Wow! It’s been so long!”
75. ¿Qué dice el cuerpo? – “What does the body say?” (how are you feeling?)
76. Hola, vida mía – “Hello, my life” (romantic)
77. ¿Cómo te trata la vida? – “How is life treating you?”
78. ¡Hola, tesoro! – “Hello, treasure!” (affectionate)
79. ¡Hola, figura! – “Hello, figure!” (informal)
80. ¡Ey, qué alegría verte! – “Hey, how happy to see you!”
81. Buenas, ¿qué tal el día? – “Hello, how’s the day?”
82. ¿Todo correcto? – “Everything correct?”
83. ¡Hola, ídolo! – “Hello, idol!”
84. ¿Cómo andas por estos días? – “How have you been these days?”
85. ¡Hola, guerrero/a! – “Hello, warrior!” (male/female)
86. ¡Hola, maestro/a! – “Hello, master!” (male/female)
87. Hola, ¿qué tal todo por allá? – “Hello, how’s everything over there?”
88. ¡Qué sorpresa verte! – “What a surprise to see you!”
89. ¡Hola, bombón! – “Hello, sweetie!” (flirty)
90. Buenos días/tardes/noches, ¿cómo amaneciste? – “Good morning/afternoon/evening, how did you wake up?”
91. ¡Hola, caminante! – “Hello, walker!” (friendly to someone on a journey or literally walking)
92. ¿Cómo se presenta el día? – “How does the day present itself?” (asking about expectations for the day)
93. ¡Buenas, qué tal la familia? – “Hello, how’s the family?”
94. ¡Hola, socio/a! – “Hello, partner!” (informal, can be used for friends or business partners, male/female)
95. ¡Qué honor verte! – “What an honor to see you!” (respectful and warm)
96. ¿Cómo va ese ánimo? – “How’s that spirit going?” (encouraging and caring)
97. Hola, ¿todo tranquilo? – “Hello, is everything calm?”
98. ¡Hola, maquina! – “Hello, machine!” (informal, to someone known for their efficiency or skill)
99. Buenas, ¿cómo estamos hoy? – “Hello, how are we today?” (friendly and inclusive)
100. ¿Qué trae de bueno hoy? – “What brings good today?” (optimistic, asking about positive aspects of the day)

Regional Variations

Greeting customs can also vary significantly across the Spanish-speaking world. For example:

• In Argentina, you might hear ¿Cómo andás? For “How are you?”, use the local slang ‘vos’ instead of ‘tú.’
• In Spain, it’s common to greet friends and acquaintances with a kiss on each cheek, whereas, in most Latin American countries, a single-cheek kiss or a handshake is more common.

Tips for Using Spanish Greetings

• Always be mindful of the formality of the situation.
• When in doubt, opt for the more formal option.
• Observe and mimic the greetings used by locals, especially in different regions.

By familiarizing yourself with these various greetings, you’ll improve your Spanish language skills and deepen your understanding and appreciation of Hispanic culture. Whether traveling to a Spanish-speaking country or meeting new friends, using the appropriate greeting can open doors and forge connections. ¡Buena suerte! (Good luck!)