Spanish greetings: how to say hello (and goodbye) like a local

Greetings are the first Spanish you'll use and the part people notice most. Here's what Latin Americans really say, when it changes, and what to say back.

Quick answer. The basic Spanish greeting is hola. Add or replace it with buenos días until about noon, buenas tardes until dark and buenas noches after dark, then ask ¿cómo estás? with a friend or ¿cómo está? with someone you'd call usted. When you meet someone new, say mucho gusto; when you leave, nos vemos or hasta luego sounds more natural than adiós.

Hello at any time of day

Greeting	Meaning	When
Hola	Hi, hello	Any time, anyone. Often combined: Hola, buenos días.
Buenos días	Good morning	From waking up until about noon
Buenas tardes	Good afternoon / evening	From about noon until it gets dark
Buenas noches	Good evening / good night	After dark, both to say hello and goodbye
Buenas	Hi (short for any of the above)	Casual, very common in shops and on the street
Buen día	Good morning	Common in Argentina and Uruguay, also heard in Mexico

When does buenos días switch to buenas tardes? In Mexico most people switch at midday, though some keep saying buenos días until they've had lunch. Buenas tardes lasts until it's dark, which is why it often covers what English calls the evening. Note the endings: buenos días (masculine, el día) but buenas tardes and buenas noches (feminine).

One cultural rule worth more than any grammar: greet the room. Walking into a small shop, a waiting room, a taxi or even an elevator, people say buenos días or buenas tardes to everyone there. Skipping it can come across as cold.

How are you?

Question	Who you're asking	Notes
¿Cómo estás?	One person, tú	Friends, family, people your age
¿Cómo está?	One person, usted	Older people, officials, customers, anyone you'd call señor or señora
¿Cómo están?	Two or more people	Works for friends and strangers alike in Latin America
¿Qué tal?	Anyone	Neutral and short; also ¿Qué tal tu día?
¿Cómo te va?	One person, tú	How's it going? (¿Cómo le va? with usted)
¿Qué onda?	Friends	Mexico, informal: what's up?
¿Cómo amaneciste?	Family, close friends	Warm morning greeting: how did you wake up?

Not sure whether to use tú or usted? In Mexico, start with usted for older people, anyone serving you in a formal setting and people you meet through work, and switch when they use tú with you or say háblame de tú. Young people use tú with each other from the first word.

What to answer

Textbooks teach Muy bien, gracias, ¿y usted? and it's correct, but in conversation you'll more often hear Bien, ¿y tú?, Todo bien, ¿y tú?, Aquí, nomás (Mexico: oh, you know, same as always) or Más o menos if it's been a rough day. Always bounce the question back with ¿y tú? or ¿y usted?; a bare bien sounds abrupt. More in muy bien, gracias vs todo bien.

A trap: ¿Cómo eres? doesn't mean how are you. It uses ser and asks what you're like as a person. How you are today is estar: ¿Cómo estás?

Meeting someone new

Mucho gusto: nice to meet you. The everyday choice for anyone.
Encantado (if you're a man) or encantada (if you're a woman): delighted. The ending matches you, the speaker.
Igualmente: likewise. The easiest reply to either of the above.
El gusto es mío: the pleasure is mine. A little more formal.
Te presento a Laura: this is Laura (literally, I present Laura to you). With usted: Le presento a...

To introduce yourself, say Me llamo Ana or Soy Ana, never Me llamo es Ana (here's why). The long textbook line Mucho gusto en conocerle is correct but rarely heard; see what locals say instead. Llamarse has its own conjugation table if you need ¿Cómo se llama? or ¿Cómo te llamas?

Handshake, hug or kiss?

In Mexico, a single light kiss on the right cheek (often more of a cheek touch) is common between women, and between a man and a woman in social settings once they've been introduced. Men usually shake hands, and friends often add a quick hug or back pat. In business, a handshake is the safe default. Spain uses two kisses, one on each cheek.

Saying goodbye

Goodbye	Meaning	Notes
Nos vemos	See you	The everyday goodbye, even if you don't have plans
Hasta luego	See you later	Neutral, works with strangers and shop staff
Hasta mañana	See you tomorrow	Coworkers, classmates
Hasta pronto	See you soon	A bit warmer, for someone you'll see again
Cuídate / Cuídese	Take care	tú / usted; very common at the end of a visit or a call
Que te vaya bien	Have a good day / trip	Que le vaya bien with usted
Ándale pues	Alright then	Mexico, informal, to wrap up a conversation
Bye	Bye	Very common in Mexico, often spelled bai in messages
Adiós	Goodbye	Correct, but can sound final; also used as a quick hello when passing someone

The adiós vs nos vemos slip page explains when adiós works. When you're leaving a room or a table, add con permiso, and when you pass people eating, provecho; con permiso, perdón and lo siento are three different kinds of excuse me.

Phone and message greetings

In Mexico you answer the phone with ¿Bueno?; much of South America says ¿Aló?; Spain says ¿Diga? or ¿Dígame? (see ¿diga? vs ¿bueno?). The caller replies Hola, habla Sam (Hi, it's Sam) or asks ¿Se encuentra Carlos? (Is Carlos there?). End with Bueno, te dejo (Okay, I'll let you go) and Cuídate. Practise the whole call in the phone call scene.

In messages, Hola, ¿cómo estás? or ¿Qué tal? opens almost anything. In a work email, start with Estimado or Estimada plus the name, or a simple Buenos días, and close with Saludos or Saludos cordiales. With friends, Un abrazo (a hug) is a warm sign-off.

Common mistakes

Buenos tardes should be Buenas tardes, and Buen noches should be Buenas noches.
Buenas noches as you arrive at 6 pm in daylight: it's still buenas tardes.
A man saying encantada: the ending matches the speaker, so encantado.
¿Cómo eres? when you mean how are you: say ¿Cómo estás?
Answering bien and stopping: add ¿y tú?

Not sure your greeting sounds natural? Type it into the free grammar checker, or go through the basics in the essentials course.

Get your own Spanish corrected

Every sentence you write or say, graded out of 100 with the fix and why. Grammar courses and games stay free. 7 days of everything, no card.

Start your free trial

Questions people ask

What is the most common greeting in Spanish?

Hola. People often pair it with the time-of-day greeting: hola, buenos días or hola, buenas tardes. In shops and on the street, a quick buenas is very common.

When do you switch from buenos días to buenas tardes?

Around noon in most of Latin America, though some people keep saying buenos días until lunch. Buenas tardes then lasts until it gets dark, when buenas noches takes over.

What is the difference between ¿cómo estás? and ¿cómo está?

¿Cómo estás? uses tú, for friends, family and people your age. ¿Cómo está? uses usted, for older people, officials and anyone you'd address formally.

How do you respond to mucho gusto?

Igualmente (likewise) is the easiest reply. You can also say mucho gusto back, encantado or encantada, or el gusto es mío.

Is adiós rude in Spanish?

Not rude, but it can sound more final than English bye. For everyday goodbyes, nos vemos, hasta luego or cuídate sound more natural.