You have likely mastered hola /ˈo.la/ — hello. It is the vanilla ice cream of Spanish greetings: classic, reliable, and practically impossible to mess up. But just like you would not walk into a boardroom and shout “Sup?”, or greet your best friend with “Good evening, sir,” Spanish relies heavily on context.
Knowing the right greeting is about more than vocabulary; it is about reading the room. Are you buying bread in Madrid? Meeting your partner’s grandmother in Mexico City? Or just trying to answer the phone without panicking? By the end of this guide, you will be able to navigate social hierarchies, time zones, and casual street slang with the confidence of a local.
Think of this as your toolkit for first impressions. We are moving past the textbook basics to help you sound like a human being, not a translation robot.
Quick Primer: The Big Three
Before we get fancy, we need to secure the foundation. In Spanish-speaking cultures, greeting everyone—shopkeepers, elevator passengers, waiting room neighbors—is polite and expected. When in doubt, these time-based greetings are your safety net.
Buenos días /ˈbwe.nos ˈdi.as/ — good morning is used from the moment you wake up until lunchtime. Note that “lunchtime” is a cultural concept. In many Spanish-speaking countries, the morning greeting lasts until the main meal, which might be as late as 2:00 PM or 3:00 PM.
Buenas tardes /ˈbwe.nas ˈtaɾ.des/ — good afternoon takes over after lunch and lasts until sunset.1 This is your go-to phrase for checking into a hotel or meeting friends for coffee.
Buenas noches /ˈbwe.nas ˈno.tʃes/ — good evening / good night covers both the greeting when you arrive at dinner and the farewell when you go to sleep. Unlike in English, where saying “Good night” upon arrival sounds like you are immediately leaving, buenas noches works perfectly as a hello.
Shortening It To Just “Buenas”
If you want to sound less like a textbook and more like a regular at the café, you can chop the time of day off entirely. Buenas /ˈbwe.nas/ — (short for good morning/afternoon/evening) is acceptable at any time of day.2 It is casual but polite enough for neighbors or shop staff. Think of it as a friendly nod in verbal form.
Casual Greetings For Friends And Peers
Once you have broken the ice or if you are speaking to someone your own age in a relaxed setting, hola can feel a bit stiff on its own. Native speakers almost always pair it with a “how are you?” variant.
The undisputed king of casual greetings is ¿Qué tal? /ke ˈtal/ — how are things? / what’s up? It is short, punchy, and works in almost every informal situation. You can use it as a standalone greeting or tag it onto hola.
Another heavy hitter is ¿Cómo estás? /ˈko.mo esˈtas/ — how are you? (informal). This uses the tú (informal “you”) form. Use this with friends, family, children, or peers. It invites a real answer, whereas ¿Qué tal? is often just a rhetorical greeting.
Casual Greetings Cheat Sheet
| Spanish | IPA | English |
| ¿Qué pasa? | /ke ˈpa.sa/ | What’s happening? / What’s up? |
| ¿Cómo vas? | /ˈko.mo ˈbas/ | How’s it going? |
| ¿Qué hay? | /ke ˈaj/ | What’s new? (Lit. What is there?) |
| ¿Qué cuentas? | /ke ˈkwen.tas/ | What’s new? (Lit. What do you tell?) |
Usage Notes & Common Mistakes
Be careful with ¿Qué pasa? in more serious contexts. While it usually means “What’s up?”, if you see someone crying or looking angry, ¿Qué pasa? shifts meaning to “What is wrong?” or “What is the matter?” Read the facial expressions before you use it. Also, avoid mixing formal titles with casual verbs. Saying “Hola Doctor, ¿qué pasa?” sounds jarringly out of place.
Formal Greetings For Respect And Business
Spanish culture places a high value on hierarchy and respect. If you are speaking to someone older than you, a police officer, a doctor, or a business client, you need to switch gears. This is where the usted (formal “you”) comes into play.
Instead of the casual ¿Cómo estás?, you must drop the ‘s’ and use ¿Cómo está? /ˈko.mo esˈta/ — how are you? (formal). It is a subtle difference in sound (an ‘s’ versus no ‘s’), but a massive difference in social etiquette.
If you want to add a layer of polish, use the person’s title.
Señor /seˈɲoɾ/ — Mr. / Sir
Señora /seˈɲo.ɾa/ — Mrs. / Ma’am
Combining these gives you the perfect professional opener: Buenos días, señor. ¿Cómo está? This shows you have manners and understand the culture.
Answering The Phone
Nothing terrifies a language learner quite like a ringing telephone. To make matters more confusing, “Hello” is rarely the word used to answer a call in Spanish. The word you use depends entirely on the country you are in, which can be a fun trap for travelers.
In Mexico, the standard answer is bueno /ˈbwe.no/ — well / good.3 It stems from the old days of testing unreliable phone lines to see if the connection was “good.”
In Spain, you will often hear diga /ˈdi.ɡa/ — speak / tell me (formal) or dígame /ˈdi.ɡa.me/ — tell me. It sounds imperative to English speakers, but it is just the standard way to say “I’m listening, go ahead.”
Universal/Standard Options
| Spanish | IPA | English |
| Aló | /aˈlo/ | Hello (Common in parts of South America) |
| Hola | /ˈo.la/ | Hello (Acceptable on mobile/personal calls) |
| ¿Sí? | /si/ | Yes? (Very common, slightly abrupt but normal) |
Region Notes: Spain vs. Latin America
Spanish is one language, but the greeting customs can differ wildly across the Atlantic.
In Spain, the atmosphere is generally more direct. Two kisses (one on each cheek) are the standard greeting for women (with men or women) and sometimes family men. This is known as dos besos. Verbal greetings like buenas are thrown around quickly.
In Latin America, the single kiss on the cheek is more common in countries like Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina. However, the verbal formality is often higher. You will hear usted used much more frequently, even between people who seem to know each other, to show affection or respect.
A specific note for Argentina and Uruguay: The “y” and “ll” sounds (like in the word yo or llamarse) are pronounced with a “sh” sound (like “sheep”).4 So asking “What’s your name?” ¿Cómo te llamas? sounds like /ˈko.mo te ˈʃa.mas/ rather than the standard /ˈʝa.mas/.
And finally, slang varies heavily. In Mexico, you might hear ¿Qué onda? /ke ˈon.da/ (What’s the wave/vibe?) as a very common “What’s up?” In Spain, ¿Qué pasa, tío? (What’s up, uncle/dude?) is the standard friend greeting.
Mini Dialogues
Here is how these greetings look in the wild.
Scenario 1: Meeting a friend for coffee (Casual)
¡Hola! ¿Qué tal?
/ˈo.la/ /ke ˈtal/
Hi! How are things?
Todo bien. ¿Y tú?
/ˈto.ðo ˈbjen/ /i ˈtu/
Everything’s good. And you?
Bien, tirando.
/bjen/ /tiˈɾan.do/
Good, getting by.
Scenario 2: Walking into a hotel (Formal)
Buenas tardes.
/ˈbwe.nas ˈtaɾ.des/
Good afternoon.
Buenas tardes, bienvenido.
/ˈbwe.nas ˈtaɾ.des/ /bjem.beˈni.ðo/
Good afternoon, welcome.
Gracias. ¿Cómo está usted?
/ˈɡɾa.sjas/ /ˈko.mo esˈta usˈteð/
Thank you. How are you? (formal)
Quick Reference: Top Greetings
Save this table for when you forget everything the moment a local speaks to you.
| Spanish | IPA | English | Context |
| Hola | /ˈo.la/ | Hello | Universal / Any time |
| Buenos días | /ˈbwe.nos ˈdi.as/ | Good morning | Until lunch (approx 2 PM) |
| Buenas tardes | /ˈbwe.nas ˈtaɾ.des/ | Good afternoon | Lunch until sunset |
| Buenas noches | /ˈbwe.nas ˈno.tʃes/ | Good evening/night | Sunset onwards |
| ¿Qué tal? | /ke ˈtal/ | How are things? | Casual / Friendly |
| ¿Cómo está? | /ˈko.mo esˈta/ | How are you? | Formal (Usted) |
| Mucho gusto | /ˈmu.tʃo ˈɡus.to/ | Nice to meet you | Introductions |
Five-Minute Practice Plan
You cannot learn to swim by reading a book about water. Here is your workout to get these sounds out of your head and into your mouth.
- The Timekeeper: Look at the clock right now. Say the correct time-based greeting (Buenos días/tardes/noches) out loud three times. Check again in four hours and do it again.
- The Mirror Drill: Stand in front of a mirror. Greet your reflection as if it is your boss (Formal: Buenos días, ¿cómo está?). Then greet your reflection as your best friend (Casual: Hola, ¿qué tal?). Do this switch 5 times.
- The “Buenas” Drop: The next time you walk into a room (even if it is just your kitchen), practice shortening the greeting to just Buenas. Focus on the intonation—make it sound like a friendly acknowledgment.
- Phone Simulation: Record yourself on your phone answering a call with three different styles: Bueno (Mexico), Diga (Spain), and Aló (South America). Listen back. Do you sound panicked or relaxed?
- Write It Down: Write a short script where you meet a stranger, greet them formally, ask how they are, and then introduce yourself.
Yak-Style Closing Spark
Greetings are the door handle to the rest of the conversation. If you turn it smoothly with a confident Buenas tardes, the door opens easily. If you fumble it, you can still get in, but it’s awkward for everyone. So go out there, drop a ¿Qué tal? with a smile, and watch the Spanish-speaking world open up to you. You’ve got this.