A confident “good afternoon” can open doors from Madrid cafés to Mexican mercados. This guide breaks down buenas tardes /ˈbwe.nas ˈtaɾ.ðes/—how it’s pronounced, where it’s used, how it shifts with time of day, plus natural replies, mini-dialogues, and a short practice plan. Friendly tone, zero fluff, all copy-ready Spanish you can actually say.
Quick Primer
Spanish daytime greetings aren’t one-size-fits-all. Broadly:
- buenos días /ˈbwe.nos ˈði.as/ — “good morning,” used in the morning hours.
- buenas tardes /ˈbwe.nas ˈtaɾ.ðes/ — “good afternoon,” early afternoon until early evening.
- buenas noches /ˈbwe.nas ˈno.t͡ʃes/ — “good evening/night,” after dusk and as a farewell at night.
Spanish adjectives agree in gender and number with the implied plural noun (días, tardes, noches are feminine plural except días, which is masculine plural). That’s why the form changes: buenos with días, buenas with tardes/noches.
Core Greeting And Natural Replies
| Spanish | IPA | English |
| buenas tardes | /ˈbwe.nas ˈtaɾ.ðes/ | good afternoon |
| buenas | /ˈbwe.nas/ | hi/afternoon (very casual short form) |
| muy buenas tardes | /ˈmuj ˈbwe.nas ˈtaɾ.ðes/ | very good afternoon |
| buenas tardes, ¿cómo está | /ˈbwe.nas ˈtaɾ.ðes ˈko.mo esˈta/ | good afternoon, how are you (formal: usted) |
| buenas tardes, ¿cómo estás | /ˈbwe.nas ˈtaɾ.ðes ˈko.mo esˈtas/ | good afternoon, how are you (informal: tú) |
| buenas tardes, con permiso | /ˈbwe.nas ˈtaɾ.ðes kon peɾˈmi.so/ | good afternoon, excuse me (as you pass/enter) |
| buenas tardes, mucho gusto | /ˈbwe.nas ˈtaɾ.ðes ˈmu.t͡ʃo ˈɣus.to/ | good afternoon, nice to meet you |
Natural responses:
- buenas tardes (mirroring back)
- hola, buenas /ˈo.la ˈbwe.nas/ (friendly)
- muy buenas /ˈmuj ˈbwe.nas/ (breezy, neutral-polite)
When Does “Afternoon” Start And End
There’s no universal cutoff—cultures and daylight matter—but these ranges keep you safe:
- buenos días: sunrise until ~12:00–13:00.
- buenas tardes: ~13:00–19:00 (sometimes up to sunset or dinner).
- buenas noches: from dusk onward and as a night-time goodbye.
If you’re unsure between tardes and noches, look at the sky and the situation: bright daylight markets? tardes. Dinner at 9 p.m. in Spain? noches at the door.
Formal, Informal, And Plural “You”
Use usted (formal) with strangers, staff, elders, or business contexts; tú (informal) with friends/peers. For groups:
- ustedes /usˈte.ðes/ = plural “you” across Latin America and formal plural in Spain.
- vosotros /boˈso.tɾos/ = informal plural “you” mainly in Spain.
Examples (same greeting, different follow-ups):
- Buenas tardes, ¿cómo está (usted)
- Buenas tardes, ¿cómo están (ustedes)
- Buenas tardes, ¿cómo estáis (vosotros — Spain informal plural)
Usage Notes & Common Mistakes
Learner error: saying buenos tardes. Tardes is feminine plural, so the adjective must be buenas.
Over-using hola everywhere: hola is fine, but service contexts (shops, offices, elevators) feel more polite with a time-based greeting first: buenas tardes, then your request.
Mumbling the r-d in tardes: in many accents /taɾ.ðes/ has a light tapped ɾ and a soft ð (like the “th” in “breathe”). Keep it gentle, not /tar-des/.
Polite Entrances, Requests, And Closers
| Spanish | IPA | English |
| buenas tardes, ¿me ayuda, por favor | /ˈbwe.nas ˈtaɾ.ðes me aˈʝu.ða poɾ faˈβoɾ/ | good afternoon, could you help me, please |
| buenas tardes, vengo a una cita | /ˈbwe.nas ˈtaɾ.ðes ˈβeŋ.go a ˈu.na ˈθi.ta ~ ˈsi.ta/ | good afternoon, I have an appointment |
| buenas tardes, ¿tienen mesa para dos | /ˈbwe.nas ˈtaɾ.ðes ˈtje.nen ˈme.sa ˈpa.ɾa ðos/ | good afternoon, do you have a table for two |
| muchas gracias, que tenga buenas tardes | /ˈmu.t͡ʃas ˈɣɾa.sjas ke ˈteŋ.ɡa ˈbwe.nas ˈtaɾ.ðes/ | thank you very much, have a good afternoon |
Note on IPA: /θ/ appears for c/z before e,i in northern/central Spain; many Latin American accents use /s/ there. Both are fine regionally.
Mini Dialogues
Buenas tardes en la tienda
Buenas tardes, ¿me ayuda a encontrar esta talla
/ˈbwe.nas ˈtaɾ.ðes me aˈʝu.ða a eŋ.konˈtɾaɾ ˈes.ta ˈta.ʎa ~ ˈta.ʝa/
Good afternoon, could you help me find this size
Claro, ¿qué número usa
/ˈkla.ɾo ke ˈnu.me.ɾo ˈu.sa/
Of course—what size do you wear
Treinta y ocho, gracias
/ˈtɾejn.ta i ˈo.t͡ʃo ˈɣɾa.sjas/
Thirty-eight, thanks
Con gusto. Pase por aquí, por favor
/koŋ ˈɣus.to ˈpa.se poɾ aˈki poɾ faˈβoɾ/
With pleasure. This way, please
En el restaurante
Buenas tardes, ¿tienen menú del día
/ˈbwe.nas ˈtaɾ.ðes ˈtje.nen meˈnu ðel ˈði.a/
Good afternoon, do you have a set menu today
Sí, y empieza a las dos
/si i emˈpje.sa a las dos/
Yes, and it starts at two
Perfecto. Una mesa en la terraza, por favor
/peɾˈfek.to ˈu.na ˈme.sa en la teˈra.θa ~ teˈra.sa poɾ faˈβoɾ/
Perfect. A table on the terrace, please
Enseguida. Buen provecho
/en.seˈɣi.ða bwem pɾoˈβe.t͡ʃo/
Right away. Enjoy
En recepción (oficina)
Buenas tardes, vengo a la entrevista de las cuatro
/ˈbwe.nas ˈtaɾ.ðes ˈβeŋ.go a la en.tɾeˈβis.ta ðe las ˈkwatɾo/
Good afternoon, I’m here for the 4 p.m. interview
Bienvenida, ¿su nombre, por favor
/bjem.beˈni.ða su ˈnom.bɾe poɾ faˈβoɾ/
Welcome, your name please
Sofía Morales
/soˈfi.a moˈɾa.les/
Sofía Morales
Gracias. Tome asiento.
/ˈɣɾa.sjas ˈto.me aˈsjɛn.to/
Thank you. Have a seat
Region Notes
Spain: Afternoons start late and dinner is later. Buenas tardes often feels natural well past 19:00, switching to buenas noches closer to nighttime social hours. You’ll hear vosotros in informal plural; ustedes stays formal.
Latin America: Lunch schedules tilt earlier; many speakers switch to buenas noches around sundown. Ustedes is the default plural “you” in all registers.
Short form “buenas”: Common and friendly in most regions, especially upon entering a shop or elevator. If you need extra politeness, say the full buenas tardes.
Quick Reference
| Situation | Spanish | IPA | Natural English |
| Entering a shop at 3 p.m. | buenas tardes | /ˈbwe.nas ˈtaɾ.ðes/ | good afternoon |
| Super casual doorway greeting | buenas | /ˈbwe.nas/ | hi/afternoon |
| Formal check-in | buenas tardes, vengo a una cita | /ˈbwe.nas ˈtaɾ.ðes ˈβeŋ.go a ˈu.na ˈθi.ta ~ ˈsi.ta/ | good afternoon, I have an appointment |
| Friendly opener + question | buenas tardes, ¿cómo está | /ˈbwe.nas ˈtaɾ.ðes ˈko.mo esˈta/ | good afternoon, how are you (formal) |
| Friendly closer | que tenga buenas tardes | /ke ˈteŋ.ɡa ˈbwe.nas ˈtaɾ.ðes/ | have a good afternoon |
Five-Minute Practice Plan
- Mirror Drills (1 min): Say buenas tardes five times, keeping a light tap /ɾ/ in tardes and a soft /ð/ (like “th” in “feather”).
- Switchboard (1 min): Alternate: buenos días → buenas tardes → buenas noches—ten cycles without hesitating.
- Role-Play (1.5 min): Read the restaurant dialogue aloud twice. Record yourself once; check that tardes isn’t tar-des.
- Politeness Swap (1 min): Build two lines you’ll actually use today (shop and reception). Example: Buenas tardes, ¿me ayuda con… / Buenas tardes, vengo a…
- Region Flip (30 sec): Say the same line with a Spain accent cue (/θ/ in c/ z before e,i) and a Latin American cue (/s/). Get comfortable with both.
Yak-Style Closing Spark
A good afternoon in Spanish is more than a timestamp—it’s a tiny social handshake. Lead with buenas tardes, adjust the formality, land the request, and you’ll sound polite, clear, and pleasantly local from 13:00 till the sun decides it’s time for buenas noches.