Spanish - Greetings & Openings

Lesson 2 of 159

Friendly learners practicing Spanish greetings and openings for everyday conversations.

Goal: Simple welcomes, small talk, and quick questions

Free Spanish lessons with guided practice, audio, and speaking support.

Welcome back! This short lesson helps you open a conversation in Spanish with friendly, useful lines. Listen, repeat, and then try them yourself — quick wins today.

Level A1: In this lesson you'll practice six common opening phrases: welcoming someone, a weather comment, how to tell someone your name, asking about English, greeting a friend, and returning a question. We'll hear the phrases, use them in a short conversation, and do easy practice activities to help them stick (CEFR-aligned).

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Recognize and say six basic Spanish openings at A1 level.
  • Use short phrases to welcome someone, make small talk about weather, ask if someone speaks English, and return a question.
  • Practice speaking each phrase out loud so you can use them in real meetings.
Two people greeting each other with a welcome and a weather comment in Spanish.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

Bienvenido.

Welcome.

Meaning: Welcome.

When to use: Use to greet someone arriving or entering a place. Adjust ending for gender or number (Bienvenida, Bienvenidos/Bienvenidas).

Tip: Don't always use 'Bienvenido' for everyone—change to 'Bienvenida' for a woman or 'Bienvenidos' for a group.

Bienvenido a mi casa.
Welcome to my home.
¡Bienvenido! Pasa, por favor.
Welcome! Come in, please.

Qué buen clima hace hoy.

Nice weather today.

Meaning: Nice weather today.

When to use: A light small-talk line to start a friendly chat about the weather.

Tip: Beginners sometimes say 'Qué bueno clima'—remember the correct form is 'Qué buen clima' before a noun.

Qué buen clima hace hoy, ¿no?
Nice weather today, isn't it?
Podemos salir; qué buen clima hace hoy.
We can go out; nice weather today.

Dime ___.

Call me ___.

Meaning: Call me ___.

When to use: Tell someone which name or nickname you prefer in introductions or messages.

Si quieres, dime Ana.
If you want, call me Ana.
No uses mi nombre largo; dime Carlos.
Don't use my full name; call me Carlos.

¿Hablas inglés?

Do you speak English?

Meaning: Do you speak English?

When to use: Ask when you need to check whether the other person understands English; use the formal '¿Habla inglés?' if needed.

Tip: For formal situations use '¿Habla inglés?' instead of '¿Hablas inglés?'.

Disculpa, ¿hablas inglés?
Excuse me, do you speak English?
Si no entiendo, pregunto: ¿hablas inglés?
If I don't understand, I ask: Do you speak English?

Qué gusto verte.

Good to see you.

Meaning: Good to see you.

When to use: Use when you meet someone you already know and want to sound warm and friendly.

¡Qué gusto verte! ¿Cómo has estado?
Good to see you! How have you been?
Qué gusto verte por aquí.
Good to see you around here.

¿Y tú?

And you?

Meaning: And you?

When to use: Return a question or short comment to the other person in casual situations; use '¿Y usted?' for formal address.

Tip: Avoid '¿Y tú?' in very formal contexts—switch to '¿Y usted?'.

Estoy bien, ¿y tú?
I'm fine, and you?
¿Te gusta la película? ¿Y tú?
Do you like the movie? And you?

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

A quick meet-and-greet between friends where they check language and names.

Anna and David using basic opening phrases like 'Bienvenido' and '¿Hablas inglés?' in a short exchange.

Who asks if the other person speaks English?

Portrait of Anna in a Spanish lesson dialogue

Anna

Bienvenido.

Welcome.

Portrait of David in a Spanish lesson dialogue

David

Qué gusto verte.

Good to see you.

Portrait of Anna in a Spanish lesson dialogue

Anna

Qué buen clima hace hoy.

Nice weather today.

Portrait of David in a Spanish lesson dialogue

David

Disculpa, ¿hablas inglés?

Excuse me, do you speak English?

Portrait of Anna in a Spanish lesson dialogue

Anna

Sí. Dime Anna.

Yes. Call me Anna.

Portrait of David in a Spanish lesson dialogue

David

Perfecto. ¿Y tú?

Perfect. And you?

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which phrase means 'Good to see you'?

Which question asks about language ability?

If someone arrives at your house, which phrase can you say?

Which short reply returns a question to the other person?

I'm speaking Spanish, and you?

Yo hablo español, ___

Before starting, I want to ask: Do you speak English?

Antes de empezar, quiero preguntar: ___

When someone enters my house I say: Welcome.

Cuando alguien entra a mi casa digo: ___

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

Bienvenido.

Welcome.

Say this phrase out loud:

Qué buen clima hace hoy.

Nice weather today.

Say this phrase out loud:

Dime ___.

Call me ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Hablas inglés?

Do you speak English?

Say this phrase out loud:

Qué gusto verte.

Good to see you.

Say this phrase out loud:

¿Y tú?

And you?