If you’re learning Spanish, greetings are one of the first things you should master. Whether you’re meeting someone for the first time or greeting a friend, knowing the right words and phrases can help you make a great impression. In this post, we’ll go over different ways to say hello, welcome, and nice to meet you in Spanish, as well as greetings for different times of the day.
1. Saying “Hello” in Spanish
The most common way to say hello in Spanish is:
✅ ¡Hola! (Hello!) – This is the simplest and most common way to greet someone.
🔹 Examples:
- ¡Hola! ¿Cómo estás? (Hello! How are you?)
- ¡Hola, Juan! Qué gusto verte. (Hello, Juan! Nice to see you.)
2. Saying “Welcome” in Spanish
If you want to welcome someone, you can say:
✅ ¡Bienvenido! (Welcome!) – If you’re talking to a male.
✅ ¡Bienvenida! (Welcome!) – If you’re talking to a female.
✅ ¡Bienvenidos! (Welcome! – for a group with at least one male.)
✅ ¡Bienvenidas! (Welcome! – for a group of all women.)
🔹 Examples:
- ¡Bienvenido a nuestra casa! (Welcome to our house!)
- ¡Bienvenidos al evento! (Welcome to the event!)
3. Saying “Nice to Meet You” in Spanish
When meeting someone for the first time, you can say:
✅ Mucho gusto. (Nice to meet you.) – The most common way to say it.
✅ Encantado. (Pleased to meet you.) – If you’re a man.
✅ Encantada. (Pleased to meet you.) – If you’re a woman.
🔹 Examples:
- Hola, soy Ana. Mucho gusto. (Hi, I’m Ana. Nice to meet you.)
- Encantado de conocerte. (Pleased to meet you.)
4. Greetings for Different Times of the Day
In Spanish, greetings change depending on the time of day:
✅ ¡Buenos días! (Good morning!) – Used in the morning.
✅ ¡Buenas tardes! (Good afternoon!) – Used in the afternoon, typically from noon until sunset.
✅ ¡Buenas noches! (Good evening / Good night!) – Used at night, both as a greeting and a way to say goodbye.
🔹 Examples:
- ¡Buenos días! ¿Cómo amaneciste? (Good morning! How did you wake up?)
- ¡Buenas tardes! ¿Cómo ha estado tu día? (Good afternoon! How has your day been?)
- ¡Buenas noches! Que descanses. (Good night! Rest well.)
5. Other Common Greeting Expressions
Here are a few more greeting phrases you might hear:
✅ ¿Cómo estás? / ¿Cómo está usted? (How are you?) – “Cómo estás” is informal, and “Cómo está usted” is formal.
✅ ¿Qué tal? (How’s it going?) – A casual way to ask how someone is doing.
✅ ¿Cómo te va? (How’s it going for you?) – A friendly way to check in.
✅ ¡Tanto tiempo! (Long time no see!) – Used when you haven’t seen someone in a while.
✅ ¡Qué gusto verte! (So nice to see you!) – A warm way to greet someone you’re happy to see.
