Spanish30Practical Spanish

30 ways

30 ways to greet someone in Spanish

Spanish greetings by tone, time of day and social context.

Quick answer

Use these Spanish expressions for greeting someone. Start with the neutral options, then choose warmer, firmer or more formal phrases depending on the situation.

30 Spanish expressions for greeting someone

Start with the first few phrases if you are a beginner. The later options add nuance, politeness or emotion.

SpanishEnglish meaningTone or contextExample
HolaNatural phraseNeutralHola.
Buenos díasNatural phraseNeutralBuenos días.
Buenas tardesNatural phraseNeutralBuenas tardes.
Buenas nochesNatural phraseNeutralBuenas noches.
¿Qué tal?Natural phraseNeutral¿Qué tal?
¿Cómo estás?Natural phraseNeutral¿Cómo estás?
¿Cómo está?Natural phraseNeutral¿Cómo está?
¿Cómo va?Natural phraseNeutral¿Cómo va?
¿Todo bien?Natural phraseFriendly¿Todo bien?
¿Qué hay?Natural phraseFriendly¿Qué hay?
¿Qué pasa?Natural phraseFriendly¿Qué pasa?
¿Cómo te va?Natural phraseFriendly¿Cómo te va?
Mucho gustoNatural phraseFriendlyMucho gusto.
EncantadoNatural phraseFriendlyEncantado.
EncantadaNatural phraseFriendlyEncantada.
Un placerNatural phraseFriendlyUn placer.
Hola a todosNatural phraseFriendlyHola a todos.
Hola, ¿qué tal?Natural phraseFriendlyHola, ¿qué tal?
Muy buenasNatural phrasePolite or specificMuy buenas.
BuenasNatural phrasePolite or specificBuenas.
BienvenidoNatural phrasePolite or specificBienvenido.
BienvenidaNatural phrasePolite or specificBienvenida.
Qué alegría verteNatural phrasePolite or specificQué alegría verte.
Cuánto tiempoNatural phrasePolite or specificCuánto tiempo.
Me alegro de verteNatural phrasePolite or specificMe alegro de verte.
¿Cómo va todo?Natural phraseExpressive¿Cómo va todo?
¿Qué cuentas?Natural phraseExpressive¿Qué cuentas?
SaludosNatural phraseExpressiveSaludos.
Hola de nuevoNatural phraseExpressiveHola de nuevo.
Encantado de conocerleNatural phraseExpressiveEncantado de conocerle.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Choosing a phrase only by English translationCheck the tone column before using it.
  • Memorizing isolated wordsRepeat the complete Spanish phrase so the grammar stays attached to the expression.

Practice with three tones

Say three sentences aloud using one Spanish expression from this page. Then replace one word to make the sentence personal.

  1. Read the Spanish example slowly.
  2. Repeat it without looking at the English meaning.
  3. Change the person, time or place.

FAQ

Do I need to memorize all 30 phrases?

No. Choose five neutral phrases first, then add more options as you meet real situations.

Can these phrases vary by country?

Yes. Spanish is shared by many countries, so tone and frequency can vary. The phrases here are broadly understandable unless a note says otherwise.

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