Saludos y despedidas (Greetings and Farewells)
¡Bienvenides al mundo en español! Welcome to the world in Spanish! We are so happy to have you here and to begin this journey together. Let’s start with greetings and introductions so we can get to know each other better. Up next, you’ll see a number of students and people saying hello and getting to know one another, as well as lists of helpful expressions to help you broaden your vocabulary.
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- ¡Hola!
- Hi!/Hello!
- Buenos días
- Good morning
- Buen día
- Good day
- Buenas tardes
- Good afternoon
- Buenas noches
- Good evening (for greeting), Good night (for goodbye)/farewell
- Bienvenida (s) [fem.] / Bienvenido(s) [masc.] / Bienvenide(s) [neut.]
- Welcome
- ¿Cómo estás? (informal)
- How are you?
- ¿Qué tal? / ¿Cómo vas? / ¿Cómo te va? (informal)
- How’s it going?/How are you doing?
- Estoy bien / más o menos / mal
- I’m good / so-so / bad
- Adiós
- Goodbye
- Hasta luego / Nos vemos (pronto) / Hasta pronto
- See you later (soon)
- Chau/Chao
- Bye
Presentaciones informales (Informal Presentations)
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- ¿Cómo te llamas?
- What is your name?
- (Yo) Me llamo…
- My name is…
- (Tú) Te llamas…
- Your name is…
- Un placer conocerte
- A pleasure to meet you
- Mucho gusto
- Pleasure to meet you
- ¿Cuál es tu apellido?
- What is your last name?
- Mi apellido es…
- My last name is…
- Tu apellido es…
- Your last name is…
- ¿De dónde eres?
- Where are you from?
- (Yo) Soy de…
- I am from…
- (Ella, Él, Elle) Es de…
- She, he, they, are from…
Presentaciones formales (Formal Presentations)
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- ¿Cómo se llama?
- What is your name?
- (Usted, ella, él, elle) Se llama…
- Your, her, his, their name is…
- ¿Cuál es su apellido?
- What is your last name?
- Su apellido es…
- Your last name is…
- ¿De dónde es (usted)?
- Where are you from?
- Usted es de…
- You are from…
- Encantada (fem.) / Encantado (masc.) / Encantade (neut.)
- Pleased to meet you
- Un placer
- A pleasure
Watch the video below for some examples of the expressions presented above:
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Proper greetings and goodbyes, to strangers and familiar people alike, are extremely important in the Hispanic world. While it’s not necessary to greet every single stranger you pass, it is important to acknowledge them as a social norm when walking into private or semi-private spaces. For example, when entering a city bus you would greet the driver with a Buenos días (good morning), Buenas tardes (good afternoon) or Buenas noches (good evening), as you’re getting on and a Gracias (thank you) as you are getting off. You would also greet people politely with a Buenos días in the morning as you are entering an elevator full of people or walking into an office. Politeness and courtesy go a long way in Latin America and the way you greet (or don’t) someone will be important in establishing a rapport or relationship with them.
Another way of greeting or saying goodbye would be with a kiss on the cheek. This greeting and farewell is mostly reserved for people we know very well but often times when friends introduce you to someone they are close to, people will greet with a kiss on the cheek or simply do a light “cheek to cheek” or “beso al aire” (kiss in the air). In some countries, like Spain, it is customary to give two kisses, starting with the right cheek, but in most Latin American countries one cheek is sufficient. Additionally, a simple hand shake also works or, as some often do, a light touch in the forearm or shoulder is also a good greeting for people you are familiar with.
The important thing is to acknowledge those around you or near you, these small gestures demonstrate a sign of respect towards those you encounter. Just remember that these small gestures are just as important as greetings but also as good-byes! In the Hispanic world, good-byes tend to be “multi-layered” and will often go on for a couple of phrases/minutes to let people know they are leaving or saying farewell.
Here is a video that exemplifies some of the information you have read above:
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