Saying hello

Are you wondering how to greet people in Spanish, or how to look less confused the next time a Spanish speaker says hello? Let's take a look at some of the most common ways to greet people in Spanish.

Let's take a closer look at some of these phrases. Click the buttons to hear each word, or hover your mouse over the words to see an English translation.

¡Hola!

¿Cómo estás?

¡Muy bien!

You'll hear these words all the time in Spanish. And as with English, people don't expect you to reply to a question like ¿Cómo estás? in detail. It's just a common way of saying hello and expressing interest in another person.

Good morning and good afternoon

Let's take a closer look at some of these phrases. Click the buttons to hear each word, or hover your mouse over the words to see an English translation.

¡Buenos días!

¡Buenas tárdes!

As with English, you can adjust your greeting depending on the time of day. Of course, using these phrases at the wrong time of day can lead to a different kind of confusion, as you can see above.

Other ways to say hello

Let's take a closer look at some of these phrases. Click the buttons to hear each word, or hover your mouse over the words to see an English translation.

¿Y tú?

¿Qué tal?

Estoy bien.

The best way to learn any language is to practice. Now that you know some of the most common greetings, try saying hello to someone who speaks Spanish. You might not have a very long conversation, but you'll have taken your first step toward learning an entirely new language!