Learning how to greet people in their own language is a sign of respect, and Hi in Spanish has a variety of ways of saying hello. Whether you are being introduced with a new friend, talking with your colleague, or writing an email to a client, having proper knowledge about Spanish greetings is wise.
In this complete guide, we’ll cover:
- Here you can come across the most popular Spanish greetings which are ‘hi’ and ‘hello’.
- Regional variations for the Spanish greetings.
- Formal and informal Spanish greetings: when to use them.
- How to use greetings depending on the time of the day.
- Conventional Spanish greetings using the email or a text message.
- Hello – A response when someone greets you with ‘hi‘ in Spanish.
But also filled with examples and phrases that will make your conversation skills better in an instant!
Common Ways to Say “Hi” in Spanish
Just like in English, there are a few different words you can use informally to say “hi” or “hello” when meeting someone or acknowledging someone in Spanish:
Hola
Obviously, the Spanish informal greeting “Hola” is the most popular one among the others. Considered informal, it may be used in almost any relaxed circumstances where you might need to greet someone with “hi” or “hello.”
You can use it when meeting friends, talking to ordinary coworkers with whom you interact during the work, or when greeting waiters or any other service personnel. This is an informal greeting and it can be translated to mean ‘hi’ or ‘hello’ in English.
Examples:
Hola, ¿cómo estás?
(Hi, how are you?)
Hello Juan, how long have we not seen each other?
Hello Juan long time no see.
¿Qué tal?
¿Qué tal? is another very informal greeting in Spanish that literally can be translated as ‘What is happening?’ or ‘What is new?’ in English.
It is quite informal as when saying ‘hey!’ or ‘what’s up?’ when meeting a person. You can use ¿Qué tal? with friends, relatives, coworkers, and other people in other casual interactions.
Examples:
¿Qué tal, María? ¿Lista para las vacaciones?
(Hi, Maria? Hi, are you ready for vacation?)
How did you do in the football match?
(Hey, how was it for you at the soccer match?)
¿Qué onda?
¿Qué onda? Is a slang greeting used in Latin America that roughly translates to ‘what’s new?’ or ‘what’s going on?’
As it has been mentioned, it is used in the same informal and friendly manner as the phrase ¿Qué tal? but with more colloquial expression. Only use ¿Qué onda? with people whom you are close in comfortable setting such as when strolling around in casual wear.
Examples:
¿Qué onda, hermano? ¡Tiempo sin verte!
(How are you, brother! It is quite a long time since we met.)
Not much, how are you going?
Little: What is happening with you?
Regional Variations for Spanish Greetings
As is the case with dialects in English, there are some differences in Spanish greetings when used in different countries.
Here are some examples of common regional Spanish greetings you may hear:
Spain
- ¿Qué pasa? (What’s happening?)
- ¿Qué hay? (What’s up?)
Mexico
- ¿Qué hubo? (What’s been happening?)
Cuba
- ¿Qué vola? (What flies?) – what is new?
Chile and Argentina
- ¿Cómo andas? The colloquial use of the question (How are you getting along?)
Peru and Bolivia
- ¿Qué talca? A: ¿Qué tal?, ¿Cómo estás? (Hello, How are you?)
As it can be observed, all of the above greetings used are casual and convey a similar level of warmth. You can reply to them using the common Spanish greeting of ‘hello’ or other phrases that we shall learn later such as ‘bien, gracias.’
When to Use Formal vs. Informal Spanish Greetings
Which of these phrases do you use: “hola,” “buenos días,” or “encantado de conocerle”? The appropriate greeting word in Spanish is thus determined by whether formal or informal tone is appropriate in the situation.
Informal Spanish Greetings
For familiar acquaintances including friends, relatives, or other people you frequently interact with at work, use everyday greetings. Stick to:
- Hola
- ¿Qué tal?
- Regional informal phrases likes ¿Qué onda? or ¿Qué pasa?
You do not want to appear overly polite like being in front of a teacher but casual like when you are with friends you know well.
Formal Spanish Greetings
Use formal Spanish language when greeting:
- There are some strangers.
- The elderly and those in authority.
- Business acquaintances, customers, new co-workers.
Some go-to polite and professional greetings include:
- Hello (Hi)
- Hello, welcome to our lecture Hi (Which is Spanish for Hi)
- Muy contentO/a de conocerle (Nice to meet you)
Maintain the formal or informal tone the other person responds with when greeting back. If they say “hola,” respond with “hola” as well instead of the very formal “encantado de conocerle.”
Greeting Someone By Time of Day in Spanish
The first thing to note is that Spanish greetings are similar to English, but the language changes depending on the time of day.
Morning Greetings
Use buenos días from around sunrise until around midday:
- Good morning, Professor Gonzalez. (Good morning, professor González.)
- ¿Qué tal Carol? Buenos días. Hello Carol How are you? (Hi Carol, How did you wake up today?)
Afternoon and Evening Greetings
Use buenas tardes from midday through twilight:
- Buenas tardes Claudia. (Good afternoon Claudia.)
- Díuming Ricardo ¿Qué pasó? Buenas tardes. Hi Ricardo, How are you? (Good afternoon)
Night Greetings
At nightfall, switch to buenas noches:
- Buenas noches papá. (Good night dad.)
- ¿Qué onda Javier? Buenas noches. Hey Javier, How are you? Night.
Saying the right thing in Spanish such as “buenos días/tardes/noches” makes the speaker sound more like a native Spanish speaker. It’s enough just to synchronize the time of day!
Proper Spanish Greetings for Emails and Texts
Even when it comes to the short messages such as the text messages and emails, there is a specific manner that people use to greet each other in Spanish too. It is recommended to address your emails with some formal polite greetings and then continue with informal greetings once the recipient responds.
Email greetings:
- Muy Sr. Fuentes, (Dear Mr. Fuentes)
- Hola, (Hello)
- Hello, (Best regards)
Text message greetings:
- Hola
- ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal?
- Oye
Then sign off emails formally depending on your relationship:
- Formal: Atentamente (Sincerely)
- Less formal: Hola (Hello)
- Informal: ¡Hasta luego! (See you later!)
Responding When Someone Says “Hi” in Spanish
Greetings in Spanish are polite to respond back when you are being greeted. Here are some options:
If they say: Hola
You can reply:
- Buenos días, hola (Good morning, hi)
- Hello, how are you? (Hi, how’s it going?)
- Hey, how’s it going? (Hi, how is everything?)
For ¿Qué tal?
- Muy bien, ¿y tu? Well or very well, and you?
- Aquí, pasándola. ¿Y tú qué cuentas? Here, killing time. And how are you?
For regional greetings like ¿Qué onda?, ¿Qué hubo?, etc.
- Good, chilled
- All good over here
- No me quejo. ¿Y tú? (Can’t complain, and you?)
Simply mimic their informal or formal approach, introduce a little bit about yourself and then redirect a question back to them to continue the conversation!
Practice making introductions and carrying on small talk as well. Small talk, things like talking about the weather or asking how someone’s day has been are good for relationships.
Putting It All Together: Dialog Examples
So, now you know several ways to greet people in Spanish regardless of the context that you find yourself in. Here’s examples of greetings in action:
Formal
Client: Good morning, this is Jorge Diaz, we have an appointment at 10 AM.
You: Good morning, sir, Mr. Diaz. I am Sara Vertiez from Mainstay Enterprises. Welcome, our meeting is scheduled to take place in the conference room, this way please.
(Hello, I am Jorge Diaz and now is good morning). The meeting is at 10 AM.
Good morning Mr. Diaz. I am Sara Vertiez from Mainstay Enterprises. Hello, please follow me to the conference room, our meeting has been scheduled for today.)
Casual
Friend: ¡Hola Sara! ¿Cómo va eso? Are you ready for the weekend?
You: ¡Hola Maria! Todo bien, solo un día más de trabajo primero. What are the plans for the weekend?
(Hi Sara! How’s it going? Ready for the weekend?
Hi Maria! Oh, all right, just one more day of work and then I get to paint. Do you have any special plans for the weekend?)
Very casual:
Your coworker Carlos greets you in the office cafe: Hola Sara, ¿cómo va, como empieza el día? ¿Ya tomaste mucho café?
You: Hello Carlos, everything is going well. Si, ya estoy en la segunda taza. Hello Lolita, Hi how much work you have today?
Hello Sara, how are you doing? How did the start of the day go? Have you had enough of coffee today?
Hello Carlos, everything is pretty normal. Oh, I heard that you’ve had your second cup already. How about you today, any busy schedules today?)
FAQs
Do not understand something about greetings in Spanish? Here’s help with some common questions:
What are the circumstances that call for the use of Usted rather than Tú?
Always use Usted when talking to people who are older than you, or your subordinates, masters, teachers, etc. Use Tú to talk to your friends, relatives, children, and peers. Leave the use of Usted until someone tells you it is wrong.
Does the Spanish greeting vary according to country?
Yes! Spanish in Spain has different and more expressions than Spanish in Latin America. Get familiar with the greetings used in the type of Spanish you are going to encounter most.
Information on whether cheek kisses are a formal or informal gesture.
It is quite acceptable for friends or relatives and common in most Spanish-speaking countries to cheek kiss. It is an informal sign that is made when you are greeting people you recognize. They should employ the right cheek first convention. In formal business, a handshake is more appropriate except if the other person offers a cheek kiss.
Which greetings contain letters such as á, é, ó?
Phrases such as buenos días, encantada, ¿cómo estás? and ¿qué tal? have accents over vowels when written. Ensure your keyboard gets to the letters such as á, é, í, ó, ú as they vary considerably in their use.
Can you please explain the difference between ¿Qué tal? and ¿Cómo estás??
¿Qué tal? This is a friendly what’s up? while ¿Cómo estás? straightforwardly poses the question, how are you? You can also use ¿Cómo está? to kindly ask how a person is or how they are faring in general. Stick to ¿Qué tal? and ¿Cómo estás? for use in most of the low-context friendly communication.
Ready to Chat in Spanish? Review Key Takeaways:
Proper ways of greeting people in Spanish is also a way of respecting the language and the culture. Key points:
- Use a cheerful ‘Hello’ to encourage a friendly and laid back approach for any interaction.
- You can expect more cultural relationship if you ask regional greetings in Latin countries.
- It is appropriate to use greetings based on the time of the day such as buenos días, buenas tardes, etc where formality is required.
- Ask questions back as a way of ensuring that the conversation continues on.
With these, you should feel equipped to greet new people in Spanish, in a non-threatening manner that is. Always remember to maintain the friendly or the formal communication style that was chosen.
