Greetings and politeness
Hello, please and thank you, and polite requests.
Hello
Hola "hello" works anywhere, at any time of day. A greeting for the time of day is a little more polite, and can follow it: Hola, buenos días.
| Spanish | When |
|---|---|
| buenos días | good morning, until about noon; in Spain until lunch, about 2 p.m. |
| buenas tardes | good afternoon, from lunch until dark |
| buenas noches | good evening, after dark, and good night |
| buenas | a short hello at any time |
How are you?
| Spanish | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ¿Qué tal? | How's it going? |
| ¿Cómo estás? | How are you? (to a friend) |
| ¿Cómo está usted? | How are you? (polite) |
| Bien, gracias, ¿y tú? | Fine, thanks, and you? |
| Muy bien. | Very well. |
| Más o menos. | So-so. |
Meeting people
- What's your name?to a friend; literally "how do you call yourself?"
- What's your name?polite
- My name is Ana.
- Nice to meet you.
- Delighted to meet you.said by a man; a woman says encantada
- Where are you from?
- I'm from Canada.
Goodbye
| Spanish | Meaning |
|---|---|
| adiós | goodbye |
| hasta luego | see you later, also used for a plain goodbye |
| hasta mañana | see you tomorrow |
| nos vemos | see you |
| chao | bye |
Please, thank you, sorry
| Spanish | Meaning |
|---|---|
| por favor | please |
| gracias, muchas gracias | thank you, thank you very much |
| de nada | you're welcome |
| perdón, perdone | sorry, excuse me |
| disculpe | excuse me, to get attention |
| lo siento | I'm sorry, for something bad |
| con permiso | excuse me, to get past |
Asking for things
Spanish asks for things more directly than English, and a friendly tone does much of the work of por favor. In a shop or café, people often ask with a question in the present tense.
- Can I have a coffee, please?Spain; literally "do you put me a coffee?"
- Can I have two, please?literally "do you give me two?"
- I'd like a room.
- Could you help me?
Quisiera and podría are fixed polite forms, worth learning as phrases; podría is explained in The future and the conditional.
Use usted with people you don't know, older people and in formal settings; see Pronouns.
Cards from this guide
9 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Getting started cards.
Until about what time do you say buenos días?
Until about noon, or in Spain until lunch, around 2 p.m.
When do you say buenas noches?
After dark, both as 'good evening' and 'good night'.
How do you ask a friend's name?
¿Cómo te llamas?
How do you say 'my name is Ana'?
Me llamo Ana.
What does a woman say for 'pleased to meet you', instead of encantado?
Encantada.
What's the usual reply to gracias?
De nada: 'you're welcome'.
Perdón or lo siento: which apologizes for something bad, like bad news?
Lo siento.
How do you order a coffee in a café in Spain?
¿Me pone un café, por favor?
What does hasta luego mean?
'See you later', but also a plain goodbye.