How to Learn Spanish Greetings and Basic Phrases

Greetings do more than start a conversation — they signal that you respect the culture and the person you're talking to. Eight phrases gets you through the door in almost any situation.

The essential eight

• Hola — hello (works any time, any context)
• Buenos días — good morning (until around noon)
• Buenas tardes — good afternoon (noon to dusk)
• Buenas noches — good evening / good night
• ¿Cómo estás? — how are you? (informal)
• Bien, gracias — fine, thanks
• Por favor — please
• Gracias — thank you

These aren't just tourist phrases — native speakers use every one of them daily. If you're only learning one set of words before a trip, this is it.

Pronunciation tips

A few sounds trip up English speakers: the Spanish r in gracias is a light tap (not the English retroflex); the j in buenas tardes doesn't apply here, but the d in buenos días is soft, almost like a th. The most reliable fix: listen to a native and mimic the rhythm, not letter by letter.

Formal vs informal

Spanish has two registers. With friends, colleagues your own age, or anyone who invites informality, use tú forms: ¿Cómo estás? With elders, strangers, or people in professional roles, the polite form is usted: ¿Cómo está usted? In Latin America, usted is used more freely than in Spain — when in doubt, err formal.

Going further

Once the eight essentials are automatic, add: mucho gusto (nice to meet you), hasta luego (see you later), perdón (excuse me/sorry), and ¿habla inglés? (do you speak English?) — that last one is a useful safety valve when you need it.

Make these phrases automatic with a free game — hear, recall, and repeat: Spanish Greetings game →