👋 Spanish greetings and farewells: Learn how to say hello & goodbye 🇪🇸

Mónica Jiménez
Jul 15
6 min read

Updated: Jul 30

Say hello and goodbye like a native — with confidence and a smile 😊

Are you learning Spanish and want to start speaking right away? Start with the basics: greetings and farewells. In this post, you’ll learn the most natural and useful Spanish greetings and farewells, with pronunciation tips, cultural insights, and a mini quiz to test your skills. 🧠✨

📋 Summary: What you'll learn in this post

✅ Most common Spanish greetings and farewells for beginners

✅ When and how to use them like a native

✅ Cultural tips (like two kisses 💋)

✅ Flashcards, examples and a fun quiz

🖐️ Spanish Greetings: Say 'Hello' the right way!

In Spain, greetings are everything. Whether you're entering a shop, meeting a friend, or starting class, greeting properly helps you connect — and feel like part of the culture.

Here are the most useful greetings for beginners (with translations):

✅ Most common greetings

👋 Hola – Hello

☞ Simple, friendly and works any time of day

🌞 Buenos días – Good morning

☞ Used until around 2 p.m. — especially in shops or with strangers.

🌇 Buenas tardes – Good afternoon (after lunch)

☞ From around 2 p.m. until sunset.

🌙 Buenas noches – Good evening or good night

☞ Used when it’s dark — to greet or say goodbye.

😄 ¡Buenas! – Hi (casual)

☞ Short and common in Spain. You can use it all day long.

😊 ¿Qué tal? – How’s it going?

☞ Very common and friendly. Use it after 'hola'.

🙂 ¿Cómo estás? – How are you?

☞ Also informal. Great with people you know.

🧑‍⚖️ ¿Cómo está usted? – How are you? (formal)

☞ Use in formal situations — like with doctors or older people.

💬 ¿Cómo va todo? – How’s everything going?

☞ Relaxed and friendly.

😎 ¿Qué hay? / ¿Qué pasa? – What’s up?

☞ Informal greetings between friends.

🤝 Encantado / Encantada – Nice to meet you

☞ Say 'encantado' if you're a man, “encantada” if you're a woman.

🗯️ ¡Ey! / ¡Hola, hola! – Hey! / Hi

☞ Very informal, often between young people.

💡 Pro tip: In Spain, many people just say ¡Buenas! — a casual greeting that works any time of day.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Easy follow-up questions

After saying 'hola', keep the conversation going with these phrases:

💭 ¿Cómo estás? – How are you? (informal)

☞ Used with friends, people your age, or anyone you know well.

💭 ¿Qué tal? – How’s it going? (very common in Spain)

☞ A favorite in Spain — works in almost any informal situation.

💭 ¿Cómo está usted? – How are you? (formal)

☞ Used in polite or professional settings — with doctors, clients, older people…

💭 ¿Cómo va todo? – How’s everything?

☞ Relaxed, friendly — great to use with coworkers or acquaintances.

💭 ¿Qué hay? / ¿Qué pasa? – What’s up?

☞ Very informal — used among close friends.

💬 Typical answers in Spain

🗣️ Bien, ¿y tú? – Fine, and you?

🗣️ Todo bien – Everything’s good

🗣️ Más o menos – So-so

🗣️ Genial – Great!

🗣️ Cansado/a – Tired

💡 TIP: In Spain, these questions are often part of the social ritual — just smile and say something simple!

🤝 How do people greet in Spain?

In Spain, greetings are also physical. Here's how people typically say hello:

🤝 Handshake – used in formal settings

💋 Two kisses (dos besos) – one on each cheek; common in informal situations

🧍‍♂️🧍‍♀️ Men rarely kiss each other — they shake hands or hug

😷 After COVID, people avoided physical contact, but kisses are back among friends

💡 TIP: Let the other person lead. A friendly smile is always a good start!

🚪 Spanish Farewells: Say 'Goodbye' like a local

Just like greetings, saying goodbye in Spanish can change depending on the situation. Some are formal, others are super friendly. Let’s look at the most common ones:

👋 Adiós – GoodbyeNeutral and polite.

☞ Use anytime.

🔁 Hasta luego – See you later

☞ Very common in Spain.

👀 Nos vemos – See you

☞ Informal and casual.

🌜 Hasta mañana – See you tomorrow

☞ Use when you’ll see someone the next day.

✌️ Chao / Chau – Bye

☞ Informal and common with friends.

❤️ Cuídate – Take care

☞ Warm and caring — great for friends and family.

👋 Hasta pronto – See you soon

☞ A bit more formal or polite.

😎 Hasta la vista – Until we meet again

☞ Not used much in daily life — but famous thanks to the movies.

🕐 Hasta ahora – See you in a bit

☞ Very typical in Spain when you’ll see someone again the same day.

🌞 Que tengas un buen día – Have a nice day

☞ Polite and useful in shops or formal situations.

😴 Que descanses – Sleep well

☞ Used at night before bed.

🎉 Buen finde – Have a nice weekend

☞ Short for “Buen fin de semana”. Informal and friendly.

📅 Hasta el lunes / martes... – See you Monday / Tuesday...

☞ Common between coworkers or classmates.

🤗 Un abrazo – A hug

☞ Used in texts or when saying goodbye warmly.

💋 Besos – Kisses

☞ Informal, used in texts or phone calls with friends.

🇪🇸 Cultural Tip: Formal vs. Informal

In Spain, context matters. Here's how to know when to be formal or casual:

👔 Formal

👉 Use 'Buenos días', '¿Cómo está usted?', and shake hands

👉 Use with older people, clients, teachers, or in professional situations

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Informal

👉 Use 'Hola', '¿Qué tal?', and give two kisses or a hug

👉 Use with friends, classmates, or anyone your age

😷 After COVID, handshakes and waves became more common, but kisses are returning among friends and family.

💡 Best tip: Don’t worry too much — just smile and follow the lead of the other person 😊

🗣️ Real-Life Dialogue: Greeting & Goodbye

Marta: ¡Hola, Luis! ¿Qué tal?

Luis: ¡Buenas! Muy bien, ¿y tú?

Marta: Todo bien. Me voy ya. ¡Hasta luego!

Luis: ¡Cuídate! ¡Nos vemos mañana!

🎯 Try reading this out loud or practicing with a friend!

❌ Common mistakes to avoid

🚫 Saying 'Buenas noches' in the morning

✅ Use 'Buenos días'

🚫 Using '¿Cómo estás?' in formal situations

✅ Use '¿Cómo está usted?'

🚫 Not replying to '¿Qué tal?'

✅ Say 'Bien, ¿y tú?'

🤓 Quiz Time! Test your Spanish greetings and farewells 🎉

🧠 Practice with Flashcards! 🗂️

Here are some key Spanish greetings and farewells to review and memorize:

👉 Tap or click each card to see the English translation.Try to say the Spanish word out loud before flipping — it's great practice for memory and pronunciation! 🗣️💪

👋 Summary Table: Spanish Greetings & Farewells (Spain)

💬 Español	🇺🇸 English	🤝 Registro
¡Hola!	Hello	Neutro (informal y formal)
¡Buenas!	Hi! (short for “Buenas tardes”)	Informal
¿Qué tal?	How’s it going?	Informal
¿Qué pasa?	What’s up?	Muy informal
Ey / ¡Oye!	Hey!	Muy informal
¿Cómo estás?	How are you?	Informal
¿Cómo está usted?	How are you? (formal “you”)	Formal
Encantado/a	Nice to meet you	Neutro (cortés)
Mucho gusto	Pleasure to meet you	Formal o neutro
Buenos días	Good morning	Formal o neutro
Buenas tardes	Good afternoon	Formal o neutro
Buenas noches	Good evening / Good night	Formal o neutro
Que tengas un buen día	Have a good day	Informal (singular "tú")
Que tenga un buen día	Have a good day	Formal (usted)
Que descanses	Sleep well / Rest well	Informal
Que duerma bien	Sleep well	Formal
Hasta luego	See you later	Neutro
Hasta pronto	See you soon	Neutro (ligeramente formal)
Hasta ahora	See you in a bit	Informal (muy usado en España)
Hasta mañana	See you tomorrow	Neutro
Hasta la vista	See you sometime (more vague)	Formal o literario
Chao	Bye (from Italian)	Informal
Adiós	Goodbye	Formal o neutro
Cuídate	Take care	Informal
Cuídese	Take care	Formal
Un abrazo	A hug	Informal o neutro (amistoso)
Besos	Kisses	Informal, escrito o íntimo

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