Saying hello
Hola (hello, hi) works with anyone, at any time of day. Follow it with ¿qué tal? (how are you? / how's it going?), the most common greeting question in Spain. It needs no verb, but you can add one: ¿qué tal estás?
| Hello! How are you? | ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? |
| Hi, how are you? | Hola, ¿qué tal estás? |
The answer is usually bien (well) or muy bien (very well). Halfway is regular (so-so), and if things are not good, say mal (badly, not well).
| how you are | say |
|---|---|
| great | muy bien |
| fine | bien |
| so-so | regular |
| not well | mal |
| How are you? So-so. | ¿Qué tal? Regular. |
| Hi, how's it going? Very well. | Hola, ¿qué tal? Muy bien. |
| How are you? Not well, I am sick. | ¿Qué tal? Mal, estoy enfermo. |
Greetings by time of day
Spain eats late, and the greetings follow the clock of the day, not the sun:
| greeting | when | literally |
|---|---|---|
| buenos días | from waking up until lunch (about 2 p.m.) | good days |
| buenas tardes | from lunch until about 9 p.m. | good afternoons |
| buenas noches | from dinner time on; also good night | good nights |
All three are plural, and buenos agrees with días (masculine) while buenas agrees with tardes and noches (feminine).
| Good morning, how are you? | Buenos días, ¿cómo estás? |
| Good afternoon, teacher. | Buenas tardes, profesor. |
| Good evening. I am very tired. | Buenas noches. Estoy muy cansado. |
Saying goodbye
Adiós is goodbye. Hasta luego (see you later) is the everyday Spanish farewell — people say it even when they will not see you again that day. Hasta mañana is see you tomorrow.
| Goodbye! See you later! | ¡Adiós! ¡Hasta luego! |
| See you later, guys. | Hasta luego, chicos. |
| See you tomorrow, teacher. | Hasta mañana, profesor. |
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