Free guide · Level A1
Greetings in Spanish: buenos días, buenas tardes and when to use tú or usted
A badly chosen greeting won't stop you communicating, but it gives you away as a foreigner instantly. In Spanish the greeting depends on two things: the time of day and how well you know the person.
By the time of day
Buenos díasFrom when you get up until lunch, which in Spain is around two in the afternoon
Buenas tardesFrom after lunch until it gets dark: in summer, until nine
Buenas nochesOnce it's night, both to say hello and to say goodbye
Watch out for thisIn English «good afternoon» starts at noon. In Spain lunch is around two, so «buenos días» lasts until then, and «buenas tardes» at one o'clock sounds too early. And it's always plural: «buenos días», not «buen día».
By how well you know them: tú or usted
Spanish distinguishes tú (informal) from usted (formal). In Spain tú is used very widely: with colleagues, waiters, shop assistants and strangers your age. Usted is for older people and official settings.
Hola, ¿qué tal?The most common greeting in Spain. Informal and neutral
¿Cómo estás?Informal, a bit more personal
¿Cómo está usted?Formal
How to answer
In Spanish you almost never answer with just «bien»: the normal thing is to ask the question back.
Bien, gracias. ¿Y tú?The standard answer
Muy bien.Positive
Bueno… regular.So-so. Very common
Vamos tirando.Colloquial, from Spain: «getting by»
Saying goodbye
Hasta luegoThe most common in Spain
Hasta mañanaWhen you know you'll see each other tomorrow
Nos vemosInformal: «see you»
AdiósNeutral and universal