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Common Spanish Phrases and Greetings

Hello and goodbye, introductions, polite phrases and everyday expressions, with pronunciation. Practice right here.

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Greetings in Spanish

Hola works any time. To sound polite, use the greeting for the time of day: buenos días, buenas tardes, buenas noches.

With a stranger or someone older, use usted: ¿cómo está usted?

  • holahello · OH-lah
  • buenos díasgood morning · BWEH-nohs DEE-ahs
  • buenas tardesgood afternoon · BWEH-nahs TAR-dehs
  • buenas nochesgood evening, good night · BWEH-nahs NOH-chehs
  • ¿cómo estás?how are you? · KOH-moh ehs-TAHS
  • ¿qué tal?how's it going? · keh TAHL
  • ¿qué pasa?what's up? · keh PAH-sah
  • bien, graciasfine, thanks · BYEN, GRAH-syahs
  • ¿y tú?and you? · ee TOO
  • bienvenidowelcome · byen-beh-NEE-doh

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Common Spanish phrases: the full list

Every phrase on this page with its pronunciation and when to use it.

Quick answer: hello is hola, good morning is buenos días, good afternoon is buenas tardes, good evening, good night is buenas noches, how are you? is ¿cómo estás?, how's it going? is ¿qué tal?, what's up? is ¿qué pasa?, fine, thanks is bien, gracias, and you? is ¿y tú?, and welcome is bienvenido.

Greetings in Spanish

EnglishSpanishSay itChanges to
helloholaOH-lah
good morningbuenos díasBWEH-nohs DEE-ahsUntil about noon. Buen día in Argentina and Uruguay.
good afternoonbuenas tardesBWEH-nahs TAR-dehsFrom noon until dark.
good evening, good nightbuenas nochesBWEH-nahs NOH-chehsBoth to say hello and goodbye after dark.
how are you?¿cómo estás?KOH-moh ehs-TAHS¿Cómo está usted? to someone you don't know.
how's it going?¿qué tal?keh TAHL
what's up?¿qué pasa?keh PAH-sah¿Qué onda? in Mexico and Central America.
fine, thanksbien, graciasBYEN, GRAH-syahs
and you?¿y tú?ee TOO
welcomebienvenidobyen-beh-NEE-dohBienvenida to a woman, bienvenidos to a group.

How to introduce yourself in Spanish

EnglishSpanishSay itChanges to
what's your name?¿cómo te llamas?KOH-moh teh YAH-mahs
my name is …me llamomeh YAH-mohMe llamo Ana, my name is Ana.
nice to meet youmucho gustoMOO-choh GOOS-tohEncantada if you're a woman.
where are you from?¿de dónde eres?deh DOHN-deh EH-rehs
I'm from …soy deSOY dehSoy de Canadá, I'm from Canada.
how old are you?¿cuántos años tienes?KWAHN-tohs AH-nyohs TYEH-nehsAnswer with tener: tengo 25 años.
I speak a little Spanishhablo un poco de españolAH-bloh oon POH-koh deh ehs-pah-NYOHL
do you speak English?¿hablas inglés?AH-blahs een-GLEHS

How to say goodbye in Spanish

EnglishSpanishSay itChanges to
goodbyeadiósah-DYOHS
byechaoCHAH-ohChau in Argentina and Uruguay.
see you laterhasta luegoAHS-tah LWEH-gohAlso just goodbye, even if you won't meet again.
see you tomorrowhasta mañanaAHS-tah mah-NYAH-nah
see you soonhasta prontoAHS-tah PROHN-toh
see younos vemosnohs BEH-mohs
have a nice dayque tengas un buen díakeh TEN-gahs oon bwen DEE-ah
take carecuídateKWEE-dah-teh

Polite phrases in Spanish

EnglishSpanishSay itChanges to
pleasepor favorpor fah-BOR
thank yougraciasGRAH-syahs
thank you very muchmuchas graciasMOO-chahs GRAH-syahs
you're welcomede nadadeh NAH-dahCon gusto is common in Colombia and Central America.
excuse me (to get by)con permisokohn pehr-MEE-soh
excuse me (to get attention)disculpedees-KOOL-peh
I'm sorrylo sientoloh SYEN-tohLo siento mucho, I'm very sorry.
no problemno pasa nadanoh PAH-sah NAH-dah

Useful Spanish phrases for travel

EnglishSpanishSay itChanges to
I don't understandno entiendonoh en-TYEN-doh
can you repeat that?¿puede repetir?PWEH-deh rreh-peh-TEER
more slowly, pleasemás despacio, por favormahs dehs-PAH-syoh, por fah-BOR
how do you say …?¿cómo se dice?KOH-moh seh DEE-seh¿Cómo se dice dog en español?
what does … mean?¿qué significa?keh seeg-nee-FEE-kah
where is the bathroom?¿dónde está el baño?DOHN-deh ehs-TAH el BAH-nyohLos servicios in Spain.
how much is it?¿cuánto cuesta?KWAHN-toh KWEHS-tah
the check, pleasela cuenta, por favorlah KWEN-tah, por fah-BOR
help!¡ayuda!ah-YOO-dah

Everyday Spanish expressions

EnglishSpanishSay itChanges to
OK, all rightde acuerdodeh ah-KWEHR-dohVale in Spain.
of coursepor supuestopor soo-PWEHS-toh
I don't knowno sénoh SEH
don't worryno te preocupesnoh teh preh-oh-KOO-pehs
really?¿en serio?en SEH-ryoh
great!¡qué bien!keh BYEN
what a shame!¡qué pena!keh PEH-nah
good luck!¡buena suerte!BWEH-nah SWEHR-teh
congratulations!¡felicidades!feh-lee-see-DAH-dehsAlso happy birthday.
cheers!¡salud!sah-LOODAlso bless you, after a sneeze.
enjoy your meal¡buen provecho!bwen proh-BEH-choh
let's go!¡vamos!BAH-mohs
for examplepor ejemplopor eh-HEM-ploh
howeversin embargoseen em-BAR-goh
Chart of common Spanish phrases with English meanings, from hola (hello) to sin embargo (however)
Chart of common Spanish phrases with English meanings, from hola (hello) to sin embargo (however). Download the chart · Printable worksheet · Save to Pinterest

Questions about common spanish phrases and greetings

How do you say hello in Spanish?

Hola. For good morning, good afternoon and good evening, say buenos días, buenas tardes and buenas noches.

How do you say how are you in Spanish?

¿Cómo estás? to a friend, ¿cómo está usted? to someone you don't know. A common answer is bien, gracias, ¿y tú?

How do you say nice to meet you in Spanish?

Mucho gusto, or encantado (encantada if you're a woman).

How do you say goodbye in Spanish?

Adiós, or more casually hasta luego, nos vemos and chao.

How do you say you're welcome in Spanish?

De nada. You'll also hear no hay de qué and, in parts of Latin America, con gusto.

What is the difference between tú and usted?

Tú is for friends, family and children; usted is for strangers, older people and formal situations. ¿Cómo estás? uses tú, ¿cómo está? uses usted.

What are the most useful Spanish phrases for travel?

Por favor, gracias, disculpe, no entiendo, ¿cuánto cuesta?, ¿dónde está el baño? and la cuenta, por favor.

How do you say thank you in Spanish?

Gracias. Thank you very much is muchas gracias or mil gracias.

How do you say good morning in Spanish?

Buenos días. Good afternoon is buenas tardes, and good evening or good night is buenas noches.

How do you say I don't understand in Spanish?

No entiendo. Then ask ¿puede repetir? or más despacio, por favor.

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