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Spanish · Meeting people · Beginner

How to say hello and goodbye in Spanish

Say “¡Buenos días!” until lunchtime and “Buenas tardes” until dark; “¡Muy buenas!” and “Hola, ¿qué tal?” work any time. For goodbye, “Adiós, hasta luego” is the everyday one, “Buenas noches, hasta mañana” is for the night, and on Fridays you’ll hear “¡Buen fin de semana!”.

Try it · about two minutes

Through the day you greet shopkeepers, neighbours and colleagues, and say goodbye the right way.

Sound on: the people you meet speaks Spanish. You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.

The conversation

  1. People you meet

    ¡Buenos días!

    Good morning!

    You

    ¡Muy buenas!

    Hi there!

  2. People you meet

    Hola, ¿qué tal?

    Hi, how’s it going?

    You

    Bien, ¿y tú?

    Fine, and you?

  3. People you meet

    ¡Que aproveche!

    Enjoy your meal!

    You

    Gracias.

    Thanks.

  4. People you meet

    ¡Buen fin de semana!

    Have a good weekend!

    You

    Nos vemos el lunes.

    See you on Monday.

  5. People you meet

    ¡Cuánto tiempo! ¿Qué tal estás?

    Long time no see! How are you?

    You

    Muy bien, gracias. ¿Y tú?

    Very well, thanks. And you?

  6. In the evening you buy bread at the corner shop and head for the door.

    You

    Adiós, hasta luego.

    Bye, see you.

Key phrases

  • ¡Buenos días!

    Good morning!

  • Buenas tardes, ¿cómo está usted?

    Good afternoon, how are you?

  • ¡Muy buenas!

    Hi there!

  • Hola, ¿qué tal?

    Hi, how’s it going?

  • Muy bien, gracias. ¿Y tú?

    Very well, thanks. And you?

  • Adiós, hasta luego.

    Bye, see you later.

  • Buenas noches, hasta mañana.

    Good night, see you tomorrow.

  • Nos vemos el lunes.

    See you on Monday.

  • ¡Buen fin de semana!

    Have a good weekend!

  • ¡Que tengas un buen día!

    Have a good day!

Good to know in Spain

Greetings through the day

  1. 1

    Buenos días until lunch, which in Spain is often around two.

    Good morning!
  2. 2

    Buenas tardes from lunch until it gets dark.

  3. 3

    Buenas noches after dark, to say hello or goodbye.

    Good night, see you tomorrow.

Hasta luego, for most goodbyes

Spaniards often use hasta luego as an all-purpose goodbye, even when they won’t see you again that day.

Adiós, hasta luego.

Bye, see you later.

Two kisses

Friends and new acquaintances often greet with two kisses, one on each cheek, though men usually shake hands with each other. In shops a simple hola is enough, and in formal settings people shake hands.

¿Aquí se saluda con dos besos?

Do people greet each other with two kisses here?

More situations in Spanish

All situations in Spanish

Keep these phrases in Frasa

Frasa is an iPhone app for the conversations in front of you. Save phrases like these, rehearse them out loud, and they come back until they stick.

AI-generated. May be inaccurate.