Basic Greetings (Saludos básicos)

Question 1

Hola

Answer 1

Hello

(Hola is a universal and very common greeting.)

Question 2

Buenos días

Answer 2

Good morning

(Buenos días is used from morning until around noon.)

Question 3

Buenas tardes

Answer 3

Good afternoon

(Buenas tardes is used from noon until it starts to get dark.)

Question 4

Buenas noches

Answer 4

Good evening / Good night

(Buenas noches is used after it gets dark, and also as a farewell at night.)

Question 5

¿Cómo estás?

Answer 5

How are you?

(¿Cómo estás? is used with friends, family, and people you know well.)
*informal

Question 6

¿Cómo está usted?

Answer 6

How are you?

(¿Cómo está usted? is used with people you don’t know well, older people, or in formal situations.)
*formal

Question 7

¿Qué tal?

Answer 7

How’s it going?

(¿Qué tal? is a very common and versatile phrase, used in both informal and somewhat informal situations.)

Question 8

¿Cómo te va?

Answer 8

How’s it going?

(¿Cómo te va? is another very common informal way to ask how someone is doing.)

Question 9

¿Cómo le va?

Answer 9

How’s it going?

(¿Cómo le va? is the formal version for saying “How’s it going?”.)

Question 10

¿Qué hay de nuevo?

Answer 10

What’s new?

(¿Qué hay de nuevo? is a very common way to inquire about any recent news in someone’s life.)