You say "Hello" , I say "Hola"
There are quite a few ways to say "hello" to somebody in Spanish. Below are a few example:
| English Phrase | Spanish Phrase | Short Explanation |
| Hello! | ¡Hola! | The simple way to say hello. |
| Good Morning! | ¡Buenos Dias! | Used in the morning before noon. |
| Good Afternoon! | ¡Buenas tardes! | Used between noon and about 5pm. |
| Good Evening! | ¡Buenas noches! | Used after 5pm. |
| English Phrase | Spanish Phrase | Explanation |
| How are you? | ¿Comó estas? | This is the most common way to ask how somebody if doing. The phrase will be examined further. |
| What is going on? | ¿Qué onda? | This is a slang phrase used by many young people in Spanish- Speaking countries. |
| What's happening? | ¿Qué pasa? | This is another very popular slang term. |
The phrase, "Como estas?" uses the verb estar and so you have to conjugate the verb to appropriately use the phrase for different people.
| Spanish Phrase | Who you are addressing | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Como estas? | Tú (you) | This is how you would use to ask a friend or a peer how they are doing. |
| ¿Como esta usted? | Usted (you, formal) | The pronoun, usted, is used as a term for respect in Spanish speaking cultures, so use this phrase when addressing adults. |
| ¿Como esta? | El or Ella (he or she) | Maybe you want to ask somebody how someone else is doing. For example, "How is he/she?" You would use this phrase. |
| ¿Como estan? | Ustedes (You all) | Suppose you are out and run into a couple of friends, well if you want to ask all of them how they are doing, this is the phrase you would use. |
Of course, you also want to know how to answer when somebody ask you how you are. A few responses can be found below.
| English phrase | Spanish phrase | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Fine, thank you; and you? | Bien, gracias. ¿Y tú? or ¿Y Usted? | A simple answer, remember, you want to use "tu" with friends and "usted" with adults. |
| Not good. | No muy bien or Mal | When you're having a bad day use this phrase. |
| O. K. | Así, así or Más o menos | It's OK to have an OK day. |
| Not much or nothing | No mucho or nada | Did somebody just ask you "¿Que Onda?" A common response given...even in English. |
I urge you to think of other ways you might respond to some common questions. Follow the link to the Spanish/English Translator, to translate your answers. Also consult your English/Spanish dictionary.
Online Spanish/English Dictionary
Of course with every "Hello!" come a "Good-bye." Below are a couple of different ways to say "Good-bye."
| English Phrase | Spanish Phrase | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Good-bye! | ¡Adios! | The simple way to say good-bye. |
| See you later! | ¡Hasta luego! or ¡Hasta la vista! (baby) | Another slang term, the latter made famous by the movie, "The Terminator" |
| See you tomorrow | ¡Hasta mañana! | See you later? No.. see you tomorrow. |
| Good night | ¡Buenas noches! | This phrase is used as both good evening and good night. |
Below are a couple of links to great web sites to help you practice these greeting.
The first time you visit this site try just listening and then repeating the greeting. Next, clink on the button that says "respuesta", this is the written answer, take a look at it and try to memorize it. When you feel comfortable saying and reading the phrase you can test yourself.
Other ways to say hello and goodbye
This link will take you a site that has a collection of both spoken and written greeting and farewells.