subject: The Most Used Spanish Greetings [print this page] Spanish greetings are fairly simple to learn, whether formal or informal. The formal ones are always proper, but informal ones can be used with relatives, friends, children, or those who are contemporary in age and met in an informal setting.
First of all, it is important to remember that greetings, like adjectives in Spanish, have gender specific endings. If you learn these at the beginning, it makes everything easier as you progress in conversation. For example, when you are introduced to someone, it is proper to respond with 'Encantado', which means 'Enchanted.' If you are female, you will say 'Encantada'.
The more casual ways to say 'Hello' include 'Ciao', an Italian salute that has become part of many languages. "Que tal?' is similar to 'How's it going?' and 'Que pasa?' is an equally informal way to meet friends and translates to 'What's happening?' 'Buen dia' is a shortened slang form of greeting used in Latin America though not in Spain.
'Senor', 'Senora', and 'Senorita' correspond to 'Mr.', Mrs.', and 'Miss' in English and make part of a formal greeting when last names are used. Respectful first names may be prefaced with 'Don' or 'Dona'. Upon being introduced, it is polite to respond with 'Mucho gusto', or 'I am pleased to meet you.' If you are met with this phrase, reply with 'El gusto es mio' or 'mia', depending on your gender.
To bring the greeting a little more interaction, you might say, "Buenos dias, Senor. Como esta Usted?" This means, 'Hello, Sir. How are you today?" The response may be, "Bien, gracias. Et Usted?" to which you reply, "Muy bien, gracias."
Longer greetings add a few more words in formal speech. 'Buenos Dias, Senor. Como esta Usted?' is 'Good day, Sir. How do you do?' The answer may well be 'Muy bien, gracias. Et Usted?' ('Well, thank you. And you?') to which you say, 'Bien, gracias'. For answering the telephone, use 'Bueno?' or 'Alo?'. There are other Spanish greetings, but these are the main ones and will get you started on your conversational way.
