How to Say Hello in Spanish (Common Greetings and Pronunciation)

Key takeaways

• The most common Spanish greeting is “Hola,” used in all Spanish-speaking countries at any time of day.
• Formal greetings vary by time of day: “Buenos días” (morning), “Buenas tardes” (afternoon), “Buenas noches” (evening or night).
• Spanish uses different levels of formality: “tú” (informal) and “usted” (formal), which change how follow-up questions are phrased after the initial greeting.
• Regional greetings vary across Spain and Latin America, with informal expressions differing significantly by country.
• Learning greetings in context, including how to respond and what comes next in a conversation, is more useful than memorising a phrase list.

Knowing how to say hello in Spanish opens every conversation you will ever have in the language. Greetings in Spanish are simple at the surface level, but getting them right means understanding when to use formal versus informal language, what time-of-day greetings signal about your relationship with someone, and how regional informal expressions work differently across Spain and Latin America.

A Spanish teacher practices these greetings with you in real exchanges so that you develop the instinct for when each form is appropriate, not just the knowledge that it exists.

On italki, learners study Spanish greetings with teachers from every Spanish-speaking country, so you can learn the regional greeting patterns of the variety of Spanish most relevant to you. With 15+ years connecting language learners worldwide, italki has helped millions practise greetings in context.

This guide covers every common Spanish greeting, how to pronounce them, when to use each, and what naturally follows after hello.

The universal greeting: Hola

“Hola” is the most common Spanish greeting and is appropriate at any time of day, in any setting, and in all Spanish-speaking countries.

Spanish	Pronunciation	English
Hola	OH-la	Hello / Hi

The “H” in Spanish is silent. “Hola” is pronounced OH-la, not HO-la. This is one of the most common beginner pronunciation errors.

“Hola” is versatile: it works with strangers, friends, colleagues, and family. It does not carry the informality signal that “Hi” sometimes has in English. It is the default greeting in Spanish conversation, equivalent to “Hello” in the most neutral English sense.

Get the pronunciation right by practising with a native online Spanish tutor who can hear your accent and correct it immediately.

Time-of-day greetings

Spanish formal greetings change with the time of day. These are more formal than “Hola” and are standard in professional settings, with strangers in formal contexts, and when showing respect to elders.

Spanish	Pronunciation	English	When to use
Buenos días	BWEH-nos DEE-as	Good morning	From morning until noon
Buenas tardes	BWEH-nas TAR-des	Good afternoon	From noon until sunset or approximately 8pm
Buenas noches	BWEH-nas NO-ches	Good evening / Good night	After sunset or in the evening

Note on “Buenas noches”: Unlike English, where “good evening” is a greeting and “good night” is a farewell, “Buenas noches” in Spanish works as both a greeting and a farewell in the evening or night. Context makes the direction clear.

Shortened informal version: Many Spanish speakers simply say “Buenas” (BWEH-nas) as a casual shortening that works at any time of day. “Buenas” is very common in Spain, particularly between colleagues or in casual commercial settings like shops and cafes.

Understanding the time-of-day convention is easier when you practice in real greetings. Book online Spanish lessons with a native speaker and learn these greetings in natural contexts.

Informal and casual greetings

These greetings are used among friends, family, and peers. They vary more by region than the formal greetings.

Spanish	Pronunciation	English	Region
¿Qué tal?	keh TAL	How is it going? / What’s up?	Spain and Latin America
¿Qué pasa?	keh PAH-sa	What’s happening? / What’s up?	Spain, common
¿Cómo estás?	KOH-mo es-TAS	How are you? (informal)	All Spanish-speaking countries
¿Cómo andás?	KOH-mo an-DAS	How are you going?	Argentina, Uruguay
¿Qué onda?	keh ON-da	What’s up?	Mexico and Central America
¿Qué hubo?	keh OO-bo	What’s up?	Colombia, Venezuela
¿Cómo vas?	KOH-mo BAS	How are you doing?	Spain
Ey / Oye	EH-ee / OH-yeh	Hey	Informal, all regions

¿Qué tal?

is the most widely understood informal greeting across all Spanish-speaking countries. It invites a short response and often replaces “hello” entirely in casual conversation.

Work through informal greetings with Spanish tutors in conversational practice and learn which regional variations sound natural for the Spanish-speaking region you’re focused on.

Formal greetings and follow-up questions

In formal contexts, the greeting extends into a question about wellbeing. The key difference between formal and informal is whether you use the “tú” or “usted” form of the verb.

Context	Spanish	English
Informal	¿Cómo estás?	How are you? (you \= tú)
Formal	¿Cómo está usted?	How are you? (you \= usted)
Informal (plural, Spain)	¿Cómo estáis?	How are you all?
Formal (plural)	¿Cómo están ustedes?	How are you all?

“Usted” is the formal second-person singular pronoun in Spanish. Using “usted” rather than “tú” signals respect, distance, or formality. When meeting someone older, in a professional context, or with a customer service interaction, starting with “Buenos días, ¿cómo está usted?” is appropriate and well-received.

Learn when to use “tú” versus “usted” through real conversation with an online Spanish teacher on italki.

How to respond to Spanish greetings

Knowing how to say hello is half of the exchange. Knowing how to respond is the other half.

Spanish response	Pronunciation	English
Bien, gracias. ¿Y tú?	bee-EN, GRA-syas. ee TOO	Fine, thanks. And you?
Muy bien, ¿y usted?	MOO-ee bee-EN, ii oos-TED	Very well, and you? (formal)
Todo bien	TOH-do bee-EN	Everything is good
Aquí, tirando	a-KEE tee-RAN-do	Getting by / not bad (Spain)
Más o menos	mas oh MEH-nos	So-so / more or less
¡Excelente\!	ek-seh-LEN-teh	Excellent\!
Regular	reh-goo-LAR	So-so / average

Important note: “Regular” in Spanish does not mean “regular” in English. It means “so-so” or “average.” Saying “regular” in response to “¿Cómo estás?” means you are feeling okay but not great.

Greetings when answering the phone

Spanish phone greetings differ by country more than face-to-face greetings.

Country	Phone greeting	Pronunciation
Spain	¿Dígame? / ¿Sí?	DEE-ga-meh / see
Mexico	¿Bueno?	BWEH-no
Argentina	¿Hola?	OH-la
Colombia	¿Aló?	a-LOH

“¿Bueno?” as a phone greeting is uniquely Mexican and will surprise you if you are not expecting it. It literally means “good?” but functions as “hello?” when answering the phone.

Role-play phone conversations with Spanish tutors online across different Spanish-speaking regions and get comfortable responding with the correct greeting for each country.

Common mistakes with Spanish greetings

Saying “Mucho gusto” as a hello:

“Mucho gusto” means “Nice to meet you” and is used when meeting someone for the first time. It is not a general greeting. Saying “mucho gusto” when you already know someone sounds odd.

Pronouncing the H in Hola:

The H in Spanish is always silent. “Hola” is OH-la, never HO-la. Pronouncing the H is one of the most immediately noticeable beginner errors in spoken Spanish.

Using “tú” with someone who expects “usted”:

In more formal Latin American contexts, particularly Colombia and parts of Central America, the use of “usted” is more widespread than in Spain. Using “tú” with an older person or in a professional setting in these contexts can come across as overly familiar. When in doubt, default to “usted” and let the other person invite the informal register.

Work through greeting scenarios with Spanish lessons online and get corrected on pronunciation, register, and context-specific mistakes before they become ingrained habits.

Practising greetings in real Spanish conversation

Greetings seem simple but they are where first impressions are made in any language. The time-of-day greetings, the formal versus informal distinction, and the regional variations are patterns that become automatic only through real use.

Understanding when a shopkeeper in Spain will say “Buenas” versus when a colleague in Mexico will say “¿Qué onda?” requires exposure to real conversations, not just a memorised list. With 30,000+ tutors specialising in Spanish, italki connects you with teachers from every Spanish-speaking country who teach you the greetings and conversational patterns that are used. Book a trial lesson on italki today.

FAQ

What is the difference between “Hola” and “Buenos días”?

“Hola” is a neutral, all-purpose greeting appropriate at any time of day and in any register. “Buenos días” is specifically a morning greeting (until noon) and carries a slightly more formal tone. Both are perfectly correct. In professional settings or when showing respect, starting with “Buenos días” is more polished than “Hola.” In casual or friendly contexts, “Hola” is simpler and equally natural.

How do you say hello in Spanish when answering the phone?

Phone greetings in Spanish vary by country. In Spain, “¿Dígame?” or simply “¿Sí?” is standard. In Mexico, “¿Bueno?” is the conventional phone greeting. In Argentina, “¿Hola?” is used as it is in face-to-face contexts. In Colombia, “¿Aló?” is common. Knowing the phone greeting convention for the country you are calling makes the opening of the call feel natural.

Is “¿Cómo estás?” always appropriate as a follow-up to hello?

“¿Cómo estás?” is appropriate in most informal contexts. In formal settings, “¿Cómo está usted?” is the correct form. In some Latin American countries, particularly among peers in certain regions, “¿Cómo estás?” can be followed by “¿Cómo te va?” or replaced by regional expressions like “¿Qué onda?” or “¿Qué hubo?” depending on the country and the relationship. “¿Cómo estás?” is understood and natural everywhere, even if the local preference is a regional expression.