How to Say Hello in Spanish: 18 Greetings for Every Situation

The Short Answer

The most common way to say hello in Spanish is Hola (OH-lah). It works across all 21 Spanish-speaking countries, at any time of day, and in both formal and casual settings. But native speakers reach for a much wider set of greetings depending on the context.

Spanish is spoken by approximately 559 million people worldwide, making it the second most spoken language by native speakers, according to Ethnologue's 2024 data. With that reach comes rich regional variety in how people greet each other, from Buenos días in a Madrid office to ¿Qué onda? among friends in Mexico City.

"The way a person greets you tells you more about their regional identity, social class, and relationship to you than almost any other single utterance in the language."

(Francisco Moreno Fernández, Variedades de la lengua española, Routledge, 2020)

This guide covers 18 essential Spanish greetings organized by category: universal, time-of-day, casual, formal, and regional. Each one includes pronunciation, an example sentence, and cultural context so you know exactly when and where to use it.

Quick Reference: Spanish Greetings at a Glance

Universal Greetings

These greetings work across every Spanish-speaking country. According to the Real Academia Española (RAE), the governing body of the Spanish language, they have remained unchanged for centuries.

Hola

Hola is the Swiss Army knife of Spanish greetings. It works at 8 AM and at 11 PM, in a boardroom and at a beach bar, in Spain, Mexico, Argentina, and everywhere in between.

The "H" in Spanish is always silent. The word sounds like "OH-lah," with stress on the first syllable. A common mistake is pronouncing it "hoh-LAH," so avoid that. Hola can stand alone or pair with any other greeting: Hola, buenos días, Hola, ¿qué tal?, or Hola, buenas tardes.

Time-of-Day Greetings

Spanish has three time-based greetings that cover every hour of the day, plus a clever shortcut that works anytime.

Buenos días

The standard morning greeting. The switch time to Buenas tardes varies by country: as early as noon in Colombia, as late as 2-3 PM in Spain where lunch happens later.

Buenas tardes

Notice the grammatical shift from buenos (masculine, matching días) to buenas (feminine, matching tardes). In many Latin American countries, entering a room or elevator and not offering a Buenas tardes to those present is considered rude, a key cultural difference from English-speaking norms.

Buenas noches

This is the one that trips up English speakers. Buenas noches doubles as both "good evening" (when arriving) and "good night" (when leaving). Context makes the meaning clear.

¡Buenas!

Textbooks rarely teach this one, but native speakers use it constantly. By dropping días, tardes, or noches, you skip the guesswork entirely. Walking into a shop at that awkward noon-ish hour? Just say Buenas!

Casual Greetings

These are the greetings you will hear most in everyday conversation. They work like both a hello and a "how are you?" rolled into one.

¿Qué tal?

¿Qué tal? is both a greeting and a light question. You can use it standalone or extend it with a topic: ¿Qué tal la familia? (How's the family?). The standard reply is Bien, ¿y tú? (Good, and you?).

¿Cómo estás?

This is the informal form using tú. In formal settings, switch to ¿Cómo está usted? (covered below). Like in English, the expected response is brief and positive (Bien, gracias) even if your day has been rough.

¿Qué pasa?

A casual, energetic greeting that works everywhere in the Spanish-speaking world. Be aware of the subtle shift with a pronoun: ¿Qué te pasa? changes the meaning to "What's wrong with you?"

Formal Greetings

Essential for professional settings, meeting elders, or any situation where you want to show respect. For more on navigating formal vs. informal registers, our Spanish learning hub has interactive exercises that help.

¿Cómo está usted?

The key difference from ¿Cómo estás? is the pronoun: usted (formal you) instead of tú (informal you). Use this with bosses, elderly people, officials, and anyone you have just met in a professional setting.

Mucho gusto

The go-to phrase when meeting someone for the first time. The most natural responses are Igualmente (likewise), El gusto es mío (the pleasure is mine), or just echoing Mucho gusto right back.

Encantado/a

A slightly more elegant alternative to Mucho gusto. Remember: this word matches the gender of the speaker, not the listener. A man says Encantado, a woman says Encantada.

Regional Greetings

With 21 countries spanning four continents, Spanish has developed fascinating regional variations. As the Instituto Cervantes reports, each region contributes unique vocabulary and greeting customs. These phrases will immediately signal cultural awareness to native speakers.

¿Qué onda?

¿Qué onda? is one of the most recognizable Mexican greetings. You will hear it constantly in Mexican films and TV shows. Check out our guide to the best movies for learning Spanish and our Mexican Spanish movie guide for great viewing recommendations.

¿Qué más?

Colombia's signature greeting. You will also hear ¿Quiubo?, a rapid contraction of ¿Qué hubo? (What was there?) that functions identically. Both are casual and warm.

Che, ¿qué hacés?

Che is so closely associated with Argentina that it became the nickname of revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara. The vos conjugation (haces becomes hacés) is another hallmark of Argentine and Uruguayan Spanish.

Tío / Tía

In Spain, tío/tía has a double life: literally "uncle/aunt," but in casual speech it means "dude/girl." You will hear it constantly in Spanish shows like La Casa de Papel and Elite. This usage is specific to Spain, and using it in Latin America would sound unusual.

Phone Greetings

Phone greetings are one of the most country-specific aspects of Spanish. Here is a quick summary:

These differ completely from face-to-face greetings. Mexico's Bueno? (Good?) and Spain's Diga? (Speak?) are only used on the phone, never in person.

How to Respond to Spanish Greetings

Knowing how to greet someone is half the equation. Here is how to respond to the most common greetings.

Responses to Universal and Time-Based Greetings

Responses to Casual Greetings

Responses to Formal Greetings

Practice With Real Spanish Content

Reading about greetings is a great start, but hearing them spoken naturally by native speakers is what makes them stick. Spanish-language shows on streaming platforms are an excellent resource: La Casa de Papel for casual Spain Spanish, Club de Cuervos for Mexican greetings, and Narcos for Colombian Spanish.

Wordy takes this a step further. You can watch Spanish movies and shows with interactive subtitles, tapping on any greeting to see its meaning, pronunciation, and cultural context in real time. Instead of memorizing phrases in isolation, you absorb them from real conversations with authentic intonation and body language.

For more Spanish content, explore our blog for guides including the best movies to learn Spanish. You can also visit our Spanish learning page to start practicing today.