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Lesson 1 of 10

Greetings and politeness in Spanish

Hello, please, thank you, sorry: the ten openers everything else builds on. Play the ten Spanish words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.

Cloud breaking over the limestone walls of the Ordesa valley in the Pyrenees
Greetings and politeness
11 words · 20 seconds each · 9 of 11 to pass
What it meansHow to say it
Heparina1985, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

All 11 Spanish phrases in this lesson

HolaOH-lah
Hello

Works with absolutely everyone, any time of day, formal or casual. The h is silent, always. There is no situation in the Spanish-speaking world where hola is wrong.

Buenos díasBWEH-nohs DEE-ahs
Good morning

Used until lunch, which in Spain means until around 2 pm. After that switch to "buenas tardes" (BWEH-nahs TAR-dehs), which stretches until dark.

Buenas nochesBWEH-nahs NOH-chehs
Good evening

Said arriving anywhere after dark, as well as parting. Before that, "buenas tardes", good afternoon.

Adiósah-DYOHS
Goodbye

Fine everywhere, but in practice Spaniards part with "hasta luego" (AS-ta LWEH-go), see you later, even with total strangers they will never see again. Use that and you sound local instantly.

Nos vemosnos VEH-mos
See you

Literally "we see each other", the everyday goodbye between friends. Adiós sounds more final.

Por favorpor fah-VOR
Please

Attach it to any request. Spanish uses please less obsessively than English; "una caña, por favor" is polite, but tone and a smile carry most of the politeness.

GraciasGRAH-thyahs
Thank you

The everyday form. Spaniards use it more sparingly than English speakers say thanks; a nod or a "vale" often covers small transactions, so do not read the absence as rudeness.

De nadadeh NAH-dah
You're welcome

Literally "of nothing". You will also hear "no pasa nada" (it is nothing) and, in Spain, "a ti" (to you) as a quick return of thanks.

Lo sientoloh SYEHN-toh
Sorry

Literally "I feel it", the real apology.

Perdónpehr-DOHN
Excuse me

For bumping into someone or getting attention. To squeeze past people say "perdón" or "disculpe" (dees-KOOL-peh), the slightly more formal version for waiters and strangers.

Encantadoehn-kahn-TAH-doh
Nice to meet you

Literally "enchanted", and said by men; women say "encantada". Short for "encantado de conocerte", but nobody bothers with the rest. The handshake or the two cheek kisses, right cheek first, happen at the same moment.

Where Spanish is spoken

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