Common Ways to Say Hello in Spanish
- Hola – The most common and universal greeting, suitable for any situation.
- Buenos días – Good morning (used until noon).
- Buenas tardes – Good afternoon (used from noon until evening).
- Buenas noches – Good evening/night (used after dark).
- ¿Qué tal? – Informal, similar to “What’s up?”
- ¿Cómo estás? – Informal “How are you?”
- ¿Cómo está usted? – Formal “How are you?”
Pronunciation Tips
- Hola is pronounced “OH-lah”.
- In Buenos días, the ‘d’ is soft, like “thy” in English.
- Spanish vowels are short and clear: A=ah, E=eh, I=ee, O=oh, U=oo.