Using Formal And Informal Spanish Greetings
It is easy to memorize the most common Spanish greetings, both informal and formal. Spanish greetings, like their adjectives, follow the rules of gender association. Using formal greetings is always acceptable, but there are times when the informal terms are not proper.
‘Hola’ means ‘hello’, and is proper for any occasion, although you may want to use a more formal greeting if you are meeting an older man or woman. ‘Buenos dias’ is more formal, meaning good day (note the -os ending of the first word, connoting the masculine nature of the second.) For the afternoon or early evening, you can use ‘Buenas tardes’ (-as since the word tares is feminine) and for a nighttime greeting or farewell, ‘Buenas noches’ is usual.
Other forms of hello include the Italian word ‘Ciao’, used both for hello and good by. This is a trendy way of greeting friends or children. ‘Que tal?’ is very informal, meaning ‘what’s happening?’ and used when seeing friends on the street and in similar casual encounters. ‘Que pasa?’ means ‘What’s going on?’ and is similar to ‘What’s new?’ in English. ‘Buen dia’ is often heard in Latin America and is a slang contraction that has become fairly universal.
Informal ways of saying ‘Hello’ include the Italian ‘Ciao’, which has become slang in many cultures. You may also say to friends ‘Como estas?’. Which is simply ‘How are you doing?’ or ‘Que tal?’ which means the same. ‘Que pasa?’ is ‘What’s happening?’, while ‘Buen dia’ is a slang shortening of the more formal greeting, which is used in Latin America.
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.
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February 10, 2011 | Posted by Sorrie Nevercomes
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