Definitions - 5. Social Phrases, Greetings & Courtesies

¡Hola!

Universal friendly greeting to acknowledge someone's presence.

¡Buenos días!

Respectful greeting restricted to the morning hours before noon.

¡Buenas tardes!

Polite greeting used from midday until solar twilight.

¡Buenas noches!

Greeting or departure phrase used after darkness falls.

¡Adiós!

Formal or traditional phrase stating departure/farewell.

¡Hasta luego!

Highly common parting phrase assuming you will cross paths later.

¡Hasta pronto!

Parting phrase wishing for a speedy future encounter.

¡Chao!

Casual, universally understood cross-cultural parting phrase.

por favor

Essential linguistic modifier attached to requests to show civility.

gracias

Universal phrase validating and thanking someone for an action or item.

muchas gracias

Amplified expression of deep gratitude.

de nada

Polite structural response to return courtesy after being thanked.

con permiso

Phrase requested physically before squeezing through a packed crowd.

disculpe

Polite call for attention, or minor apology to a stranger

perdón

Direct vocal apology after an accidental slip, bump, or error.

lo siento

Sincere expression of emotional empathy or deeper apology for a bad outcome.

¿cómo está usted?

Formal request evaluation of a stranger's well-being or state.

¿qué tal?

Casual, informal modern check-in statement among peers.

¿cómo estás?

Casual check-in evaluation of a friend's current state.

mal

Adverb confirming a negative, broken, or sick state.

así así

Idiomatic expression indicating a mediocre, uninspiring, flat state.

mucho gusto

Courteous statement made immediately after meeting a new human.

un placer

Synchronous with mucho gusto; validating an introduction.

bienvenido

Vocal confirmation welcoming a guest to a specific place.

¿cómo se llama?

Direct query requesting a person's official name identifier.

me llamo…

Statement introducing your own personal name identifier.

¿de dónde es usted?

Query requesting a stranger's national or geographical origin.

soy de…

Explaining your internal national or regional origin.

¿habla inglés?

Query to locate an English-capable speaker in a crisis or transaction.

no hablo español

Crucial safety disclaimer defining your absolute lack of Spanish fluency.

un poco

Phrase minimizing your capability to a tiny, basic level

más despacio

Request to a native speaker to drop their audio velocity.

repita, por favor

Request to have spoken data re-stated for comprehension clarity.

¿cómo se dice…?

Metalinguistic tool to request the translation of an object or concept.

¿qué significa…?

Metalinguistic tool to request the definition of an unknown Spanish word.

tengo una pregunta

Courteous opener to signal you require logistical info.

vale

Universal slang particle in Spain signaling agreement, confirmation, or OK.

de acuerdo

Formal confirmation stating mutual alignment on an agreement.

¡salud!

Vocal exclamation toasted before consuming alcohol, or said after a sneeze.

¡buen provecho!

Cultural courtesy wished to diners before they consume food.

¡felicidades!

Vocal exclamation celebrating an achievement, birthday, or victory.