Greetings
| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|
| Hola | Hello | Works with anyone, any time. How to say hello |
| Buenos días | Good morning | Until about noon. Good morning in Spanish |
| Buenas tardes | Good afternoon | From noon until dark. |
| Buenas noches | Good evening, good night | Hello and goodbye after dark. Good night in Spanish |
| ¿Cómo estás? | How are you? | Informal; ¿cómo está? with usted. How are you in Spanish |
| ¿Qué tal? | How’s it going? | Casual, very common in Spain. |
| Bien, gracias. ¿Y tú? | Fine, thanks. And you? | The standard answer. |
Goodbyes
| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|
| Adiós | Goodbye | Can sound final; many people prefer chao or hasta luego. |
| Chao | Bye | Casual; also spelled chau in Argentina and Uruguay. |
| Hasta luego | See you later | The everyday goodbye, even if you won’t meet again soon. |
| Hasta mañana | See you tomorrow | |
| Nos vemos | See you | Casual. |
| Que tengas un buen día | Have a nice day | Que tenga un buen día with usted. |
Polite words
| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|
| Por favor | Please | Please in Spanish |
| Gracias | Thank you | Muchas gracias for "thank you very much". Thank you in Spanish |
| De nada | You’re welcome | Also con gusto, a la orden (Colombia, Venezuela). |
| Lo siento | I’m sorry | For real apologies and sympathy. Sorry in Spanish |
| Perdón | Sorry, pardon | For small mistakes, like bumping into someone. |
| Disculpe | Excuse me | To get someone’s attention politely (usted). |
| Con permiso | Excuse me | When passing someone or leaving a table. |
Getting to know someone
| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|
| ¿Cómo te llamas? | What’s your name? | ¿Cómo se llama? with usted. |
| Me llamo… | My name is… | Also soy… (I’m…). |
| Mucho gusto | Nice to meet you | Answer with igualmente (likewise). |
| Encantado / Encantada | Delighted (to meet you) | Encantado if you are a man, encantada if you are a woman. |
| ¿De dónde eres? | Where are you from? | ¿De dónde es? with usted. |
| Soy de… | I’m from… | Soy de Estados Unidos. |
| ¿Hablas inglés? | Do you speak English? | ¿Habla inglés? with usted. |
| Hablo un poco de español | I speak a little Spanish | |
Feelings, compliments, and celebrations
| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|
| Te quiero | I love you | For family, friends, and partners. I love you in Spanish |
| Te amo | I love you | Deeper and more romantic than te quiero. |
| Eres hermosa / hermoso | You are beautiful | Also linda, bonita, and guapa (Spain). Beautiful in Spanish |
| ¡Feliz cumpleaños! | Happy birthday! | Happy birthday in Spanish |
| ¡Felicidades! | Congratulations! | Also used for birthdays. |
| ¡Salud! | Cheers! / Bless you! | For a toast, and after a sneeze. |
| ¡Qué bien! | That’s great! | |
| Te extraño | I miss you | In Spain: te echo de menos. |
Survival phrases for travel
These use usted, the polite form for strangers, shop staff, and waiters.
| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|
| No entiendo | I don’t understand | |
| ¿Puede repetir, por favor? | Can you repeat that, please? | |
| Más despacio, por favor | More slowly, please | |
| ¿Habla inglés? | Do you speak English? | |
| ¿Cómo se dice … en español? | How do you say … in Spanish? | |
| ¿Dónde está el baño? | Where is the bathroom? | In Spain, people often say el servicio or el aseo. |
| ¿Cuánto cuesta? | How much does it cost? | ¿Cuánto es? for the total. |
| Quisiera… | I would like… | Polite for ordering: quisiera un café. |
| La cuenta, por favor | The check, please | |
| Necesito ayuda | I need help | |
Tú or usted?
Spanish has two words for "you". Tú is for friends, family, children, and people your age in casual settings. Usted is for strangers, older people, and anyone you would call "sir" or "ma’am". Many phrases above change with it: ¿cómo estás? (tú) becomes ¿cómo está? (usted).
Usage varies by country. Colombians and Costa Ricans use usted even with friends in some regions, while Spaniards switch to tú quickly. In Argentina, Uruguay, and parts of Central America, friends use vos instead of tú. When unsure, start with usted and let the other person offer tú.