Greetings in Spanish: How to Say Hello in Different Situations

01/10/2026 Languages & Culture created by Sprachcaffe Team

Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world: in fact, it is estimated that over 460 million people, between Latin America and Spain, speak Spanish.

Today, in addition to English, knowing this language and being able to master it correctly in various situations, both formal and informal, is very important, both for personal and professional life. Speaking a language, in fact, means knowing how to behave in various contexts, and among the first things learned when studying a foreign language are undoubtedly greetings in Spanish.

In fact, not knowing how to say hello in Spanish or the proper way to say goodbye when leaving can be very embarrassing. However, simply taking online courses with a teacher or participating in a language study trip can help you learn the Spanish language effectively and thoroughly.

But let's start looking at it below, here's how to say "ciao" in Spanish, in various formal and informal occasions.

How to Say Hello in Spanish Informally

Among the most well-known words in the Spanish language is undoubtedly "¡Holaaaaaaa!" However, this is not the only greeting, and in fact, this word is often combined with others to create more complex greetings that are actually used by native speakers.

For example, if you're greeting friends and relatives, or people you're on familiar terms with, you can use the word Hola, followed by "What's that?", "How are you?". At this point, the other person will respond with "Muy bien, gracias," the equivalent of our "good, thank you," although this doesn't always happen as it's more of a greeting than a real question.

If you're wondering how to say hello in Spanish, Hola is the correct answer, but it's good to know that it's only used when you arrive and not to greet people when you say goodbye.

Alternatively, however, to always say hello when you arrive, you can also use the expression buenas, which is very similar to the salve used in Italy and suitable for even more informal occasions.

If you want to learn Spanish or improve your pronunciation, you can contact Sprachcaffe via the online contact form or by calling 0686356746.

Greetings in Spanish: Which Expressions to Use in Formal Contexts

When greeting someone in Spanish, it's also important to consider the time of day: in fact, there are expressions equivalent to our " Buongiorno," "Buon pomeriggio," "Buona sera," and "Buonanotte" that are reserved primarily for formal occasions.

For example, from dawn to noon you can say "Buenos días!" or "Buen día . " Buenas tardes is the perfect greeting if you're addressing someone from noon to sunset, while Buenas noches is the perfect greeting after sunset, that is, when it's dark. There's only one greeting, both for the evening and for saying goodnight at bedtime.

Furthermore, while in Italy Buonanotte is often shortened to Notte, an expression that is used more with family or friends, in Spanish there is no similar formula and buenas noches is not abbreviated.

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How to Say Goodbye in Spanish: Common Farewell Phrases

These are the most commonly used greetings in Spanish when arriving somewhere, but how do you say hello in Spanish when leaving?

For congedarsi, a verb that translates into Spanish as desperdirse, there are different forms that can be used in formal contexts and to say goodbye to friends and relatives.

Among the various forms of farewell, for example, there's "Adios," a term often learned among the first words when studying Spanish, but it's not always used because it's considered a bit strong. Its translation, in fact, would be the Italian " Addio," which is difficult to pronounce because it would imply never seeing each other again.

However, Adios is often combined with expressions such as buenas dias, buenas tardes and buenas noches to say goodbye in formal contexts, such as with people you don't know well, at work or at school, to name a few.

That's why some of the most commonly used farewell greetings in Spanish include expressions like Hasta luego!, ¡Hasta pronto!, ¡Hasta otro día!, ¡Hasta mañana!, which mean, respectively, See you later, See you soon, See you another day, See you tomorrow.

Especially when it comes to formal greetings in Spanish, a time reference is often used: this is why, very often you will hear a native speaker utter expressions like hasta el lunes, hasta el martes which can be translated as see you on Monday, see you on Tuesday.

Among friends, for example, you can also use Venga, nos vemos, ¡Un besito, adiós!, but these are very colloquial and informal expressions, to be reserved for the right occasions.

Learning how to say hello in Spanish and how to greet others, even in formal contexts, is essential to mastering the language. To learn Spanish quickly, even if you're studying or working, you can check out online language courses.

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