Saludos y presentaciones
Spanish is spoken by over 500 million people worldwide. Let's start with the basics — saying hello and introducing yourself.
Greetings
| Español | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| ¡Hola! | Hello! | Anytime, universal |
| Buenos días | Good morning | Until ~12 PM |
| Buenas tardes | Good afternoon | 12 PM – 8 PM |
| Buenas noches | Good evening / night | After ~8 PM |
| Adiós | Goodbye | Standard farewell |
| Hasta luego | See you later | Casual farewell |
| Hasta mañana | See you tomorrow | When you'll meet the next day |
Introducing yourself
| Español | English |
|---|---|
| Me llamo Ana. | My name is Ana. |
| ¿Cómo te llamas? | What's your name? (informal) |
| ¿Cómo se llama usted? | What's your name? (formal) |
| Mucho gusto. | Nice to meet you. |
| ¿De dónde eres? | Where are you from? (informal) |
| Soy de Alemania. | I'm from Germany. |
Tú vs. Usted
Like French, Spanish distinguishes between informal and formal "you":
- Tú — for friends, family, peers, people your age
- Usted (often abbreviated Ud.) — for strangers, elders, professional settings
In Latin America, some countries also use vos instead of tú — you'll hear it in Argentina, Uruguay, and parts of Central America.
Essential phrases
| Español | English |
|---|---|
| Sí / No | Yes / No |
| Por favor | Please |
| Gracias | Thank you |
| De nada | You're welcome |
| Perdón / Disculpe | Sorry / Excuse me |
| No entiendo | I don't understand |
| ¿Habla inglés? | Do you speak English? |
| Un momento, por favor | One moment, please |
Comprueba lo que aprendiste
Responde las preguntas de abajo para marcar este capítulo como leído.
What is the universal Spanish greeting?
"Buenas tardes" is used in the ___.
Complete: Me ___ Carlos.
Which form of "you" is used with a boss or elder?
"No entiendo" means ___.
How do you say "Nice to meet you" in Spanish?