buenos días
/ˌbwenos ˈdias/
buenos días is the Spanish phrase for "good morning".
buenos días is used as a greeting to say "good morning" or "good day".
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase means "good days". The word buenos is the masculine plural adjective for "good" and días is the masculine plural noun for "days".
Which one should you use?
You should switch from buenos días to buenas tardes (good afternoon) once the afternoon begins, which is usually after lunch.
How does it change in a sentence?
While buenos días is the standard plural greeting, the singular form buen día is also used in some regions, although it is less common as a standalone greeting.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌbwenos ˈdias/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying buena días. Because día is a masculine noun, you must use the masculine adjective buenos instead of the feminine buena.
Did you know?
- While buenos días is the standard greeting, the term días in this phrase is plural because it historically refers to a wish for many good days to come, not just the current morning.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a greeting like buenos días is often accompanied by a kiss on one or both cheeks or a handshake, even in semi-formal settings.
- In some regions, saying buenos días to a stranger when entering a public space is not just a courtesy but a social requirement to avoid being seen as maleducado or poorly raised.
Examples in context
- Buenos días a todos.Good morning to everyone.
- ¡Buenos días, profesora!Good morning, teacher!
- Buenos días, ¿cómo estás?Good morning, how are you?
Example conversation
Alejandro and María meet at a coffee shop in the morning.
- AlejandroBuenos días, María.Good morning, María.
- MaríaBuenos días, Alejandro. ¿Cómo estás?Good morning, Alejandro. How are you?
- AlejandroMuy bien, gracias.Very well, thank you.
- MaríaMe alegro mucho.I am very happy to hear that.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry buenos días, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
