encantado
/enkanˈtado/
encantado is the Spanish way to say 'nice to meet you'.
encantado is a polite expression used to convey the meaning 'nice to meet you' when you are introduced to someone for the first time.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is the masculine singular form of the past participle of encantar, which literally means 'enchanted'.
Which one should you use?
A woman uses encantada to refer to herself, while a group of people can use the masculine plural encantados when being introduced to another person.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the phrase Gusto en conocerte is also commonly used to express 'nice to meet you'.
How does it change in a sentence?
A woman should use the feminine form encantada instead of encantado when introducing herself, and a group of people can use the masculine plural encantados.
How do you pronounce it?
/enkanˈtado/
Did you know?
- The word encanto can refer to a person's charm, but in Colombian folklore, an encanto is a supernatural entity or spell used to lure people into rivers and caves.
- While encantado sounds like the English 'enchanted', Spanish speakers use the verb encantar as a standard way to say they 'love' a thing or an activity.
- Depending on the region, using encantado can feel significantly more formal or old-fashioned than the more common mucho gusto.
Examples in context
- Mucho gusto, señor García. Soy Juan Martínez, encantado de conocerlo.Nice to meet you, Mr. García. I'm Juan Martínez, pleased to meet you.
- ¡Encantado, Carlos! ¿Cómo estás?Nice to meet you, Carlos! How are you?
- Encantada de conocerte, María. Soy Laura, amiga de Isabel.Nice to meet you, María. I'm Laura, Isabel's friend.
- Encantado de conocerte.Nice to meet you.
- Soy Juan, encantado.I am Juan, nice to meet you.
Example conversation
Elena introduces Daniel to a new colleague.
- ElenaDaniel, te presento a mi jefe.Daniel, I'd like you to meet my boss.
- DanielHola, mucho gusto, encantado.Hello, nice to meet you, pleased to meet you.
- ElenaÉl es muy amable.He is very kind.
- DanielGracias, Elena.Thank you, Elena.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry encantado, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
