buenas tardes
/ˌbwenas ˈtaɾdes/
buenas tardes is the Spanish way to say good afternoon.
buenas tardes is the most common way to say "good afternoon" in Spanish. It is a standard greeting used both when arriving at a place and when leaving.
Meaning: greeting said in the afternoon (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "good afternoons" because both buenas (good) and tardes (afternoons) are feminine plural.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Colombia, Buenas tardes, ¿cómo le va? is a formal way to say "Good afternoon, how are you?" In Spain, the phrase Buenas tardes, ¿cómo os va? translates to "Good afternoon, how are you all?"
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective buenas is the feminine plural form of bueno, used to agree in gender and number with the feminine plural noun tardes.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌbwenas ˈtaɾdes/
Did you know?
- In some regions, the transition from Buenos días to Buenas tardes is not triggered by the clock, but by the moment people eat lunch. Once the midday meal is finished, the afternoon greeting begins.
- The word tardes is related to the concept of being late, much like the English word 'tardy'. This provides a linguistic link between the afternoon and the idea of time passing or delays.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, you might hear someone simply say Buenas as a shorthand for Buenas tardes or Buenas noches. This truncated version acts as a polite, all-purpose greeting that works at almost any time of day.
Examples in context
- Buenas tardes.Good afternoon.This shows the standard greeting.Tatoeba #872348 by japegon, translation #499689 by CK
- ¡Buenas tardes!Good afternoon!This shows the greeting used with more emphasis.Tatoeba #778583 by marloncori, translation #3552554 by Meruert
- Buenas tardes. Tú eres nuestro nuevo vecino, si no me equivoco.Good afternoon. You are our new neighbor, if I'm not mistaken?This shows the greeting used when introducing yourself to a neighbor.Tatoeba #872335 by japegon, translation #871529 by CM
- Hola, buenas tardesHello, good afternoon
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía meet in a cafe during the afternoon.
- JavierBuenas tardes, Sofía.Good afternoon, Sofía.
- SofíaBuenas tardes, Javier. ¿Cómo estás?Good afternoon, Javier. How are you?
- JavierMuy bien, gracias.Very well, thank you.
- SofíaMe alegro mucho.I am very glad.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good afternoon” translations and entries buenas tardes, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
