Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| buenos días | /ˌbwenos ˈdias/ | |
| buen día | /ˌbwen ˈdia/ | |
| buenas | /ˈbwenas/ | informal |
| buenas matinas (Americanism) | feminine, plural |
The phrase buenos días is used when seeing someone for the first time in the morning, specifically from sunrise until noon or until the midday meal.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase buenos días literally translates to 'good days'.
Which one should you use?
Buenos días is the standard plural form used as a greeting. In contrast, buen día is often used more as a wish for a good day ahead.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more casual or shortened greeting, you can use buenas.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Buenas matinas is an Americanism. In Colombia, the phrase ¡Buen día! is a casual and friendly way to say 'good morning'.
How does it change in a sentence?
Buen día is the singular form of the phrase, using the masculine singular adjective buen instead of the plural buenos. The form buenas matinas is feminine and plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌbwenos ˈdias/
Did you know?
- The casual greeting buenas is actually a shortened version of buenas tardes, meaning 'good afternoon/evening', even if used in the morning.
- In some professional settings, buenos días is used as a formal acknowledgment of everyone entering a room, regardless of whether the speaker knows them personally.
Examples in context
- Buenos días a todos.Good morning, everybody.This sentence shows how to address a group using buenos días.Tatoeba #527255 by Shishir, translation #22122 by CK
- Hola Tom. Buenos días.Hello, Tom. Good morning.This sentence shows a casual greeting using buenos días.Tatoeba #1100827 by Shishir, translation #30314 by CM
- ¡Buenos días, cielo azul!Good morning, blue skies!This sentence shows an enthusiastic morning greeting using buenos días.Tatoeba #1457801 by marcelostockle, translation #1457802 by marcelostockle
- ¡Buenos días! ¿Cómo amaneció?Good morning! How did you wake up this morning?
- ¡Buenos días! Gracias, amanecí muy bien.Good morning! Thank you, I woke up very well.
- ¡Gracias! Igualmente, tenga un excelente día.Thank you! Likewise, have an excellent day.
- ¡Buen día, amigo! ¿Cómo amaneciste?Good morning, buddy! How did you wake up this morning?
- ¡Hola! ¡Buen día! Amanecí con mucha energía.Hi! Good morning! I woke up with lots of energy.
- ¡Buenos días, parce!Good morning, buddy!
- 41 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro meet in the office kitchen.
- LucíaBuenos días, Alejandro.Good morning, Alejandro.
- AlejandroBuenos días, Lucía. ¿Cómo estás?Good morning, Lucía. How are you?
- LucíaMuy bien, gracias.Very well, thank you.
- AlejandroQué bueno. Vamos a trabajar.That's good. Let's get to work.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good morning” translations and entries buenos días, buen día, buenas, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries buen, buenas, día, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
