buenos días
/ˌbwenos ˈdias/
In Spanish, good morning is said as buenos días. Wiktionary also lists buen día and buenas.
Meaning: when seeing someone for the first time in the morning (intj)
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 is used when seeing someone for the first time in the morning.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase buenos días literally translates to good days in the plural.
Which one should you use?
While buenos días is the standard greeting for the morning, buen día is often used more as a wish for someone to have a good day ahead.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The word buenas is an informal, shortened version of greetings used as a general greeting at any time of day.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form buenas matinas is an Americanism. In many Spanish-speaking regions, the singular form buen día is used as a greeting equivalent to good morning or have a good day.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form buenas matinas is both feminine and plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌbwenos ˈdias/
Did you know?
- Depending on the region, switching from buenos días to buenas tardes happens precisely at the moment of lunch, rather than at a specific clock hour like 12:00.
- The word día shares a common ancestor with the word for 'sky' or 'heaven' in ancient languages, coming from the Proto-Indo-European root *dyḗws.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, buenos días is used not just as a greeting but as a polite way to acknowledge everyone in a room upon entering.
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 simple greeting using buenos días.Tatoeba #1100827 by Shishir, translation #30314 by CM
- ¡Buenos días, cielo azul!Good morning, blue skies!This sentence shows an affectionate use of buenos días.Tatoeba #1457801 by marcelostockle, translation #1457802 by marcelostockle
- Buenos días, señora.Good morning, ma'am.
- Buenos días, señorita.Good morning, miss.
- Buenos días, señora [Last name].Good morning, Mrs./Ms. [Last name].
- ¡Buenos días!Good morning!
- ¡Hola! ¡Buenos días!Hello! Good morning!
- ¡Buen día!Have a good day!
- Buenos días, señora Rodríguez. ¿Cómo amaneció hoy?Good morning, Mrs. Rodríguez. How did you wake up today?
- Buenos días, señorita González. Le traigo el informe que solicitó.Good morning, miss González. I bring you the report you requested.
- ¡Hola! ¡Buenos días! ¿Quieres un café?Hello! Good morning! Do you want a coffee?
- ¡Buen día! ¿Listas para comenzar el día con energía?Good day! Ready to start the day with energy?
- 41 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María meet in their apartment hallway in the morning.
- DanielBuenos días, María.Good morning, María.
- MaríaBuenos días, Daniel. ¿Cómo dormiste?Good morning, Daniel. How did you sleep?
- DanielMuy bien, gracias.Very well, thanks.
- MaríaQué bueno. Que tengas un buen día.That's good. Have a nice day.
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.
