buenos días señora
/bwenos dias seɲoɾa/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "good morning Mrs." is buenos días señora.
buenos días señora is a polite greeting used during the morning hours when addressing a woman. In Spanish-speaking countries, señora is a title used for women. You can use this phrase as a complete greeting on its own or as the opening to a conversation.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "good days lady" because días is the plural of día (day).
Which one should you use?
Unlike English, where "good morning" is singular, the Spanish equivalent uses the plural días.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective buenos must be masculine and plural to agree with the masculine plural noun días.
When do people say it?
A common response to this greeting is simply to repeat the greeting back, buenos días.
Did you know?
- In some Latin American countries, the greeting buenos días is used exclusively until the moment you eat lunch, which can be as late as 3:00 pm.
- If you are addressing a woman who is significantly younger or a peer, using señora instead of señorita can sometimes be taken as a subtle hint that she looks older than she is.
- The word señora comes from the masculine señor, which is rooted in the Latin word for 'lord'.
Examples in context
- Buenos días, señora. ¿Cómo puedo ayudarla hoy?Good morning Mrs. How can I assist you today?
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries señora, CC BY-SA 4.0.
