Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| buenos días | /ˌbwenos ˈdias/ | |
| buen día | /ˌbwen ˈdia/ | |
| buenas | /ˈbwenas/ | informal |
| buenas matinas (Americanism) | feminine, plural |
This phrase is used when seeing someone for the first time in the morning. Typically, it is used from sunrise until midday or lunchtime.
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 way to say good morning, it is grammatically plural, unlike the English singular morning. The form buen día is a singular version, and buenas is a shortened version used as a casual greeting.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
buenas is an informal version used as a casual greeting. For formal situations where you want to say "Good morning, nice to meet you," you can use Buenos días, encantado/a de conocerlo/a. or ¡Buenos días! Mucho gusto. In informal situations, you can say ¡Buenos días! Encantado/a de conocerte. to mean "Good morning, nice to meet you."
Is it said differently in some regions?
The singular form buen día is more common in certain Latin American regions than in Spain. The form buenas matinas is an Americanism.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form buen día is a singular form. The form buenas matinas is feminine and plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌbwenos ˈdias/
Did you know?
- Using buenas is a social 'safety net' because it can be used at any time of day or night without being incorrect.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, saying buenos días to a stranger is considered a mandatory social courtesy to avoid appearing rude.
- The word día traces back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'heaven' or 'sky', linking the concept of a 'day' to the celestial realm.
Examples in context
- Buenos días a todos.Good morning, everybody.This sentence is useful for addressing a group.Tatoeba #527255 by Shishir, translation #22122 by CK
- Hola Tom. Buenos días.Hello, Tom. Good morning.This sentence is useful for a casual greeting to a specific person.Tatoeba #1100827 by Shishir, translation #30314 by CM
- ¡Buenos días, cielo azul!Good morning, blue skies!This sentence shows the phrase used as an exclamation.Tatoeba #1457801 by marcelostockle, translation #1457802 by marcelostockle
- Buenos días, encantado de conocerlo. ¿Cómo está usted?Good morning, nice to meet you. How are you?
- ¡Buen día! Encantado de conocerte.Good day! Nice to meet you.
- 41 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía meet in the kitchen of their shared home.
- MateoBuenos días, Sofía.Good morning, Sofía.
- SofíaBuenos días, Mateo. ¿Cómo estás?Good morning, Mateo. How are you?
- MateoMuy bien, gracias.Very well, thank you.
- SofíaQué bueno. Vamos a desayunar.That's great. Let's have breakfast.
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.
