How to Say “Hello Formally” in Spanish

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buenos días
/ˌbwenos ˈdias/
To say hello formally in Spanish, use buenos días.
buenos días means "good morning" and is used as a greeting until around midday or early afternoon. Depending on the time of day, you may use other formal greetings such as Buenas tardes (good afternoon/evening) from midday until evening or Buenas noches (good evening/night) when arriving in the evening or during the night.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase buenos días is composed of the masculine plural adjective buenos (good) and the masculine plural noun días (days).

Which one should you use?

While buenos días is the standard plural form used for a greeting, you may encounter the singular variant buen día (good day) in some regions.

Is it said differently in some regions?

In some regions of Spain, the word Salud is used as an equivalent to "Bless you" when someone sneezes. In some regions, the singular variant buen día is also used instead of the standard plural.

How does it change in a sentence?

The standard way to greet someone is with the plural form buenos días, although the singular buen día exists as a regional variant.

How do you pronounce it?

/ˌbwenos ˈdias/

When do people say it?

When someone greets you with buenos días, the standard response is to repeat the phrase back to them.

Did you know?

  • In many Spanish-speaking cultures, buenos días is often accompanied by a handshake or a light kiss on the cheek, even in formal settings where the language remains polite.
  • The word día is a masculine noun despite ending in the letter 'a', which is why it uses the masculine adjective buenos instead of the feminine buenas.
  • The transition from buenos días to buenas tardes is not strictly tied to the clock, but rather to the moment you eat your midday meal.

Examples in context

  • Buenos días, señor. ¿Cómo está usted?
    Good morning, sir. How are you?
  • Buenas tardes, señora. ¿Puedo ayudarle en algo?
    Good afternoon, ma'am. Can I help you with anything?
  • Buenas noches, señorita. ¿Está disfrutando de la fiesta?
    Good evening, miss. Are you enjoying the party?
  • Buenos días a todos.
    Good morning to everyone.
  • Buenos días, señor García.
    Good morning, Mr. Garcia.
  • ¡Buenos días! ¿Cómo está usted?
    Good morning! How are you?

Example conversation

Mateo and Sofía meet in the lobby of an office building.

  1. Mateo

    Buenos días, Sofía.
    Good morning, Sofía.
  2. Sofía

    Buenos días, Mateo. ¿Cómo está?
    Good morning, Mateo. How are you?
  3. Mateo

    Muy bien, gracias.
    Very well, thank you.
  4. Sofía

    Me alegro mucho.
    I am very glad.

Sources

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Debbie Olivia
Debbie OliviaHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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