buenos días
/ˌbwenos ˈdias/
The Spanish phrase for "hello respectfully" is buenos días.
buenos días is a standard greeting used during the morning hours, typically until around midday. It is used to say "good morning".
Which one should you use?
You should switch from buenos días to buenas tardes once the afternoon begins, which is typically after 12:00 PM or after lunch. After sunset or in the late evening, use buenas noches instead of buenos días.
How does it change in a sentence?
While buenos días is the more common way to greet someone, you may also use the singular form buen día as a polite greeting.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌbwenos ˈdias/
Did you know?
- The word día is grammatically masculine, but because it ends in 'a', it is a rare exception that often confuses learners who expect masculine words to end in 'o'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, it is considered impolite to skip the greeting and go straight to a question or request. Even if you are in a hurry, a quick buenos días is a vital social lubricant before starting any transaction.
- Depending on the region, the transition from buenos días to buenas tardes is not always based on the clock but on the timing of the midday meal, which can be as late as 3:00 PM.
Examples in context
- Buenos días, Señor GarcíaGood morning, Mr. García
- Buenas tardes, Señorita LópezGood afternoon, Miss López
- Buenos días, Señor Ramírez. ¿Cómo puedo ayudarle?Good morning, Mr. Ramírez. How can I assist you?
- Buenas tardes, Señora Fernández. ¿Qué tal su día?Good afternoon, Mrs. Fernández. How is your day going?
- ¡Buenos días, señora!Good morning, ma'am!
- Buenos días, señor.Good morning, sir.
- Buenos días a todos.Good morning to everyone.
- ¡Buenos días, profesora!Good morning, teacher!
Example conversation
Lucía enters the office and greets her boss, Mateo.
- LucíaBuenos días, Mateo.Good morning, Mateo.
- MateoBuenos días, Lucía. ¿Cómo estás?Good morning, Lucía. How are you?
- LucíaMuy bien, gracias por preguntar.Very well, thanks for asking.
- MateoMe alegra. Empecemos la reunión.I'm glad. Let's start the meeting.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry buenos días, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
