¿Qué tal?
casual
Besides Hola, you can greet someone with ¿Qué tal?, Buenas or Saludos. In Mexico young people say ¿Qué onda?
Meaning: casual greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| ¿Qué tal? | casual |
| Buenas | casual |
| ¿Qué onda? | slang, Mexico |
| Saludos | friendly |
Buenas is a short form of buenos días, buenas tardes and buenas noches, handy when you do not want to choose. ¿Qué tal? asks how things are going.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For more formal moments use Buenos días or Buenas tardes.
Is it said differently in some regions?
¿Qué onda? is Mexican and informal. In Argentina friends often say ¿Qué hacés? and in Spain ¿Qué pasa? is heard.
Did you know?
- In many small shops across Spain and Latin America, people say Buenas when entering, and it counts as a polite greeting.
Examples in context
- ¡Buenas! ¿Cómo andan?Hi! How are you doing?
- ¿Qué tal, Ana?Hi, Ana, how are things?
- Saludos a todos.Greetings to everyone.
Example conversation
Tomás walks into a small shop and greets the owner.
- TomásBuenas. ¿Qué tal?Hi. How are things?
- DueñaMuy bien, ¿y usted?Very well, and you?
- TomásBien, gracias. Busco un cuaderno.Fine, thanks. I am looking for a notebook.
