What does it mean word for word?
The phrase me alegro de saber de ti literally translates to "I rejoice at knowing of you".
Which one should you use?
While me alegro de saber de ti is used for communication, you should use me alegro de verte if you are expressing that you are glad to see someone during a physical encounter.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, when addressing a group of people informally, use me alegro de saber de vosotros. In Latin America, use me alegro de saber de ustedes to address a group of people, regardless of the level of formality.
How does it change in a sentence?
To adjust the phrase for different levels of formality or number of people, change the ending: use me alegro de saber de usted for formal contexts or when speaking to someone you do not know well. For a group, use me alegro de saber de vosotros (informal in Spain) or me alegro de saber de ustedes (formal or general in Latin America).
How do you pronounce it?
/me aleɡɾo de sabeɾ de ti/
Did you know?
- The word saber shares a common ancestor with the English words 'savvy' and 'savor'. This is because the original Latin root sapere referred to both tasting and knowing.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, saying me alegro de saber de ti in a letter or message is often accompanied by a more affectionate closing than the standard English 'Best regards' or 'Sincerely'.
- If you want to say you are happy for someone, you use the verb alegrarse, which is a reflexive verb that literally means 'to make oneself happy' regarding a certain fact.
Examples in context
- ¡Hola María! Me alegra recibir noticias tuyas. ¿Cómo estás?Hello María! I'm happy to hear from you. How are you?
- Me alegro de saber de ti, ¿cómo estás?Nice to hear from you, how are you?
- Me alegro de saber de ti después de tanto tiempo.It's nice to hear from you after so long.
- Hola, me alegro de saber de ti.Hello, it is nice to hear from you.
Example conversation
Sofía calls Javier to catch up after several months.
- Javier¡Hola, Sofía! Me alegro de saber de ti.Hello, Sofía! Nice to hear from you.
- Sofía¡Hola, Javier! Yo también me alegro de saludarte.Hello, Javier! I am also glad to greet you.
- Javier¿Qué tal va todo por allá?How is everything going over there?
- SofíaTodo va muy bien, gracias por preguntar.Everything is going very well, thanks for asking.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, me, saber, ti, CC BY-SA 4.0.
