Me alegro de verte
/me aleɡɾo de beɾte/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "nice to see you" is expressed as Me alegro de verte.
This phrase is a polite expression used to tell someone that you are happy to encounter them. It is specifically used when you already know the person, whereas Mucho gusto is typically used when meeting someone for the first time.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Me alegro de verte literally translates to "I rejoice at seeing you".
Which one should you use?
While Me alegro de verte is a standard way to express this sentiment, you may also use Qué gusto verte, which means "How good to see you" or Qué bueno verte, meaning "It's great to see you".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain regions of Spain, Gusto en verte is an informal way of saying "Nice to see you".
How does it change in a sentence?
To use the formal version of 'nice to see you', replace the pronoun 'te' in 'verte' with 'le' to form 'verle', resulting in Me alegro de verle.
How do you pronounce it?
/me aleɡɾo de beɾte/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, the phrase Qué gusto verte is often accompanied by a 'dos besos' or two-kiss greeting on the cheeks.
- The word gusto in Qué gusto verte shares a root with the English word 'taste', reflecting how the feeling of pleasure is linked to the senses in Spanish.
- The tiny word me in the phrase shares the exact same ancient Proto-Indo-European ancestor as the English word 'me'.
Examples in context
- Me alegro de verte por aquí.I am glad to see you around here.
- Me alegro de verte después de tanto tiempo.I am glad to see you after so much time.
- ¡Hola! Me alegro de verte.Hello! It is nice to see you.
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro run into each other at a local park.
- Elena¡Hola, Alejandro! Me alegro de verte.Hello, Alejandro! Nice to see you.
- Alejandro¡Elena! Yo también me alegro de verte.Elena! I am also glad to see you.
- Elena¿Cómo has estado?How have you been?
- AlejandroMuy bien, gracias por preguntar.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, CC BY-SA 4.0.
