What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of un (a), placer (pleasure) and conocerte (to meet/know you).
Which one should you use?
While un placer conocerte is the standard way to say it is a pleasure meeting someone for the first time, other forms exist for different contexts. Use un placer haberte conocido to say "a pleasure to have met you" or Ha sido un placer conocerte for "it's been a pleasure to meet you". For seeing someone you already know, you might say Qué gusto verte (What a pleasure to see you).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the word encantado/a is commonly used in both formal and informal settings. When addressing a group of people, you should use conoceros in Spain, whereas in Latin America, conocerlos is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
To change the level of formality, you can replace the suffix -te with -le (as in un placer conocerle) to switch from the informal "you" to the formal "you". To address a group of people, use un placer conocerlos (or conoceros in Spain). To express delight in having met a group, you can say Estoy encantado/a de haberos conocido.
How do you pronounce it?
/un plaθeɾ konoθeɾte/
When do people say it?
When someone says un placer conocerte to you, a natural and common response is igualmente (likewise). You can also respond with el placer es mío (the pleasure is mine) to indicate the feeling is mutual.
Did you know?
- Depending on the region and formality, saying un placer conocerte is often accompanied by a light kiss on the cheek rather than a handshake.
- When using the word encantado to express delight in meeting someone, the ending must change to encantada if the person speaking is female, even if they are speaking to a man.
- The Spanish word placer comes from the Latin placēre, which is also the root of the English word 'please'.
Examples in context
- Ha sido un placer conocerte.It's been a pleasure meeting you.This sentence is useful for expressing that the experience of meeting someone has been pleasant.Tatoeba #9358340 by ignacio, translation #3518510 by CK
- Fue un placer conocerte.It was a pleasure meeting you.
- Mucho gusto, un placer conocerte.Nice to meet you, a pleasure meeting you.
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía meet for the first time at a social event.
- MateoHola, soy Mateo.Hello, I am Mateo.
- SofíaMucho gusto, soy Sofía.Nice to meet you, I am Sofía.
- MateoUn placer conocerte, Sofía.A pleasure meeting you, Sofía.
- SofíaIgualmente, Mateo.Likewise, Mateo.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries placer, un, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
