Formal greetings are essential in Spanish for showing respect and politeness, especially in professional or unfamiliar settings.
In Spanish, formal greetings often use the pronouns “usted” and include polite phrases that show respect. These greetings are used with people you don’t know well, elders, or in professional environments.
Greetings
Here are some common formal greetings in Spanish, along with example sentences. These greetings can be used throughout the day to politely start a conversation.
| Spanish Greeting | English Greeting | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buenos días | Good morning | Buenos días, ¿cómo está usted? | Good morning, how are you (formal)? |
| Buenas tardes | Good afternoon | Buenas tardes, señor García. | Good afternoon, Mr. García. |
| Buenas noches | Good evening / Good night | Buenas noches, doctora. | Good evening, doctor. |
| ¿Cómo está? | How are you? (formal) | ¿Cómo está usted hoy? | How are you today? (formal) |
| Mucho gusto | Nice to meet you | Mucho gusto en conocerle. | Nice to meet you. |
| Es un placer | It’s a pleasure | Es un placer conocerle. | It’s a pleasure to meet you. |
| ¿Cómo le va? | How’s it going? (formal) | ¿Cómo le va en el trabajo? | How’s it going at work? |
| ¿Cómo se encuentra? | How are you feeling? | ¿Cómo se encuentra hoy? | How are you feeling today? |
| ¿Qué tal está? | How are you? | ¿Qué tal está usted? | How are you? (formal) |
| Le saludo cordialmente | I send you my cordial greetings | Le saludo cordialmente desde Madrid. | I send you my cordial greetings from Madrid. |
¿Cómo ___ usted hoy?
How do you say 'How are you?' using a formal Spanish expression?
está
The formal 'you' in Spanish is 'usted,' which takes the third-person singular form 'está' in the verb 'estar.' 'Estás' is informal, and the others are incorrect forms.
Introductions
When meeting someone for the first time in a formal setting, these introduction phrases are commonly used. They help start conversations politely and respectfully.
| Spanish Introduction | English Introduction | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Me llamo… | My name is… | Me llamo Ana Torres. | My name is Ana Torres. |
| Soy… | I am… | Soy el señor Martínez. | I am Mr. Martínez. |
| Le presento a… | I introduce you to… | Le presento a la señora Gómez. | I introduce you to Mrs. Gómez. |
| Mucho gusto | Nice to meet you | Mucho gusto, señorita. | Nice to meet you, miss. |
| Encantado/Encantada | Delighted (to meet you) | Encantada de conocerle. | Delighted to meet you. |
| Es un placer conocerle | It’s a pleasure to meet you | Es un placer conocerle, doctora. | It’s a pleasure to meet you, doctor. |
| Permítame presentarme | Allow me to introduce myself | Permítame presentarme, soy Jorge. | Allow me to introduce myself, I’m Jorge. |
| Trabajo en… | I work at… | Trabajo en la embajada. | I work at the embassy. |
| Soy de… | I am from… | Soy de Buenos Aires. | I am from Buenos Aires. |
| ¿Y usted? | And you? (formal) | Me llamo Luis. ¿Y usted? | My name is Luis. And you? |
Farewells
Formal farewells are used to end conversations politely, especially in professional or respectful contexts. These phrases help leave a good impression.
| Spanish Farewell | English Farewell | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buenos días | Have a good morning | Que tenga buenos días. | Have a good morning. |
| Buenas tardes | Have a good afternoon | Que pase buenas tardes. | Have a good afternoon. |
| Buenas noches | Good night / Have a good evening | Que tenga buenas noches. | Have a good evening. |
| Hasta luego | See you later | Hasta luego, señor Pérez. | See you later, Mr. Pérez. |
| Hasta mañana | See you tomorrow | Hasta mañana, doctora. | See you tomorrow, doctor. |
| Que tenga un buen día | Have a good day | Que tenga un buen día en la oficina. | Have a good day at the office. |
| Que descanse | Rest well / Good night | Que descanse, señorita. | Rest well, miss. |
| Le deseo… | I wish you… | Le deseo mucho éxito. | I wish you much success. |
| Fue un placer | It was a pleasure | Fue un placer hablar con usted. | It was a pleasure speaking with you. |
| Cuídese | Take care (formal) | Cuídese mucho. | Take care (formal). |
___ hablar con usted.
What does ‘Fue un placer’ mean in a formal farewell?
It was a pleasure
‘Fue un placer’ means ‘It was a pleasure.’ It is a polite way to end a conversation.
Polite Expressions
These additional polite expressions are often used in formal conversations to show respect, gratitude, and good manners.
| Spanish Expression | English Expression | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Por favor | Please | ¿Puede ayudarme, por favor? | Can you help me, please? |
| Gracias | Thank you | Muchas gracias por su tiempo. | Thank you very much for your time. |
| De nada | You’re welcome | —Gracias. —De nada. | —Thank you. —You’re welcome. |
| Disculpe | Excuse me / Sorry | Disculpe, ¿tiene un momento? | Excuse me, do you have a moment? |
| Perdón | Sorry | Perdón por la interrupción. | Sorry for the interruption. |
| Con permiso | Excuse me (to pass by) | Con permiso, necesito pasar. | Excuse me, I need to pass by. |
| Siento… | I’m sorry… | Siento llegar tarde. | I’m sorry for arriving late. |
| Le agradezco… | I thank you… | Le agradezco su comprensión. | I thank you for your understanding. |
| ¿Podría…? | Could you…? | ¿Podría enviarme el informe? | Could you send me the report? |
| Es un honor | It’s an honor | Es un honor trabajar con usted. | It’s an honor to work with you. |
Formal greetings in Spanish are all about showing respect and politeness through your choice of words and tone. Listening to native speakers and practicing these phrases will help you feel more confident in any formal situation.
Flashcards (1 of 40)
- English Greeting: Good morning
- English Example: Good morning, how are you (formal)?
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
