Informal greetings in Spanish are used among friends, family, and people your age. They help you start conversations naturally and show friendliness.
Common Informal Greetings
These are the most common ways to say “hi” in informal Spanish. You can use them throughout the day.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Hola | Hi / Hello |
| ¿Qué tal? | How's it going? |
| ¿Qué pasa? | What's up? |
| ¿Cómo va? | How's it going? |
| ¿Cómo andas? | How are you getting by? |
| ¡Ey! | Hey! |
| ¡Oye! | Hey! (listen) |
| Buenas | Hi / Hello (short for 'buenos días/tardes') |
| ¡Qué onda! | What's up? (common in Mexico) |
| ¿Qué hubo? | What's up? (Colombia) |
Informal Ways to Say “How Are You?”
These phrases are casual ways to ask about someone’s well-being or how their day is going.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Qué tal? | How's it going? |
| ¿Cómo estás? | How are you? |
| ¿Cómo andas? | How are you getting by? |
| ¿Cómo va? | How's it going? |
| ¿Qué hay? | What's new? |
| ¿Qué cuentas? | What’s new? / What’s up? |
| ¿Qué onda? | What's up? (Mexico) |
| ¿Qué hubo? | What's up? (Colombia) |
| ¿Todo bien? | Everything good? |
| ¿Cómo te va? | How’s it going for you? |
Informal Responses to “How Are You?”
Here are some casual replies you can use to keep the conversation going. You can add “¿Y tú?” (And you?) at the end.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Bien, ¿y tú? | Fine, and you? |
| Todo bien | All good |
| Más o menos | So-so |
| Aquí nomás | Just hanging in there |
| Todo tranquilo | Everything’s calm |
| Bienvenido/a | Welcome |
| Bacán (Chile/Perú) | Cool / Great |
| Chido (Mexico) | Cool |
| Regular | So-so / Okay |
| De maravilla | Wonderful |
Informal Goodbye Phrases
These are casual ways to say goodbye at the end of a conversation.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¡Nos vemos! | See you! |
| ¡Chau! | Bye! |
| ¡Hasta luego! | See you later! |
| ¡Cuídate! | Take care! |
| ¡Nos estamos viendo! | We’ll be seeing each other! |
| ¡Hasta pronto! | See you soon! |
| ¡Ahí nos vidrios! | See you later! (slang) |
| ¡Me voy! | I’m off! |
| ¡Salu2! | Cheers! (text slang) |
| ¡Chaito! | Bye-bye! (Colombia/Ecuador) |
Choose the informal goodbye that means 'Take care!': 'Me voy, ¡____!'
¡Cuídate!
'¡Cuídate!' means 'Take care!' and is commonly used in informal goodbyes.
Informal Greetings with Names
You can make your greetings more personal by adding the person’s name.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Hola, [nombre] | Hi, [name] |
| ¿Qué tal, [nombre]? | How's it going, [name]? |
| ¿Qué pasa, [nombre]? | What's up, [name]? |
| ¡Ey, [nombre]! | Hey, [name]! |
| ¿Cómo va, [nombre]? | How's it going, [name]? |
| ¿Qué onda, [nombre]? | What's up, [name]? |
| ¡Hola, [nombre]! ¿Qué cuentas? | Hi, [name]! What's new? |
| ¿Cómo andas, [nombre]? | How are you getting by, [name]? |
| ¡Chido verte, [nombre]! | Cool to see you, [name]! |
| ¡Nos vemos, [nombre]! | See you, [name]! |
Informal greetings help you connect naturally with Spanish speakers in everyday situations. Use them to start conversations and make new friends!
Choose the informal phrase that means 'Cool to see you' with a name: '____, Carlos!'
¡Chido verte,
'¡Chido verte, [nombre]!' means 'Cool to see you, [name]!' and is common in Mexico.
Flashcards (1 of 50)
- English: Hi / Hello
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
