Friendly and formal Spanish vocabulary for greetings, making requests, and expressing gratitude.
Polite phrases are essential for showing respect and kindness in any language. Whether you’re meeting someone new, asking for help, or ending a conversation, using these courteous expressions will help you connect more naturally in Spanish-speaking environments.
Greetings
Spanish has a variety of greetings that can be formal or informal depending on the situation. Using the right greeting sets a positive tone for the conversation.
- Hola — Hello
- Buenos días — Good morning
- Buenas tardes — Good afternoon
- Buenas noches — Good evening / Good night
- ¿Cómo está usted? — How are you? (formal)
- ¿Cómo estás? — How are you? (informal)
- Mucho gusto — Nice to meet you
- Encantado/a — Pleased to meet you (male/female)
- ¿Qué tal? — How’s it going?
- Bienvenido/a — Welcome (male/female)
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hola | Hello | Hola, ¿cómo estás? | Hello, how are you? | ||
| Buen día | Good morning | Buen día, señor Gómez. | Good morning, Mr. Gómez. | ||
| Buenas tardes | Good afternoon | Buenas tardes, chicas. | Good afternoon, girls. | ||
| Buenas noches | Good evening / Good night | Buenas noches, abuelo. | Good evening, grandpa. | ||
| ¿Cómo está usted? | How are you? | ¿Cómo está usted hoy? | How are you today? | ||
| ¿Cómo estás? | How are you? | ¿Cómo estás, Ana? | How are you, Ana? | ||
| Mucho gusto | Nice to meet you | Mucho gusto en conocerte. | Nice to meet you. | ||
| Encantado/a | Pleased to meet you | Encantada de conocerte. | Pleased to meet you. | ||
| ¿Qué tal? | How’s it going? | ¿Qué tal tu día? | How’s your day going? | ||
| Bienvenido/a | Bienvenidos/as | Welcome | Welcome (pl.) | Bienvenida a la fiesta. | Welcome to the party. |
___ en conocerte.
Which Spanish phrase means 'Nice to meet you'?
Mucho gusto
'Mucho gusto' means 'Nice to meet you.' 'Encantado/a' also means 'Pleased to meet you,' but the exact phrase for 'Nice to meet you' is 'Mucho gusto.'
Making Requests
When you need something, being polite is key. Spanish uses phrases like “por favor” and conditional verbs to soften requests.
- Por favor — Please
- ¿Podría...? — Could you...? (formal)
- ¿Puedes...? — Can you...? (informal)
- Quisiera... — I would like...
- Me gustaría... — I would like...
- ¿Me ayuda? — Can you help me?
- ¿Me pasa...? — Can you pass me...?
- Con permiso — Excuse me (to pass by)
- Disculpe — Excuse me (to get attention)
- ¿Sería posible...? — Would it be possible...?
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Por favor | Please | Pásame la sal, por favor. | Pass me the salt, please. | ||
| ¿Podría...? | Could you...? | ¿Podría cerrar la ventana? | Could you close the window? | ||
| ¿Puedes...? | Can you...? | ¿Puedes ayudarme con esto? | Can you help me with this? | ||
| Quisiera... | I would like... | Quisiera un café, por favor. | I would like a coffee, please. | ||
| Me gustaría... | I would like... | Me gustaría reservar una mesa. | I would like to reserve a table. | ||
| ¿Me ayuda? | Can you help me? | ¿Me ayuda con mi maleta? | Can you help me with my suitcase? | ||
| ¿Me pasa...? | Can you pass me...? | ¿Me pasas el pan? | Can you pass me the bread? | ||
| Con permiso | Excuse me | Con permiso, necesito pasar. | Excuse me, I need to pass by. | ||
| Disculpe | Excuse me | Disculpe, ¿dónde está el baño? | Excuse me, where is the bathroom? | ||
| ¿Sería posible...? | Would it be possible...? | ¿Sería posible cambiar la cita? | Would it be possible to change the appointment? |
Expressing Gratitude
Saying thank you is simple but powerful. Spanish offers many ways to express gratitude, from casual to very formal.
- Gracias — Thank you
- Muchas gracias — Thank you very much
- Mil gracias — A thousand thanks
- Te lo agradezco — I appreciate it (informal)
- Se lo agradezco — I appreciate it (formal)
- Gracias por... — Thank you for...
- Con mucho gusto — With pleasure
- De nada — You’re welcome
- No hay de qué — Don’t mention it
- Es un placer — It’s a pleasure
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gracias | Thank you | Gracias por tu ayuda. | Thank you for your help. | ||
| Muchas gracias | Thank you very much | Muchas gracias por venir. | Thank you very much for coming. | ||
| Mil gracias | A thousand thanks | Mil gracias por el regalo. | A thousand thanks for the gift. | ||
| Te lo agradezco | I appreciate it | Te lo agradezco mucho. | I appreciate it a lot. | ||
| Se lo agradezco | I appreciate it | Se lo agradezco su tiempo. | I appreciate your time. | ||
| Gracias por... | Thank you for... | Gracias por la información. | Thank you for the information. | ||
| Con mucho gusto | With pleasure | Con mucho gusto te ayudo. | I’ll help you with pleasure. | ||
| De nada | You’re welcome | —Gracias. —De nada. | —Thank you. —You’re welcome. | ||
| No hay de qué | Don’t mention it | —Gracias. —No hay de qué. | —Thank you. —Don’t mention it. | ||
| Es un placer | It’s a pleasure | Es un placer conocerte. | It’s a pleasure to meet you. |
Apologies
Everyone makes mistakes or needs to interrupt sometimes. These phrases help you apologize sincerely and politely in Spanish.
- Lo siento — I’m sorry
- Perdón — Sorry / Excuse me
- Disculpa — Sorry / Excuse me (informal)
- Disculpe — Sorry / Excuse me (formal)
- Fue sin querer — It was unintentional
- No fue mi intención — It wasn’t my intention
- Me equivoqué — I was wrong / I made a mistake
- Lamento... — I regret...
- Perdona la molestia — Sorry for the inconvenience (informal)
- Perdone la molestia — Sorry for the inconvenience (formal)
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lo siento | I’m sorry | Lo siento por llegar tarde. | I’m sorry for being late. | ||
| Perdón | Sorry / Excuse me | Perdón, no te vi. | Sorry, I didn’t see you. | ||
| Disculpa | Sorry / Excuse me | Disculpa, ¿me prestas tu libro? | Excuse me, can you lend me your book? | ||
| Disculpe | Sorry / Excuse me | Disculpe, ¿puede repetir? | Excuse me, can you repeat? | ||
| Fue sin querer | It was unintentional | Fue sin querer romper el vaso. | It was unintentional to break the glass. | ||
| No fue mi intención | It wasn’t my intention | No fue mi intención ofenderte. | It wasn’t my intention to offend you. | ||
| Me equivoqué | I was wrong | Me equivoqué en la respuesta. | I was wrong on the answer. | ||
| Lamento... | I regret... | Lamento la confusión. | I regret the confusion. | ||
| Perdona la molestia | Sorry for the inconvenience | Perdona la molestia, pero necesito ayuda. | Sorry for the inconvenience, but I need help. | ||
| Perdone la molestia | Sorry for the inconvenience | Perdone la molestia, volvemos pronto. | Sorry for the inconvenience, we’ll be back soon. |
Farewells
Ending a conversation or leaving a place politely is just as important as starting it. These farewell expressions are common in Spanish-speaking cultures.
- Adiós — Goodbye
- Hasta luego — See you later
- Nos vemos — See you
- Hasta mañana — See you tomorrow
- Cuídate — Take care (informal)
- Cuídese — Take care (formal)
- Que tengas buen día — Have a good day (informal)
- Que tenga buen día — Have a good day (formal)
- Hasta pronto — See you soon
- Chao — Bye
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adiós | Goodbye | Adiós, nos vemos mañana. | Goodbye, see you tomorrow. | ||
| Hasta luego | See you later | Hasta luego, Marta. | See you later, Marta. | ||
| Nos vemos | See you | Nos vemos en la reunión. | See you at the meeting. | ||
| Hasta mañana | See you tomorrow | Hasta mañana, Juan. | See you tomorrow, Juan. | ||
| Cuídate | Take care | Cuídate mucho. | Take good care of yourself. | ||
| Cuídese | Take care | Cuídese, profesor. | Take care, professor. | ||
| Que tengas buen día | Have a good day | Que tengas buen día, Ana. | Have a good day, Ana. | ||
| Que tenga buen día | Have a good day | Que tenga buen día, señor López. | Have a good day, Mr. López. | ||
| Hasta pronto | See you soon | Hasta pronto, amigos. | See you soon, friends. | ||
| Chao | Bye | Chao, nos hablamos luego. | Bye, we’ll talk later. |
These polite phrases will help you navigate everyday interactions with confidence and respect in Spanish-speaking settings. Remember, a little politeness goes a long way!
What is the informal way to say 'Take care' in Spanish?
Cuídate
'Cuídate' is informal 'Take care.' 'Cuídese' is the formal form. 'Que tengas buen día' means 'Have a good day,' and 'Nos vemos' means 'See you.'
Flashcards (1 of 50)
- English Singular: Hola, ¿cómo estás?
- English Plural: Hello, how are you?
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
