Questions tagged [saludos]

Questions about the verbal interchanges between people such as when meeting, greeting, departing, answering the telephone, etc. // Preguntas sobre los intercambios verbales entre personas, tales como al encontrarse, saludarse, despedirse, contestar una llamada telefónica, etc.

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Why "buenas noches" when it's only one night?

Why do we say buenas noches and buenas tardes when they refer to only one night/afternoon? ¿Por qué se dice "buenas noches" y "buenas tardes" cuando se refieren solo a una noche o tarde?
Bogdan Lataianu's user avatar
36 votes
7 answers
496k views

Why is "De nada" used as a response to "Gracias"?

De means "of", and nada means "nothing", so why, when put together, are they used in response to Gracias?
Malfist's user avatar
  • 479
29 votes
4 answers
32k views

Why isn't "good morning" "buenas mañanas"?

"Good afternoon" is "buenas tardes", and "Good night/evening" is "buenas noches". Then why isn't "good morning" "buenas mañanas" instead of "buenos días"?
Orion's user avatar
  • 1,712
17 votes
6 answers
25k views

"Bueno" as hello or greeting?

In the US State I live in, I sometimes hear Spanish speakers greet one another by simply staying "Bueno". I didn't hear this when I was recently in Mexico, although I realize I may just have not ...
rynomax's user avatar
  • 319
17 votes
2 answers
152k views

When is it appropriate to say "buenos días"?

English It looks like "buenos días" is most commonly translated as "good morning," although apparently it can mean "good day" as well (like a literal translation would ...
Orion's user avatar
  • 1,712
15 votes
3 answers
11k views

Where does "Hola" come from? / ¿De dónde viene "Hola"?

The word "Hola" is probably the most used salutation in the Spanish language. Some say it comes from Latin, others that it is an Arabic word, others claim English roots... (I'm sure details will be ...
user avatar
14 votes
6 answers
62k views

Translation of "Welcome back!"

In English, if someone has been gone for a while and has recently returned, it's common to greet them by saying, "Welcome back!" (or "Welcome back from your trip!", etc). What is the most natural way ...
jrdioko's user avatar
  • 17.7k
14 votes
4 answers
12k views

Is it bad to address a young male as "señor"?

I was recently in Mallorca, at a restaurant I address the waiter as "señor". He was probably in his early 30's, he said that I should not use señor, but another word (which I unfortunately don't ...
user155695's user avatar
11 votes
2 answers
139k views

What does "que lo que" ("klk" in chat) mean?

Whenever I talk to a friend (Dominican I believe) via chat like Gtalk, he always starts the conversation with: klk I did some research about that and found that, in fact, it comes from the Spanish ...
César's user avatar
  • 2,018
10 votes
4 answers
34k views

¿Qué significa 'va' en "Nos vemos después, ¿va?"

Hoy, por chat, una amiga de México dijo: Nos vemos depués, ¿va? Entiendo "Nos vemos después", ¿pero qué significa "va" en este contexto?
Flimzy's user avatar
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10 votes
3 answers
22k views

¡Buenas! greeting in morning

Another question brings up the fact that in many countries, ¡Buenas! is used as a greeting (as an abbreviation of Buenas tardes or Buenas noches). In regions where this is the case, what should be ...
jrdioko's user avatar
  • 17.7k
10 votes
2 answers
16k views

What is the most common way to answer the phone?

What is the most universally-used greeting when answering the phone (i.e. way to say, "Hello?")? Are there any circumstances where the greeting would be different (for example, when answering a phone ...
jrdioko's user avatar
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9 votes
2 answers
9k views

What is the origin of the expression "qué tal"?

Even though everyone understands the meaning of this common expression, I am totally at a loss when trying to analyze it syntactically. The word tal is according to the RAE dictionary, an adjective, a ...
Leo's user avatar
  • 1,283
7 votes
6 answers
98k views

¿Cómo se dice, "How's it going"?

En inglés, se puede utilizar la expresión, "How's it going?" como una manera de preguntar cómo está alguien. La frase es informal y tiene un significado similar al "¿Cómo estás?" Sin embargo, cuando ...
user avatar
7 votes
8 answers
851 views

¿Por qué la gente se ríe cuando me presento como "Fénix, como el ave"?

Mi nombre es Fénix — muy raro aún en inglés. Cuando me presento a la gente en Suramérica, a menudo se malinterpreta mi nombre como "Felix". Entonces, me he acostumbrado presentarme así: "Soy Fénix, ...
user avatar
7 votes
4 answers
16k views

¿Es "buen día" una forma de decir "hola" sin importar el momento del día?

En general, estamos de acuerdo en que Buenos días se dice por la mañana. Sin embargo, acabo de leer en un chat: A — Buenos días. B — uy buenas tardes por aquí, @A. C — @B el saludo internacional es &...
fedorqui's user avatar
  • 34.1k
6 votes
4 answers
21k views

How to close an email

What is a good way to close an email in Spanish? I need something equal to closing with Best, in English to write back to a Spanish speaking colleague.
Erin-Kate Sousa's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
2k views

What do Mexicans always mutter to me after I say, "Feliz año"?

When I say, "Feliz año" to Mexicans, they usually mutter something and trail off. Is this a standard response to my holiday valediction, am I being dissed, or am I being neurotic?
Nick's user avatar
  • 163
6 votes
1 answer
907 views

Why is it that the morning greeting "buenos dias" is used in the plural? [duplicate]

All other languages I know use a singular word for "day" or "morning" in such a greeting. The English say "good morning", the French "bonjour", the Portuguese "bom dia", Germans say "guten Tag" and ...
Centaurus's user avatar
  • 233
5 votes
8 answers
36k views

How to say "Nice to see you again"? [closed]

If a doctor was seeing a patient again and wanted to say: Nice to see you again! How would he say so in Spanish?
End User's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
48k views

"Have a good day" in Spanish?

I really like the usage of the sentence "Have a good day" in English. It gives a good vibration when saying goodbye to someone. In Spanish is not very common to use it, so every time I want to use it ...
fedorqui's user avatar
  • 34.1k
5 votes
3 answers
3k views

What is the meaning of '¿Qué húbole?'?

I have heard the following dialogue in the Narcos TV series: —¿Qué húbole? —¿Qué pasó? —Que las mataron. Había como seis o siete niñas ahí. Context: Two co-workers meet by chance at the door ...
Alan Evangelista's user avatar
5 votes
4 answers
52k views

How do you say "nice to meet you" in Spanish?

Say you are in Spain and you get introduced to someone in a, let's say, formal context: how do you say "nice to meet you"? Also, is there any difference in Latin America? And what if you are in an ...
fedorqui's user avatar
  • 34.1k
5 votes
3 answers
71k views

Equivalent of "To whom it may concern:"

When writing formal letters in English where there is no named recipient (for example, a job application sent to a Human Resources department, or a letter sent to an organization in general as opposed ...
jrdioko's user avatar
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5 votes
3 answers
6k views

Addressing a person in mail, person has a title

I would like to address a person with a medical Dr. title formally in mail. In English it is simple, just adding the title: "Dear Dr. X." In German, on the other hand, it is a bit more complex: I also ...
Oleg Ishenko's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
1k views

What's the most appropriate way to stop someone on the street and ask if they speak English?

I learned I can do it in following ways: ¿Disculpe, hablas tú inglés? ¿Disculpe, tú hablas inglés? ¿Disculpe, habla usted inglés? ¿Disculpe, usted habla inglés? ¿Disculpe, hablas inglés? ¿Disculpe,...
Oleksiy's user avatar
  • 153
4 votes
3 answers
16k views

Proper response to ¿Qué onda?

In parts of the Spanish-speaking world, "¿Qué onda?" is used to ask something along the lines of "What's up?". What are the possible responses to this question? Should it be answered with a bien/mal, ...
jrdioko's user avatar
  • 17.7k
4 votes
4 answers
1k views

Can "Hombre" be translated to "hey"?

In the "Mi Vida Loca" BBC episodes (a nice intro to Spanish), I came across the sentence: Hombre, ¿qué tal? and it was translated to: Hey, how are you? I though hombre meant "man": can it also ...
米凯乐's user avatar
  • 841
4 votes
2 answers
250 views

How would a US-teenage boy address his mom?

I'm writing a novel. One of the characters is a U. S. born teenage boy (living in Texas) whose mother is Mexican. Which of the following words would be more suitable for the boy to address his mom ...
user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
382 views

What's the difference between "Hola, ¿cómo te llamas usted?" and "Hola, ¿cuál es to nombre?" and when would I use one or the other?

I'm taking a Spanish course and can't figure out when I am supposed to use these: ¿Cómo te llamas? ¿Cuál es tu nombre? Does it have to do with who I am referring to?
TheCodedMaster Cubing's user avatar
4 votes
4 answers
12k views

How do you respond to "saludos a todos"

What is the correct response when someone says to you Saludos a todos
wendy.espinosa's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
4k views

"Muchos gracias" o "Mucho gracias", ¿cuál es correcto?

Estudio español en mi escuela y no sé qué es correcto decir a mis amigos y profesores. Normalmente digo "Muchos gracias". ¿De hecho hay alguna diferencia?
noahcoleman's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
966 views

Neither official nor sweet salutation in letter

I know a woman in Spain which is much older than me, I respect her, however our relationship is very informal. Yes, sí la trato de usted, but otherwise our relationship is very informal and friendly - ...
Tomas's user avatar
  • 337
4 votes
1 answer
323 views

¿Dónde se usa "¿qué pasó?" como fórmula de saludo?

Mis abuelos maternos eran de Tenerife. Solían utilizar "¿qué pasó?" en el momento de saludar a alguien. Lo he oído también a otras personas cuando he estado en esa isla, con el significado de "¿qué ...
Charo's user avatar
  • 1,947
4 votes
2 answers
2k views

Origen de la expresión "hasta mañana" y similares

Ayer mi hijo el mayor me sorprendió con una pregunta que me hizo reflexionar un poco: ¿por qué usamos "hasta" cuando decimos "hasta mañana" o "hasta luego" para expresar que no volveremos a ver a ...
Charlie's user avatar
  • 77.5k
3 votes
5 answers
11k views

Origen y uso de "buen provecho" en Puerto Rico - Local Use and Meaning

At a restaurant, it is customary for the waiter or waitress to say buen provecho to wish us good eating. I considered it roughly the same as bon apetit in French or English. However, I started ...
john mangual's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
3k views

What's the formal, genderless way to greet someone in a letter?

In English, I would start a letter like this: Greetings <person's name>, (...) I'm trying to replace "greetings" with a word or an expression in Spanish that could work with both men and ...
Crono's user avatar
  • 133
3 votes
3 answers
8k views

"Happy birthday" in Spanish?

Say you have a Spanish friend and today is his/her birthday. How can you say "happy birthday" in an appropriate way? Muchas felicidades Is my guess but it probably depends on the context and on ...
fedorqui's user avatar
  • 34.1k
3 votes
2 answers
14k views

Difference between "adiós" and "chau"?

What is the difference between adiós and chau? Do they both mean "goodbye"? Examples: I am going now, see you tomorrow, ¡adiós! I am going now, see you tomorrow, ¡chau!
Amit Verma's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
7k views

¿Qué quiere decir "señorito"?

Me gustaría saber si alguien te dice "Sí señorito" o algo así, por ejemplo, en Colombia, te está burlando o si se trata de una frase normal. Yo personalmente solo la he oído un par de veces en ...
aris's user avatar
  • 1,678
3 votes
1 answer
165k views

How to respond to ¿Cómo estás? [closed]

What are the standard responses to ¿Cómo estás?? The only ones I know of are: Bien. and Muy bien. Which both are for when you are well, how do you say ok? or not so good?
mundeep's user avatar
  • 131
2 votes
3 answers
638 views

How do you say kissing each other's cheeks in spanish?

I'm referring to when you greet each other.
SpanishAlpha69's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
197 views

Greetings for presents and cards

What phrases and greetings can you use for christmas presents / cards? Are there "general purpose" phrases which can be used for presents which are used the whole year, like an iPod? For example: ¡...
user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
363 views

Sign an email with "team MyCompany" in Spanish: equipo?

If in English I would write: Kind regards, team RocketNutsCorp Is this a proper translation in español: Saludos cordiales, equipo RocketNutsCorp Or should I use something with "el personal ...
RocketNuts's user avatar
2 votes
4 answers
12k views

¿Es "Hola cara de pez" un saludo en México? ¿Qué significa?

Me han saludado diciéndome eso. Yo le he preguntado que por qué me decía eso. Y me respondió que es un saludo de México. Y me pregunto si es verdad y qué significado tiene
Alejandro Lara Gonzalez's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
1k views

Alternatives to "ya me voy"

"Ya me voy" is sometimes heard often; for example at the end of the workday. What alternative phrases convey a similar meaning? "Me marcho" comes to mind, but it seems to connote walking in formation. ...
mechanical_meat's user avatar
2 votes
4 answers
11k views

¿Qué significa "nariz de bola"?

Hoy en chat, una amiga me saludó con: Hola hola nariz de bola! La pregunté que quería decir, y solo me dijo que es un saludo agredable. Pero todavía quiero saber que significa. ¿Es una frase ...
Flimzy's user avatar
  • 12.9k
2 votes
3 answers
733 views

Are there gender-based ways to say "Have a good day" in Spanish?

Are there masculine and feminine ways to say "Have a good day"?
Ivan's user avatar
  • 21
2 votes
1 answer
8k views

¿Por qué en Colombia se dice "nos estamos viendo / leyendo / hablando" para decir "hasta pronto"?

Mis amigos colombianos con frecuencia cosas como: - Bueno, me voy. Nos estamos viendo. - Me tengo que ir. ¡Nos estamos hablando! Yo lo entiendo como un "hasta luego", "seguimos en contacto" e ...
fedorqui's user avatar
  • 34.1k
2 votes
1 answer
149 views

"Buen noche": Buen with feminine nouns?

What is the dialectal use of "buen noche"? It doesn't sound right to me, as "noche" is feminine, but, to be sure, I've make a Google search, and I've found several occurrences, including books. ...
Quidam's user avatar
  • 585