Learn essential Spanish greetings and introductions to start basic conversations.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
¡Hola de nuevo! Now that you've started to get familiar with the sounds of Spanish, let's dive into your first real conversations. In this chapter, you'll learn how to greet people, introduce yourself, and ask for someone's name – essential skills for any language learner. Get ready to start speaking!
(Optional Review): Quickly, can you remember how to pronounce the letters 'h' (silent!) and 'j' (strong 'h' sound) from the last chapter? These will come in handy as we start saying new words!
Reinforce these greetings and introductions.
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Instructions: Practice saying the following greetings aloud, imagining the appropriate time of day:
Instructions: Say "Me llamo..." followed by your name aloud several times. Imagine you are meeting different people. Introduce yourself clearly each time.
Instructions: Practice asking someone their name using both informal questions:
Imagine you are meeting a new classmate or a friend of a friend. Ask them their name using one of these questions.
Instructions: Practice asking someone their name using both formal questions:
Imagine you are meeting your new Spanish teacher or a business colleague. Ask them their name using one of these questions.
Instructions: Imagine someone says "Me llamo [their name]." Practice responding with "Mucho gusto."
If you are male, practice responding with "Encantado."
If you are female, practice responding with "Encantada."
Imagine several different people introduce themselves, and you respond appropriately each time, remembering to use "Encantado/a" based on your own gender.
Instructions: Take turns following the steps below.
Switch roles and repeat.
Instructions: Take turns following the steps below.
Switch roles and repeat.
Instructions: Discuss or act out the following scenarios.
Scenario 1: Imagine you are meeting a new neighbor who appears to be your age. Greet them, introduce yourself, and ask for their name.
Scenario 2: Imagine you are being introduced to a guest speaker at a formal event. Greet them, introduce yourself, and ask for their name.
Take turns playing different roles in these scenarios, focusing on using the correct level of formality in your greetings and questions.
In Spanish-speaking cultures, greetings are very important. It's customary to greet people even if you are just passing by or entering a small shop. The level of formality (using 'tú' vs. 'usted') depends on your relationship with the person. Generally, you would use 'usted' with elders, people in positions of authority, or someone you don't know well. As you get to know someone better, you might switch to the informal 'tú'.
The phrase 'Mucho gusto' is a safe and polite response in almost any introductory situation.
In Panama, it is very common and traditional for people to greet one another with "Buenas" . You generally won't hear "Buena" alone as a greeting in this context. "Buena" (singular feminine) would typically be used to describe a singular feminine noun, like "una buena persona" (a good person).
Why do they say "Buenas"?
"Buenas" is a shortened, informal version of the longer, formal greetings that include the time of day:
While buenos días (good morning) uses the masculine plural form buenos because día (day) is a masculine noun, tardes (afternoons) and noches (nights) are feminine plural nouns, hence buenas. When shortened, "buenas" became the commonly accepted informal greeting for all times of day in Panama.
It's similar to how in English, you might hear "Morning!" instead of "Good morning!" or "'Sup?" instead of "What's up?". It's a casual, concise, and widely understood way to acknowledge someone.
Panama is known for its friendly culture, and people often greet each other even in passing. Using "Buenas" is a polite yet informal way to do so. While buenos días, buenas tardes, or buenas noches are still used, especially in more formal settings or when you want to be more explicit about the time of day, "Buenas" is a very common and acceptable everyday greeting there.
Hola, Buenos días, Buenas tardes, Buenas noches, Me llamo..., Soy..., ¿Cómo te llamas?, ¿Cuál es tu nombre?, ¿Cómo se llama?, ¿Cuál es su nombre?, Mucho gusto, Encantado/a.
Can you now greet someone at different times of the day? Can you introduce yourself and ask for someone's name? Can you respond politely to an introduction?
In the next chapter, we'll learn more ways to greet people and say goodbye, as well as some basic polite phrases like 'please' and 'thank you'.