When it comes to learning a new language, including Spanish, the hardest part is getting the conversation started. Let's face it, some of us even struggle to do this in English!

What type of questions should you ask? How do you keep the conversation in Spanish going? How do you respond properly? There seems to be a never-ending list.

Fear no more, because in this free Spanish lesson, we’re going to uncover the most common ways to greet someone in Spanish when you first meet them (and how to respond).

Whether you’re traveling to Spain, South America, or speaking to a potential client over the phone, you can use these common greetings in Spanish to start a conversation and also to keep one interactive.

We want to thank our beloved Spanish coach, Elkin (from Bogota, Colombia), for preparing this free Spanish lesson!
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6 Most Common Greetings in Spanish

1. Como estas? → How are you?

A. (Muy) bien, gracias. Y tu? — (Very) well, thank you. And you?

B. Excelente, gracias. — Excellent, thank you.
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2. Como te llamas? → What’s your name?

A. Mi nombre es _____. — My name is______.

B. Me llamo _____. — My name is _____.
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3. Hablas espanol? → Do you speak Spanish?

A. Si, hablo espanol. — Yes, I speak Spanish.

B. No, no hablo espanol. — No, I don’t speak Spanish
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4. De donde eres? → Where are you from?

A. Soy de _____. — I am from _____.

Example: Soy de los Estados Unidos. — I am from the United States.
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5. Que te gusta hacer? → What do you like to do?

A. Me gusta _____. — I like ____.

Example: Me gusta ir a cine. — I like to go to the cinema/movies.
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6. Que tipo de comida te gusta? → What type of food do you like?

‍A. Me gusta la comida _____. — I like ______.

Example: Me gusta la comida china. — I like chinese food.

*Bonus: Que es lo que mas te gusta de ______? → What do you like most about _____?

‍Example: Que es lo que mas te gusta de Colombia? → What do you like most about Colombia?

A. Lo que mas me gusta de Colombia es ______. — What I like most about Colombia ______.

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We hope you enjoyed these common greetings in Spanish. The key takeaway here should be that you want to be the one asking the question first, because native speakers won’t be able to recognize whether or not you can speak Spanish or not.

Which of these greetings in Spanish were your favorite?