Unit 9 · Greetings and Introductions

Picture walking into school at eight in the morning. The office worker looks up. In Spanish, the polite hello at this hour is buenos días (good morning). It literally means "good days," in the plural. English speakers often say "buen día" or "bueno día" by mistake. Many people say buen día in some countries, but buenos días is the standard greeting everywhere.

Look at the pieces. Buenos is an adjective, a word that describes a noun. Días is a noun, a word for a thing. Día (day) is a masculine noun even though it ends in -a. So the adjective takes the masculine plural ending -os: buenos días. You will meet this odd noun again: el día (the day).

Use buenos días with anyone: a teacher, a bus driver, a friend’s grandmother. It works from waking up until lunch time, around noon. You can add a name or a title: "Buenos días, señora López" (Good morning, Mrs. López). The word señora (ma’am, Mrs.) shows respect.

Picture yourself arriving at your aunt’s house at four in the afternoon. The greeting now is buenas tardes (good afternoon). La tarde (the afternoon) is a feminine noun, so the adjective is buenas, with -as. Many people use buenas tardes from lunch until it gets dark, so early evening can still be tarde.

When it is dark, the greeting becomes buenas noches (good evening, good night). La noche (the night) is also feminine, so it is buenas noches. English has two phrases here, good evening and good night, but Spanish uses one. That means buenas noches works when you arrive at a party at nine and when you go to bed.

Watch the pattern: buenos días, buenas tardes, buenas noches. Only the first one uses -os, because only día is masculine. A common mistake is to copy the first one and say "buenos tardes." Check the noun first, then choose the ending. In quick, casual speech, some people just say "¡Buenas!" for any of these.

Picture seeing your best friend in the lunch line. You do not need to check the clock. You just say hola (hi, hello). The h in hola is silent, so it sounds like "OH-lah." English speakers often pronounce the h, but in Spanish the letter h makes no sound.

Friends often add a quick question: ¿Qué tal? (How’s it going? What’s up?). Notice the upside-down question mark ¿ at the start. Spanish marks the beginning and the end of every question. Qué has an accent mark because it is a question word here.

Hola is friendly and works with almost everyone. With an adult you do not know well, pair it with a time greeting: "Hola, buenos días." That sounds warm and polite at the same time. A fast answer to ¿Qué tal? is "Bien, ¿y tú?" (Good, and you?).

Picture your cousin calling you after a long test day. She asks, "¿Cómo estás?" (How are you?). This question asks how you feel right now. The answer starts with a word for your mood, and you can add "gracias" (thanks) to be polite.

Here is a scale from best to worst. Muy bien means very well. Bien means well or fine. Más o menos means so-so, literally "more or less." Mal means bad or not well. A full answer can use estoy (I am): "Estoy bien." You can also say just "Bien, gracias."

Do not stop there. Ask back: "¿Y tú?" (And you?) to a friend. English speakers sometimes answer "Bien" and then walk away, which can sound cold. Another mistake is to say "Soy bien." For how you feel, Spanish uses estoy, not soy. You will study that difference in a later unit.

Picture the bell ringing at the end of the day. You leave the classroom. The simplest goodbye is adiós (goodbye). It has a written accent on the o: adiós. Without the accent, the word is spelled wrong. The stress falls on the last syllable, "ah-DYOHS."

Many people prefer hasta luego (see you later). Hasta means until, and luego means later, so it is literally "until later." It sounds friendly because it expects to see the person again. You can say it to a teacher, a store clerk or a friend.

Some English speakers think adiós means goodbye forever. It does not. People say adiós every day. Still, hasta luego is very common when you will see someone soon. You can even use both: "Adiós, hasta luego." Remember that the h in hasta is silent: "AHS-tah LWEH-go."

Picture Friday afternoon versus Thursday afternoon. On Thursday, you know you will see your friends the next day. So you say hasta mañana (see you tomorrow). Mañana means tomorrow, and it has the letter ñ. The ñ sounds like the ny in canyon: "mah-NYAH-nah."

Among friends, many people say chao (bye). It comes from the Italian word ciao, and it is common in much of Latin America. Some people spell it chau. Use chao with friends and family, not in a formal moment, like leaving a job interview.

Here is the pattern: hasta + a time word. Hasta luego is until later. Hasta mañana is until tomorrow. A mistake English speakers make is writing manana without the tilde. Without the ñ, the word is misspelled, and the sound changes. Always type ñ.

Picture three people you say goodbye to on one day: your little brother, the school nurse and a new friend from art class. Each goodbye can fit a different situation. Two questions help you pick. When will I see this person again? How formal is this moment?

If you will meet tomorrow, say hasta mañana. If you will meet later today or soon, say hasta luego. If you do not know, adiós always works. At night, buenas noches can also mean goodbye. With friends and family, chao is quick and warm.

Many speakers also say nos vemos (see you, literally we see each other). It is friendly and fits most people you know. A common learner mistake is to say "buenos días" when leaving in the morning. Some people do use it that way, but hasta luego is clearer for goodbye.

Picture Tomás talking to Daniela and then to his teacher. English has one word for you. Spanish has two for one person. Tú (you) is informal, used with friends, classmates, family and children. Usted (you) is formal, used with a teacher, a principal, a doctor or an older stranger.

The verb changes too. With tú, the verb usually ends in -s: "¿Cómo estás?" With usted, the verb matches él and ella: "¿Cómo está usted?" So estás goes with tú, and está goes with usted. Listen for that final -s to know which one someone used.

Customs differ. In some families, kids use usted with their own parents or grandparents. In other places, almost everyone uses tú. When you are not sure, start with usted. If the person says "Háblame de tú" (talk to me with tú), you can switch. Tú has an accent; tu without an accent means your.

Picture arriving at a family party. Your cousin’s friends lean in and touch your cheek. In many Spanish-speaking places, people greet with un beso (a kiss) on the cheek. It is usually a light touch of cheeks with a kissing sound, not a real kiss. In much of Latin America it is one cheek, and in Spain it is usually two.

In school or business, a firm handshake is common, especially between people who just met. Close friends and family often hug, called un abrazo (a hug). Many people greet everyone in the room when they arrive and say goodbye to each person when they leave.

Customs change by country, family and age. Some people prefer not to be touched at all, and that is fine. Watch what others do, and follow the other person’s lead. A smile and a clear "Mucho gusto" (nice to meet you) are always welcome.

Picture introducing your new friend Daniela to your cousin. You say, "Te presento a Daniela" (Let me introduce Daniela to you). The phrase te presento a is the tú way. Te means to you, informal. The little word a comes before a person’s name, so do not drop it.

To introduce someone to a teacher, switch to the usted way: "Le presento a Daniela." Le means to you, formal. The rest stays the same. This is the same choice as tú versus usted, now inside a phrase.

The new people answer mucho gusto (nice to meet you, literally much pleasure). The other person can say "Igualmente" (likewise) or "El gusto es mío" (the pleasure is mine). A mistake English speakers make is saying "Mucho gusto" to someone they already know. It is only for a first meeting.

Picture a class roster in Spanish with the names Nuñez and Nuto. Which comes first? The Spanish alfabeto (alphabet) has one letter English lacks: la eñe, the letter ñ. It comes right after n. So Nuto comes before Nuñez, because n comes before ñ. Words with ñ get their own place in the dictionary.

The Real Academia Española (Royal Spanish Academy), called the RAE, is based in Madrid. It works with language academies across the Spanish-speaking world. In 2010 their spelling guide set the alphabet at 27 letters. Before that, many classrooms taught ch and ll as separate letters.

Today ch and ll are called digraphs, pairs of letters that make one sound. They are still used all the time, as in chocolate and llamar (to call). But they are not counted as their own letters. So in a dictionary, chico is filed under c, between words starting with ce and ci.

Picture spelling your email address to a receptionist in Spanish. You need the letter names. Vowels are simple: a, e, i, o, u, each said with one clear sound. Many letters add an e: be (b), ce (c), de (d), ge (g), pe (p), te (t). Others start with e: efe (f), ele (l), eme (m), ene (n), ese (s).

Some names surprise English speakers. H is hache, even though h is silent. J is jota, said with a sound from the throat. G is ge, which sounds like the Spanish j when it comes before e or i. Q is cu, R is erre, X is equis and Z is zeta.

Three letters have more than one common name. For v, many people say uve, and in much of Latin America people say ve or ve corta. W is uve doble or doble ve. Y is ye, and older speakers may call it i griega (Greek i). All of these are correct, so listen to what the speaker uses.

Picture a new classmate named Ximena. You want to write her name on a card. You ask, ¿Cómo se escribe? (How is it spelled? literally how is it written?). She answers, "equis, i, eme, e, ene, a." Asking is polite, and it keeps you from guessing wrong.

Spelling aloud has helpers. For a capital letter, say mayúscula (capital). For an accent mark, say con acento or con tilde after the letter: "e con acento." Double letters can be said as dos: "dos erres" (two r’s) or "doble ere." So Ramírez is "erre mayúscula, a, eme, i con acento, erre, e, zeta."

Watch for letters that sound alike in Spanish. B and v sound almost the same, so people ask, "¿Con be o con uve?" S, z and c before e or i sound the same in most of Latin America. That is why spelling a name aloud matters, even for native speakers.

Picture the first minute of class. You turn to the student next to you and ask, ¿Cómo te llamas? (What’s your name? literally how do you call yourself?). She answers, me llamo Valentina (my name is Valentina). The verb is llamarse, to be called.

Look at the pattern. Me llamo is I call myself. Te llamas is you call yourself, for tú. Se llama is he, she or you (usted) call yourself. So you ask a teacher, "¿Cómo se llama usted?" The ending changes with the person: -o for yo, -as for tú, -a for él, ella and usted.

A common mistake is saying "Me llamo es Valentina," copying English "my name is." Llamo is already the verb, so es is extra. You can also say "Mi nombre es Valentina" (my name is Valentina) or "Soy Valentina" (I’m Valentina). All three are correct.

Picture Valentina Gómez Ortiz. Her first name is Valentina. Her apellidos (last names, surnames) are Gómez and Ortiz. Traditionally, the first apellido comes from the father, and the second comes from the mother. This custom is common in Spain and much of Latin America.

Walk through it with her parents. Her father is Javier Gómez Ruiz. Her mother is Laura Ortiz Vega. Valentina takes Gómez, her father’s first last name, and Ortiz, her mother’s first last name. So she is Valentina Gómez Ortiz. Her brother Mateo is Mateo Gómez Ortiz too.

In daily life, many people use only the first last name: "Valentina Gómez." A mistake English speakers make is thinking the second last name is the main one, and calling her "Ms. Ortiz." In some countries, laws now let parents choose the order, so families can differ. When in doubt, ask.

Picture meeting your friend’s mother, Laura Ortiz Vega. You want to be polite. You say, "Buenos días, señora Ortiz." Señor (Mr., sir) and señora (Mrs., ma’am) go before the last name. With two last names, use the first one: señora Ortiz, not señora Vega.

Señorita (Miss) is used for a young woman or girl. Some adults now prefer señora or just their name, so follow their lead. Written, these titles are often shortened with a capital: Sr., Sra., Srta. When you speak directly to the person, the title starts with a small letter in the middle of a sentence: "Gracias, señor Ramírez."

Teachers are often called profesor (male teacher) or profesora (female teacher), sometimes with the last name. In many schools students also say maestro or maestra. A common mistake is to say "señor" plus a first name to a teacher, like "señor Luis," when the school uses last names. Listen to what classmates say.

Picture a new friend at a summer program. You want to know where she is from. You ask, ¿De dónde eres? (Where are you from?). De means from, dónde means where, and eres means you are. Spanish puts de at the front of the question. English leaves "from" at the end.

She answers, soy de Chicago (I’m from Chicago). Soy means I am. For a city or a country, just add the name: "Soy de Puerto Rico." "Soy de Guatemala." With usted, ask "¿De dónde es usted?" The answer still starts with soy.

Two common mistakes come from English. One is "¿Dónde eres de?" with de at the end. The other is "Estoy de Chicago." For where you are from, Spanish uses ser (soy, eres, es), not estar. Dónde has an accent because it is a question word.

Picture a world map with pins in every country where Spanish is an official language. You would count 20 countries. One is in North America: México. Six are in Central America: Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panamá. Two are island countries in the Caribbean: Cuba and the Dominican Republic, in Spanish la República Dominicana.

Nine are in South America: Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. In Europe there is España (Spain). In Africa there is Equatorial Guinea, called Guinea Ecuatorial. Notice the accents in México, Panamá, Perú and España’s ñ.

Puerto Rico is not on this list of countries, because it is a territory of the United States. But Spanish is an official language there, next to English. The United States also has millions of Spanish speakers, including many families in Chicago. Each place has its own history, foods and ways of speaking.

Picture two cousins from Mexico, a boy and a girl. He says, "Soy mexicano." She says, "Soy mexicana." A nationality word is an adjective, and in Spanish most adjectives match the person. Words ending in -o switch to -a for a female: colombiano, colombiana; peruano, peruana.

Words ending in a consonant add -a for a female: español, española; inglés, inglesa. Notice that inglés loses its accent in inglesa. Words ending in -e stay the same for everyone: estadounidense (from the United States), costarricense (Costa Rican), nicaragüense. For a group, add -s or -es: mexicanos, españoles.

Two mistakes are common. English speakers capitalize nationality words, but Spanish writes them in lowercase: "Soy mexicana," not "Soy Mexicana." Country names still get a capital: México. The other mistake is using the -o form for everyone, as in "Ella es mexicano." Check who you are describing.

Picture writing a birthday card: "Feliz cumpleaños, papa." Without the accent, you just wished a happy birthday to a potato. Papá (dad) has an accent on the last a. Papa, with no accent, means potato in much of Latin America. The accent mark, el acento or la tilde, changes both the stress and the meaning.

An accent shows which syllable is stressed when the normal rule does not apply. In papá, the stress falls on the end: pa-PÁ. In papa, it falls on the first syllable: PA-pa. You saw this in adiós and Gómez too. Leave the accent out, and a reader may stress the wrong part.

Some short words use an accent only to show a different meaning. Tú (you) and tu (your). Él (he) and el (the). Sí (yes) and si (if). English speakers often skip these marks because English has none. In Spanish, a missing accent is a spelling error, just like a missing letter.