# Basic greetings: hola, ¿qué tal?, ¿cómo estás?

> id: usage.greetings-basic · category: usage · depth: standard · levels: A1 · review: internally_reviewed

**Summary.** Hola works everywhere, any hour. Follow with ¿cómo estás? / ¿cómo está? (formal) / ¿qué tal? — answer bien, gracias, ¿y tú?

Hola + question is the standard opener: hola, ¿qué tal? Replies: (muy) bien, gracias; todo bien; ahí vamos ('getting by'). Return the question: ¿y vos? / ¿y usted?

Greetings come with contact: a handshake in formal settings, one cheek kiss in most of Latin America between women or mixed pairs. Skipping the greeting before a request reads as rude.

Greetings carry physical contact and aren't optional: expect a handshake in formal settings and one cheek kiss between women or mixed pairs across most of Latin America. Crucially, skipping the greeting and jumping straight to a request reads as rude — always lead with hola, ¿qué tal? before getting to business.

## Examples
- Hola, ¿qué tal? — Bien, ¿y vos? — Hi, how's it going? — Good, and you?
- Buenas, ¿cómo está? — Hello, how are you? (formal)
- Hola, ¿qué tal? Todo bien, ¿y vos? — Hi, how's it going? All good, and you?

Related: usage.greetings-time-of-day, usage.farewells

License: CC BY-SA 4.0 — Spanish Rules Library — spanishruleslibrary.com