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

Explicación

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.

Ejemplos

Reglas relacionadas

• Buenos días, buenas tardes, buenas noches
• Saying goodbye: chau, hasta luego, nos vemos