How to Greet Someone and Introduce Yourself in Spanish

When you meet someone in Spanish, the conversation often follows a familiar path: you say hello, ask how they are, exchange names and perhaps talk about where you’re both from.

The phrases are short, but they introduce several useful features of everyday Spanish, including silent letters, clear vowel sounds and the difference between informal and formal language.

You can hear every main phrase spoken by a native Latin American Spanish speaker. The pronunciation guides are approximate, but they can help English speakers get close to the sound.

The universal Spanish greeting

¡Hola!

Hello!

Pronunciation: OH-lah

Word for word: Hola = hello

¡Hola! is the Spanish greeting you’ll probably use most. It works at any time of day and fits both casual and neutral situations.

The word begins with an h, but you don’t pronounce it in Spanish. Just begin with the vowel sound: “OH-lah.”

Unlike greetings tied to the morning, afternoon or evening, ¡Hola! works whenever you meet someone. It also stays the same in informal and formal conversations.

Asking how someone is

¿Cómo estás?

How are you?

Pronunciation: KOH-moh ehs-TAHS

Word for word: Cómo = how · estás = are you

Use ¿Cómo estás? when speaking informally to one person. You’ll hear it between friends, relatives, younger people and anyone talking in a relaxed setting.

Spanish has informal and formal ways to say “you.” In much of Latin America, tú means the informal “you” for one person, and estás means “you are.”

Estoy bien, gracias.

I’m good, thank you.

Pronunciation: ehs-TOY byen GRAH-syahs

Word for word: Estoy = I am · bien = well · gracias = thank you

This is a short, polite answer that works in both informal and formal conversations. Just as in English, someone asking how you are may not expect your whole life story—especially when you’ve only just met.

Say the ie in bien together, a little like “byen.” In most of Latin America, the c in gracias sounds like an English s.

The formal version

Notice that the final s disappears. That’s because the formal question uses usted (formal “you”) instead of tú (informal “you”).

You might choose the formal version when speaking with:

• Someone much older whom you don’t know.
• A customer or client.
• A person in a position of authority.
• Someone you have just met in a formal setting.

How formal people sound depends on the country, the region and the individual. In some places, strangers often use the formal version; elsewhere, people switch to the informal form quite quickly.

Exchanging names

¿Cuál es tu nombre?

What is your name?

Pronunciation: kwahl ehs too NOHM-breh

Word for word: Cuál = which/what · es = is · tu = your · nombre = name

This question uses the same informal style as ¿Cómo estás? The word tu means “your” and shows that you’re speaking informally to one person.

The u in cuál joins the next vowel to make a sound similar to “kw.” Remember to pronounce the final e in nombre—it isn’t silent as a final e often is in English.

You’ll also notice that Spanish questions have a question mark at both ends. The upside-down mark lets you know straight away that a question is coming.

Mi nombre es…

My name is…

Pronunciation: mee NOHM-breh ehs

Word for word: Mi = my · nombre = name · es = is

Simply put your name after Mi nombre es (“My name is”). The structure is almost identical to English, so it’s easy to remember.

And you don’t normally need to translate your name just because you’re speaking Spanish. Use the name you usually go by.

Formal and alternative versions

In most of Latin America, the ll in these questions sounds similar to the English y in “yes.” The exact sound varies a little from one region to another.

Asking where someone is from

¿De dónde eres?

Where are you from?

Pronunciation: deh DOHN-deh EH-rehs

Word for word: De = from · dónde = where · eres = are you

Asking where someone is from is a natural part of many first conversations, especially when you’re travelling, learning languages or meeting people in an international setting.

This version is informal and addressed to one person. Here, you’re asking about their country, city or place of origin—not where they happen to be standing right now.

The accent above the ó in dónde shows you where to place the stress. The two d sounds are softer than a typical English d, especially the one between vowels.

Soy de Suecia.

I am from Sweden.

Pronunciation: soy deh SWEH-syah

Word for word: Soy = I am · de = from · Suecia = Sweden

Use the short structure Soy de (“I am from”) to say where you come from. In this example, Suecia is the Spanish name for Sweden.

The beginning of Suecia sounds roughly like “sweh.” In Latin American Spanish, the c before i is usually pronounced like an s.

The formal version

Country names in Spanish

Some country names look a lot like their English equivalents, while others are quite different. Put any of these after Soy de (“I am from”):

One useful detail: the x in México sounds like the Spanish j, similar to a strong English h. The g before e in Argentina has a similar sound.

Written accents show you which syllable to stress. You can see this in names such as Canadá and México.

Informal or formal?

Here’s a quick side-by-side comparison:

The greeting ¡Hola! and the answers Estoy bien, gracias, Mi nombre es… and Soy de… work in both informal and formal conversations.

Don’t worry too much about choosing perfectly every time. Starting with the formal version when speaking to a stranger is usually polite, and the other person may quickly show that the informal form is fine.

A typical first exchange

Of course, real conversations won’t always follow this exact order. You might exchange names first or talk about where you’re from later. Even so, these phrases give you a natural way to begin without needing a large vocabulary.

Small phrases that open a conversation

Your first interaction in Spanish doesn’t need to be complicated. A greeting and a few simple questions are enough to start talking and learn something about the other person.

This is also why complete phrases are so useful: each one helps you do something specific, such as opening a conversation, showing interest, introducing yourself or sharing a little personal information.

You’ll find the main phrases from this article in the LinguaBoost conversational course, recorded by a native Latin American Spanish speaker.