Pralingo

Spanish · A1 · Communication

Greeting and saying goodbye

You already know the words for greeting people and saying goodbye. Here you learn to use them at the right moment: starting a short conversation in a friendly way, reacting well and ending it naturally.

How a short conversation goes

1. Greet and ask how the other person is: Hola, ¿qué tal? 2. Answer briefly and ask back: Muy bien, ¿y tú? 3. Say a few sentences. 4. Signal the end and say goodbye: Bueno, me voy. ¡Hasta luego!

tú or usted – and stick with it

With friends, in class or among colleagues: Hola, ¿qué tal? or ¿Cómo estás? – and back ¿Y tú? With your boss, older neighbours or strangers: Buenos días, señora García. ¿Cómo está usted? – and back ¿Y usted? Important: stick with one form for the whole conversation.

The right goodbye

The goodbye shows when you will see each other again: Hasta luego. (later, soon), Hasta mañana. (tomorrow), Hasta el lunes. (on Monday) – any day of the week can follow hasta. Nos vemos. is casual, Adiós. always works. In the evening, you also say Buenas noches. when you leave.

New and very useful: on Friday you wish people ¡Buen fin de semana! You answer good wishes – and also Mucho gusto. – with ¡Igualmente! (likewise).

Typical mistakes

Buenos días, but buenas tardes and buenas noches – tarde and noche are . And with usted it is ¿Cómo está?, not ¿Cómo estás?

Examples

  • — Hola, ¿qué tal? — Muy bien, ¿y tú?
  • — Buenos días, señor Ruiz. ¿Cómo está usted? — Bien, gracias. ¿Y usted?
  • — ¡Hasta el lunes! ¡Buen fin de semana! — ¡Igualmente!

Exercises

A1CommunicationGreeting and saying goodbye

Exercise 1 of 7

Casual or polite?

Sort each sentence: would you say it to a friend or to your boss?

Look at the verb form, at tú/usted and at señor/señora.

¿Cómo está usted?
Hola, Lucía, ¿qué tal?
¿Y tú?
Buenos días, señora García.
¿Cómo estás?
¿Y usted?
Bien, gracias. ¿Y tú?
¿Cómo está?

To a friend (tú)

To your boss (usted)

A1CommunicationGreeting and saying goodbye

Exercise 2 of 7

How do you react?

Which reaction goes with which sentence?

At the beginning and at the end of a conversation.

A1CommunicationGreeting and saying goodbye

Exercise 3 of 7

Time, day, person

Read the situation and choose what fits.

Monday, 8:30 a.m. You meet your older neighbour on the stairs:
— , señora Ruiz. ¿?
Friday, 6 p.m. You are leaving the office. You will see your colleague Ana again on Monday:
— Bueno, me voy. , Ana.
— ¡Adiós! ¡Buen fin de semana!
— ¡!
Saturday, 11 p.m. You are leaving a party at your friends' place:
— . ¡Hasta pronto!
Tuesday, 4 p.m. You walk into a café:
— . Un café, por favor.
A1CommunicationGreeting and saying goodbye

Exercise 4 of 7

Listen and react

Listen to what the person says and choose your reaction.

Click 🔊. Is it a greeting, an introduction or a goodbye?

0 / 5

A1CommunicationGreeting and saying goodbye

Exercise 5 of 7

A quick chat in the street

Put the conversation between Laura and Pablo in the right order.

Laura and Pablo are colleagues. They meet in the street in the evening. Laura starts.

A1CommunicationGreeting and saying goodbye

Exercise 6 of 7

Two mistakes in the greeting

Tom greets his new boss in the afternoon. Correct the two mistakes.

Buenos tardes, señora García. ¿Cómo estás?

A1CommunicationGreeting and saying goodbye

Exercise 7 of 7

Two short conversations

Write in each gap what you say in the situation. The punctuation is already there.

Tuesday, 9 a.m. Your neighbour, Señor Martín, is coming down the stairs. You will see him again tomorrow.
— , señor Martín. ¿?
— Muy bien, gracias. ¿Y usted?
— , gracias. Bueno, .
Friday, 5 p.m. You say goodbye to your friend Clara. You will see each other on Monday in class.
— , Clara.
— ¡Adiós! ¡Buen fin de semana!
— ¡!