Saying hello in lifts, shops and waiting rooms

Key rules

• Greet first: Say hola or buenas out loud when you enter a shop, bar, waiting room or lift.
• Buenas: Plain buenas is safe at any time of day if you are unsure.
• Leaving: Say a short goodbye as you go, such as gracias, adiós in a shop.
• Queue: In a waiting room, ask ¿quién es el último? to find your place.

Say hello out loud

Greet people aloud when you walk into a shop, a bar, a waiting room (doctor's, public offices) or a lift with a neighbour. Staying silent can come across as cold. A short "hola" or "buenas" is enough.

Which greeting to use

• Hola: works anywhere, at any time.
• Buenas: short for buenos días or buenas tardes. It is safe at any time of day.
• Buenos días: the morning, and in practice until lunch. Lunch is late in Spain, so this can last until about 2pm.
• Buenas tardes: from lunchtime until dark, about 8pm or 9pm depending on the season.
• Buenas noches: after dark or after dinner. It also means goodnight.

The switch follows the meal, not the clock at noon.

Waiting rooms

Say "buenas" as you come in. Then ask "¿quién es el último?", which means "who is last?". Someone will answer. You now know who you follow, and you can sit anywhere. When that person is called, you are next.

Saying goodbye

Say something as you leave, even if nobody answered your greeting.

• With shop staff: "gracias, adiós".
• In general: "adiós", "hasta luego", "hasta ahora" or "que vaya bien".
• A more formal wish: "que tenga un buen día".
• Among friends: "chao", "nos vemos".

You can also wish people "buenos días" or "buenas tardes" as you leave.

Thanks and please

Say "gracias" all the time: in shops, in bars and to neighbours. Warmer versions are "muchas gracias" and "mil gracias". Informally you can say "vale, gracias". If someone thanks you, answer "de nada".

"Por favor" is fine when you order. But Spaniards often ask without it, in a friendly tone: "me pones un café" or "ponme un café". That is not rude.

To get someone's attention or say sorry, use "perdone" or "disculpe" with strangers and older people, and "perdona" with people your age or friends.

The checklist, the phrase template and the questions below give you a quick version to keep on your phone.

Checklist

• Say "hola" or "buenas" aloud when you step into a shop, bar or waiting room.

• Greet neighbours with "buenos días" or "buenas tardes" when you share a lift or entrance.

• Ask "¿quién es el último?" in a waiting room to find your place in the queue.

• Say "adiós", "hasta luego" or "que vaya bien" when you leave.

• Finish with "gracias, adiós" to shop staff as you walk out.

Everyday Spanish phrases for greeting and thanking neighbours and shopkeepers

Use these as they are. Pick the formal version (usted) with older people, officials and anyone you are unsure about. Pick the informal version (tú) with people your age, younger shop staff, children and most colleagues. If you are unsure, start formal and let the other person suggest tú.

Greeting by time of day

The change follows the meal, not the clock at noon. Lunch is late in Spain, so "Buenos días" still works at 1:30pm.

Entering a shop, bar or lift

• "Buenas." (short and relaxed, fine with neighbours and in bars)
• Leaving: "Hasta luego." or "Que tenga un buen día." (formal)
• Leaving: "Hasta luego.", "Chao." or "Nos vemos." (informal)

Asking for something

Please, "por favor", is welcome, but Spaniards often ask without it and use a friendly tone instead. This is not rude.

• Formal: "Por favor, ¿me pone un café?"
• Informal: "Ponme un café, por favor." or "Me pones un café."

Thanking and replying

• Everyday: "Gracias."
• Stronger: "Muchas gracias." or "Mil gracias."
• Informal: "Vale, gracias." or "Gracias, majo." (to a man) / "Gracias, maja." (to a woman)
• Replying to thanks: "De nada." Informally you can also say "A ti."

Getting attention or saying sorry

• Formal: "Perdone." or "Disculpe."
• Informal: "Perdona."

Use these to catch a waiter's eye, pass someone in a narrow aisle or apologise after a bump.

Saying goodbye to neighbours

• Informal: "Hasta luego.", "Chao.", "Nos vemos." or, with close friends, "Un beso."

Formal or informal?

• Informal (tú): friends, colleagues, children, young people, and bars or shops with younger staff.
• Formal (usted): older people, officials, police, some doctors, senior figures and traditional or upscale places.

Habits vary by region. Andalusia, the Canaries and city Catalonia lean towards tú. Parts of Castile and Navarre, and some villages, lean towards usted.

Frequently asked questions

When do I switch from buenos días to buenas tardes?

You switch from buenos días to buenas tardes after lunch, not at noon. Because Spanish lunch is around 2pm or 3pm, buenos días can last until about 2pm. Buenas tardes then runs until dark, around 8pm or 9pm depending on the season.

Is plain "buenas" a safe greeting at any time of day?

Yes, buenas works at any time of day, so it is a safe greeting when you are unsure which one fits. It is short for buenos días or buenas tardes. Use buenas noches only after dark or after dinner, and as a goodnight.

Is it rude to order without saying por favor?

No, it is not rude to order without por favor if your tone is polite. Spaniards often say "me pones un café" or "ponme un café" instead. Add gracias when you get it, and use perdone or disculpe to get someone's attention.

How do I say thank you more warmly, and what do I answer to thanks?

You can say muchas gracias or mil gracias for warmer thanks, or "vale, gracias" in a casual exchange. To reply to thanks, say "de nada" or "a ti". For a polite goodbye, "que tenga un buen día" is formal and "chao" or "nos vemos" is informal.