{"id":137587,"date":"2023-01-23T00:11:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-23T05:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/hello-in-mexican\/"},"modified":"2025-06-11T03:20:37","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T07:20:37","slug":"hello-in-mexican","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/spanish\/hello-in-mexican\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Say “Hello” in Mexican Spanish"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are stacks of ways to say “hello”<\/a> in Spanish\u2014and they’re not the same across every Spanish-speaking country.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

With nearly 130 million people<\/a> calling Mexico their home, Mexican Spanish is the most widely spoken variant in the world, and it has some pretty unique slang<\/a>.\u00a0To get good at Mexican Spanish, the first step is learning how to say hello like a local.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

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Formal Greetings in Mexican Spanish<\/h2>\n

So, let’s start with the basics.<\/p>\n

Some of the first words you’ll say to most people when you meet them are buenos d\u00edas <\/em>(good morning). It’s a polite and universal greeting that works with anyone.<\/p>\n

This greeting changes according to the time of day, so you would use buenos d\u00edas <\/em><\/strong>(good morning) until noon, buenas tardes <\/strong><\/em>(good afternoon)<\/a> between noon and sunset and buenas noches <\/strong><\/em> (good night) after sunset.<\/p>\n

Notice how the adjective\u00a0buenos <\/em>(good)\u00a0<\/em>changes<\/a> to agree with the number and gender of the noun it describes.<\/p>\n

When it comes to meeting people in a formal situation in Mexico, there are some key tips and vocabulary to remember:<\/p>\n

1. Use usted <\/strong><\/em>(formal version of you)<\/h3>\n

Like in castellano<\/em> (the Spanish spoken in Spain), usted <\/em>is very important to show respect. Use it to address a person who you don’t know, who is older than you or who is in a position of authority over you.<\/p>\n

So, let’s say you’re at a university and you’re introduced to one of the professors. A university professor is likely to fall into all three categories, so you’d definitely call him or her usted<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Here’s an example of how to greet them:<\/p>\n

\u00a1Hola! Qu\u00e9 gusto conocerlo.
\n<\/em><\/strong>Hello! What a pleasure to meet you.<\/p>\n

Note: Conocerlo <\/em>is used when you’re speaking to a man. To a woman, you’d say, “Qu\u00e9 gusto conocerla” \u00a0<\/em>(what a pleasure to meet you). This is because the\u00a0<\/em>direct object pronoun lo\/la<\/em> has to agree with the gender and number of whomever you’re talking to.<\/p>\n

2. Use Se\u00f1or(a)<\/em><\/em>\u00a0<\/em>(Mr.\/Mrs.) instead of the person’s first name<\/h3>\n

For anyone who you’d normally call usted<\/em>, it wouldn’t be polite to address them using their first name. Always call them Se\u00f1or \/ Se\u00f1ora <\/em>until they invite you to use their first name.<\/p>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

Hola, se\u00f1or Ru\u00edz. \u00bfC\u00f3mo le va?
\n<\/em><\/strong>Hello, Mr Ru\u00edz. How’s it going?<\/p>\n

Buenos d\u00edas, profesor Gonz\u00e1lez.
\n<\/em><\/strong>Good morning, Professor Gonz\u00e1lez.<\/p>\n

Perfect.<\/p>\n

Now, let’s say you’re looking for someone you’ve not personally met before, and you need to check if you’re speaking to the right person. In this case, you’d say:<\/p>\n

Disculpe, \u00bfes usted la doctora Garc\u00eda?
\n<\/em><\/strong>Excuse me, are you Dr. Garc\u00eda?<\/p>\n

Disculpe <\/em>(excuse me \u2014 formal) is a super useful word, as it can be used in any situation with an adult you don’t know. When talking to someone your own age or younger, disculpa <\/em>(excuse me \u2014 informal) is the less formal option.<\/p>\n

3. Formal vocabulary for meeting new people<\/h3>\n

\u00bfC\u00f3mo est\u00e1?
\n<\/strong><\/em>How are you?<\/p>\n

Muy bien, \u00bfy usted?
\n<\/strong><\/em>Very well, and you?<\/p>\n

\u00a1Que tenga un buen d\u00eda!
\n<\/em><\/strong>Have a great day!<\/p>\n

Mucho gusto en conocerlo \/ conocerla.
\n<\/em><\/strong>Nice to meet you. (male \/ female acquaintances)<\/p>\n

Igualmente. <\/strong><\/em>
\nLikewise.<\/p>\n

Que le vaya bien.
\n<\/em><\/strong>Have a nice day!\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a1Adi\u00f3s!
\n<\/strong><\/em>Goodbye!<\/p>\n

4. Always shake hands!<\/h3>\n

It’s a cultural expectation that when Mexicans meet each other to spend time together (i.e. anything more than a brief passing), they have some kind of physical contact.<\/p>\n

Formal introductions are no exception. Alongside your greeting,\u00a0make sure you include a handshake if you call the person\u00a0usted<\/em> (you \u2014 formal). Shake hands when you leave as well.<\/p>\n

Here’s a top tip: if you’re introduced to a room full of people, greet and shake hands with each person individually. Greeting the group as a whole would seem rude.<\/p>\n

Informal Greetings in Mexican Spanish<\/h2>\n

Informal chat is where Mexican Spanish comes into its own. You’ve probably heard many Mexican slang terms from TV shows<\/a> or movies<\/a>!<\/p>\n

Since Mexican greetings can range from being extremely formal to funny and casual, knowing when to say them is important. You can learn when to use them by familiarizing yourself with Spanish media, or using a language learning program like FluentU<\/a>. This program allows you to learn words and phrases in context, with Mexican slang and regional expressions included, too.

FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app<\/a> or Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \"FluentU\r\n

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If you know the person has a profession<\/a>, replace\u00a0se\u00f1or(a)\u00a0<\/em>with their title:<\/p>\n