Master the basics of Spanish greetings and self-introduction
Spanish greetings vary depending on the time of day. "Buenos días" is used until noon, "Buenas tardes" from noon until sunset, and "Buenas noches" after sunset.
Buenos días, ¿cómo está usted? (Good morning, how are you? - formal)
Hola, ¿qué tal? (Hi, how's it going? - informal)
Buenas noches, hasta mañana. (Good night, see you tomorrow.)
When introducing yourself in Spanish, use "Me llamo..." (My name is...) or "Soy..." (I am...). To ask someone's name, say "¿Cómo te llamas?" (informal) or "¿Cómo se llama?" (formal).
Me llamo María. ¿Y tú? (My name is María. And you?)
Mucho gusto. (Nice to meet you.)
Encantado/a de conocerte. (Pleased to meet you.)
Spanish personal pronouns: Yo (I), Tú (you-informal), Él/Ella (he/she), Nosotros/as (we), Vosotros/as (you all-Spain), Ustedes (you all-Latin America), Ellos/as (they).
Yo soy estudiante. (I am a student.)
Tú eres muy amable. (You are very kind.)
Nosotros hablamos español. (We speak Spanish.)
"Ser" is used for permanent characteristics, identity, origin, and time. "Estar" is used for temporary states, locations, and conditions.
• Yo soy de México. (I am from Mexico - origin)
• Ella está cansada. (She is tired - temporary state)
• El libro es interesante. (The book is interesting - characteristic)
All Spanish nouns have gender (masculine/feminine). Masculine nouns typically use "el" (the) and "un" (a/an), while feminine nouns use "la" and "una".
• El libro (the book - masculine)
• La mesa (the table - feminine)
• Un gato (a cat - masculine)
• Una casa (a house - feminine)
Regular -ar, -er, and -ir verbs follow predictable conjugation patterns in present tense.
• Hablar: Yo hablo, Tú hablas, Él/Ella habla
• Comer: Yo como, Tú comes, Él/Ella come
• Vivir: Yo vivo, Tú vives, Él/Ella vive