The expression "buenos días" literally translates as "good days", but in Spanish speaking countries it is used as a standard greeting equivalent to "good morning", while other phrases are used during the afternoon and evening. If you need to address specific people, you can add more words. Just like in Italian, there are other phrases commonly used to say hello during the morning hours.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Wish "Good morning"
Step 1. Use the expression "buenos días" as a standard greeting for the morning
If you are studying Spanish in school, this is likely the first greeting phrase you learn.
Step 2. In some contexts you can use "buen día"
In some Latin American countries, such as Bolivia or Puerto Rico, this expression is used to wish "good morning" in informal or family situations.
This is an extremely informal greeting, a slang expression, so you should only use it with friends or close acquaintances who are more or less your age
Step 3. Exclaim "¡buenas
". This short and relatively informal greeting is a contraction of" buenos días. "Although it can be used at any time of the day, when you say it in the morning it is equivalent to" good morning."
The expressions described so far are pronounced exactly as they are written
Method 2 of 3: Greet Specific People
Step 1. Follow the person's title with the greeting
Just as you would use the appellatives "signor", "Signora" or "signorina" in Italian, you can add "señor", "señora" or "señorita" after having exclaimed "buenos días"; in this way, your wish is more courteous or formal.
- Señor (pronounced "Segnor") means "lord" and is used to address a man, particularly an older individual or one who holds an authority role.
- Señora (pronounced "sigora") is equivalent to "lady" and should be used with women who are married, older than you, or those who are in authority.
- Use the nickname señorita (pronounced "sigorita"), which means "young lady", to speak politely to girls younger than you or single women.
Step 2. Use specific names or titles
If you want to get someone's attention in a group or just want to call them using a different title, you can add a word or phrase to the opening phrase "buenos días".
For example, if you want to wish your doctor good morning, you can say: "Buenos días, doctor"
Step 3. Address a group with the phrase "muy buenos días a todos"
If you are speaking in front of an audience, approach several people and want to greet everyone at once, you can say these words. Their meaning is "a great day everyone".
Since this is a rather formal expression, use it only in appropriate contexts; for example, you can start your comments during a business lunch by saying "muy buenos días a todos"
Method 3 of 3: Use other Morning Greetings
Step 1. Exclaim "¡arriba
". This greeting, which is pronounced as it is spelled without forgetting to" roll up "the" r ", means" up! ". It is often used in the morning to wake up a child or his partner and invite him to get up.
It is a familiar expression that does not have a specific equivalent in Italian, but which can be translated as a loving "out of bed!" or "wake up and smile!"
Step 2. You can declare "ya amaneció" (pronounced "ià amanesiò")
If you want to wake up someone who is still sleeping, you can use this phrase which literally means "[the sun] has already risen!".
The concept conveyed by this expression is that the day began without the person who is still resting and that the time to get up has already passed. Some people find it a bit rude, so don't use it on those you don't have a close relationship with
Step 3. You can ask "¿Cómo amaneció usted?
". If you are looking for a polite way to ask someone how their morning was, you can use this phrase, which means" how did he get up this morning? "Even though the literal translation is" how did he arise? ".
- Typically, it is used to know what a person's awakening was like.
- You can also say "¿Qué tal tu mañana?" (pronounced "che tal tu magnana"), which means "how's the morning?". This expression is generally used in the middle of the morning.
Step 4. Use the expression "que tengas un buen día" (pronounced "che tengas un buen dia") as you walk away
Although it is possible to use the expression "buenos días" to say goodbye, as well as to greet an interlocutor, you can say these words which literally mean "may you have a good day".
- You can use the alternative "que tengas un lindo día", which is equivalent to the previous expression, albeit with a meaning more like "may you have a nice day". It is pronounced in informal situations.
- During formal occasions you can use "que tenga un buen día", with the verb "tenga" conjugated to the third person singular as a form of courtesy.
Step 5. Ask someone how they slept
In Spanish culture, as well as in Italian, it is quite common to inquire about the quality of sleep of friends or relatives, especially in meetings that are made in the early morning. The formal way to ask this question is: "¿Durmió bien?" which means "did you sleep well?" (with the verb conjugated to the third person singular of courtesy).
