Spanish Greetings (Free Spanish Lessons for Kids)

Los saludos (greetings) are a primary and essential skill to teach when it comes to Spanish for kids. 

A greeting is a polite way to start a conversation, welcome someone, recognize them, and appreciate them. 

Today, we’ll learn about all basic Spanish greetings and goodbyes, including how they change when you use them in formal and informal situations. This kid’s guide is full of common vocabulary and examples to practice greeting others in Spanish! 

Check our FREE downloadable content, including a crossword puzzle and word game focused on greetings in Spanish!

Explore more FREE SPANISH LESSONS FOR KIDS! ➡️
Enjoy over 70 unique lessons + free activity packets to download.

Greetings

According to Cambridge Dictionary, greetings are “a welcome to someone, or good wishes for a special occasion.” They serve the same purpose in Spanish. 

Many greetings sound like a question, but in Spanish-speaking countries, a lot of people greet each other with a question, or an exclamation of surprise. But if you feel like that is too casual, or confusing, you can always begin with a simple hola. 

Now, there are different responses you can give when someone greets you, like:

• ¡Hola! – Hey!
• ¡Qué gusto! – What a pleasure!
• ¿Cómo estás?  – How are you?
• ¡Qué bueno verte! – Nice to see you!

Situaciones formales (Formal Situations)

A formal situation involves talking with an adult or an authority figure like a teacher. Other formal situations include meeting someone for the first time or asking for help. 

Here are some common formal Spanish greetings:

Example Sentences in Spanish

¡Buenos días, señor! ¿Cómo amaneció el día de hoy?
Good morning, sir! How are you today?

Hola, ¿cómo te llamas? Yo soy Andrés.
Hello, what is your name? I am Andres.

Buenas tardes, maestra. ¿Puede ayudarme con mi tarea?
Good afternoon, teacher. Can you help me with my homework?

Bienvenido, papi. ¡Te extrañé mucho!
Welcome, daddy. I missed you a lot!

Situaciones informales (informal situations)

Talking with your friends and family is informal. Use these informal Spanish greetings to respectfully greet your friends and family in Spanish:

Example Sentences in Spanish

¿Cómo te va? ¡Vamos a jugar con la pelota!
How is it going? Let’s play with the ball! 

¡Hola! Gracias por venir a jugar conmigo.
Hey! Thanks for coming to play with me.

Mucho gusto, mi nombre es Carmen, ¿cómo te llamas?
Nice to meet you, my name is Carmen. What is your name?

¡Buenas! ¿Te gustaría comprar una galleta?
Afternoon! Would you like to buy a cookie?

Holiday Greetings

Holidays are special occasions with their own greetings! Check out these greetings in Spanish for kids to use on holidays: 

Example Sentences in Spanish

¡Felicidades! ¡Tu nuevo hermanito es muy lindo!
Congratulations! Your new baby brother is so cute!

¡Feliz Navidad! ¿Qué te trajo Santa?
Merry Christmas! What did Santa bring you?

¡Feliz cumpleaños! ¿De qué sabor es tu pastel?
Happy birthday! What flavor is your cake?

¡Felices vacaciones! Nosotros iremos a la playa.
Happy holidays! We will go to the beach.

Explore more FREE SPANISH LESSONS FOR KIDS! ➡️
Enjoy over 70 unique lessons + free activity packets to download.

Farewells

As we say hello in a respectful and friendly manner, we have to also say goodbye! Just like with greetings, there are formal and informal farewells. Let’s check them out!

Formal

Use these farewells when you say goodbye to your teachers, adults, and people you don’t know well. 

Example Sentences in Spanish

Mucho gusto de conocerlo, ¡adiós!
Nice to meet you, goodbye! 

Buenas noches, espero que descanses. 
Good night, I hope you sleep well.

Adiós, Miguel, nos vemos pronto. 
Goodbye, Miguel, see you soon.

Informal

Use these words to say goodbye to relatives, friends, and acquaintances. 

Example Sentences in Spanish

Nos vemos la otra semana, ¡bendiciones!
See you next week, blessings! 

¡Gracias por venir a jugar! Que te vaya bien.
Thanks for coming to play! Good luck.

Ya me voy a dormir, ¡noches!
I am going to sleep, night-night.

Slang Spanish Greetings

Before practicing what we learned in this lesson, I want to teach you a few slang Spanish greetings. Some are used across Latin America and Spain, while others are just part of one country’s language. 

Let’s Practice! 

Spanish greetings and farewells are an essential part of Spanish for kids. Here are some activities to reinforce and practice this knowledge in your children.

First, this short but charming Spanish greetings song is perfect to practice this lesson with kids under 6 years old. It’s easy to learn and perfect for greeting them at the beginning of class. 

If you are searching for reinforce material for older kids, check out this basic greetings video. 

Let’s Learn More about Greetings!

Learning Spanish opens your child’s eyes to a world beyond their front door? It encourages conversations around diversity, culture, and respect. Plus, with Spanish ranking among the top five most common languages in the world, knowing it will help your child communicate easily with those around them.

Sign your child up for a free trial class with one of our certified, native Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala, so they can start and carry conversations that enrich their lives and practice their Spanish greetings and farewells!

Join one of the 40,000 classes that we teach each month and you can experience results like these

“This is the best way for your kid to learn Spanish. It’s one-on-one, taught by native Spanish speakers, and uses a curriculum.”

– Sharon K, Parent of 3

“It’s a great way to learn Spanish, from native Spanish speakers in a 1-on-1 environment. It’s been fairly easy to schedule classes around my daughter’s other classes. The best value for us has been ordering multiple classes at a time. All the instructors have been great!”

– Cindy D, Parent of 3

“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve, because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”

– Erica P. Parent of 1

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Carmen Rizzo

Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

I’m a native Spanish speaker from Guatemala with a B.A. in Psychology. I have a passion for teaching Sunday school in my spare time and for learning and sharing valuable information. I'm a cat lover who gets excited over cartoons, anime, and video games. I dabble in digital illustration and animation. I'm inspired by sharing my culture, traditions, food, and beliefs with others, while learning about theirs in return.

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