The first word you need is the simplest. It works anytime, anywhere, with anyone.

Think of it as your all-purpose greeting. But if you want to be more specific, you can greet someone based on the time of day, just like in English. These phrases are very common.

Notice that Buenos días uses "buenos" (masculine) while the other two use "buenas" (feminine). This is because días is a masculine noun, and tardes and noches are feminine nouns. Don't worry about the grammar for now; just memorize the phrases as they are.

After greeting someone, the natural next step is to ask how they are.

And here’s the standard, cheerful reply:

Politeness is key in any conversation. A few simple words can make a big difference. You already saw gracias in the phrase above.

The standard reply to "gracias" is "de nada."

When you need to ask for something, use por favor.

What if you need to apologize or get someone's attention? There are two common ways to say sorry.

Use perdón to say "excuse me" or for minor mistakes, like bumping into someone.

For a more sincere apology, use lo siento. It literally means "I feel it" and is closer to "I'm sorry."

Spanish has two ways to say "you." The one you choose depends on your relationship with the person you're speaking to. This is a concept called formal and informal address.

Tú is the informal "you." You use it with people you know well, like family, friends, and children. It shows familiarity and closeness. The question we learned earlier, ¿Cómo estás?, uses the tú form.

Usted (often abbreviated as Ud.) is the formal "you." Use it to show respect to older people, people in positions of authority (like a boss or a professor), and people you've just met. It creates a polite distance.

When you use usted, the verb changes slightly. ¿Cómo estás? becomes:

Now let's practice what you've learned.

Ready to check your understanding?

With these key phrases, you're ready to start and end simple, polite conversations in Spanish.