It’s a fact: an excellent introduction leads to a great first impression, and first impressions are key for personal, business or educational life.
If you want to learn Spanish and don’t know where to start, whether your reasons are for business or pleasure, you must know some basic greetings. An introduction tells everyone who you are, and a successful one will give you the confidence to attempt more detailed conversation.
There are several ways to get to know the language of Cervantes. You can attend classes, read a book, do an online course or try the fastest and effective method: studying abroad. Studying a language in a native country has a lot of advantages. Regarding phonetics and pronunciation, if you do an Spanish Courses Barcelona, you’ll get the chance of receiving proper feedback on your effort. If you want to practice, you’ll just have to get to the streets of amazing Barcelona and chat with native speakers that will correct you when needed. That way you’ll be able to pronounce accurately and with confidence in a short period of time.
No matter why you want to learn it, the first thing you need to do is learn some basic words and common phrases, and then move to more long sentences. Don´t make the effort of memorizing any of them, this useless method is not going to help you understand or be understood in everyday conversation.
Starting with the basics will motivate you to learn Spanish with fluency. Here are some words and phrases you can use to introduce yourself to start a conversation:
- HOLA (Hello)
Chances are you’ve already known this word. The most basic and universal way to say “hello” in Spanish is hola. Saying hola may seem like the simplest thing in the world, but it’s not. When meeting a group, you’ll probably think that waving a hand and saying hola it’s an appropriate way to introduce yourself. It often works, but if you want to be more polite in the Spanish-speaking world, you have to address each person separately and combine hola with some other phrases, like the ones found below (keep scrolling!)
- BUENOS DÍAS (Good morning) / BUENAS TARDES (Good afternoon) /BUENAS NOCHES (Good night)
These phrases can be used alone or after hola, with anyone in any context. At one o’clock or later, you can start saying buenas tardes, and when the sun goes down, buenas noches. Some countries, like Spain, are a little more relaxed about time, so don’t get surprised if you hear buenos días at 3:30pm. Last but not least: always be aware of the context. You could be saying goodbye.
- ME LLAMO JOHN (my name is John) /SOY JOHN (I am John)
For a more personal approach, say your name. You can use soy, the second option, for a briefer and more casual introduction.
- ¿CÓMO ESTÁS? (How are you?) /¿QUÉ TAL? (How ‘s it going?)
A friendly greeting is often included in any introduction. The second option shows a more casual way to ask the person how they’re doing or if they have any news. It’s very popular and easy to pronounce. But remember that if you are in a formal context the correct form to address someone is ¿cómo está?, without the “s”.
- ¡ENCANTADO! ¡ENCANTADA! (Nice to meet you!)
When someone approaches you and introduces themselves, it is important to tell the person you’re pleased to meet them. The end of the phrase depends on your gender. You could also just say es un placer (it’s a pleasure). Mucho gusto (nice to meet you) also works.
Surround yourself with Spanish
If you choose to study abroad, in Spanish Course Barcelona you’ll learn the language, not just the words. You’ll be able to hear the language from local speakers using it in daily speech. Before you know, you’ll be speaking Spanish comfortably and with fluency.