1.5 Grammar - Expressions
Completion requirements
Spanish Language and Culture 10-3Y
1.5 Common Expressions
Formal and Informal Expressions
In Spanish, there are many ways to say hello. Some expressions are best used in formal situations and others are more familiar in tone.
Spanish speakers tend to be more formal than English speakers. In English, we say "Hi" or "Hello" when we meet a friend or a professor. A Hispanic person will say "¡Hola!" to a friend but, when meeting a professor, will usually use the more formal greetings: Buenos dÃas, Buenas tardes, or Buenas noches. Hispanic formality is a mark of respect.
Some common informal expressions are shown below - Listen to them and try to determine how you would reply:
Sometimes we introduce ourselves before these greetings. When you are asked ¿Cómo te llamas? we have three different ways to say, "My name is...":
Spanish speakers tend to be more formal than English speakers. In English, we say "Hi" or "Hello" when we meet a friend or a professor. A Hispanic person will say "¡Hola!" to a friend but, when meeting a professor, will usually use the more formal greetings: Buenos dÃas, Buenas tardes, or Buenas noches. Hispanic formality is a mark of respect.
Some common informal expressions are shown below - Listen to them and try to determine how you would reply:
| Hola, amigo. |
|
| ¿Cómo te va? |
|
| ¿Qué pasa? | |
| ¿Qué tal? |
Sometimes we introduce ourselves before these greetings. When you are asked ¿Cómo te llamas? we have three different ways to say, "My name is...":
| Me llamo (name). | |
| Mi nombre es (name). | |
| Yo soy (name). |
© 2010 Jupiterimages Corporation
As in English, there are many ways to make an introduction in Spanish. View some common phrases in these example conversations between Anthony and Melissa.
Note - Apunte
The accent marks in certain words are part of Spanish spelling. They need to be included when writing the words - they often are there to change the pronunciation, or the meaning of words.
Did you notice? Question marks and exclamation points occur at the beginning as well at the end of a question or exclamation. These marks are written upside down at the place where the question ¿ or exclamation ¡ begins. |