¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? ¿Cómo estás? ¡Hasta luego!

There's possibly a million ways to greet somebody in different situations. I'll give you some of the most used ones in certain situations...

ACQUAINTANCES AND CLOSE FRIENDS.-

You meet a close friend (I always say with close people the variables are infinite), but let's put an example because you're asking for one:

- ¡Eh Lolo! ¿Qué haces, monstruo?
- Eso digo yo, mamón, ¿qué te cuentas?

- Hey Lolo! What are you doin' monster?
- That's what I say, sucker, what do you have to tell?

Yes, monstruo means monster and mamón means sucker, but is it common to insult your close friends when you meet them??? Well, as I said earlier, between close friends it happens quite often. The difference is you can't interpret here monster and sucker as insults, but rather like a warm nickname if you will. This is only used by GUYS, of course.

*Cultural tip: other things they could call you: son of a bitch, asshole, etc. (this can be more common in Andalucia, the southern region of Spain). WARNING: don't use this until you feel comfortable speaking Spanish and you've heard this kind of greeting before to imitate the right intonation. If not said correctly, it could lead to misundertandings and derive into trouble.

But you can also meet acquaintances, such as your friend's brother, your boyfriend's sister, a friend of a friend, etc.

- Hola, ¿qué tal? ¿cómo estás? (Hi, how are you?)
- ¡Hola José! Muy bien, y ¿tú? ¿qué tal? (Hi Jose! Fine and you? How are you?)
- Bien también. (Fine too)

PEOPLE YOU DON'T KNOW.-

Do you mean by that I have to say hi to everybody on the street??? No no! By people you don't know I mean the shop assistant at a shoe store, the guy at the bank, etc. Of course, you don't have to ask how they are. You can say this:

- Hola, buenos días... (hello, good morning)
- Hola, buenas tardes... (hello, good afternoon: but only after 15 h or 16 h)
- Hola, qué hay... (no translation)
- Hola, buenas... (no translation)

PEOPLE YOU'VE SEEN A FEW TIMES.-

What to do with these people you've only crossed a couple of words and you feel kind of forced to say something else than hola buenos días, like your neighbour, the caretaker at the language school, the recepcionist at the hotel, etc. Well, let's put a little more interest about their lives by introducing the how are you question...

- Hola, buenos días, ¿qué hay?
- Hola, ¿qué tal?
- Hola.

*Cultural tip: whenever you ask how you are (or you're asked) don't expect a long answer. It's just pure greeting. The person is not really interested in your life situation. Call it hypocrisy, call it insincerity, you name it...

Exercise.-

1- You come across your neighbour on the doorway, you say:

a) - Hola, ¿cómo estás?
b) - Hola, buenas.
c) - Hola, ¿qué tal? ¿cómo estás?

2- You see your good friend José at a bar at night...

a) - Hola José, ¿qué tal?
b) - ¡Eh José! ¿qué haces tío?
c) - Hola José, buenas noches.

3- You go to a store and greet the shop assistant:

a) - Hola, qué hay.
b) - ¡Eh tía! ¿qué pasa?
c) - Hola, ¿qué tal? ¿cómo estás?

*Cultural tip: in some cities and regions, there's even a word people use to call close friends and acquaintances. In Cadiz and other cities in Andalucia, for instance, that word is quillo, in Valencia nano, and more generally all over Spain tío and tía (literally uncle and aunt but meaning something like).

Keys to the exercise: 1- b , 2- b , 3-a

KISSES or HANDSHAKES?.-

When you meet somebody for the first time, the usual thing is:

- Guy meets guy: handshake.
- Guy meets woman: two kisses, one on each cheek.
- Woman meets woman: two kisses, one on each cheek.

What to say besides the kisses and handshakes?.-

When you meet somebody for the first time, the most common thing to say, no matter how masculine or feminine you are, is:

- Encantado (a guy)
- Encantada (a woman)

The other person can say:

- Igualmente (the same)
- Encantado(a)