How Do You Say Hello in Spanish Like an Argentinian?

how-do-you-say-hello-in-spanish

How do you say hello in Spanish? Hola, ¿cómo estás? That’s the phrase all books for learning Spanish teach us and that’s because it’s the most common greeting in Spanish. Now, if you visit or move to Argentina you will notice that natives greet each other in so many different ways. 

For example, you might hear someone say. “¿Qué hacés, che?” And the reply to that can be “Todo bien, ¿y vos?”. Have you heard this before? 

How do you say hello in Spanish like an Argentinian?

One of my favorite Argentinian ways of saying hello is ¿Qué hacés, che? This is very informal and what it means is literally “Hey, what are you doing?”. Remember “che” is the Argentine way of saying “hey”, you can learn more about it in the WORD OF THE WEEK section of easyargentinespanish.com. Setting aside the literal meaning of “Qué hacés che?”, you have to understand that this phrase is actually used like “Hey what’s up?”.So this is a phrase that you can use with friends and family. Although, I want you to know this for a fact: argentinians are extremely informal and tend to say phrases like this even to strangers. 

How do you say hello in Spanish slang?

Use the phrase “¿Qué onda?” This extremely informal salutation never appears in books for learning Spanish. It is mostly used with friends since it’s similar to the English “What’s up?” The answer to “¿Qué onda?” can be “Todo bien, ¿y vos?” or even “¿Qué hacés, che?” Now if you are greeting a friend that you hadn’t seen for a long time, you can say “¿Qué onda? Tanto tiempo,” which means “What’s up? Long time no see”. 

How to say hi in Spanish other than hola

You’ve probably heard the greetings buenos días, buenas tardes, and buenas noches before. If you are one of those people who confuses them, I hear you. And let me be honest with you: natives confuse them all the time. ¡Siempre! However, we came up with a solution to this. Did you know you can just say BUENAS? That’s right, a simple BUENAS is enough and even sounds more natural in an informal situation. Mind this! Importante! You have to add rhythm to it and say bueeenas, stressing the first syllable. Because if you just say ‘buenas’ it doesn’t sound very friendly. 

How are you in Spanish

Another greeting that argentinians use frequently is ¿Todo tranqui? Tranqui is the short version of “tranquilo” which means ‘quiet’ or ‘cool’ in English. If everything is cool, then everything’s fine. The  phrase ¿Todo tranqui? can be translated as “Everything okay/alright?”  

How do you say hello guys in Spanish?

In Argentina you will hear phrases like “Hola, gente”, “¿Qué onda, gente?”, “¿Qué hacen, gente?”, “¿Todo bien, gente?”. The word “gente” means “people” and the best is that this is a gender neutral noun, so you are safe to say it to any group of individuals.

To sum up, here are some useful phrases in case you were wondering how do you say hello in Spanish other than hola:

  • ¿Qué hacés, che?
  • ¿Qué onda?
  • ¿Qué onda? ¡Tanto tiempo!
  • Buenas.
  • ¿Todo tranqui?
  • Hola, gente.
  • ¿Qué hacen, gente?
  • ¿Todo bien, gente? 

Learn all the greeting and farewells in Spanish

In this digital Spanish lesson material I will teach how to say hello and goodbye in Spanish, as well as the most important grammar rules any beginner needs to learn.

Let's Stay in Touch


Grab your freebie and join my newsletter!

Keep Improving Your Spanish Skills

Grab My Ebook to Speak Spanish With Confidence

I have a 7 week study plan where I guide you step by step through the process of Spanish learning. This plan is all included in my ebook: “Help! I Am Dating an Argentinian: The Ultimate Guide to Learn Argentine Spanish.” Enjoy the first 4 chapters at zero cost by downloading the preview!

Book a Spanish Lesson and Save Big!

If you prefer learning Spanish with live guidance and personal attention, choose Lingoda. They offer live online classes with qualified teachers, ensuring an interactive learning experience. Classes are small, so you’ll practice lots of speaking! Lingoda covers all skill levels, from beginner to advanced. Join now to speak Spanish fluently! Click here to get a 25 dollar discount in your first purchase. This is an affiliate link, meaning that when you purchase through this link, I get a small commission too. It’s a win-win!

Lingoda

Check Out These Related Blog Posts

image of a hand holding an argentine alfajor next to blog post title that reads "Which Famous Argentine Alfajor Goes Best with Your Palate?"

Which Famous Argentine Alfajor Goes Best with Your Palate?

When it comes to iconic treats, the Argentine alfajor reigns supreme. For generations, these delicias (delights) have captured the hearts of both locals and visitors. With their origins dating back to Arab traditions and their evolution over centuries, alfajores have become an integral part of Argentine culinary culture. But with a

Read More
image of the city Toledo in Spain, next to podcast title that reads" Viajar a España para hacer una inmersión linguistica".

Viajar a España para hacer una inmersión lingüística

En el episodio de hoy vamos a darle la bienvenida a una invitada muy querida: la profesora Maribel Jiménez Juárez de España. Hoy Maribel viene al podcast para hablarnos de los beneficios de viajar a España para hacer una inmersión en español. Temas que se mencionan en este episodio: ¡Descargá

Read More

This blog is sponsored by Day Translations. This amazing company is celebrating the work of translators and linguists like me! You can join the party by clicking here.

Share the Post:

About the Author

Show Support

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *