How to Say Hey and What's Up in Informal Spanish with Friends
Learn relaxed Latin American Spanish greetings like ¿Qué tal? and ¿Qué onda? for friends and peers, and practice them by time of day.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
Informal Spanish greetings are not just shortened formal ones; they use different words, a relaxed tone, and often local slang. In this lesson you will learn common Latin American ways to say hey and what's up to friends, classmates, and people your own age. You will also practice choosing a greeting for the morning, afternoon, or night. Use these with peers you already know; keep formal greetings like Buenos días, señor for strangers, older people, and professional settings.
By the end, you can…
- greet a friend or peer informally in Latin American Spanish.
- choose an informal greeting that fits the time of day.
- recognize that some informal greetings are regional and use them appropriately.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
¡Hola! ¿Qué tal?
Hi! How's it going?
OH-lah keh TAHL
Friendly and very common across Latin America. Safe with classmates and friends at any time of day.
¿Qué onda?
What's up? / What's going on?
keh OHN-dah
Very informal; especially common in Mexico and parts of Central America. Use with close friends, not with strangers.
¿Qué más?
What's up? / How's it going?
keh MAHS
Common in Colombia and other Andean regions. It is a greeting, not a request for a list of things.
¿Cómo andas?
How are you doing? / How's it going?
KOH-moh AHN-dahs
Relaxed and friendly; common in Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America. Literally 'how do you walk around?'
Buenas
Hi / Hey (short for good day, good morning, etc.)
BWEH-nahs
A quick, casual greeting used at any time of day. It works with neighbors and acquaintances too, not only close friends.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Many informal greetings are questions, so the other person often answers with a short phrase. A common exchange is: —¿Qué tal? —Bien, ¿y tú? (Good, and you?). You can also answer with Todo bien (All good) or Aquí, tranquilo/a (Here, calm/chilling). Notice that informal greetings often drop the word Buenos or Buenas and use ¿Qué...? instead. For example, ¿Qué tal? and ¿Qué onda? are greetings, not real requests for detailed information.
When to use it
Match the greeting to the time of day and the person. In the morning, ¡Buenos días! works formally and informally, but with friends you can say ¡Buenas! or ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? In the afternoon, Buenas tardes is polite; with peers, ¿Qué onda? or ¿Qué más? is fine. At night, Buenas noches is standard, while ¿Cómo andas? stays casual. If you are unsure, use ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? It is informal but widely understood and rarely sounds wrong.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
¡Hola! ¿Qué tal?
Hi! How's it going?OH-lah keh TAHLTodo bien, ¿y tú?
All good, and you?TOH-doh BYEHN ee tooBien. ¿Qué onda? ¿Vas a la clase?
Good. What's up? Are you going to class?BYEHN keh OHN-dah bahs ah lah KLAH-sehSí, nos vemos allá.
Yes, see you there.SEE nohs BEH-mohs ah-YAHA little context goes a long way
Informal greetings vary a lot by country and even by city. ¿Qué onda? is very natural in Mexico but may sound foreign or too casual in some other regions. ¿Qué más? is common in Colombia, while ¿Cómo andas? is widespread in Central America and Mexico. When you travel or meet new people, start with ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? and listen for the local greeting before copying it.
One thing to watch for
Using ¿Qué onda? or ¿Qué más? with a stranger, a teacher, or an older person because it means 'What's up?' in English.
Try this instead: These are for friends and peers. With someone you do not know well, use ¡Hola! ¿Cómo está? or Buenos días/tardes/noches. For example, to a teacher: Buenos días, profesor, ¿cómo está? not ¿Qué onda, profesor?
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You run into a close friend at 3 p.m. Give one informal greeting from this lesson.
Show a sample answer
¿Qué tal? / ¿Qué onda? / ¿Qué más? / ¿Cómo andas? / ¡Buenas!
All of these are informal and work in the afternoon with a friend. ¡Buenas tardes! is also correct but more neutral and polite.
2Your friend says ¿Qué tal? Give a short natural answer.
Show a sample answer
Bien, ¿y tú? / Todo bien, ¿y tú? / Aquí, tranquilo/a.
These answers match the relaxed tone. Bien, gracias is also correct but sounds slightly more formal.
3You meet your friend's grandmother for the first time. Which greeting is better: ¿Qué onda? or Buenos días, señora?
Show a sample answer
Buenos días, señora.
¿Qué onda? is too casual for a first meeting with an older person. Buenos días, señora is respectful and appropriate.
Use ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? as your safe informal greeting, then add regional options like ¿Qué onda? or ¿Qué más? only with close friends and peers.
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