Greeting a Group

You arrive at a table or walk into a room where several people are gathered and greet everyone.

You
¡Hola a todos! Buenas noches.
OH-lah ah TOH-dohs! BWEH-nahs NOH-chehs.
Hi, everyone! Good evening.
"Hola a todos" is the easiest way to greet a group. In some countries, you may be expected to greet each person individually with a kiss on the cheek.
Local
¡Hola! Qué bueno que viniste. Siéntate, siéntate.
OH-lah! keh BWEH-noh keh vee-NEES-teh. SYEHN-tah-teh, SYEHN-tah-teh.
Hi! Glad you came. Sit down, sit down.
Repeating "siéntate" twice is very natural in Spanish and adds warmth and insistence. It means they genuinely want you to feel at home.
You
Gracias. Perdón por llegar un poco tarde.
GRAH-syahs. per-DOHN por yeh-GAR oon POH-koh TAR-deh.
Thanks. Sorry for arriving a little late.
In many Latin American countries, arriving "a little late" is perfectly normal and even expected. But it is polite to acknowledge it.
Local
No te preocupes, apenas estamos empezando. ¿Quieres algo de tomar?
noh teh preh-oh-KOO-pehs, ah-PEH-nahs ehs-TAH-mohs ehm-peh-SAHN-doh. KYEH-rehs AHL-goh deh toh-MAR?
Don't worry, we're just getting started. Want something to drink?
"Apenas estamos empezando" means "we're just getting started" — a gracious way to make a late arrival feel comfortable.