Meeting Someone New

A friendly first encounter on the street.

You
¡Hola! ¿Cómo estás?
OH-lah KOH-moh ehs-TAHS
Hi! How are you?
Use '¿Cómo está?' (formal) with older people or strangers.
Local
¡Bien, gracias! ¿Y tú?
bee-EHN GRAH-see-ahs ee too
Good, thanks! And you?
You
Muy bien, gracias. Mucho gusto.
mooy bee-EHN GRAH-see-ahs MOO-choh GOOS-toh
Very well, thanks. Nice to meet you.
'Mucho gusto' literally means 'much pleasure' — a warm way to greet someone new.