Updated on October 7, 2024
22 different ways to say “Nice to meet you” in Spanish
“Nice to meet you” is a fundamental expression every language learner should know. The last thing you want is to be rude when meeting a new friend, colleague or business contact. This is even more important when learning Spanish, as you’ll notice that people across Latin America tend to be quite polite. Here’s the good news: There are in fact many ways to say “Nice to meet you” in Spanish.
This may seem like overkill, but it pays to have options. After all, conversations are dynamic and you never know exactly how they’ll play out. Ready to be armed with different ways to say “Nice to meet you” in Spanish? Let’s dive in.
Let’s start with the standard way in which an introductory conversation often unfolds. Someone introduces themselves and you respond, like so:
Yo: “Hola. Soy Alison.” (Hi. I’m Alison.)
Tú: “Mucho gusto.” / “Encantado/a.” / “Un placer.” (Nice to meet you. / Enchanted. / A pleasure.)
So, what comes next? Here are a number of responses that all roughly equate to “Nice to meet you” in Spanish:
As you can see, there are shorter versions as well as longer, more polite versions. Our advice? If you’re a beginner, start with the shorter ones (they’re easier to memorize) and work your way up to the longer versions.
Now, imagine you’re in the middle of a conversation or exchange. You’ve introduced yourself in Spanish, someone has said “Nice to meet you,” and you need to respond:
Tú: “Hola. Soy Alejandra.” (Hi. I’m Alexandra.)
Yo: “Soy Alison. Mucho gusto, Alejandra.” (I’m Alison. Nice to meet you.)
Tú: “Igualmente.” (Likewise.)
Here are some other phrases you can use to respond:
You may have noticed that He escuchado mucho sobre usted (I’ve heard so much about you) uses the formal usted. It can be difficult to know when to tutear (to use the informal tú) with someone. Upon first meeting, it’s best to be polite and formal unless they are clearly younger than you.
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye! The conversation is wrapping up and you’re saying your goodbyes. Good manners in Spanish dictate that you should reiterate your pleasure in meeting your new friend or colleague by using the past tense or present perfect verb tense:
Yo: “Lamentablemente, tengo que irme.” (Unfortunately, I have to leave.)
Tú: “Fue un placer.” (It was a pleasure.)
Here are various ways to say “Nice to meet you” in Spanish when ending a conversation:
In other words, it has truly been a pleasure! Learning to say “Nice to meet you” in Spanish isn’t always easy. It often requires a review of local etiquette, as well as a choice between using formal or informal Spanish. Remember, conversations are dynamic and require flexibility when juggling aspects such as context and form. Try out a variety of ways to say “Nice to meet you” in Spanish and surely your next meeting will leave your new friends with a charming impression!
