If you travel to a new country, you are bound to meet new people. So, it would be handy to share the expected niceties, like “nice to meet you.”
There are many ways to say “nice to meet you” in Spanish. In this article, we’ll cover these, as well as how you physically greet someone new. Are you ready to network?
“Nice to meet you” in Spanish: keeping it simple
There are a few straightforward ways to say “nice to meet you” in Spanish that are even shorter than in English. We’ll take a look at the four most common ones below.
Encantado/a
This literally translates to “enchanted.” Isn’t that a fantastic thing to be told when meeting someone for the first time? It is probably closest to “delighted” in English, although it is much more common in Spanish.
Spanish is a gendered language. This means a lot of words have different endings depending on the gender of the person or thing they refer to. In this case, you use “encantado” if you are male and “encantada” if you are female.
Un gusto
Although it can be roughly translated as “a pleasure” or “a joy,” this is the closest equivalent to “nice to meet you” in English. It is also one of the most common expressions for this purpose in Spanish.
Mucho gusto
This variation of the previous phrase can be roughly translated as “a lot of pleasure/joy” but would correspond to “very nice to meet you.”
This is also an extremely common way to say “nice to meet you” in Spanish. The “mucho” (very) adds some intensity, and there is no need to change the phrase according to the person’s gender.
Un placer
This simply translates to “a pleasure (to meet you)” in Spanish.
All four phrases are pretty handy as they can be used in formal and informal settings.
“Nice to meet you” in Spanish: stepping up
There are also more intricate or earnest ways to say “nice to meet you” in Spanish. So, if you want to make an impression, have a look at the phrases in this section.
Muchísimo gusto
In Spanish, you can add the suffix “-ísimo” to some words to add intensity. So, if you want to say you are really happy to meet someone, you can say “muchísimo gusto” instead of “mucho gusto.” This would translate to something like “really very nice too meet you.” It might sound like overkill in English, but we like to be extremely enthusiastic in Spanish.
You would use this phrase in an informal situation.
Un gustazo
If you want to be extra, try this variation of “un gusto.” In this case, we use the suffix “-azo” to say meeting the other person is an absolute pleasure.
You would also use this in an informal setting.
Es un placer conocerlo/a
When using “un gusto,” “un placer”, or “encantado/o,” you can add a couple of words to make it more formal. You can start your sentence with “Es” (It is) and finish it with “de conocerlo/la” at the end. The latter adds “to meet you” to the phrase.
With “conocerlo/la,” you are adding a direct object pronoun at the end of “conocer” (to meet) to specify who you are happy to meet. You should use “lo” when talking to a man and “la” when referring to a woman. This article can teach you more about pronouns in Spanish.
There are no official gender-neutral ways to address people in Spanish. However, there are definitely ways you can be gender-neutral. You can learn more about gender-neutral language in Spanish in this article.
In informal contexts, things get a bit simpler, as the pronoun for the “tú” (you informal) form is “te” for both genders. So you would say, for example, “es un gusto conocerte” (it’s a pleasure to meet you).
He escuchado mucho sobre usted/ti.
If you want to make a lasting impression and are being introduced to someone you have been told a lot about, you can use this phrase. It’s the equivalent of “I’ve heard so much about you.”
There are two forms to address someone in Spanish: usted (you formal) and tú (you informal). You can end this phrase with usted in formal contexts and ti in informal ones.
“Nice to meet you” in Spanish: when you part ways
What about saying “Nice to meet you” later in the conversation? Well, there are a couple of variations you can use if you are telling someone it was nice to meet them before you part ways.
Fue un placer/un gusto
This translates to “It was a pleasure to meet you.” “Fue” is the part that adds “it was” and can be followed by either “un placer” or “un gusto.”
Ha sido un placer/un gusto
This option is simply a tense change. Instead of “It was” (Fue) in the simple past, you say, “It has been” (the equivalent of present simple).
All variations of the phrases above can be used in formal and informal contexts.
Responding to “Nice to meet you” in Spanish
What happens when someone beats you to the punch? There are also different ways to respond to someone when they say “nice to meet you” in Spanish. We’ll go over these in ascending order of complexity and formality.
Igualmente
If you want to keep things simple, “igualmente” is the way to go. It’s a bit more informal and just means “you too.”
El gusto/placer es mío
You can also go for the classic “the pleasure is mine.” This works in both formal and informal settings.
Encantado/a de conocerlo/la también
If you want to be a bit fancier, use this phrase. It translates to “enchanted to meet you as well.” Watch out for the gendered endings here. “Encantado/a” refers to the person doing the meeting, and “conocerlo/la” refers to the person they are meeting.
Again, this works both in formal and informal contexts but is more common in formal situations.
“Nice to meet you” in Spanish: some examples
We have all the vocabulary down, but we should contextualise it. Here are some example conversations in which to use the phrases we’ve seen so far.
At the beginning of the conversation
Informal
- ¡Hola! Mi nombre es Julia. (Hi! My name is Julia.)
- ¡Encantado, Julia! Yo soy Marcos. (Delighted to meet you, Julia! I’m Marcos.)
- Igualmente. (You too.)
Formal
- Mi nombre es Pablo Pérez. ¿Y usted? (Nice to meet you. My name is Pablo Perez. And yours?)
- He escuchado mucho sobre usted. Mi nombre es Andrea Gutiérrez. (I have heard so much about you. My name is Andrea Gutiérrez.)
- Encantado de conocerla, Andrea. (Delighted to meet you, Andrea.)
When being introduced to someone
- Carlos, te presento a mi hermana, Romina. (Carlos, let me introduce you to my sister, Romina.)
- ¡Un gustazo, Romina! (It’s a real pleasure to meet you, Romina!)
- ¡Igualmente, Julio! He escuchado mucho sobre ti. (You too, Julio! I’ve heard so much about you.)
At the end of the conversation
- Lo siento, tengo que irme. Ha sido un placer. (I’m sorry, I have to go. It’s been a pleasure.)
- El placer es mío. ¡Adiós! (The pleasure is mine. Goodbye!)
Body language when meeting something new
You might be used to shaking someone’s hand when meeting them for the first time. Beyond words, it’s also important to know what is appropriate or not to do when meeting or being introduced to someone.
Handshake
A handshake is customary in all formal situations like meetings, interviews or important events. Moreover, it is also the standard when men meet each other even in informal contexts.
One kiss on the cheek
This is how people greet each other in informal contexts in Latin America. Except for two men, as we’ve mentioned above. However, in some countries like Argentina or Uruguay, men also greet each other with a kiss on the cheek.
One kiss on each cheek
In Spain, people give each other two kisses. One on each cheek!
It is important to point out that, though we say “kiss,” what actually happens most of the time is you place your cheek on the other person’s cheek.
It’s important to point out that, in some Spanish-countries countries, kissing is standard practice even between strangers. However, in others, you might only kiss someone you already know.
“Nice to meet you” in Spanish: final word
We hope you now feel prepared to meet new people in Spanish. We’ve covered formal and informal contexts, as well as simple and more intricate ways to say “nice to meet you” in Spanish.
You can see a summary of the phrases we just discussed in this video. Moreover, if you are wary about greeting people in Spanish, take a look at our articles on saying hello and goodbye.
So, what are you waiting for? Plan your next language meet-up or a trip to Latin America and put these skills to good use!
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