Spanish speakers customarily shake hands more frequently than Americans when greeting each other. In general, people shake hands every time they meet and every time they part. Among Hispanics, it is also common for women to kiss on the cheek and for men to embrace or hug. The latter practice is almost unthinkable in our culture. In Spanish the word for a hug is un abrazo and the word for a kiss is un beso.

There are many ways to say hello and good-by. If you meet a friend, you say Hola, ¿Qué tal? (Hello, how are you doing?) or ¿Cómo estás? (How are you?). If you meet a person you don’t know well or a non-family member it’s more appropriate to say, buenos días (good morning) or buenas tardes (good afternoon), ¿Cómo está usted? (How are you?) (How are you), adiós (good-by) or hasta mañana (see you tomorrow), hasta pronto ( see you soon) can be used in any situation.

Young people in some Spanish countries often use the Itialian word ciao (pronounced “chao” or “chau“) to say good-by. In Costa Rica you might often hear a young person add the expression ¡Pura vida! (great or fantastic) to the expressions above when saying good-by.

Tiquismo of the week:
Roco is a disparaging term for an old person which is often used by young people.