Just like all over the world, there are different times in the day to greet someone. From buenos dias meaning good morning to buenas noches meaning good night, there is also a common phrase used for mid day.
buenas tardes – Usually during the early afternoon, buenas tardes is used to say “good afternoon” in Spanish. There really isn’t an exact time it can be used, but most Spanish speaking countries will say this phrase from noon to late evening. Spanish speaking countries don’t look at evenings so it basically goes from afternoon to night in their eyes. With any saying of time of day, the Spanish greeting phrases will always be in plural.
Buenas tardes does translate to “good lates” in English and is often used a couple hours after midday. There isn’t an exact time, but a good rule of thumb is 2pm – 8/9pm. If you happen to say it before or after that time range, fear not as the Spanish culture knows what you mean and will politely say it back. As you stay longer in the country, you’ll hear people starting to use it and know that it’s now ok to start greeting people with Good Afternoon.
Examples of using the the word Good Afternoon in Spanish
1. Good afternoon, how can I help you? – Buenas tardes ! ¿Cómo puedo ayudarte?
2. Have a good afternoon – Que tengas una buena tarde
3. Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon – Damas y caballeros, buenas tardes.
4. Good afternoon. What’s the time? – Buenas tardes. ¿Que hora es?
5. It’s a beautiful afternoon outside – Es una hermosa tarde afuera
6. Afternoon classes are my favorite – Las clases de la tarde son mis favoritas
7. Let’s meet this afternoon to discuss our project – Vamos a reunirnos esta tarde para hablar sobre nuestro proyecto
8. See you this afternoon at the park – Nos vemos esta tarde en el parque
9. We had an enjoyable lunchtime conversation this afternoon – Tenemos un agradable almuerzo conversación esta tarde
10. Looking forward to seeing you later this afternoon for dinner – Estoy deseando verte más tarde hoy por la noche para cenar
11. Enjoy your lazy Sunday afternoons with friends and family – Disfruta tu domingo perezoso con amigos y familiares
12. Relax and recharge during the quiet of the late afternoon – Relájate y recarga durante el
silencio de las últimas horas de la tardes
Situations on when to use the correct phrase of good afternoon
There are several ways to say good afternoon in Spanish, depending on the level of formality you would like to use.
One of the most commonly used phrases for saying good afternoon in Spanish is “Buenas tardes” which translates as “good evenings” but can be used as a greeting throughout the day. This phrase can be used with anyone you meet after noon time, regardless of how well you know them or what your relationship may be.
Another popular way to say good afternoon in Spanish is “Hola! ¿Qué tal?” which translates to “Hello! How are you?” This phrase implies that it’s been some time since you’ve seen each other and so serves as an appropriate greeting when seeing someone again after not having seen them for a while.
In a more formal setting, use “Saludos” (Greetings) followed by their name. Saludos Señor/Señora (Name). You could even add a phrase such as ‘Espero que estés bien’ (I hope all is well with you) at the end if desired.
¡Que pase una buena tarde!”(Have a nice evening!) will work just fine too – especially if said with enthusiasm!
If you’d like to keep it as generic as possible to avoid any chance of making a mistake, you can always say “¡Buenas!”. This informal salutation means both hello and goodbye and can also be used interchangeably throughout different times of day without sounding out-of-place.
You’re Welcome in Spanish