Picture the school gate on a sunny morning in Spain. Neighbours, classmates and teachers are saying hello, but not all with the same words.
You already know some Spanish hellos from last year. Today the job gets sharper: choose the right one for the person in front of you.
Think in English first: would you greet a friend and the principal the same way? Tell your teacher one idea. We will learn the Spanish forms next.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Choose the right Spanish greeting for the person you meet
- Spot the friendly forms and the formal ones
- Say why Spanish needs two kinds of "you"
Here are today's eight greetings in two groups on the board: Friendly and Time-of-day / more formal.
Tap each one, listen, then say it back together. We will run them in two short batches of four so your ear can keep up. Notice who each group fits: a classmate in the patio, or a principal, visitor or shopkeeper.
Flip two cards at a time and find each Spanish greeting with its English meaning. The board shows six pairs so turns stay snappy. When a pair matches, say the Spanish together with the class.
Open your copy. Keep looking at the word-table on the board and copy two greetings from it (one friendly, one more formal is ideal — e.g. Hola and ¿Cómo está usted?).
Beside each one, write in English who you would say it to and who you would not.
Practise with a partner using the two role cards below. Partner A greets, Partner B replies, then swap after two turns.
- Classmate in the patio: friendly Hola and ¿Cómo estás?
- At the panadería (bakery): polite Buenos días and ¿Cómo está usted?
Partner B answers with the "I'm fine" line from today's list. Match the register to the person.
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