Spanish · Greetings & Essentials
"Good afternoon" in Spanish: buenas tardes
buenas tardes
Good afternoon in Spanish is buenas tardes (BWEH-nahs TAR-dehs). Switch to buenas tardes after midday. Keep buenas tardes until early evening in most places.
How to pronounce buenas tardes: audio and sound guideEntering a bank
Buenas tardes, vengo a pagar un recibo.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce buenas tardes
Say it
BWEH-nahs TAR-dehs
/ˈbwenas ˈtaɾðes/
BWEH-nahs TAR-dehs. Stress BWEH and TAR. Soft d in tardes. Say buenas tardes without rushing the r.
"Good afternoon" in Spanish: quick reference
| Spanish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| buenas tardes | good afternoon Polite greeting from midday into evening. | Polite greeting from midday into evening. |
| hola, buenas tardes | hi, good afternoon Warm stack for shops and offices. | Warm stack for shops and offices. |
| muy buenas tardes | very good afternoon Extra polite tone. | Extra polite tone. |
| buenas tardes a todos | good afternoon, everyone Greeting a group. | Greeting a group. |
| buena tarde | good afternoon (singular) Heard in some regions; buenas tardes remains the textbook form. | Heard in some regions; buenas tardes remains the textbook form. |
How to use buenas tardes in real life
- 1Entering a bank
Buenas tardes, vengo a pagar un recibo.
Good afternoon, I'm here to pay a bill.
Start with buenas tardes before the request.
- 2Joining a Zoom call
Buenas tardes. ¿Me escuchan bien?
Good afternoon. Can you hear me well?
Buenas tardes works on afternoon video calls.
- 3Greeting a receptionist
Buenas tardes. Tengo cita con la doctora.
Good afternoon. I have an appointment with the doctor.
Clinics expect buenas tardes after lunch.
Mistakes English speakers make with buenas tardes
Incorrect: Buenos tardes.
Correct: Buenas tardes.
Tardes is feminine plural, so say buenas tardes.
Incorrect: Buenas tardes (at 8 a.m.)
Correct: Buenos días.
Morning needs buenos días, not buenas tardes.
Good to know
Good to knowThe switch from buenos días to buenas tardes is flexible, but after lunch buenas tardes is safe. In many Latin American offices, buenas tardes is the default afternoon hello until people flip to buenas noches after dark.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Arriving at a clinic after lunch
ChatPal
Buenas tardes. ¿Tiene cita?
Good afternoon. Do you have an appointment?
You
Buenas tardes. Sí, a la una treinta.
Good afternoon. Yes, at one thirty.
ChatPal
Perfecto. Pase a la sala.
Perfect. Go to the waiting room.
You
Gracias.
Thank you.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Good afternoon" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Good afternoon" in Spanish
When do I switch to buenas tardes?
After midday or lunch. Then buenas tardes replaces buenos días.
Why buenas and not buenos?
Tardes is feminine, so the phrase is buenas tardes.
How do you pronounce buenas tardes?
BWEH-nahs TAR-dehs. Stress TAR in tardes after buenas.
Can buenas tardes greet a whole room?
Yes: buenas tardes a todos with ustedes.
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