Inklingo

How to Say "greetings" in Spanish

English → Spanish

saludos

/sah-LOO-dos//saˈluðos/

nounA1general
Use 'saludos' when sending good wishes or polite regards to someone, often in a message or at the end of a letter.
A simple illustration showing two friendly cartoon characters, one waving hello to the other.

Examples

Muchos saludos a tu familia de mi parte.

Many greetings to your family from me.

Me despidió con un simple '¡Saludos!' antes de irse.

He said goodbye to me with a simple 'Greetings!' before leaving.

Saludos cordiales. Esperamos su respuesta pronto.

Kind regards. We await your response soon.

Always Plural for Regards

When you mean 'greetings' or 'regards,' this word almost always stays in its plural form, 'saludos,' even if you are only sending one set of regards.

Confusing 'Saludos' and 'Salud'

Mistake: “Using 'saludos' when making a toast.”

Correction: Use 'salud' (meaning 'health') when you want to say 'Cheers!' or 'Bless you!' after a sneeze. 'Saludos' is strictly for greetings and farewells.

recuerdos

reh-KWER-dohs/reˈkweɾðos/

nounA2general
Use 'recuerdos' to refer to souvenirs or small gifts that serve as a reminder of a place or event, or messages of remembrance.
A high-quality simple colorful storybook illustration showing a collection of souvenirs on a wooden shelf, including a miniature replica of a famous landmark, a seashell, and a pressed flower.

Examples

Compré unos recuerdos en la Torre Eiffel.

I bought some souvenirs at the Eiffel Tower.

Dale mis recuerdos a tu hermana cuando la veas.

Give my regards/greetings to your sister when you see her.

Estos recuerdos de boda son muy bonitos.

These wedding favors/souvenirs are very pretty.

Social Use

When sending greetings, you must use the plural recuerdos. The most common structure is 'Dale mis recuerdos a [person]' (Give my regards to [person]).

Using the verb form

Mistake: “Using *recuerdas* (the verb form 'you remember') when you mean the noun 'memories' or 'souvenirs'.”

Correction: Always use *recuerdos* (with an 'o' and an 's') for the noun meaning. *Recuerdas* is only used when talking about the action of remembering.

salve

/sal-ve//ˈsal.βe/

interjectionC1formal/literary
Use 'salve' as a formal, literary, or historical exclamation of welcome or acclamation, similar to 'hail'.
A scene illustrating a formal greeting, where one person bows respectfully with an arm extended in a welcoming gesture towards another person who is standing prominently.

Examples

¡Salve, oh patria, mil veces salve!

Hail, oh homeland, a thousand times hail!

El coro gritó: «¡Salve, emperador!»

The chorus shouted: 'Hail, emperor!'

Confusing 'saludos' and 'recuerdos'

Learners often confuse 'saludos' and 'recuerdos' because both can relate to sending something. Remember that 'saludos' are messages of goodwill, while 'recuerdos' are physical souvenirs or tokens of remembrance.

Related Translations

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