A guide to saying it like a local
How to Say "Great to see you" in Spanish
A warm and friendly Spanish phrase to express happiness upon meeting someone.
¡Qué gusto verte!
keh GOOS-toh VER-tehneutral
Spanish TTS · 0:01
Use this when you run into a friend or acquaintance unexpectedly, or when greeting someone you haven't seen in a little while. It's a common and pleasant way to acknowledge their presence.
Alternatives
- ¡Me da mucho gusto verte!Slightly more emphatic, adding emphasis to the pleasure.
- ¡Qué bueno verte!A bit more casual and very common.
Ways to get it wrong
Confusing 'gusto' with 'gusta'
'Gusto' is a noun meaning pleasure; 'gusta' is a verb form. You need the noun here.
Forgetting the exclamation points
Spanish uses opening and closing exclamation points for emphasis, like '¡...!'.
A small cultural note
In many Latin American countries, using 'tú' (implied in 'verte') is common even in somewhat formal settings if you've met the person before. If you're unsure, stick to more formal greetings.
Frequently asked
How do I respond to '¡Qué gusto verte!'?
A common and polite response is '¡Igualmente!' which means 'Likewise!' or 'The pleasure is mine!'. You could also say '¡El gusto es mío!'.
How do you formally say "good to see you" in Spanish?
Formally, you can say "Es un placer verlo" (to a man) or "Es un placer verla" (to a woman). This translates to "It is a pleasure to see you."
Can "mucho gusto" mean nice to see you?
"Mucho gusto" directly translates to "much pleasure" and is typically used as a greeting when meeting someone for the first time, similar to "nice to meet you." It's not usually used for "nice to see you" when you already know the person.
How do you say "nice to see you" in Spanish?
A common way to say "nice to see you" is "Me alegro de verte" (informal) or "Me alegro de verlo/verla" (formal). This means "I am happy to see you."
How do you say "great to see you" in Spanish to a woman?
To a woman, you can say "Me alegro de verte" informally, or "Es un placer verla" formally. Both convey the sentiment of being pleased to see her.
