Culture Tidbit: Greetings

Culture Tidbit: Greetings
In many Latin American countries, as well as in parts of Europe, a mutual kiss on the
cheek is a common greeting. In some regions of Spain, some provinces of Argentina,
and a few other places, the custom is to kiss both cheeks. But in most Spanishspeaking places, kissing on just one cheek is more common. Many of these greetings
are actually a kiss in the air near the cheek, with the cheeks touching. In some places
this way of greeting happens mainly between women, and in other places it also
happens when people of the opposite sex greet each other. In most places it's not used
between men, who may shake hands instead. And in fact, you can greet anyone with a
handshake if you find cheek-kissing too far out of your comfort zone.
It's also important to understand that a native Spanish speaker’s sense of personal
space is often much smaller than that of most native English speakers. Native Spanish
speakers tend to stand closer to each other during conversations. Although this may
seem different to you, just recognize that this is part of the culture.
Video #1
Girl #1: Natalia.
Girl #2: ¡Ei!
Girl #1: ¡Hola!
Girl #2: Hola, ¿qué tal?
Girl #1: Bien, ¿y tú, qué tal?
Girl #2: Bien. Mira, este es mi hermano, mi hermano Lucas.
Girl #1: ¡Hola!
Boy: Hola, ¿qué tal?
Girl #2: Mi amiga Jimena.
Boy: Encantado de conocerte.
Girl #1: Soy amiga suya de clase.
Boy: ¿Qué tal todo?
Girl #1: Bien, muy bien.
Video #2
Girl #1: Hola, ¿cómo están?
Boy: ¡Hola Norma! ¿Qué haces por aquí? Mira, te presento a dos amigas. Ella es
Pepita.
Girl #2: Hola.
Girl #1: Hola.
Girl #1: Mucho gusto.
Girl #2: Igual.
Boy: Josefina es su nombre. Y… Ailín.
Girls: Mucho gusto.
© 2012 Middlebury Interactive Languages. All rights reserved. This material is intended for the exclusive use of
registered users only. No portion of these materials may be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the
express permission of Middlebury Interactive Languages.