Mi Casa Es Su Casa

Hispanics customarily shake hands more frequently than Americans when greeting each other. In general, people shake hands every time they meet and every time they part. Among most Hispanics, it is also common for women to kiss on the cheek and for men to embrace.

As in many other cultures, Hispanics have many ways to say hello and good-bye. If you meet a friend, you say Hola, ¿qué tal? (Hello, how is everything?) or ¿Como estas? (How are you?). In a more formal setting, it's more appropriate to say Buenos dias (Good morning) or Buenas tardes (Good afternoon), ¿Como está usted? (How are you?). Adiós (Good-bye) or Hasta luego, Hasta la vista (So long, see you later), Hasta mañana (See you tomorrow), Hasta pronto (See you soon) can be used in any situation. Young people in many places also use the Italian word Ciao (pronounced "chao" or chau") to say good-bye.

Ciao

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