"Bueno" as hello or greeting?

Question

In the US State I live in, I sometimes hear Spanish speakers greet one another by simply staying "Bueno". I didn't hear this when I was recently in Mexico, although I realize I may just have not noticed it.

How or when is "bueno" used as a greeting? Is it considered slang, and what are some considerations in its use?

Is it used a greeting in Spanish in other places beyond my lone state in the US?

Are you sure it's not "¡Buenas!"? – Gonzalo Medina Nov 21 '11 at 23:59 — Gonzalo Medina, Nov 21 '11 at 23:59
@GonzaloMedina : no, I'm not sure :-) – rynomax Nov 22 '11 at 18:35 — rynomax, Nov 22 '11 at 18:35
Bueno can be used as a greeting but Hola would be hello – Tia27 Feb 04 '15 at 21:58 — Tia27, Feb 04 '15 at 21:58

score 25 · Answer 1 · edited Nov 22 '11 at 11:22

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¿Bueno?

Is used as a greeting when answering the phone (primarily in Mexico).

¡Buenas!

As a short form of buenos/as (días|tardes|noches) is used as greeting in some regions of Spain and Latin America (Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Mexico).

edited Nov 22 '11 at 11:22

hippietrail

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answered Nov 22 '11 at 00:27

Randolf Rincón Fadul

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Asked a related question. – jrdioko Nov 22 '11 at 00:55
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I concur for Mexico bueno in answering the phone, buenas as casual anytime greeting. – hippietrail Nov 22 '11 at 11:23
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In Chile, ¡Buenas! is also used as a greeting, something I think wasn't used so often some time ago. – Nicolás Ozimica Nov 22 '11 at 22:19
Just as a word game, always that my brother calls a girl and the girl answers "Bueno?" he replays with "No, Buenote!". Buenote = Handsome. – razpeitia Nov 23 '11 at 05:47
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"Buenas" is also used in Perú as greeting. – Ricardo Jan 13 '12 at 10:44
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in Nicaragua is also "Buenas" as a greeting – cayerdis May 17 '12 at 05:07
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"Buenas" is also used by Cubans. Perhaps it's universal? – Junier Jun 07 '12 at 06:34
@Junier don't think so, isn't common on Spain! – Randolf Rincón Fadul Jun 07 '12 at 06:41
we even nicknamed a girl "la buenas" because that is all she ever said to you... – user2757226 Dec 20 '14 at 00:19

score 5 · Answer 2 · edited Apr 20 '16 at 14:39

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Actually, ¿bueno? is used mostly in México and it doesn't originally represents a greeting or a hello. Around 1880 the telephone first came to México but the service quality was very poor. When somebody tried to call to another person then the operator person would have to connect that call, as the system was very poor then the operator person had to do some "test" in order to check whether the call can be connected or not. So, in order to know that, the operator person would say "¿Bueno?", which literally means "good?" and then wait for the answer, if it was "Bueno" then the call was successfully connected and the actual call proceeded. Here is the source of this information, but it's in spanish http://mx.noticias.yahoo.com/blogs/blognoticias/por-qu%C3%A9-se-dice--bueno--230425941.html

edited Apr 20 '16 at 14:39

DGaleano

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answered Oct 22 '13 at 06:35

Jose Maria

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Not around 1800, for sure :) – Gorpik Oct 22 '13 at 11:33
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That's true, I researched about it and found that it was between 1879 and 1880 when it was first established in México – Jose Maria Oct 23 '13 at 01:10
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It seems to me that this is folk etymology. Are there any contemporary sources that back this «¿bueno?» claim? -- while not used exclusively as salutation bueno is a common pet word in most Spanish speaking countries. – Carlos Eugenio Thompson Pinzón Oct 24 '13 at 01:42
Mexicans say bueno only the phone, afaik. – Lambie Sep 10 '22 at 16:57

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Dec 28 '11 at 08:57

In Spain, at least in the Basque Country, it is sometimes used as a very informal "good bye", or "see you". Something like "bueno, entonces hasta mañana", and then dropping everything but "bueno". I've even heard it (and probably said it) reduced to "bo".

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Feb 01 '15 at 15:41

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Here in Puerto Rico we frequently say "Buenas" ("Greetings") when answering phones and greeting people. When we conclude a phone call call or visit, we frequently say "Buen Día", as in "Have a good day".

answered Feb 01 '15 at 15:41

Joe R.

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score 0 · Answer 5 · edited Sep 13 '22 at 07:49

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Yes, it can be. It's by no means a formal greeting, but I wouldn't call it slang. It's a shortening of the longer "Buenos días".

I live in Northern Spain, and in the countryside it's very much used, as well as "¿Que?", which is a shortening of "¿Qué pasa?" ("what's up").

edited Sep 13 '22 at 07:49

Diego

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answered Sep 12 '22 at 20:23

FMT

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score -1 · Answer 6 · edited Sep 13 '22 at 07:51

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I am currently in Puerto Rico vacationing and I have run across this a number of times, that is, being greeted with "bueno" or even "bueno bueno". My Spanish is very poor, limited to mostly greetings, numbers, etc. But this one has thrown me off & I haven't really known what the proper response should be. That's what has brought me to this site, trying to research what it's about. In fact I just ran to the grocery & was greeted as such. So I'm assuming the proper response should be "bueno" back at them.

edited Sep 13 '22 at 07:51

Diego

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answered Sep 10 '22 at 14:40

Paul

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It looks as though you have a new question here, "What is the correct response when someone in Puerto Rico says bueno to me as a greeting?". If so better to ask it as a new question with a link back here for context. – mdewey Sep 10 '22 at 16:13

"Bueno" as hello or greeting?

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