Pleased to meet you

[Desmond]

What would be the polite way to address someone coming into an office maybe a potential new employee or customer?

[Cloudgazer]

In English or Spanish, Desmond?

In English, "pleased to meet you" would work to welcome people in both situations you've mentioned.

ps. I think this thread belongs in the "El vocabulario" forum.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

I suppose Desmond is asking for the Spanish expression, Cloudy.
(Thread moved, by the way, thank you.)


Desmond: there are several possibilities. In Mexico, the most common formal ways are:

- Mucho gusto.
- Gusto en conocerlo(la).

[Glen]

Is Encantado too formal-sounding, or old-fashioned?

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

In Mexico it's almost never used, so it sounds a bit artificial to us, but it's understood anyway.

[Julvenzor]

To me, no. It's usual.

[wrholt]

When I lived with a Nicaraguan family for a few weeks in the middle 1970's, I once used "encantado" when I was introduced to someone. My host brother (we were both 17 at the time), took me aside shortly afterward and said that men don't say "encantado".

It seems there's regional variation on the use of "encantado".

[Glen]

Originally Posted by wrholt

It seems there's regional variation on the use of "encantado".

Very interesting, and I'd like to hear more about where, and by whom, it's used.

[poli]

Encantado is like charmed in English. In the United States, if you say charmed, its sounds stilted. I believe in England, charmed is more commonly used.
England is to Spain what Spanish is to Mexico.

[Manuel]

I think "encantado" is indeed typical of Iberian Spanish. Funny how different countries have these differences. I am always reminded of how the Spanish say stuff like "coger el tranvía" which in Latin America means "to take in a sexual way", if I'm not mistaken! lol.