Bienvenido

Bienvenido is a Spanish word that functions as both an adjective and an interjection meaning "welcome." It is used to greet someone arriving or to express pleasure at someone’s arrival. In everyday usage, "¡Bienvenido!" is spoken to a male visitor, "¡Bienvenida!" to a female, and the plural forms "¡Bienvenidos!" or "¡Bienvenidas!" are used for groups. The term also appears on signs and in communications as a greeting toward guests or newcomers.

Etymology and forms: Bienvenido comes from bien ("well") plus venido (the past participle of venir, "to come"). It shares its roots with other Romance languages that form a compound meaning of welcome.

Usage notes: In everyday language, bienvenido can modify a noun, as in "un huésped bienvenido" (a welcome guest). As a fixed greeting, it is widely used in Spain, Latin America, and communities with Spanish influence. "Bienvenida" functions as the feminine form or as a noun meaning the act or occasion of welcoming, as in "dar la bienvenida" or "una bienvenida calurosa." The term appears in various contexts, including websites, airports, hotels, border checkpoints, and personal conversation, to convey hospitality or acknowledgment of a guest.

Variants and related terms: Bienvenidos (plural masculine or mixed gender), bienvenidas (plural feminine), and la expresión "dar la bienvenida" (to give a welcome). Related concepts include saludo (greeting) and recepcion or recepción (the act of receiving).