Why English speakers say *bienvenido* to everyone

In English, "welcome" is one fixed word. You say it to a man, a woman, a whole crowd, and it never changes shape. So when English speakers reach for Spanish, they lock onto the first form they learn, bienvenido, and hand it out to everyone.

The trouble is that Spanish bienvenido agrees with the person you are greeting. Say it to a woman and it should become bienvenida. Greet a group and it opens up to bienvenidos. Freeze it as bienvenido for all and it lands slightly off, the way "welcome, sir" would if you said it to a woman.

There is no deep rule to memorise here, just a habit to build: look at who is in front of you, then choose the ending.

• To a man: Bienvenido, Teo.
• To a woman: Bienvenida, Rosa.
• To a group at the café: Bienvenidos, todos.

Hear how the vowel simply follows the person. That is all Spanish is asking of you, and it is a lovely first taste of a language that likes its words to match.

Say it with me: Bienvenido. Bienvenida. Bienvenidos. One warm word, three shapes, one for whoever walks through the blue door.