How to say hello in english

35 ways to say hello in English

Summary: A complete overview of common and more unusual things to say when you meet someone, including differences between different expressions.

By: Alex Case | Category: Learning English | Topic: Vocabulary

Salutations like “Hello” are the first thing that most people hear and learn to say when studying English. However, meeting and greeting can also be one of the most confusing things when actually visiting a country, particularly when it comes to informal situations and local dialects. This article lists and explains 35 examples of English greetings, starting with the most common and useful and ending with more difficult examples. Unlike other such lists, I haven’t cheated by including other starting conversations phrases like “How do you do?”, only putting in things which come right at the beginning of the conversation and are replied to with a similar fixed phrase, just like “Hello”. For more general stuff see the articles and lists of language on starting and ending conversations, and the e-book Teaching Social English: Interactive Classroom Activities: https://www.usingenglish.com/e-books/social-english/

This is by far the most common greeting in spoken English, especially in friendly/ informal/ casual situations. It goes perfectly in phrases like “Hi John, how’s it going?” and “Hi! Long time no see!” However, it’s become so standard that it can be a bit boring or not casual enough for good friends.

This is the standard formal greeting, as in answering your work phone with “Good morning. ABC Limited. HR department. Alex Case speaking. How can I help you?” Note that although 2 a.m. is two o’clock in the morning, it is strange to say “Good morning” then. It’s also not really evening, so it’s probably best to use expressions without the time like “Hello” if you meet someone long before dawn.

From midday, you should switch from “Good morning” to “Good afternoon”. There is no fixed rule on when to switch from “Good afternoon” to “Good evening”, but “Good evening” is more common after around five p.m., after it gets dark or after the evening meal. You need to be slightly careful with when you use “Good afternoon” and your intonation when you say it. Saying “Good afternoon” late in the morning and/ or with a sarcastic tone of voice makes it a comment on how late someone has done something such as arrive at work, as in “Good afternoon, young man. What time do you call this?”

As “Good night” is not used when meeting someone (see below), “Good evening” can actually be used until midnight or later.

This greeting is very common on the telephone (which is actually where it first became a greeting) but not so common face to face, perhaps because “Hello” is a strange middle level of formality between “Hi” and “Good…” You also need to be slightly careful with your voice when you use it, as with different intonation it is occasionally used with its original getting people’s attention meaning (“Hello! Over here!”) and with a sarcastic meaning in “Well, hello!” which is similar to “Well, duh! Obviously!”, and see below for a different meaning in “Well, hello!”

“Good morning” can be too formal and so maybe not friendly enough when entering the office in the morning, greeting a regular customer, etc, so the shortened informal version “Morning!” is perhaps even more common. It’s also useful to have variations on “Good morning” so that you don’t greet everyone with the same words and so make it seem like you are doing it too automatically without actually noticing anyone.

It seems to be fairly universal to raise one hand to casually say “Hello” to someone, but English speakers seem to do this especially casually, sometimes not even moving their hand from their hip when they raise their hand to show their palm. It is also common for English speakers to use this and the eyebrows gesture below to acknowledge someone without interrupting what they are saying. For example, if someone enters a meeting late, most English speakers will acknowledge them with a gesture and eye contact, but not use a spoken greeting. In contrast, in other cultures it might be considered more polite to completely ignore them (to not embarrass them) or to stop for a second to greet them orally.

Raising your eyebrows to say hello is not as universal as raising one palm, as in some cultures lifting one or both eyebrows only has the meanings of coming on to someone sexually and/ or showing surprise.

This is the first of many things on this list that sounds like “How are you?” However, this and similar expressions in this article are never really replied to and are usually the first thing said, so are actually just greetings, not small talk questions. The usual exchange is “Alright?” “Alright”, with different intonation in the question and response. In contrast, “(Are) you alright?” is a real small talk question, not a greeting, and is answered with something different like “Not bad. Yourself?”

This is the American equivalent of “Alright (mate)?”, but can be more confusing. Complications include its many different casual pronunciations and therefore spellings, that it is a Wh- question but is still just answered with “Wassup” with the intonation of a statement, and that “What’s up?” means “What’s wrong?” in British English. You may also still hear the long “Waaasssuuuppp?” version from the late 90s/ early noughties Budweiser ads, but this has been used in The Simpsons, The Office, etc as proof of how uncool character is, so is absolutely to be avoided.

Another difficulty of “What’s up?” is that it is sometimes a real small talk question that can be answered with “Not much. You?” etc. Generally, if it follows another greeting, as in “Hey, John. What’s up?”, it is a real question that needs answering. Other similar-looking questions like “What’s happening?” are usually or always small talk questions and not actual greetings, as they usually follow a greeting like “Yo man, what’s happening?”

This is used like “Morning!”, but to a group of people. It feels more natural to me in situations like starting a presentation when no answer is needed. “Morning all” to a small group of people can be a joking way of noting that there are fewer people there than expected.

Even more than “Morning all”, this is used as a greeting when no response is needed, such as starting a large meeting or sending a group email.

This is a more casual form of “Hello everyone”. Some people don’t like “guys” to be used with mixed groups, as they say that it is like using “man” to mean “person”. However, I’ve heard some females use it with all female groups, and none of the other options are ideal when “Hello everyone” is too formal.

This is similar to “Hi”, but it is even more casual and is disliked by some people, perhaps because it is more common to use “Hey” to (rudely) get someone’s attention.

This is a slightly strange mix of levels of formality, with “Hi” very casual and “everyone” not so informal. However, it is another option if “Hi guys” is a no-no. “Hi all” just sounds totally wrong to me, although “Dear all” is used in more formal group emails.

This is kind of a friendlier version of “Hi”, kind of like “Hiiiiiiiiiii!” I find its overuse to be insincere and quite annoying, but it is the most common greeting for some people.

This is most often used when you meet someone again when you don’t expect to, e.g. when you say goodbye to someone and then bump into them in the elevator ten minutes later. It is often followed by expressions like “Long time no see” (usually with an ironic meaning) and “Sorry, I have just one more question”.

This Australian expression looks like a variation on “Good morning” but is much more casual, being more like “Hi”. You might also hear it in movies as part of “A very good day to you, sir”, but that longer expression is very old fashioned and only used as a joke nowadays.

This is fairly common, but has a range of special meanings and can be rude if not used carefully. If someone else says “Hi” and I reply with “Hi there”, it generally means that I don’t think we’ve met and/ or that I’m surprised that you are greeting me. It can be okay in situations like “Hi” “Oh, hi there. I thought you were off today”, but is often rude. Some people use it in place of “Hi John” when they can’t remember your name, but as it sounds like they don’t remember you at all, it’s much worse than just “Hi”.

This is yet another phrase that is also used to get people’s attention, but is also a greeting. It’s similar to “Hey”, but most people learnt it from copying rappers, and so is often said ironically and/ or with a fake accent.

This is less common than “Morning all”, but is used on TV when a regular enters their local pub, by an old-fashioned “bobby on the beat” checking round the local area, etc. I do hear and occasionally use it in real life, but I wonder if everyone else is also consciously copying it from TV. In contrast, I’m not sure that I’ve ever heard “Afternoon all”.

This is a northern British version of “Alright?” and “What’s up?” above, and so is also answered with the same words but different intonation.

This is simply a spelling variation on “Hello”. I would say that this is closer to most people’s pronunciation than “Hello”, but I would still write it as the more standard “Hello”.

This is another less common and rather old-fashioned spelling of “Hello”.

This is still common in certain parts of the US, but for the rest of us it is only familiar from cowboys in Westerns and Toy Story, and so is usually said with a bad fake cowboy accent.

This is a South African and Hawaiian version of “Alright?”/ “What’s up?”, with the usual response being “Howzit” in both places.

This can sound friendly in a similar way to “Hi! Long time no see!”, but is much more likely to be taken as a criticism, as in “Hello stranger! I’ve been trying to contact you!”

This is a possibility for a more formal way to say “Hi guys”, but for me is too similar to things that headteachers say like “Good morning boys and girls”, so I’d probably stick with “Good morning” or “Morning all”.

This seems like a more inclusive way of saying “Hi guys”, but is even more problematic, as “gals” means “girls” and so seems to be suggesting you are not treating the female attendees as equal adult members of the group. This is therefore only to be used ironically or when you are sure it’s okay.

This is sometimes used (at least on TV) to show obvious sexual interest in someone who has just entered. It’s quite slimy and should only be used in an ironic way, if at all.

For most people “Hi everybody” is automatically followed by “Hello, Dr Nick”, and so it is impossible to use this without thinking of or even doing an impression of this character from the Simpsons.

This sounds to me like something that aliens say when they greet humans, and perhaps for that reason it seems to be most popular among sci-fi geeks.

This is thought to be a typically Irish greeting, but in fact is very unlikely to be heard in Ireland, instead being used by stereotypically Irish leprechauns in comedy programmes.

As mentioned above, this is very old fashioned, and is only used ironically. It’s a bit of a tired old joke to do so. However, as it’s good to use a different greeting with each person that you meet, it is sometimes still used for that purpose when you have run out of other options.

This is as old fashioned as “A very good…” above, and is even more only used by very geeky people nowadays.

You might have noticed that “Ciao” and “Good night” are not in the list above. This is because they only mean “Goodbye” in English, and so they are in the similar article on farewell greetings on this site.

Copyright © 2020 Alex Case

20 Different Ways To Say Hello In English

Greetings! We’re excited to show you 20 different ways you can say hello in English. Learning these alternative greetings in English will greatly enhance your English vocabulary and make you sound more natural.

To help you teach/learn the different ways to say hello in English we have also included some printable ‘ways to say hello’ dialogue cards and a printable classroom poster at the bottom of this page that you can download for free. First, let’s look at these synonyms for hello in English with some example sentences.

Ways To Say Hello In English

Here is a list of different ways to say hello in English with example sentences.

Different Ways To Say Hello | Dialogue Cards

If you’re teaching or learning different ways to say hello in English, then these dialogue cards can help you. As a teacher, these cards can be used in your English class in a variety of different activities. For example, you could give one card to each student and ask them to walk around the class and greet each other in English.

Alternatively, to make it into a fun speaking activity, you could print out two sets of cards and ask students to walk around and greet each other while trying to find somebody with the same greeting as them.

Click the button below to download these ‘ways to say hello’ dialogue cards.

Ways To Say Hello In English | Poster

To remind your students of the many ways to say hello in English, why not download and print this A4 poster? Click the button below the poster to download for free.

Thanks for reading. I hope you found some useful ways to say hello in English. Before you go, don’t forget to check out our free ESL resources, including Activity Videos, Powerpoint Games, ESL Worksheets, ESL Printables, PowerPoint Lessons, and Lesson Plans.

How to say hello in English

How to write in English hello my friend. How to say hello in English and other greetings

What can be added

Sometimes “there” [za] is added to the above words, and then the greetings look like this: “Hi there!”, “Hello there!”, “Hey there!”. The essence of the greeting does not change from this addition, the translation into Russian remains the same, because the word «there» does not carry any additional meaning in this case.

How to say hello in English besides the usual «hello»? You can add to this the question «how are you?»

Also, if you would like to say the familiar “Hello” in English to a person older than you, then “Hello” and “Hi” are also applicable.

How to say hello to a group of people

How to say hello to everyone in English if you are addressing several people at once? Both options below will work: Hello, everyone! [hallow, euryuan!]

Hello, everybody! [hallow, euribadi!]

You can also use one more phrase, it is usually used more often in writing (in chats, groups) than in colloquial speech:
Hi, all! [hey ol!]

Other popular and accepted greetings

A formal greeting written in English will be different from a spoken one.

If you need to write a request for technical support, for example, or ask a question to the consultant of an online store, then it is better to start it like this: «Dear Sir» (when referring to a man, «respected sir») or «Dear Madam» (when referring to a woman, «Dear madam»).

If you are writing an appeal to the support service, and you do not know what gender you are contacting, then you can write it like this: «Dear Support Team» (which means «respected support team»). Or you can write after «Dear» the name of the organization to which you are sending your letter.

It is hard to imagine the modern world without foreign languages. English has become not just a means of communication, but also the language of signing official business documents.

When traveling, conducting business correspondence, starting to work in an international company, it is impossible to do without acquaintances in this international language.

And in principle, he penetrated into all spheres of life of a modern person, as a poet, phrases for acquaintance in English, as well as communication and correspondence, can be both formal and informal.

It is not always easy to conduct a conversation in your native language, but in a foreign language it is even more difficult. Communication in a non-native language requires not only knowledge of vocabulary, but also greetings in English. Equally important are dating phrases in English and courtesy phrases in English.

Communication begins with an acquaintance, acquaintance is the beginning of communication. Therefore, we will begin with such phrases. Here will be presented polite phrases, greetings in English, as well as goodbyes, phrases that allow you to maintain a dialogue, etc.

To get to know each other or just start a conversation, first of all, you need to greet each other. Depending on the degree of closeness of the relationship, as well as the place where the acquaintance takes place, greetings can be formal (for communication with colleagues, partners, unfamiliar or strangers) and informal. There is no need to learn all the phrases in English that will help start a dialogue. For beginners, it is enough to choose a few options.

You met for the first time in your life (or hardly know each other)

Common greeting phrases

Despite the fact that the phrase «How do you do» when greeting is considered outdated, its use is quite appropriate if it is pronounced in relation to a stranger. The answer to this phrase will be a counter question: «How do you do?» This is a formal exchange of greetings, which does not require not only a detailed story about how you are doing, but even mentioning any business and, moreover, about problems or any questions that are relevant to you.

If during the conversation you did not hear or did not understand any expression, just ask to repeat it, just politely ask to repeat one of the options:

In order to start a dialogue with friends, more formal phrases are suitable:

How to start a dialogue or conversation in English

There are a number of phrases in the English language that help maintain a dialogue with an unfamiliar or unfamiliar person.

How to say hello in English: all options

Phrases

How to say hello to a new person, friend, or business partner? There are many ways to say hello in English. On the run, throw “hello” to a friend, strike up a conversation at a party, meet an old friend after a long separation, introduce yourself to a business partner. Each situation has its own nuances, and below we will consider them in more detail.

Universal greetings

These are phrases that can be used both in relation to acquaintances and to those whom you see for the first time.

Friendly greetings

Teenagers and young people, as well as just close friends among themselves, often use slang.

Formal greetings

Relevant at work and business meetings, when communicating with unfamiliar people. The traditional question “How are you doing?” can be replaced with “How is everything?”. If you have not seen each other for a long time, then the following options will be appropriate:

Cheers for children

American Slang

Sentences and phrases

Watch the video about the welcome in English

Now you know how to say hello in English in any situation: on the street and in a friendly environment, at a business meeting and at a party. All that’s left is to practice!

You might also like

How to say hello without «Hello!» and «Hi!»

Greetings in English

In order not to use only an official greeting in English in your speech, the table below contains other, more original options for how you can say hello:

The table shows how different the options can be to say hello. Most of them are not greetings in English in the letter, they are rather used in live communication. Very often our English speech is very monotonous due to our small vocabulary.

To expand it, you need to study English regularly. At home, this can be done by reading literature in English, watching movies, TV shows, listening to music. At the same time, it is recommended to analyze texts, repeat unfamiliar words and perform simple exercises with them.

It is also a great practice to communicate with a native speaker.

Want to know more?

On the LingvoMania language school blog, you can find not only articles on how to say hello in English, but also other useful information that will definitely expand your vocabulary and generally increase your language proficiency. By visiting the blog regularly, you can learn English from the comfort of your home. For those who find it difficult to study on their own, it is recommended to attend courses.

On the main page of the LingvoMania language school website, you can familiarize yourself with the course programs. There you can also sign up for a trial lesson and take a simple test to determine your level of language proficiency. All courses are divided into age categories: for children, adolescents and adults. This approach allows you to make your classes more effective.

In addition, students can choose a suitable form of study, for example, group lessons, individual lessons directly at school, in your office or via Skype.

Greetings in English

Let’s start with the «formalities»

Greetings in English for confident communication

What does any communication have in common? It starts with a greeting. This is a polite phrase or greeting used when meeting another person. It is also a chance to make a positive first impression.

Everyone loves friendly greetings. Chances are, you are already actively using greetings such as «Hello» or «How are you?» However, there are more interesting greetings depending on the situation. In order to choose the most appropriate greeting, it is important to understand the level of formality of communication.

Do you know when is the best time to use formal greetings? What about slang? In this article, you will learn how to greet people properly in any situation.

Let’s add new greetings to our vocabulary.

The best greetings for formal communication

Sometimes, to maintain a professional tone, it is necessary to use more formal or business language than in everyday communication. Here are the most common situations that require these greetings:

Use the following greetings to begin formal communication in any of the above situations.

Good morning / Good afternoon / Good Evening

These greetings are used at different times of the day. Whether you are chatting with a regular customer, coworkers, or new neighbors, these phrases are an effective way to start communication.

The greetings change depending on the time of day. For example: «Good morning» usually used from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m., whereas a greeting Good afternoon suitable for times from 12 noon to 6 pm. «Good evening» most commonly used after 6pm or at sunset.

Keep in mind that the phrase «Good night» is not a greeting and in business communication this phrase is used to say goodbye. For example:

It was nice to meet you. good night!

good night! see you tomorrow.

To express your respect for the person, you can add the name of the interlocutor to the greeting phrase. As a rule, native speakers adhere to a less formal style even in business communication, and also use the name of the interlocutor after greeting. For example:

Good morning Mr Houston

Good afternoon, Ms. Partridge

Good morning Tom

good evening Kelly.

To pronounce «Good morning» less formally, you can simply say «Morning». When communicating with a group of people, you can say, for example:

Good evening, everyone! I hope you are doing well.

Looking to improve your speaking skills? Check out our article «5 Basic Principles of Small Talk».

How do you do?

If you need a VERY formal phrase for someone you are meeting with for the first time, then this phrase is very suitable. Although this greeting is rare today, it can still be heard frequently from older people.

Nice to meet you / Pleased to meet you

This is one example of a respectful greeting that is good to use if this is your first time meeting with the other person. For example:

A: Good morning. I’m Alex White from [Company].

B: Nice to meet you, Mr. White.

A common practice when meeting people is to shake hands. The handshake usually lasts a few seconds, which gives you enough time to say the phrase «Pleased to meet you».

How have you been?

This is a polite way to ask: «How are you?»if you haven’t seen your interlocutor for a long time. Only ask this question if you have met the person you are talking to before.

A: How have you been?

B: I’ve been busy working a lot. How about you?

Informal ways to say hello

When it comes to chatting with a neighbor or coworkers during a coffee break, it is best to use informal ways to say hello. They are suitable for the following cases:

Hello / Hi / Hey

Looking for the most popular greetings to use in an informal setting? «Hello» и «Hi» Is the best choice of greeting for situations like this. Usually, the greeting is followed by the name of the other person. For example:

Hello Michel. How are you?

Hi Monica. Nice to see you!

Reach out to people you know well using a greeting «Hey». This greeting is also a good way to start chatting with strangers. In such a case, the greeting «Hey» is not considered rude, but can be confusing.

How are you doing? / How’s it going?

This is the way to ask: «How are you?». People usually prefer to ask this question after the main greeting. This question is usually followed by a short positive answer. For example:

A: Hello, Amanda! How are you doing?

B: Fine, thanks. And you?

A: Hi, Michel. How’s it going?

B: Great! How about you?

Note that these questions can also be used as part of the main greeting. This is especially appropriate when you have little time for meaningful communication. In this case, there is no need to answer.

Nice to see you / It’s great to see you / Good to see you

If you haven’t seen a person for a while, or have met unexpectedly, then use one of these friendly greetings. You can use these greetings at the beginning of a conversation, after a call, or as the final part of a short dialogue:

Hello Veronica. Nice to see you there.

Well, it was great to see you. Have a good day.

Long-time no see / It’s been a while

These common phrases are used to greet a longtime friend or to start a conversation with someone you haven’t seen for a long time. These expressions are often followed by questions like «How are you?» or «What’s new?» This is a great way to start a short conversation about what has happened since you last met.

A: Hey John! Long time no see. How are you?

B: I’m fine, thanks! What’s new?

A: Hi, Taya. How’s it going?

A: I haven’t seen you for ages.

B: Yes, it’s been a while.

Slang: a creative way to greet someone

The following greetings are slang and therefore informal. These greetings should only be used with close friends or family members. Be aware that these informal greetings are common in certain regions. In this regard, the phrase that the interlocutors understand in Australia or use in British English can sound rather strange in the United States.

Yo!

This funny greeting has its origins in the hip-hop culture of the 90s and is widely used in the United States today.

Are you OK? / Alright mate?

This is the British slang version of the phrase “Hello. How are you? » If your friend asks you one of these questions, just say “Yeah, fine”.

Howdy!

This strange greeting is an acronym for the phrase «How do you do?» and is widely used in parts of Canada and the United States.

Sup? /Whazzup?

All teens know that this greeting is a shortened version of «What’s up?»

A well-chosen greeting makes it easier to start a conversation, whether you are communicating with a close friend or a stranger. Use the greetings mentioned in the article to expand your vocabulary and make your English sound more natural. Feel free to use these new expressions in your daily communication.

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Letters in English. Greetings in letters and emails / English Letters. Greetings

When writing a letter, the beginning, that is, addressing the addressee, plays an important role. The address in the English letter differs significantly from the address in the Russian one. Therefore, to write the correct letter in terms of etiquette, you need to know some rules.

Always remember that the form of appeal in a letter depends on the degree of acquaintance or kinship with the person to whom you are addressing the letter.

General circulation model:

Dear /My dear + recipient’s name (polite or not) + colon
Dear /My dear + recipient’s name (with or without courtesy) + comma,

where the polite address is the forms Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms., Sir, Madam, which are used only with the surname (dots after the forms Mr., Mrs., Ms., as a rule, are put).

Basic rules of handling in English letters.

1. Letters that are strictly formal in tone and content should begin with Dear/My dear and polite treatment:

2. In official letters to strangers, whose last names you do not know, the following polite forms are used:

The last two appeals are used both in relation to married and unmarried women. The combination Dear Miss is not used as an address in English.

3. In less formal and semi-official correspondence, you can find the following forms:

4. If you do not know the name of the addressee, you should not use the phrase To whom it may concern (Whom it concerns). Instead, you should include a job title or general greeting:

Dear Recruiter: Dear Claims Adjustor:

Dear Sir or Madam:

5. If you do not know the gender of the addressee, write his full name, omitting the polite address:

Dear Dana Simms:
Dear TK Spinazola:

6. When in doubt about the choice of addressing a woman (Miss or Mrs.), use neutral Ms.

7. If you are writing to two people, be sure to include both names in the greeting:

Dear Mr. Trujillo and Ms. donne:
Dear Alex and Jill:

These references, on the contrary, should not be abbreviated:
Professor, Dean, Sister, Rabbi, Imam, Senator, Governor, Captain, Admiral, Judge

9. If you are writing a letter not to a specific person, but to an organization, use its name in your address:

Dear Syntax Training:

10. In simplified business letters, do not use a greeting at all. Instead, you need to specify the subject in capital letters, followed by the body of the letter.

WAYS TO BEGIN A BUSINESS LETTER
I am writing to share information about standard letter openings to
(The simplified form of a business letter is rarely used.)

11. In greeting letters to unfamiliar or unfamiliar people, a polite address and surname should be used.

12. In informal situations, i.e. when addressing acquaintances, relatives, friends, only names are used (no polite address):

The polite addresses My dear Sir, My dear Madam, Sir, Madam are strictly official. Dear Sir, Dear Madam are somewhat less formal. However, all these forms are used in official situations.

As you can see from the previous examples, there can be either a comma or a colon after the call. The comma is used in accordance with the British tradition, and the colon in accordance with the American tradition, but this distinction is hardly observed at present.

In addition, the comma is used in less formal style letters (social letters), which include letters of sympathy, gratitude, personal congratulations (on a wedding, birthday, promotion, etc.)

13. Appeal to a woman
When contacting a woman, one should take into account her preferences regarding this issue. That is, a married woman can leave her name and take her husband’s surname, can take the full name and surname of her husband, etc. It is recommended to find out about such preferences in advance (for example, from friends or from the signature in the letter). See the table below for details.

14. Addressing a couple (husband and wife)

Email writing rules in English

To write a formal style email (business e-mail), follow all of the above rules regarding formal style (points 1-11). An informal email usually starts like this.

Dear Han, Hi, Ivan, Hi, Kate, Sue, Brooke: Good morning, Kitty,

Or just start the first sentence with a name:

Bart, you were absolutely right about the matter.

Summary table of calls in letters in English

Style Unit Mn. number

Alternative ways to say hello and goodbye

Hi friends, have you noticed how many ways in English there are to say hello or say goodbye? This is especially noticeable in films and broadcasts. This article is devoted to just this topic. In it we will figure out which types of greetings and goodbyes are formal and which are informal, and how to respond and respond to them.

Greetings

Goodbye phrases

Below we will see how to respond to greetings and say goodbye:

I’m fine / well! “I’m fine!”, Which is a less popular and formal response to a greeting.

Learn English, friends, and take care of yourself!

Greetings in English: business, option for children

Nobody has canceled politeness yet, so it will always be relevant in communication. Today we want to talk about Greetings in English, no meeting, no conversation can do without it. We want to show you different welcome phrases and greetings in English in different situations.

Greetings in English: business, formal for children

Greetings for all occasions

If it’s morning, evening, or afternoon and you just need to say hello, then the following welcome phrases would work:

But if this is a more formal, businesslike greeting, then phrases are appropriate here, such as:

Greetings in English may be accompanied by additional phrases, questions about health, well-being, business, family, etc. For example:

Pay attention to example sentences with these phrases:

Of course, if we are greeted, then we must answer the greeting. Here’s how to do it in English.

Welcome questions like “How are you? / How are you feeling?” And questions about family / work / friends can be answered by:

By using these words and phrases, you will always be courteous and polite with your interlocutor, and your dialogue will be pleasant and positive.

How do you greet someone in English?

Cheers for the kids!

As you learn English greetings, be sure to repeat them with your child. This is very important for children. Practice your greetings every day.

In the morning, say hello to your child in English, and let him answer you in kind. When you come home from work, say hello to your child, ask how he is doing, how was the day in English.

These conversations will diversify your English learning. Do this every day and it will become a habit for you and your children. Make learning English a fun game that will engage and keep kids interested.

When greeting the interlocutor, do not forget to smile at him, this always helps to win over the person. And the warmth of the voice and soulful tone will pleasantly complement your conversation. We wish you good luck!

Greetings in English: types, rules, examples | Articles in English on Study.ru

The Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has always been famous for its traditions and scrupulous attitude towards them. The culture of welcoming is held in high esteem here.

Before you enter into a conversation with someone and greet, you must absolutely clearly understand the degree of formality of the further conversation:

This article will help you understand the intricacies of dialogues in English. We will give various examples of greeting phrases with translation, we will tell you how modern dialogues in chat and on the phone (for example, slang) can sound.

You will also learn how the greeting words sound at different times of the day: morning, afternoon, or evening.

At first, it may seem to you that it is unrealistic to remember so many options for greetings, but soon you will easily determine which tone to choose when talking and which phrases to use. You will learn to greet English-speaking friends in an original and unusual way, learn to use simple conversational phrases, and conduct a dialogue beautifully and confidently. You will no longer feel that your greetings sound dry and impersonal.

Greetings in a letter

Let’s start with a welcome letter. Earlier in one of the articles, we already spoke in detail about how to correctly compose a letter in English. Today we will once again discuss the details of a written appeal to the addressee, because for our English-speaking friends, relatives or business colleagues, the culture of a polite greeting is very important.

Please note that now we are talking about informal or neutral treatment, we will talk about the principles of greeting in business correspondence a little later.

It does not use formal addresses such as: Sir, Mister, Mrs or Miss. You can start your letter with the following welcome phrases:

You can also greet a person simply by their first name.

Official greeting

There are quite a few situations when knowledge of a formal and business language is necessary:

In fact, there can be many more situations. It is important to understand in which of them you should observe the chain of command and choose the right tone.

The main rule: if you do not know the person well, if it is not a close friend or relative, always choose a formal greeting so as not to embarrass anyone. By choosing this tone, you show your interlocutor your respect, make it clear that you understand the importance of the meeting / event.

Use the following examples of greetings:

Greetings in business correspondence

In business correspondence, it is very important to maintain an official tone, not to abuse complex structures: the easier you express yourself, the better. The letter should not contain long paragraphs and familiar references.

In the greeting, you should not use such words as: Dear, Dearest etc.

In a business letter, we recommend that you find out in advance who you are contacting: a man or a woman. Depending on this, choose the appropriate appeal: Mr or Ms.

Welcome dialogs in English

We offer several options for greeting dialogs:

The highlighted fragments of the dialogue are an indicator of formal communication: welcome to instead welcome, very nice to meet you instead nice to meet you, thank you instead of thanks.

How do I respond to greetings in English?

Greetings in English is a very simple topic when taught in class at school, but rather tricky when it comes to communicating with foreigners, especially abroad, where you often have to say hello to strangers.

Many people, when communicating with native speakers, have doubts about how to correctly answer questions inseparable with greetings like “How are you?”, “How are you doing?”, “What’s up?” It turns out that, for example, the Americans when asked «How are you doing?» they can briefly say how they are doing (“Good!”), or they can answer with the same question. So what’s right?

Greetings in English and questions like «How are you?»

This is correct and so, and so, depending on the situation.

Greetings in English usually have two parts:

Here are the options for greetings.

Now take the “Hi” greeting and add the “How are you?”

A universal question that suits any setting, formal or informal. Answering this question, it is customary to add “thank you” or “thanks” (this is not always done) before or after the answer and then also ask how the interlocutor is doing:

Answering this question, you do not need to dwell on the fact that it contains a verb in Present Continuous, and you must try to answer with the verb in this form as well. You can answer in exactly the same way as to the question “How are you?”:

A very popular greeting option in the United States, especially among young people. How to answer “What’s up?”. If this is a question, you can do this:

All of this means about the same thing: nothing special.

But in most cases, “What’s up?” Is not a question to be answered, but just a greeting.

When you don’t have to say how you are doing

The dialog might look like this:

Colleagues walk past each other in the corridor, both in a hurry.

— Hey, what’s up.

— What’s up / Hi / How are you doing.

You have entered the store. The seller, pushing the cart with the goods in front of him, waved his hand and, smiling, greeted:

Here’s how you can tell a question from a greeting:

Greetings in English. Most Popular English Greeting Phrases

There are many ways to address a person when you meet, but how do you choose the appropriate one for a particular occasion? Greet the interlocutor, taking into account the nature of the communication with him. Contact can be formal (role-based) or informal (personal), and yes, being able to distinguish one communication style from another is a very important moment in the process of learning English.

This may seem daunting at first, but over time you will understand which greetings to use and under what circumstances. To help you, YES English courses offer a range of situational universal greetings in English that can be safely used in formal, informal or ambiguous situations.

Business greetings

If you imagine a working dialogue in the form of a constructor, then a correct business greeting in English will be the defining element among its other components, the basis of the first impression and further communication.

At customs, at the airport, at a government office, in the office, etiquette and politeness should be observed. It is also necessary to use the formal language at business meetings and negotiations, at interviews, in communication with teachers at the university and with those whom you do not know well and with the elderly.

In addition to universal greetings, there are the following official ways to say hello:

We advise you to apply by your last name to express your special respect.

If you need to say hello to a group of people, remember the following formal greeting:

Official appeals

When addressing a person officially, it is customary to indicate status in front of his name.

Greetings in English slang. Greetings in English. Greetings in English for children. Farewell in English

Everything in our world is arranged in such a way that without communication and the slightest social connections, nowhere. But how to get them in adulthood is unknown, because to approach a stranger and tell him: “What is your name?” Is not an option at all.

All people are entangled in an inevitable web of interdependence.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Here you will not only learn how to learn English in a month, but also supplement your vocabulary with new words of greeting and goodbye.

How to say hello and goodbye in English

The British take etiquette very seriously, in particular, it concerns the rules of decency when speaking.

Everything has its beginning and end, and communication does too. For most dialogues, these are greetings and goodbyes.

And if you think that you only need to say “Hello” and “Bye”, then you are greatly mistaken, because the English language is rich in various kinds of variations of these words.

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with and adopt some of them.

9 ways to say hello in English

There are dozens of different greetings available. All of them are used in different circumstances and with different people, the most common and universal are:

The word “Why” can be used not only as an interrogative. You can easily use it to draw attention to the information that you say after it. For example: Why, haven’t you heard of that?

How to say goodbye in English

Like greetings, there are many options for goodbyes: formal, informal, and even slang. All of them are actively used in English, so depending on the environment you are in, you can use a couple of them:

And in order to better consolidate such a huge variety of greetings and goodbyes in your memory, we suggest watching this video:

Instead of a conclusion

We hope now it will not be difficult for you to start and end a conversation.

And in order to learn not only to say hello and goodbye, but also to easily maintain a conversation, we suggest you take a free trial lesson at our school and sign up for a conversational English course.

41 Ways to Say HELLO in English

There are many other ways of simply saying HELLO.

But for most English students, they learn the word hello and think that is the only word they can use.

This is not true! There are so many other ways to express a simple greeting in English.

And by using all these different words and phrases, your English will sound so much better. People will think you have more fluency and expressing yourself in different ways you will become more confident.

I have outlined below 41 ways to say hello in English. They are divided into three parts:

Are you ready to start learning them today?

Good — let’s get started!

Table of Contents

Formal Ways to Say Hello

This is the standard opening word that everyone knows. This is used in formal situations, but it can be used any time you greet someone.

2. Good Morning

This is a very polite greeting. Of course, only use this when you are greeting someone in the morning. You can use it any time from early in the morning to before midday.

In English-speaking countries, colleagues say Good Morning to each other as they arrive at work. You can also use this when you see your neighbours in the morning. Or anyone else, for that matter.

3. Good Afternoon

This is the same as Good Morning, but of course, said in the afternoon.

Any time you meet or greet someone for the first time that day, you can say Good Afternoon. When you go to work in the morning, there is no need to say Good Afternoon to your colleagues after lunch.

Just remember that this is like saying Hello but you only use it between the hours of 12:00pm and 5:00pm and you’re good.

4. Good Evening

And this is the same as Good Morning and Good Afternoon, except you use it in the evening. Any time after 5:00 or 6:00 is fine.

You might say this as you meet people for dinner — or as a greeting to anyone that you meet in the evening.

You will find that service staff will use this expression to greet you as you enter a restaurant or hotel in the evening.

5. It’s Nice to Meet You

You can use this for the very first time you meet someone or you are introduced to someone. It is usually used with Hello.

So you might say — Hello, it’s nice to meet you.

You could also use this when making a presentation to people you don’t know. It could be your opening line — Hello, it’s nice to meet you all. My name is John and today I am going to talk about…

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6. It’s a Pleasure to Meet You

This is the same as the phrase above, but more polite.

7. Greetings/Greetings and Salutations

These expressions are very old-fashioned. But sometimes people use them as a kind of little joke.

You could meet your friends in a bar for example and when you see them, you might say: Greetings! It might make them smile when you say it.

People very rarely use this expression these days in a serious manner. It is used today in a light-hearted, slightly humorous way.

But years ago, it was a very formal way of saying Hello.

8. Good to See You

Another greeting that can be used in a wide number of situations.

It is a formal expression, but can be used also to greet friends and other associates. It literally means that you are happy to see the person you are talking to. Who doesn’t want to hear that?

You can just say this and replace the word Hello.

Mark! Good to see you!

9. Great to See You

This has the exact same meaning as above but is more polite — great being better than good.

10. What’s the Word?/What’s the Good Word?

This means — How are you? There is no real difference between the first or second version, they both have the same meaning.

I think it is like saying — What good news or information do you have to tell me?

Usually, when people see each other, they like to share news. And people usually like to hear good news, not bad news.

You can precede the expression with Hello, How are you? Or any other greeting.

Hello Jack, what’s the word?

Hello Mike, well, I suppose you heard about me going to Manchester?

11. How Have You Been?

This greeting means How has your life been recently? Or How are you these days?

It is a very polite greeting that can be used in any kind of context.

Hello Stan — how have you been?

12. Good Afternoon, Sir. How Are You Today?

This is a very formal and somewhat old-fashioned greeting expression.

It is no longer seriously used today, but can often be used in a slightly humorous way to greet friends or people we know.

I have a friend who uses this to greet me most times when I speak to him.

13. Good Day to You

Another very formal and old-fashioned expression.

And again, it could be used in a humorous way rather than in with any serious intent.

Informal Ways to Say Hello

14. Hi

This may be one of the most common expressions that people use to greet each other in English these days.

Originally, it is American English but now used all over the world.

15. Hi There

Just a slight variation of the expression above. The word ‘there’ implies the person you are talking to.

16. Morning

A more informal way of saying Good Morning. It can be just as polite as long as you say it with a happy, cheerful tone.

This is Australian English and is short for Good Day.

It is common across most of Australia as an informal greeting.

18. Howdy

And this is a greeting from America. More commonly used in the Southern States.

It is an abbreviation of the phrase How do you do? But now just means Hello.

19. Hey, What’s Up?

This is a very informal greeting from America. It can be translated as — Hello, how are you? What is going on in your life?

There should be a defined rising tone at the end of the phrase.

20. What’s Going On?

Another greeting of American origin. Roughly translated, it means: How are you? Or What is going on in your life?

21. What’s Happening?

Also from America. This means: What is happening in your life?

It’s a very friendly greeting that can be used to greet friends, family, colleagues or acquaintances.

22. What’s New?

A greeting that means: What is new in your life?

Can be used to greet friends, family, colleagues or acquaintances. It is a little more casual than the two expressions immediately above.

23. What Have You Been Up To?

You can say this immediately after saying Hello. It is an invitation for the other person to talk about their life and any news they may have.

You should use this to greet someone who you have not seen for some time.

24. It’s Good To See You

Another expression used when you haven’t seen someone for a long time. This is very polite and friendly.

25. Hey! There She/He Is

This is an expression that you should really only use for someone you know well.

Could be a work colleague or a good friend, but it only works if you have known this person for a long time as it is very familiar.

If said in the right way, it can be quite humorous. You should say it with a strong rising tone at the end.

It means: Here comes a person that we all know.

26. How’s Everything?

A greeting that means: How is everything in your life?

It can be used in a wide variety of contexts and can be used at work or in a social setting with friends.

27. How’s It Going?

A very common greeting. It means: How is your life going? What is the news in your life?

Use it with friends, family and colleagues.

28. How Are You?

Everyone knows this universal expression!

It can be used practically anywhere and in any situation.

29. How Are You Doing Today?

Maybe a little more formal than the others in this list. You can also just say: How are you doing?

30. How Are You Feeling Today?

Maybe less used than others, but still used here and there.

31. How Are Things?/How Are Things With You?

When people say things, they mean your life. It is like saying How are you? How are you doing?

You can use this with friends, colleagues and family.

It is quite a common English phrase to use.

32. Long Time No See

This is of Chinese origin but now used by English speakers all over the world.

It means: It has been a long time since I have seen you, how are you?

Use it in all situations with any person you meet.

33. Look Who It Is!

Only use this with people you know very well.

It is a very personal and familiar phrase, but when people say it, it can be used in a very humorous way.

Roughly translated, it means that you recognise the person approaching you and you know them very well. It also means that you are very happy to see them.

34. Nice To See You/Nice To See You Again

This is a very polite phrase that means you are happy to see the person you are greeting.

You can use this in any situation and with any person in any context as it is so polite.

Very Informal Ways to Say Hello

35. Hey

This is a very common way to greet people. Use this with close friends and people you know very well.

Not to be used when greeting someone at a business meeting or your teacher.

36. Hey There

A variation of the above greeting. The word there refers to the person you are talking to.

37. Sup?

This is a variation of the previous greeting expression What’s up? An abbreviation for a more relaxed way of saying hello.

This is very common with young people.

38. Yo!

This became very popular in the eighties. Maybe not as popular today, but still widely used.

It is very informal so only use it with close friends and people you know very well.

39. Look What The Cat Dragged In!

This is very informal, and it is very familiar. Only use it with close friends and associates!

It is a small kind of joke referring to the person that you are greeting that your cat caught this person and brought it into your house.

Do not use this to greet your boss or teacher!

40. Oh No, Look Who It Is!

Another funny expression. You can say this as if to say you do not wish to see the person you are greeting — but in fact, you are very happy to see them.

This is very familiar and very relaxed, so use it only with your good friends.

41. Oh, Look Out!

Very similar to the above expression. Another jokey greeting.

It means that you are shocked to see the other person, and you are concerned about seeing them. But this is just the humour of it. In fact, it means you are happy to see them.

Conclusion

So there you have it. 41 expressions you can use to greet friends, colleagues, business associates, teachers, fellow students and your family.

You don’t just need to use Hello — you can use a very wide array of expressions, depending on the situation and context.

Practice them today and use in your own life.

15 способов поздороваться на английском языке / 15 ways to say «Hello» in English

You might know two or three ways to say «Hello» to someone, but there are actually dozens of different expressions.

Возможно, вы знаете 2-3 способа поздороваться, но на самом деле для этого есть десятки выражений

Why do we need so many different ways to say «Hello»? One reason is that English speakers like to avoid repeating words. If one person says «Hello», the other person might not want to repeat «Hello», but might use one of the following instead:

Зачем столько способов поздороваться? Хотя бы потому, что говорящие на английском языке избегают повторять слова. Если кто-то, здороваясь с вами, говорит «Hello», часто не хочется повторять «Hello», а можно сказать вместо этого:

This is the plain, everyday expression that you should probably use most.

Это простое, ходовое/повседневное и, возможно, наиболее употребительное выражение

2 Good morning = Доброе утро

Say this the first time you see someone in the morning. It sounds nice, though a little formal;

Так говорят, когда утром в первый раз видят человека. Это любезно, но несколько официально;

3 Morning! = Доброе утро

This is a more casual version of «Good morning»

Это более разговорный вариант «Good morning»

4 Good afternoon / Good evening = Добрый день/вечер

These are more formal than «Good morning». You might say «Good afternoon» to a customer that you don’t know well, or on stage when giving a speech or lecture

Это звучит более официально, чем «Good morning». «Good afternoon» можно сказать малознакомому клиенту или аудитории, когда начинаете речь или лекцию

Use «Hey» with people that you know well. It’s not exactly rude to use with strangers, but it might be confusing. The person that you say «Hey» to might think, «Huh? Do I know this person?»

Используйте «Hey» только с хорошо знакомыми людьми. С малознакомыми это прозвучит не то что грубо, но как-то непонятно. Услышав «Hey», человек может подумать: «Это кто? Разве я знаю этого человека?»

This sounds casual and cool. Even though it looks like a question, it doesn’t need to be answered.

Это разговорное, модное (клёвое) выражение. Хотя по форме выглядит вопросом, отвечать на него не надо

7 «Sup? = Как дела?

This is a slang version of «What’s up?». Use it if you’re a teenager or want to pretend that you are one

Это сленговый вариант «What’s up?». Используется подростками и теми, кто «косит» под подроста

8 How’s it going? = Как жизнь (как идут дела)?

«How’s it going» looks like a question, but sometimes it’s not. You can say this to someone instead of «hello», even if you’re only passing them by and don’t intend to wait to hear their answer.

«How’s it going» выглядит как вопрос, но порой вопросом не является. Так можно ответить кому-то на его «hello», даже если просто идёте мимо и не собираетесь ждать ответа

9 Howdy = Здорово!

This is a Southern way to say «Hello». You might sound like you’re pretending to be a cowboy if you use it.

Так здороваются в южных штатах США. Это звучит по-ковбойски

10 Well hello! = А, привет!

Say «Hi» this way when you’re surprised to see someone, or if you haven’t seen them in a long time. It makes you seem excited.

Так здороваются, когда удивлены видеть кого-то или давно не виделись. Показывает, что вы рады (заинтересованы)

11 Why hello there = Ух ты, привет-привет

A man might say this to a beautiful woman, including his own girlfriend or wife if she’s wearing something sexy. When you say this with the correct intonation, it makes you sound attracted to the person you’re talking to.

Так можно сказать красивой женщине, своей возлюбенной или жене, если она надела сексуально привлекательную одежду. Если сказать с правильной интонацией, это показывает, что собеседница привлекает вас

This is hiphop slang from the 1980’s and 1990’s. When you say this, you sound either tough and cool, or silly. It all depends on your personality.

Это сленг в стиле хип-хоп 1980-1990-ых годов. Говоря так, вы кажетесь «крутым» парнем или глупым. Всё зависит от вашей индивидуальности

This is an extremely formal greeting. Robots on TV and movies say «Hello» this way. You can use it to be funny if you’re tired of using other phrases.

Это чрезвычайно официальное приветствие. Так здороваются роботы на ТВ и в кино. Можно использовать в шутку, если надоели другие способы здороваться

14 Look who it is! = Смотрите, кто пришёл!

You can use this when you see someone that you haven’t seen in a long time. It sounds really excited.

Так здороваются, когда давно не видели человека. Выражает радость, интерес

15 Look what the cat dragged in! = Смотрите, кого к нам занесло! (дословно: Смотрите, что нам кошка притащила!)

This is an energetic, teasing way to say «Hello» to someone that you haven’t seen in a while. It’s a kind of joke. You’re saying that the person looks like a dead mouse or some piece of trash that a cat has found and carried inside. Of course, it’s not serious. You only say this to tease the person. But not everyone thinks this joke is funny.

Это энергичный, шуточный способ поздороваться с человеком, которого давно не видели. Своего рода шутка. Вы говорите, что человек выглядит, ка мышь, которую притащила в дом кошка. На такую приветствие некоторые могут и обидеться (не сочтут эту шутку смешной)