Phrases for Greeting People in English

When meeting people, there is a number of greetings you can use in English. These depend on whether you are arriving somewhere, leaving, meeting people you already know, or meeting someone for the first time. Depending on the situation, there are formal and informal ways of greeting each other. However, there is some overlap between the two, and you can almost never go wrong using some of the formal expressions in other settings as well. Meeting People When arriving at your destination or meeting people during the day, use the following phrases: Formal Hello.Good morning/afternoon/evening.How are you (doing)?(Its) nice/good/great to see you.How is your day (going)? Informal Hi.Hey (man).Hows it going?How is everything/life?How are things?Whats up/new?Whats going on?How have you been?Long-time no see.Its been a while. Example Dialogues Person 1: Good morning, John.Person 2: Good morning. How are you? Person 1: Whats up?Person 2: Nothing much. You? Leaving People At departure, there is also a variety of ways you can be polite or friendly: Formal Goodbye.Bye.It was nice to meet you.It was nice meeting you.Goodnight.Have a good night. Informal See you.See you soon/next time/later/tomorrow.I have to go now.I have to get going.(It was) good seeing you.Take care (of yourself).Till next time. Example Dialogues Person 1: I have to get going, Sam. It was good seeing you today.Person 2: You, too. See you soon again. Bye! Person 1: Goodbye, Lucy. It was nice to meet you.Person 2: Bye, John. You as well. Take care. Meeting People for the First Time When introduced to someone for the first time, especially in a formal situation, use the greetings below. For informal greetings, you can either use some of these expressions or choose from the informal greetings listed above. Formal Hello, its a pleasure to meet you.(Its) (very) nice to meet you.Pleased/Glad/Good to meet you.How do you do. Example of a Formal Dialogue Person: Ken, meet Steve.Ken: Hello, its a pleasure to meet you.Steve: How do you do, Ken.Ken: How do you do. Note: The reply to How do you do is How do you do. This is appropriate when you meet someone for the first time. Examples of Informal Dialogues Person 1: Jessica, this is Laura.Person 2: Hi, Laura. Im Jessica. How are you?Laura: Hi, Im fine. Good to meet you Person 1: James, this is my friend Andrew.James: Whats up?Andrew: Whats up?