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GREETINGS
What Is A Greeting?
A greeting is simply a way of saying hello to someone. In the
English language, there are multiple ways in which this can be
done. There are greetings which can be used in formal situations
and also greetings which are used in a more friendly, informal
setting. It is very important to be able to select an appropriate
greeting for every situation. We will be looking at this a little
more closely in the next section.
Formal Greetings
When meeting someone under formal circumstances such as in a
business meeting or meeting an important person for the first
time, you might use some of these more formal greetings. If you
are ever in any sort of doubt as to whether you should use a
formal or informal greeting, it is always better to opt for the
formal to avoid causing offence. If the situation calls for an
informal greeting, the other speaker will likely signal this.
Good morning/afternoon/evening/day – These formal greetings are used as a replacement
for the word ‘hello’ and are often used in a formal setting depending on the time of day.
Usually, before 12 pm, you say ‘good morning,’ after 12 pm you say ‘good afternoon‘ and
from around 6 pm you say ‘good evening.’ You can use the term ‘good day’ at any point
during the morning or afternoon.
How do you do? – This is quite an old-fashioned greeting, but it is still widely used in very
formal situations. You are likely to hear a reply such as ‘very well, thank you’ when asking this
question.
Pleased to meet you – This is a greeting which is often used when meeting someone for the
first time. It is common in formal circumstances but may also be used in a less formal
situation on a first meeting.
How are you doing? – This is a polite way of asking how someone is and is often used in
conjunction with words like ‘hello’ or ‘good morning/afternoon/evening’ etc.
Informal Greetings
There are many more informal greetings in English than
there are formal ones and this is because most situations
call for a more laid back tone. We are now going to take a
look at some informal greetings which you can use with
English speaking friends, family or anyone else that you are
familiar with.
•Hi – This word, which is another word for ‘hello‘ is probably one of the
most commonly used greetings in the English language and something
you will hear very frequently.
•Hiya – This is another take on the above mentioned ‘hi’ and is
commonly used in the UK.
•Hey (there!) – Another variation on the word ‘hello’. this is used as a
friendly, upbeat greeting.
•How’s it going? -This is an informal way to ask someone how they are
and is used often in place of ‘hello.’
•How you doing? – Once again, this is a way of asking how someone
is and is something that is commonly said in English.
•Alright! – This is a very common greeting which is used to say hello to
someone and is very common in the UK.
•Sup – More common in the USA, this greeting is a slang term meaning ‘what’s up?’ Many
people will use the term ‘what’s up’ but often it is shortened to ‘sup.
•Yo – This is another one which is more common in the USA, and is simply another way to
say ‘hey, what’s up?’
•How’s things/how’s life? – Rather than asking the more formal question ‘how are you?’
many people use this less formal term.
•Long time, no see – This greeting is usually used when bumping into a person who you
have not seen for a long time.
. Hey, Hey man, or Hi and Greeting a stranger
You can use “hey” and “hi” to greet someone instead of “hello”. Both are particularly popular
among younger people. While “hi” is appropriate to use in any casual situation, “hey” is for people
who have already met. If you say “hey” to a stranger, it might be confusing for that person
because he or she will try to remember when you met before! You can also add “man” to the end
of “hey” when greeting males. Some people also use “hey man” to casually greet younger
women, but only do this if you know the woman very well. Remember that “hey” doesn’t always
mean “hello”. “Hey” can also be used to call for someone’s attention.
