Every day we communicate with people. These are the most diverse people - relatives, friends, acquaintances, work colleagues and just random people. And the first thing we usually say to a person whom we see for the first time today is words of welcome. English people (or other English speaking people) also greet each other. Today we will analyze how you can say hello in English, how you can greet each other. Well, at the end of the day, people say goodbye. We will also touch on this issue.

There are many ways to say hello in English. Their use depends on who you want to say hello to and on the circumstances under which the meeting takes place.

These are the two most popular greetings in English. They both mean " Hey!". It should be understood that this greeting option is suitable if the person is familiar to you or he is your friend. Then you can safely greet him or " Hi"or" Hello!"

In addition to these two most popular greeting options, when meeting with well-known people, you can also greet with the following phrases:

Hey man But this greeting is only suitable for males.

How's it hangin? Notice at the end hangin" there is no letter "g". The phrase can be translated quite simply: How are you?

What's up? It also translates: How are you?

How are you doing?

How do you do

These greetings are also translated: How are you?

If you want to greet a stranger or want to say hello politely (for example, to a person older than you or to a work colleague who is higher than you), then there are also several greeting options.

How are you?

The most popular and common greeting. It translates literally "How are you?", "How are you?". Usually this phrase is translated into Russian as " Hello!".

However, there is always an option to say hello to a person depending on the time of the day.

good morning

Good morning. But you can say hello with this phrase strictly up to 12 hours.

Good afternoon. There are no strict time limits here. Therefore, until what time you can greet a person with this phrase, everyone decides for himself. It is quite reasonable to use before 5-6 pm.

Good evening

We want to pay attention to the possible answers to the greeting. For some this may be a little confusing. If you are asked " How are you?", that is, they will greet you; Hello!"So you need to answer:" fine. All right", which literally translates as " fine. All right", but in a particular case it will be designated as an option for answering a greeting. At some official meetings and events, it is best to answer: " I "m fine. I" m well"A friend or acquaintance can be answered:" I'm good"

There are also several different words and phrases for parting in English. The official farewell in English is: good bye or bye. Which translates to " Goodbye". For parting with well-known people, friends and acquaintances, there are several other options.

See ya - see you

So long

See you anon - See you soon

See you again - See you again

It is now popular to say goodbye with the phrase "bye-bye", which means " bye Bye".

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

Many people have doubts about how to answer questions that are inseparable from greetings like “How are you?”, “How are you doing?”, “What’s up?” It turns out that, for example, Americans respond to the question “How are you doing?” they can briefly say how they are doing (“Good!”), or they can answer with the same question. So how is it right?

Greetings in English and questions like “How are you?”

Right and so, and so, depending on the situation.

Greetings in English usually consist of two parts:

1. The greeting itself, for example: Hello.
2. A question like “How are you?”, for example: How are you?

In most cases, a question like “How are you?” - this is just a politeness formula, a formal answer is expected from you, not a detailed one. Although it all depends on the context. If you greet a colleague who walks by with a stack of papers and a puzzled expression on his face, then he definitely does not expect news from you, and if in a relaxed atmosphere with a friend who has not been seen for a couple of months, then you can chat.

In addition, it often happens that the question “How are you?” - it's not at all not a question but a greeting, and in response you just need to say hello. This is the case when the phrase “How are doing” is answered with “How are you doing” (in this case, the phrase usually sounds like a statement, not a question).

Here are some greetings.

• hello– neutral “hello” or “hello”. Appropriate in any situation, so you can say hello to a friend, boss, doctor, president. Also "hello" is "hello" in .
• Hi- a more friendly option, "hello." So you can say hello to friends, relatives, strangers, but it is not suitable for a strict official setting.
• hey- a very informal "hello", something like our "great!" Note that hey can be both an attention-grabbing “hey” call and a greeting.
• Greetings related to the time of day. A neutral way of greeting, so you can say to a colleague, and a friend, and in a formal setting.
  • good morning- good morning.
  • good afternoon- Good afternoon.
  • good evening- Good evening.
  • note that good night- this is not a night greeting, but a good night wish.

Now let's take the "Hi" greeting and add the "How are you?"

Hi! How are you? - "How are you?"

A universal question that is suitable for any setting, formal and informal. When 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 be interested in how the interlocutor is doing:

• Very well, thank you. How are you? is a very formal way to answer this question.
• I'm fine, thank you! How are you?
• Not bad, and you?
• Good! Thanks! And you? (the answer “good” here is not quite grammatically correct, but that's what they say).
• Thanks, I'm ok. And you?
• Great! Thanks! How are you?

Hi! How is it going? / How are you doing? – “How are you doing?”, “How are you?”

When answering this question, you do not need to get hung up on the fact that it contains the verb in, and be sure to try to answer with the verb in this form as well. You can answer in exactly the same way as the question “How are you?”:

• Thanks, good. And you?
• Fine, how are you?
• etc.

Hi! What's up? - "What's new?"

A very popular greeting option, especially among young people. How to respond to "What's up?". If this is a question, you can do this:

• Nothing much.
• Not too much.
• nothing new.
• nothing.
• same old.
• Same old, same old.

They all mean about the same thing: nothing special.

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

When you don't need to say how you're doing

All of the above questions can be used not as questions to be answered, but simply as greetings. This is especially true for "What's up". In most cases, when you are told “Hey, what’s up?” - this is not a question, but just a greeting, as if you were simply told “Hey” or “Hi”.

The dialogue 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.

And they fled.

Another variant.

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

– Hi, how are you doing,- and rolled on, not waiting for an answer.

– How are you doing, You answered and went about your business.

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

• The man who said hello was walking somewhere past, said hello just for the sake of decency and went on without waiting for an answer.
• They called out an unintelligible “How you doin” to you, waving a hand in greeting.
• Intonation as in an affirmative sentence, not an interrogative one. In the examples, I deliberately did not put question marks at the end of the sentences.

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

Hello!	Hello! / Hey!
good morning!	Good morning!
Good afternoon!	Good afternoon!
Goog evening!	Good evening!

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

Note that "Good day" in Britain is more often used as a farewell (official enough) and is translated as "All the best". "Good night" means "Good night" and is also used when saying goodbye.

Cheers on the go

Saying hello to someone you know is a simple courtesy. However, there is not always time to stop and talk. If you're in a hurry, you don't have to interrupt what you're doing, but remember to smile when you say hello. You can also wave your hand. Sometimes you meet the same person several times a day. In this case, you can say hello again (“hello again”) or just smile.

friendly greetings

If you know the person well, you can say to him:

Hi!	Hey!
Hey...!	Hey,<имя>!
How's it going?	How are you doing?

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

• Howdy!
• Hiya!
• What's up?
• G "day (Australia)!

Greetings after a long separation

The British value personal space and do not like public displays of affection. However, close friends may well hug when they meet, especially if they haven't seen each other for a long time. Men sometimes shake hands with each other. In doing so, one can say:

business greetings

Etiquette is important in business meetings. Smile and remember to use polite words like "please" and "thank you". Use appropriate appeals: for men - Mister, for women Ms (read:) is increasingly used, regardless of marital status. (Mrs and Miss are still usable if the woman introduced herself that way.)

The handshake is common in most English-speaking countries. When meeting, introduce yourself with your full name and state the position, for example: Hello, I "m William Jones, sales manager.

To continue the conversation, you can use the following phrases:

Cheers at the party

At a reception or party, it is considered polite to say hello to many people. After you say hello to your hosts and friends, get to know those you don't know. Introduce yourself and strike up a conversation. Mention how you know the owners. Discuss something related to the party (food, music, decor). The following questions will help keep the conversation going:

Away greetings

If you are visiting a friend, say hello to other people in the house. Introduce yourself to those you don't know. Use the following phrases:

Now that you are familiar with the basic greeting phrases in English, it's time to listen to them performed by true English ladies and gentlemen.

In our culture, how we greet a person depends on who they are. After all, we don’t say “Hello!” to our boss, but “Hello!” to a close friend. The same is true in English-speaking countries. common word hello is not the only way to say hello. Let's get to know the rest.

Formal greetings in English

Let's start with the most popular formal English greetings. These are the words and phrases with which you can greet work colleagues, business partners, officials, etc.

1. Hello! - Hello!

Universal option. Suitable for greeting unfamiliar people in an informal setting.

Hello, Mr. Simpson! It's good to see you. Hello Mr Simpson! Glad to see you.
– Oh, hello Mr. Robertson! It's nice to see you too. Hello Mr Robertson! Me too.

Word hello can also be used to attract the attention of a person who said something wrong or made an oversight. To do this, it is distinguished by intonation.

Oliver asked the girl if she"d just come and she responded, "Hello, I"ve been here for an hour". Oliver asked the girl if she had just arrived, and she replied: “Actually, I have been here for an hour.”

2. Good morning/afternoon/evening. – Good morning/afternoon/evening.

Obviously, all these phrases are used depending on the time of day.

Good morning everyone, and welcome to Boston! Good morning everyone, and welcome to Boston!

3. It's nice to meet you. / Pleased to meet you. - Nice to meet you.

This option is the best way to greet a person at the first meeting.

– It's nice to meet you, Mr. green. I've heard a lot about you. “Nice to meet you, Mr Green. I have heard a lot about you.
- It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Olsen. “It's a pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Olsen.

At the first acquaintance in high society, the well-known formal British version is used “ How do you do?” (Hello). In other cases, this expression will be inappropriate, as it is considered obsolete.

– Mr. Miller, may I introduce you to my friend Albert Bailey? - Mr. Miller, may I introduce you to my friend Albert Bailey?
– How do you do, Mr. Bailey? Hello Mr Bailey.
– How do you do. - Hello.

4. It's nice (lovely, great) to see you again. - Good to see you again.

I am glad to see you. - Glad to see you.

These phrases are usually greeted by people with whom you were introduced to each other.

– This is my friend Scarlett. You've met her here a previous time. This is my friend Scarlett. You met her here last time.
- It's good to see you again, Scarlett. “Good to see you again, Scarlett.

5. How are you doing today? - How are you?

This question can accompany a greeting in a formal setting.

- Mrs. Robinson, let me introduce you my business partner brown. – Mrs. Robinson, let me introduce you to my business partner, Mr. Brown.
– It's nice to meet you, Mr. brown. How are you doing today? “Nice to meet you, Mr. Brown. How are you doing?

6. How have you been? - How are you?

This question is asked to find out what's new about a person you haven't seen in a while. When answering, you need to tell a little about your life lately.

– How have you been? - How are you?
- Pretty good. Work "s been busy. I" ve been working non-stop lately. - Pretty good. A lot of work. I've been working non-stop lately.

Informal greetings in English

Now let's look at the options that can be used to greet friends, good acquaintances, relatives, etc.

1. Hello there! - Hey!

A popular option for greeting people you know in an informal setting.

– Hello there! What a nice day today. - Hey! What a good day today.
– Oh hey! It seems like the spring has finally come. - Hey! It seems that spring has finally arrived.

2. How "ve you been? - How are you?

An abbreviated version of the formal expression “ How have you been?” used to find out how a person you haven't seen in a while is doing.

– Hey, bro! - Hello my friend!
– Oh hey! How've you been? - Oh, hi! How are you?

3. Hi! /Hey! - Hey!

A universal greeting appeared around the 15th century.

Hi, Lewis. How are you? - Hello, Lewis. How are you?
Oh hi, Ben. - Oh, hi, Ben.

4. How are you? / Are you all right? / Are you okay? - How are you?

In no case should you give a detailed answer to these questions, and even more so, you should not start talking about your problems. It's better to answer like this: Very well, thank you. And you? (Very good, thanks. How about you?) or I'm fine, thank you. What about you? (I'm fine, thank you. How are you?).

- Hey, Jason! How are you? - Hey, Jason! How are you?
- Hey Addie! Very well, and you? - Hello, Eddie! Very good, and you?

5. What's up? / What's cracking? - How are you?

This is a very informal greeting. You can greet like this only with your peers and those who are younger than you. 99% of the English-speaking population answers it with a word nothing(nothing). However, if a person threw the phrase “ What's up”Just passing by, then you do not need to answer.

What's up, Craig? How are you, Craig?
– Nothing. - Never mind.

6. How's it going? / How are you getting on? - How are you?

Suitable for greeting in almost any informal situation. You can answer as follows: Good(Good) or I'm doing well(I'm alright).

Hi, George. How's it going? - Hi, George. How are you?
– Hi, Michael. good. - Hi Michael. Good.

7. How's everything? / How are things? / How's life? - What's up?

This is how you say hello to people you already know. The answers might be " Good” (Good) or “ not bad" (Not bad). If the situation allows, you can strike up a casual conversation (a small talk) and exchange the latest news.

How's life, Jane? How are you, Jane?
– Not bad, Chris, and you? “Not bad, Chris, how about you?”
– Well, I went to Fiji a week ago. I flew to Fiji a week ago.
– Oh really? Cool! - Truth? Great!

8. What's new? / What's good? / What's happening? / What's going on? - What's new?

In terms of value, this option is very close to the previous one. When answering, you can briefly talk about something new and interesting from your life, or limit yourself to words nothing(nothing) or not much(nothing special).

- Hey Anna! What's up? - Hello Anna! What's new?
– Not much... What about you? - Nothing special ... And you?
Oh, I'm just back from London. “Oh, I just got back from London.

9. It's been ages (since I've seen you). / It's been a while. - Long time no see.

Good to see you. / Long time no see. - Glad to see you.

These expressions can be used to greet coworkers, friends, or family members you haven't seen in a while.

– Good to see you, Steve! It's been a while. - Good to see you, Steve! Long time no see.
Same here, Alex. How've you been? Me too, Alex! How are you?

10. Hey! There she is! - Finally! Here you are!

This is how you can greet a person if you were waiting for him and are very glad to see him. When pronouncing a phrase, the word should be highlighted with intonation there.

- Hey! There she is! My lovely niece. Haven't seen you in weeks. – And here you are! My favorite niece. Haven't seen you in a few weeks.
– Hey, aunt Alice! Hello, Aunt Alice!

11. Hiya! - Hey!

This greeting was formed by combining two words hi and you in the north of England. Used to greet people you know well. American version of the phrase - heya.

- Hiya, Pete, how "re you doing?" - Hi, Pete, how are you?
- Hey, Jessie! I'm great! - Hey, Jessie! I am fine!

12 Alright? - How are you? / Hey.

So in Britain, those who see each other regularly, under the same circumstances, greet each other. For example, at school or at work. Most of the time, no answer is expected.

Mark (has just come to work and sees Karen), “Alrigh’?” – Mark (just arrived at work and sees Karen): “Hi.”
Karen, "Alrigh'". Karen: Hello.

13. How Do? - How are you?

This greeting is also popular in England, in the north of the country. It can be used in a shop, bar or any other place where you come for a specific purpose.

Sam (entering the shop), “How do?” – Sam (enters the store): “How are you?”
A shop assistant, “Aye not so bad. What can I get for you?” Salesperson: “Good. How can I help?"

14. Yo! - Hey!

This is a very familiar greeting. Included in the commonly used vocabulary from the culture of hip-hop. Now it is used only between close friends, most often in a comic form.

- Yo, Josh! How are things? - Hey, Josh! How are you?
- Yo dude! - Hi dude!

And here are a few phrases that will come to your aid if you suddenly met someone you know, and there is absolutely no way to stop chatting.

Oh, there! Sorry, I "m a bit pushed for time. - Oh, hello! Sorry, I'm a little late.

hello there! Look, I "m on my way to work. Maybe catch up with you again soon. - Hello! Listen, I'm running to work. Maybe we'll meet again soon.

Hey! I would love to stop and chat, but I really have to dash. - Hey! I'd love to stop and chat, but I really have to run.

English greetings during the holidays

During holidays in the English-speaking world, normal greetings are replaced by congratulatory ones. Here are some of them:

Merry Christmas! - Merry Christmas!
Happy New Year! – Happy New Year!
Happy Thanksgiving! – Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Easter! - Christ is risen! / Easter!

You can answer each such congratulation with the phrase “ thank you! you too" (Thank you, same to you).

So you got acquainted with the most popular greetings in the English language. Next, we suggest watching a video from Anna, a British resident. In it, Anna, a professional actress, will demonstrate the correct pronunciation of greeting phrases.

This concludes our acquaintance with the most popular English greetings. We hope that the appropriate use of each of the options presented in the article will make your English speech more natural and relaxed.

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(American English - AME)
by Aaron Knight: http://www.phrasemix.com

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

You may know 2-3 ways to say hello, but in fact there are dozens of expressions for this.

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:

Why so many ways to say hello? If only because English speakers avoid repeating words. If someone says "Hello" to you when greeting you, you often don't feel like saying "Hello", but you can say instead:

1 Hi = Hi

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

This is a simple, common/everyday and perhaps the most common expression.

2 Good morning = Good morning

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

So they say when they see a person for the first time in the morning. It's kind, but somewhat formal;

3 Morning! = good morning

This is a more casual version of "Good morning"

This is a more colloquial version of "Good morning"

4 Good afternoon / Good evening = Good afternoon / evening

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

It sounds more formal than "Good morning". "Good afternoon" can be said to an unfamiliar client or audience when starting a speech or lecture.

5 H ey = hello

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?"

Use "Hey" only with people you know well. With unfamiliar people, this will sound not only rude, but somehow incomprehensible. Hearing "Hey", a person may think: "Who is this? Do I know this person?"

6 What's up? = How are you?

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

This is a colloquial, fashionable (cool) expression. Although it looks like a question, it does not need to be answered.

7 "Sup? = How are you?

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

This is a slang version of "What"s up?". Used by teenagers and those who "mow" under the undergrowth

8 How "s it going? = How is life (how are things going)?

"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" looks like a question, but sometimes it's not. So you can answer someone's "hello", even if you are just walking by and are not going to wait for an answer

9 Howdy = Great!

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

This is how they say hello in the southern states of the USA. This sounds cowboy

10 Well hello! = Ah, hello!

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.

This is how they say hello when they are surprised to see someone or have not seen each other for a long time. Shows that you are happy (interested)

11 Why hello there = Wow, hello hello

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.

So you can say to a beautiful woman, your lover or wife, if she put on sexually attractive clothes. If you say with the right intonation, it shows that the interlocutor attracts you

12 Yo = Hello

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.

This is hip hop slang from the 1980s and 1990s. By saying this, you seem like a "cool" guy or stupid. It all depends on your personality

13 Greetings! = Greetings!

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.

This is an extremely formal greeting. This is how robots greet each other on TV and in movies. Can be used as a joke if you are tired of other ways to say hello

14 Look who it is! = Look who's here!

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

This is how they say hello when they haven't seen a person for a long time. Expresses joy, interest

15 Look what the cat dragged in! = Look who has been brought to us! (literally: Look what the cat brought us!)

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.

It's an energetic, humorous way to say hello to someone you haven't seen in a while. Kind of a joke. You say that the person looks like a mouse brought into the house by a cat. Some may be offended by such a greeting (they will not find this joke funny)