Simple Greetings in English

A greeting is something friendly that you say or do when you meet someone. It is one of the first things you learn in English, and also one of the most important ways to start a conversation. But English has many greetings, and choosing the right one depends on who you are talking to and when you meet them.

Hello, Hi, and Hey

These three words are the most common greetings in English. They mean the same thing, but they feel different.

Hello

Hello is mainly used when you want to greet someone in a formal context.

"Hello" is the most common greeting in English, suitable for both formal and neutral situations, and when speaking to older people, strangers, or in professional environments, it is the safest choice because it shows respect and politeness.

You can use hello when you answer the phone, when you meet someone for the first time, or in any situation where you want to sound polite.

Hello, my name is Maria. Nice to meet you.

Hello, Dr. Kim. Thank you for seeing me today.

Hi

Hi is mainly used to greet friends, families, and close relatives.

Hi is a casual greeting used among friends and family, while Hello is a more formal greeting typically used in more formal situations. That said, hi is also acceptable in many everyday situations, like greeting a coworker or someone you know a little.

Hi, Sara! How's your weekend going?

Hi, thanks for coming.

When you are not sure which to choose, hello is always safe. But if the situation feels friendly and relaxed, hi works well.

Hey

Hey is a casual and informal greeting commonly used among younger people and close friends, appropriate for relaxed conversations and informal digital communication, but many people still consider it too informal or even inappropriate in professional or serious situations, so you should avoid using "Hey" in formal communication, such as business emails or when greeting someone older or of higher status.

Hey is warmer and more personal than hi, but also more limited. Use it only with people you know well.

Hey! Long time no see!

✗ Hey, Professor Johnson.
✓ Hello, Professor Johnson.

Time-based greetings

English also has greetings that change depending on the time of day. These are a little more formal than hello or hi.

Good morning

Good morning is used as a greeting in the morning, generally from waking up until around 12:00 PM (noon).

Good morning, everyone. Let's begin the meeting.

Good afternoon

Afternoon starts at 12 (midday) until sunset. Most people use good afternoon from noon until around 5:00 or 6:00 PM.

Good afternoon. Can I help you?

Good evening

Good evening is used as a greeting in the evening, generally from about 5:00 PM until bedtime.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

Good night is NOT a greeting

Good night is NOT used as a greeting; it is only used when you leave a place, when you say goodbye to someone, or when someone goes to bed.

We use Good night only when we are leaving someone at the end of the day, before going home or going to bed.

✗ Good night! Come in.
✓ Good evening! Come in.

When you leave at the end of the day, you can say good night.

Good night. See you tomorrow.

How are you?

After you greet someone, it is very common to ask "How are you?" which can be a conversation starter or another way to say hello, depending on the context.

Common responses

Good is the most common answer to the question "How are you?" and is polite and cheerful.

After you say your quick answer, it's polite to add a "thanks" afterwards, and then you can ask the other person "How are you?"

Here are some simple, polite answers:

Good, thanks. How are you?

Fine, thanks. And you?

I'm well, thank you. How about you?

You do not need to give a long or detailed answer, especially with people you do not know well. The classic "I'm fine, thanks," is good to use when you don't necessarily want to pursue the conversation much more, for instance, if you're in a store and a clerk at the checkout asks you how you are, you can offer this response as a courtesy, but it's definitely not a conversation starter and is a polite way of saying "end of discussion."

With close friends and family, you can be more honest.

I've been better. I'm a bit tired today.

Great! I just got some good news.

Putting it all together

When we see someone we know, we usually exchange greetings: "Hi." "Hello, how are you?" "Fine, thanks. How about you?"

A typical greeting conversation looks like this:

Person A: Hello!
Person B: Hi! How are you?
Person A: I'm good, thanks. How about you?
Person B: I'm fine, thanks.

Or, more casually:

Person A: Hey!
Person B: Hey! How's it going?
Person A: Pretty good. You?
Person B: Not bad.

The greeting you choose depends on three things: who you are talking to, where you are, and how well you know the person. When you are unsure, choose the more formal option. It is always better to sound a little too polite than too casual.