Greetings are the conversation starters, no matter whether you are talking to someone face to face or over the phone. As a greeting creates the first impression, it plays a vital role in determining whether the conversation will go well or not.
The most common formal greeting is “hello,” and “hi” is the most popular way of greeting informally. The way one should greet someone exclusively depends on the setting and the kind of relationship they maintain. You greet your close friends casually, whereas you are expected to maintain formality while greeting someone in a professional setting.
I’ll share some examples of greeting friends, strangers, elderly persons, customers, and colleagues in this post.
Examples of Greeting a Friend in English
- Hi Bryan! How are you?
- Hi James! I’m fine. And you?
- Hey James! How’ve you been?
- Not bad. How about you?
- Howdy! You alright, friend?
- Howdy howdy!
- Yo! What’s going on, man?
- Not much. How about you?
- What’s up! Buddy?
- Nothing much.
- Sup?
- Alright.
- How’s life, mate?
- Great. How’s yours?
- Hiya! Is everything fine?
- Yeah! How about you?
- How’s it going? Long time, no see dear!
- Good. Yeah, it’s been ages.
- Wazzup! Dude?
- Nothing. What’s up, man?
Note: Greeting a friend is always informal. However, you must be polite in your choice of words, tone, and body language while greeting them.
Examples of Greeting a Stranger in English
- Hi! Can I sit here?
- Hi! Sure, please.
- Hey! May I talk to you, please?
- Yes, why not?
- Hello! Are you looking for any address?
- Oh yeah! Can you please help me out?
- Good evening!
- Good evening!
- How are you?
- I am fine. And you?
- How are you doing?
- Fine. How about you?
- Good morning to you.
- Good morning to you.
- How do you do?
- How do you do? (The reply is the same. Don’t be surprised)
Note: To start a conversation with a stranger, you may ask for permission from them or make polite requests to talk to you. The above examples show how to do it as a part of greetings. If you know some other ways of doing it, please share them with us in the comment box.
Examples of Greeting an Elderly Person in English
- Good afternoon Ms. Watson! How are you today?
- I am fine. How about you?
- Hello sir! How are you?
- I am good, thanks. And you?
- Hello ma’am! Would you care for a drink?
- Oh yes! Thanks.
- Hi grandma! ((You can use what names you have for them, such as grammy or granny)
- Hi sweetheart!
- Hello! May I talk to you?
- Sure! Why not?
- Hey! How are you, grandpa? I missed you a lot.
- I am good! I missed you too, dear.
Note: Don’t say anything that mentions someone’s age (i.e., senior citizen, old man, etc.) since it may sound impolite to some people. To many people, age is just a number. However, to learn to ask about someone’s age without offending them, you can read another post titled How o Ask Someone About Their Age.
Examples of Greeting a Customer in English
- Hello there! How are you today?
- Fine. How are you?
- Hi! How may I help you?
- Not really. But thanks for asking.
- Good morning! Is there anything I can help you find?
- Oh yeah! I am looking for some cashew nuts.
- Should I help you make a decision?
- Please!
- May I know what you are looking for?
- I am looking for the vegetable corner.
- Welcome to Agora. Are you looking for anything in particular, sir?
- Thanks. Where can I find the meat?
- Hello! What may I help you with, ma’am?
- May I talk to your manager? I have something to exchange.
- Good evening! Thanks for visiting our pavilion. We have the best clothes at this fair.
- Good evening! You are welcome.
- Hello! My name is Alex. Can I help you find something?
- I can’t see the price tag. Can you tell me the price, Alex?
- Welcome back, ma’am. Good to see you again.
- It’s my pleasure.
- Hello! It’s been a pleasure meeting you.
- Oh yes! Same here.
Examples of Greeting Colleagues in English
For Close Colleagues
- Good morning Jack!
- Good morning Sara!
- Hello! How are you?
- Great, thanks. And you?
- Hi David! How have you been?
- Good. How have you been, Julie?
- Hey there! Good to see you back.
- Oh, thank you. How have you been?
For Senior Colleagues or Boss
- How do you do?
- How do you do?
- Hello! Good to see you, sir.
- Same here, Joseph. How are you doing?
- Good morning!
- Good morning. How is it going, Elizabeth?
- Good evening! I am pleased to meet you.
- Good evening! It’s my pleasure.
Examples of Greeting a Job Interviewer in English
- Hello! It is a pleasure to meet you.
- Hello Jennifer! It’s my pleasure to meet you too.
- Good morning! How are you today?
- Good morning! I am fine. And you?
- Hello Mr. John! It is nice to meet you.
- Hello Ms. Laura! Nice to meet you too.
- Good afternoon! Thank you for the interview opportunity.
- Good afternoon. You are welcome.
- How do you do, Ms. Jessie?
- How do you do, Mr. Animesh?
- Hello! My name is Robert Browning. I am glad you called me for an interview.
- Hello! I am Peter Johnson. I called you for the interview. Thanks for coming.
Greetings in Letters and E-mails
- Hi Alex, [Semiformal & informal]
- Hello, [Formal]
- Hello Robin, [Formal]
- Hi there, [Semiformal & informal]
- Hello there, [Semiformal & informal]
- Dear Nira, [Semiformal & informal]
- Dear Mr. Akash, [Formal]
- Greetings, [In all situations when you don’t know the recipient’s name]
- Dear Sir or Madam, [Formal]
- Good morning/afternoon/evening, [Formal]
- To whom it may concern, [Official & formal business letters]
In Conclusion
Besides the above expressions, there are some other ways of greetings used in different regions of the world. Greetings are an essential element of one’s culture. Thus it varies from culture to culture.
I believe the example dialogues of greetings I mentioned above will help you greet appropriately.
If you have anything interesting to share about greetings in English, please let us know in the comment box.
Thanks for reading.
Happy learning!
