Other Ways to Greet People in English (besides “Hi” or “Hello”)

“Hi!” or “Hello!” is understood by many but it is not the only way to greet others.  There are ways to greet people that might be more suitable for different kinds of situations.

Since greetings are expressions it can be either be formal or informal – you can actually use slang expressions to greet people! Without further ado, here are other ways to greet people.

It’s nice to meet you!

Before you can casually greet people that you just met – it would be polite to say “It’s nice to meet you” or “I’m pleased to meet you” after you introduce yourselves to each other. This is to establish good rapport with the person that you just met, marks the beginning of your friendship and also assure him or her that you will be glad to meet again in the future.

How are you? How are you doing?

This short greeting phrase can fit almost any situation with you and other people. Asking “How are you?” or “How are you doing?” allows you to start a conversation with the person you’re talking to -whether you know each or not. It’s also nice to hear those words from other people because it will give you a good opportunity to communicate and exchange stories.

Good to see you!

When you haven’t seen your friend for quite some time this phrase comes in handy. This phrase allows you catch up with what you missed during the time that you didn’t see each other. This is a conversation starter that you can follow it up with “How are you doing?” to keep it going with you and your friend, co-worker or any person that you know.

What’s happening?

This phrase is another way to ask a person “How are you?” and at the same time can also suit a situation where you want to make a short small talk with him or her. There are a few slang expressions that constitutes to the same with this phrase such as – “what’s up?” or “what’s new?”.

Good morning, Good afternoon, Good evening

These phrases can fit both informal and formal situations such as having an interview with an employer or just casually greeting your friends or colleagues at any time of the day. Although, they’re not your usual conversation starter but it helps establishing a good rapport with people. Keep in mind of the time as well when you say these phrases!