English: Greetings & Introductions

Level: A1. Greetings and introductions are the first words you use in almost every conversation. A handful of fixed phrases will carry you through meeting people, saying hello and goodbye, and asking how someone is.

By the end of this page you can…

…greet people at any time of day, introduce yourself and a friend, ask and answer ‘How are you?’, and say goodbye politely.

Saying hello

English has one all-purpose greeting and a few that depend on the time of day. Hello works everywhere and with everyone. Hi is a little more relaxed, and Hey is the most casual — good with friends, less so with a new boss.

When you want to sound warm or polite, add the time of day: Good morning until about noon, Good afternoon until the evening, and Good evening after dark. Notice that Good night is not a greeting at all — it is only for leaving or going to sleep.

Asking how someone is

After ‘Hello’, people usually ask how you are. The common questions are How are you? and, more casually, How’s it going? or How are you doing?

Here is the key point for learners: this is mostly a friendly ritual, not a real request for news. A short, positive reply is expected, followed by the same question back:

• Fine, thanks. And you?
• I’m good, thank you. How about you?
• Not bad, thanks.

Introducing yourself and others

To say who you are, use I’m … or My name is …:

• Hi, I’m Sarah.
• My name is David.

To introduce a third person, use This is …. You do not say he is or she is when you present someone — This is is the fixed phrase:

• This is my friend, Tom.
• Anna, this is my colleague, Mr Lee.

When you meet someone for the first time, the polite exchange is Nice to meet you and the reply Nice to meet you too. Use it only at that first meeting.

Saying goodbye

Goodbye is the full, slightly formal word; Bye is the everyday version. You will also hear See you later, See you tomorrow, Take care, and, in the evening, Good night. A friendly Have a good day! is common when you part.

Example sentences

Play each line, then say it along with the audio. These are the exact phrases you will use every day.

Quick recap before you practise.

Practice

How to say it

A few of these everyday phrases get blurred in natural speech — copy the links, don’t separate every word.

• How are you? sounds like one smooth word, roughly “howaryou”. The are almost disappears.
• Nice to meet you links into “nice-to-meechoo” — the t and y join into a ch sound.
• Good morning drops the d: say “goo-morning”, not two sharp words.
• Thanks has a soft th and a short a, ending in -nks — not “tanks”.

Quiz

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