How to say hello in English. Informal greetings in English

The simplest and shortest form of greeting, both in Russian and English language is the word "hello". "Hello" in English - "Hi" [high]. It is most often used in conversation, especially with those people whom you already know, you see not for the first time. The English greeting “Hello” [hello] has a similar translation - “Hello”, “Hello”. What is their difference?

“Hi” is more suitable for informal communication, and the second option, “Hello”, is considered more formal. Therefore, it is recommended with absolutely strangers say hello the second way. But in practice, most likely, you will come across the fact that strangers greet each other and you with “Hi”, complementing it with a sincere and friendly smile. And that's completely normal.

How else can you say “hello” in English: “Hey” [hey] is a colloquial version, informal. This is often how young people say hello. Therefore, it is NOT recommended to use this word to greet an elderly person or a complete stranger to you.

What can be added

Sometimes “there” [zea] is added to the above words, and then the greetings look like this: “Hi there!”, “Hello there!”, “Hey there!”. The essence of the greeting does not change from this addition, the translation into Russian remains the same, because the word "there" does not carry any additional meaning in this case.

How to say hello in English, besides the usual "hello"? You can add to this the question "how are you?". And then the greeting will sound like this: “Hi, how are you?” [hai, hau a yu] - “Hi, how are you?” For informal communication, the option is suitable: “What’s up?” [whats up] - "How are you?"

If you are glad to see your interlocutor, you can not hide it and add the phrase "I'm glad to see you!" [aim glad to si yu] - "I'm glad to see you!" It is worth noting that in English the appeal "you" is applicable to a person of any age. There is no division, as in Russian, into “you” and “you”. Those. if you respect a person or he is unfamiliar to you, and in your native language you would say: “I am glad to see you!”, Then in English it will still be “I’m glad to see you”.

Also, if you would like to say the usual "Hello" on English man older than you, then "Hello" and "Hi" are also applicable in this case.

How to say hello to a group of people

How to say in English "Hello everyone!" If you are addressing several people at once? Both options below will work:
Hello everyone! [hello, evryuan!]
Hello, everyone! [hello, evrybadi!]

You can also use one more phrase, it is usually used more often in writing (in chats, groups) than in colloquial speech:
Hey, all! [hey ol!]

Other Popular and Accepted Phrases for Greetings

A formal greeting in a letter in English will be different from a spoken one. If you need to write a request to technical support, for example, or ask a question to a consultant of an online store, then it is better to start it like this: “Dear Sir” (when referring to a man, “dear sir”) or “Dear Madam” (when referring to a woman, "dear madam"). If you are writing an appeal to the support service, and do not know what gender you are addressing, then you can write like this: “Dear Support Team” (which means “dear support team” in translation). Or you can write after "Dear" the name of the organization to which you are sending your letter.

Do not forget about greetings, which depend on the time of day. Translated from Russian, “Good morning” in English will look like this: “Good morning” [gud monin]. “Good afternoon” - “Good afternoon” [gud aftenun]. “Good evening” - “Good evening” [gud ivnin].

If you have just been introduced to a person and you are sincerely glad to meet him, then you can add: “Nice to meet you” [Nice to meet you] - “” / “Nice to meet you.”

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! / Hi!
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 Goodnight” 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!	Hello!
Hey...!	Hi,<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.

Oh, hi! You probably already know about "Hello" and "How are you?", right?

However, the British do not always greet in this way. They, for your information, also use many other English greetings to express different emotions. You can use such English greetings to sound more natural, to express your thoughts even more clearly and precisely.

Let's find out how to use some of the simple formal and informal English greetings, as well as some of the fun slang people around the world use to greet each other. Take a look!

You probably already thought, why do I even need to know how to say “Hello” in English? Maybe it's more convenient to use your relatives? Maybe you think that everyone will understand what you mean anyway?

Yes, perhaps it is. In a world that is gradually becoming one big village, greetings are becoming a common occurrence in all countries. At least a couple of greetings in other languages, we are sure you know. And no matter what English-speaking country you find yourself in, you can certainly get by with non-English greetings.

But what about the proverb “When in Rome, do as the Romans do?” - They don’t go to a foreign monastery with their charter. Maybe you should follow the rules?

In fact, there are dozens of greetings to use, and there are too many to list in one article. Why does one language have so many different greetings?

First, the British do not like to repeat themselves. They would rather come up with a bunch of ways to convey one message than allow the possibility of repeating what someone else has already said. If one said "Hello!", the other will probably want to respond with a different phrase.

More important than this fear of duplication, however, is that different circumstances require different levels of formality. You wouldn't greet a potential employer the same way you greet your friends, would you? Of course, if you are really interested in getting a position, then not only make an English CV, but also be tactful in your appeals.

At first, everything may seem quite confusing, but over time, you will understand exactly what to use in which situations and how.

So, let's look at greetings in English that you can safely use in formal, informal or casual situations. M"kay?

Here goes a little something like this...

Formal greetings in English

As you know, each country has its own way of greeting others, and these greetings are part of every conversation. It is important to know common phrases, words and how to use them correctly and confidently. They say that first impressions are everything, but we insist that first impressions are nothing without the proper greeting. With the formal, everything is quite simple, the main thing is to say them in time.

For example, "How do you do?". This is a formal greeting, though a bit dated and not commonly used today. However, some words are suitable for use in more formal situations or when respect and courtesy should be shown. These situations include business meetings, formal class or workplace activities, and meetings with the parents of friends or lovers. You can hear such greetings in restaurants, at business meetings or in stores. There are many other options, but here are 6 of the most common formal ways to say "Hi"

• Hello.- Hello.
• good morning. - Good morning.
• good afternoon.- Good afternoon.
• good evening.- Good evening.
• It's nice to meet you.- Very nice.
• It's a pleasure to meet you.- Nice to meet you.

A couple of last greetings, by the way, are only relevant if you are meeting someone for the first time.

Mary: John, I "d like you to meet my father.
Mary: John, meet my father.
John (shifting from one foot to the other): Er. . . ah. . . It's nice to meet you, Mr. Wolverine, sir.
John (shifting from foot to foot): Um... Uh... Nice to meet you, Mr. Wolverine, sir. This is usually followed by a polite handshake. Although, if, as in the case of poor John, you really get to know Wolverine, then pay attention to the claws - if he has already released them, then it would be quite reasonable to avoid shaking hands ... Maybe you should just run?

Dr. Feelwell (addressing a group of colleagues at a seminar): Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Tonight I would like to present the results of my study on "Healthy Fast Food Options".
Dr. Filval (addressing a group of colleagues at a seminar): Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Today I would like to present to your attention the results of my research on the topic "Possibilities healthy eating through fast food.

There are also formal greetings for those you haven't seen for a long time:

• It has been a long time.- Long time no see.
• It's been too long. How much water has flowed...
• What have you been up to all these years?- What have you been doing all this time?
• It's always a pleasure to see you.- Always glad to see you.
• How long has it been?- How much time has passed?
• What's new?- What's new?

Informal greetings in English

Usually English people greet each other in an informal way, so you can use these colloquial greetings for friends, family, and also for those you happen to meet on the street.

• Hi!- the most popular "hello".
• Morning!- still translates as "good morning".
• How are things (with you)?- How are you?
• What's new?- What's new?
• It's good to see you.- I'm glad to see you (if you're definitely glad or haven't seen you for a long time).
• G'day!- short for "Good day"! - Good afternoon!
• Howdy!- Great! Or "Hey!" This is how people often say hello in the southern part of the USA.

Although some of these expressions look like questions, the "respondent" does not always have to perceive them in this way. In fact, although it can be misleading, here the question is often answered with a question. And it "s just fine. Such greetings can be used in combination, and they are all pretty interchangeable:

Jane: Hi, Jake. What's new?
Jane: Hi Jake. What's new?
Jake: G "day, Jane. How are things? or Morning, Jane. It's good to see you.
Jake: Hello Jane. How are you? or Good morning, Jane. I'm glad to see you!

And this style also has greetings for people you haven't seen in a long time:

• Long time no see.- Long time no see!
• How "s it goin"?- How are you doing? You can answer - It "s goin" good!
• What's good?- Che good?
• What's cracking?- How is life?
• How've you been?- How are you?
• How's life been treating you?- What's up?
• Where have you been hiding?- Where have you been?
• It's been ages (since I've seen you)!- I haven't seen you in years!

Funny greetings in English

Almost every greeting can be like this if you pronounce it correctly. Here are a few useful tips to help you entertain your amigo.

• Accent. Add a goofy accent to your greeting. Say something like Erro(silly "Hello") ! G "day, mate! Your friend will likely smile and probably even call you a jerk, but the smile was worth it, right?
• Parodies. You can pose as an Italian or an evil witch by answering the phone to your mother or in person. Think of your favorite movie and cartoon characters and try to parody one of them. Don't be discouraged if you don't succeed - it will be even funnier!
• Sounds and voices. Who doesn't like silly voices and sounds? Try different ones. If you have a child, then you know exactly what sounds make you smile.
• Jokes. Start the conversation with a joke. Imagine that you are answering the phone and hear the question:

- Hello! Is your refrigerator running?(Does your refrigerator work?)
- Yes... ?(you answer)
- Well you better go catch it! Before it runs away! Ha-ha-ha!!! Oh, those untranslatable American jokes... The fact is that "running" is translated not only as "run", but also as "work", i.e. "function". The joke is stupid, but still funny.

Greetings for children in English

• Hiya!- Hello!
• Peek-a-boo!- Ku-ku!
• Hi mister!- Hello, mister!
• Hello sunshine!- Hello, sunshine!
• Howdy partner!- Hello, partner!
• Hey, howdy hey!- Hey, hayushki!
• What's kickin', little chicken?- What's up, chicken?
• Howdy doody!- How are you guys? In general, this is a popular puppet doll in the 50s.
• Hey there freshman!- Hey, rookie!
• I come in peace!- I came in peace! Like in that fantasy action movie.
• Put that cookie down!- Put that cookie down! How Arnold Schwarzenegger shouted into the phone in the movie A Gift for Christmas.
• Ahoy, matey!- Hello, buddy! In the captain's way.

Greetings for loved ones in English

• "Ello gov" nor (Hello, governor!)!- Greetings, Governor (Chief)!
• Top of the mornin' to ya!- Have a wonderful morning!
• Gooood morning, Vietnam!- Good morning, Vietnam! Like in that Robin Williams movie.
• "Sup, homeslice?- What's up, buddy? Or "old man".
• How does a lion greet the other animals in the field? A: Pleased to eat you.- How does a lion greet other animals on the field? Answer: Glad to eat you. (meet rhymes with eat).
• I'm Batman.- very creative.
• At least we meet for the first time for the last time!- At least we see each other for the first time for the last time!
• Hello, who's there, I'm talking.- Hi, who's there, I say.
• Heeeeeere's Johnny! And here's Johnny! Like Jack Nicholson's character in The Shining. Which in turn copied the greeting of Johnny Carson, the host of the popular evening show from 1962 to 1992.
• You know who this is.- You know who it is (on the wire).
• Ghostbusters, what do you want?- Ghostbusters. How can we help?
• greetings and salutations!- Cheers and salutes!
• doctor. Yes, just a doctor.

Random greetings in English

These ways of saying hello are used in casual, friendly, and familiar situations. They can be verbal, text messages, voice mail messages, or letters to people you know well. Although they can hardly be called rude, they are still not quite suitable for use with strangers. This can be confusing and you may not be understood. You should not use such greetings in formal situations, as it may seem to the person you are communicating with that you do not realize the gravity of the situation. For example, it would be completely inappropriate to say “What's up ?!” someone you met at the funeral, and we would strongly advise you not to use "Yo!".

• hey or Hey there!- Hi!
• What's up?! (Whaddup; Sup!)- How is it?
• How's it going?- How are you?
• What's happening or What's happenin'?- How are you? What's up?
• Yo!- Yo! Hey! It's like "hello", only "yo"...

These words and phrases are mainly used by young people to greet each other when they come to somewhere, such as a party, a cafe or a visit. Again, although some of these greetings look like questions, they are not answered, and the translations of all words are quite similar.

Biff (as he approaches his classmates): Yo! What's happenin'?
Biff (approaching his classmates): "Yo! What's up?"
Classmates (the Gang): Hey! "Sup?
Classmates (separate group): "Hey, how is it!". Then they all mumble a bit, shake hands, pat on the shoulder, and decide to skip class and go for a drink at a nearby pub.

Conclusion

As you may have guessed, this is all just the tip of the iceberg. Expressions are easy enough to learn, but the hard part is learning how to use them correctly. But now that you have these greeting lists at your disposal, you can go out into the world and start practicing them!

Make sure you use words and expressions with confidence to produce good first impression. Try to use a new greeting each time. Or just meet up with your friends and surprise them. And then go with them to the mall and buy something there. First you just need to buy a plane ticket to the desired country;)

Don't hold back! Do it today!

Big and friendly family EnglishDom

Politeness has not yet been canceled, so it will always be relevant in communication. Today we want to talk about greetings (Greetings) in English, not a single meeting, not a single conversation can do without it. We want to show you different greeting phrases and greetings in English in different situations.

Greetings in English: business, formal for children

If it’s morning, evening or afternoon and you just need to say hello, then the following greeting phrases are suitable here:

• good morning! - Good morning!
• Good afternoon/day! - Good afternoon!
• good evening! - Good evening!

If it's a friendly greeting, then you'll be fine Hello!/Hi! - Hi!

But if this is a more formal, business greeting, then phrases like:

• How do you do? - Hello.
• Welcome! - Welcome!
• Glad to see you! - Glad to see you!

A greeting in English may be accompanied by additional phrases, questions about health, well-being, business, family, etc. For example:

• How are you? - How are you/are you doing?
• How is your family? - How is your family?
• How are your parents/children/friends? How are your parents/children/friends?
• How is your husband/wife? How is your husband/wife doing?
• What a pleasant surprise! - What a pleasant surprise!
• I haven't seen you for weeks. - I haven't seen you in weeks.
• It's a long time since I saw you last! How long have we not seen each other!

Pay attention to examples of sentences with these phrases:

Hello Jim! I haven't seen you for weeks. What a pleasant surprise! How are you? How are your wife and mother? — Hello, Jim! I haven't seen you in weeks. What a pleasant surprise! How are you? How are your wife and your mother?

Of course, if we are greeted, then we must return the greeting. Here's how to do it in English.

To welcome questions like " How are you?/How are you feeling?”, as well as questions about family / work / friends can be answered:

• Thank you very well. - Thanks, very good
• Thank you, so-so. - Thank you, so-so
• (I "m) Fine, thank you. - I'm fine, thank you
• I'm all right. - I'm good
• Not too bad. - Not so bad
• Nothing good. - Nothing good
• Everything is good. - Everything is fine.

Using these words and expressions, you will always be kind and polite to your interlocutor, and your dialogue will be pleasant and positive.

How to greet someone in English?

Cheers for kids!

When learning greetings in English, be sure to repeat them with your child. For children, this is very important. Practice greetings every day.

Say hello to your child in English in the morning, and let him answer you in the same way. When you come home from work, say hello to your child, ask how he is doing, how the day went in English.

— Good morning, darling! - Good morning dear!
— Good morning, mum! How are you today? - Good morning, Mom! How are you today?
— I'm fine, thank you! And you? - I'm fine, thank you. And how are you?
— I'm fine too! - I'm fine too!

— Good afternoon, my dear! How was the day? - Good afternoon, my dear! How was the day?
— Hello, mum, everything was good! “Hey Mom, everything was fine!”

Such dialogues will diversify your learning of English. Do this every day and it will become a habit for you and your children. Turn English learning into exciting game, it will attract and interest children.

When greeting the interlocutor, do not forget to smile at him, it always helps to win over the person. And the warmth of the voice and soulful tone will pleasantly complement your conversation. We wish you good luck!

There are many ways to address a person when meeting, but how to choose the appropriate one in any particular case? Greet the interlocutor, given the nature of communication with him. Contact can be formal (role-based) or informal (personal), and yes, being able to distinguish one style of communication from another is a very important point in the process of learning English.

It may seem difficult at first, but over time you will understand which greetings to use and under what circumstances. To help you, YES English courses offer a range of situational universal greetings in English that can be safely used in formal, informal or vague situations.

Universal greetings

	Good morning!
	Good afternoon!
	Good evening!

Remember that this does not include "Good day!", which translates as "All the best!", Not " Have a good day!”, and is used when parting. And the phrase "Good night!" has a literal translation of "Good night!" and also means goodbye.

business greetings

If we imagine a working dialogue in the form of a constructor, then a correct business greeting in English will be a defining element among its other components, the basis of the first impression and further communication.

At customs, at the airport, government agency, office, you should observe etiquette and show emphatic courtesy. It is also necessary to refer to the formal language at business meetings and negotiations, at interviews, in communication with teachers at the university and with those whom you do not know well, and with older people.

In addition to universal greetings, there are the following official ways to say "Hello!":

Official addresses

Addressing a person officially, it is customary to indicate the status before his name.

Woman
		Appeal to a young unmarried girl. (Miss Young)
		If you are not sure if the girl is married. (Ms. Pfeiffer)
		Used for a woman who takes her husband's surname. (Mrs. Holmes)
		The most formal way of addressing an elderly woman or a woman in a respected position.
The male
	Mister	Appeal to all men. (Mr. Smith)
		The most formal way to address a man. (Sir John Lavery)
Professional titles
	Dr. Patterson
	Professor (Prof. White)

friendly greetings

Sometimes it seems that the British themselves are tired of ceremony. In any case, modern English is damn rich in friendly greetings. It is desirable to resort to informal language at conferences, talking with friends and colleagues in your free time, as well as with all those whom you already know very well.

The most popular greeting words in English known to everyone:

All of them translate as "Hello!", but are arranged in order of increasing familiarity.

"Hey!" - the most behind-the-scenes expression, an abbreviation for the American "Hey, guys!" - "Hi guys!". It is used in relation to friends from the same company, people who are close in spirit.

How are you?

Be careful! When answering the above questions, do not try to list all the things that you managed or could not do today. They are unassuming and suggest primitive answers.

Answer examples:

• fine, thank you. And you? - Well thank you. And you?
• Awesome! you? - Awesome! What about you?
• Hello, Ann - not bad, thanks! How about you? - Hello, Anya, not bad, thank you! What about you?
• Doing well. And how have you been? - Good! How are you?
• fine. And you? How are you? - Good! And you? How are you?
• Hey dear. How are you? - Hi dear. How do you?

Meeting after a long separation

If you have not seen a person for a while and suddenly meet him in a cafe or walking somewhere in the city, express your feelings in the following expressions.

These greetings are used when you have not seen a person for a long time. With their help, you can resume communication after separation. The question "When was the last time we saw each other?" “How long have we not seen each other?” is an easy way to start a conversation about what has happened since you last saw each other.

Slang greetings

Imagine that you find yourself in some kind of reality where the local population does not speak in standard, clichéd phrases. The reality you are in right now is based on play and originality. This is a street subculture, and you are outsiders in it. “They don’t go to a strange monastery with their own charter” - you will have to adhere to local rules. Below we draw up a rescue plan - remember English slang and look for super-informal ways to say the word Hello!

	Hey there! Hello!	The most street greeting in English
	Hear you, hello!	Merging "hi" and "you". You need to pronounce it in a friendly tone so that it is accepted in your new environment. And it does not matter at all that when you greet, you will look like a wild ninja.
	Hello, is everything okay?	Merging "hello" and "how are you?". It turns out two in one: they greeted each other and asked about business.
	There is no equivalent in Russian. More behind the scenes than the banal “Hi, how are you?”	Merging "hi" and "alright". Popular in Northern England.
	How are you? / How are you?	Merging "what cheer" - how's the mood? Used for close friends.
		Popular in Canada and South America. If you say "howdy" outside of these regions, there is a risk of being misunderstood.
Morning / Afternoon / Evening!	good morning / afternoon / evening	The most colloquial and friendly variant of "good morning / afternoon / evening"
	As a young life? (the answer is "nagwan" or "nothing is going on" - sucks)	A squeeze from the well-known popular song phrase “what’s going on?”
	How are you?	Short for "what's up?"
	Is it hard bro?	Super informal slang. Short for "easy bruv" / "how are you, brother" - how are you, brother?
		Borrowed from the USA. Well, remember, yes, street rappers? And in Russia, among them, the characteristic “Yo!” is popular.

Street slang is an important part of modern spoken English. And in this style, greetings can be distinguished for people who met after a long separation.

As a gift to those who have read to the end, we offer a look at a selection of famous greetings from English films and serials.

The most beloved greeting of typical supernatural fans. ("The Vampire Diaries" - "The Vampire Diaries")

It seems that Ben Geller, who played the role of Ross, should have presented an acting award for one of his most depressing "Haay!", Which amused more than one generation of viewers.

P.S. Don't be like Ross!

("Friends" - "Friends")

Do you remember handsome Joey Tribbiani and his famous "How are you doing?"

("Friends" - "Friends")

Most recently, this song was at the top of various charts. To date, the video has 2,346,309,814 views!

Let's sing a modern hit together and say hello to Adele.

"Hello, it's me" ("Hello, it's me").

Ah, sing along with Adele!

Afanaskina Ekaterina Vladimirovna - expert of the educational and methodological department
Center foreign languages"YES".