The most common and versatile English greeting is to say hello. There are, however, many other greetings in English you can use depending on the time of day, who you’re talking to, and whether you want to continue the conversation.
Discover how to greet someone in English appropriately and what to say when you meet someone new, when you answer the phone, and when you’re about to leave (because there’s a greeting-like phrase for that too).
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Hello and other common greetings in English
For almost every situation, saying hello in English is the proper greeting. It’s formal enough to greet new people, but also friendly enough to use with people you know well. These common English greetings work for any time of day during English conversations.
| English Greeting | Pronunciation | Formality |
| hello | heh-LOW | Formal |
| hi | hie | Casual |
| hey | hay | Casual |
| How are you? | hou ARR yoo | Formal |
If someone says one of these greetings to you, you can say it back to them. For example, if a server at a restaurant says hello, you can say hello as a response. You can also use hi as a more casual reply. For example:
- Hello! How are you doing?
- Hello! I am doing well. How are you?
- Hi! Is this a good restaurant for lunch?
- Hi! Yes, this is a very good restaurant for lunch.
- Hello. Do you have your ticket?
- Hello! Here is my ticket.
- Hey! It’s nice to see you!
- Hello! It’s nice to see you, too!
- Hello, Mr. Foster!
- Hello, Ms. Ramadi!
How are you: a greeting and conversation starter
Greetings in English could be a quick hello or the beginning of a longer conversation.
Even though the phrase How are you? looks like a question, it can function as a greeting.
When someone you don’t know says How are you? you can say I’m well, how are you? or I’m good, how are you? Sometimes it’s the beginning of a longer conversation, but it’s also just another way to say hello.
- How are you?
- I’m fine. How are you?
- Hi! Welcome home! How are you?
- Thank you! I’m doing well.
- How are you, Mr. Jones?
- I’m good, Emily. How are you?
English greetings by time of day
Some greetings in English should only be used at specific times of the day. These English phrases are generally formal, and you can use them for both new acquaintances and close friends.
| English Greeting | Pronunciation | When To Say It |
| Good morning | gud MORN-ing | Before 12:00 pm |
| Good afternoon | gud aff-ter-NOON | Between 12:00 pm and sunset |
| Good day | gud DAY | After sunrise and before sunset |
| Good evening | gud EEV-ning | After sunset |
You may also hear English speakers use more casual versions of these greetings. Good morning often becomes Morning! in English conversations, and Good evening! can also be shortened to Evening! (You can say Afternoon! instead of Good afternoon, but it’s less common.
Good morning
To greet someone in English in the morning, you can say good morning or morning. This greeting is typically used before 12:00 pm, especially if you’re seeing that person for the first time that day.
- Good morning, how are you?
- I’m fine. How are you?
- Good morning. May I help you?
- Good morning. May I please have a coffee?
Good afternoon
Good afternoon is a greeting used after lunchtime and before dinner, usually between 12:00 pm and sunset. It’s a more formal greeting than good morning, and isn’t usually shortened to afternoon.
- Good afternoon. My name is David Brown. What is your name?
- My name is Michelle Lopez. Nice to meet you.
- Good afternoon. Would you like to order from the lunch menu?
- Good afternoon. May I have a sandwich and a drink?
Good day
The formal greeting good day can be used at any time during the day when it’s light out, but keep in mind that it’s best used for formal or professional settings like business meetings or emails.
English speakers tend to prefer time-specific greetings like good morning, but if you need a neutral and formal greeting, this is a safe option as long as it’s daytime. You may also hear good day used as a way to say goodbye or end off a conversation in formal daytime settings.
Good evening
English speakers say good evening when they’re seeing someone around dinnertime, usually after sunset. You may also hear evening as a more casual greeting from someone you’re seeing quickly.
- Good evening. You look nice tonight.
- Thank you. You look nice as well.
- Good evening. Would you like to order a drink?
- Good evening. Yes, please. May I see the wine list?
Leaving and saying goodbye
While goodbyes are not technically greetings, there are important phrases and etiquette connected with how we leave and what to say to people in those moments that are often as important as how we say hello.
| English Greeting | Pronunciation | When To Say It |
| Good night | gud NYTE | When you leave at the end of the night |
| Goodbye | gud-BYE | When you leave |
| Have a nice day/night | Hay-vuh-NICE-DAY | When you leave early in the day/night |
Good night
Good night is usually a way to end an English conversation or to say goodbye at the end of the night. You may have noticed that good morning, good afternoon, and good evening are popular greetings for different times of the day, but good night tells people that you’re leaving for the night. If you’re greeting someone at night, say good evening or simply hello instead.
- Good night. I had a wonderful time.
- Me too. Good night.
- We’ll see you tomorrow. Good night!
- Have a nice night!
Goodbye
The parting phrase goodbye is a way to end a conversation in a polite way. More formal conversations may use the full phrase goodbye, but you’re more likely to hear bye when talking to friends or groups of younger people.
- Thank you for your help!
- You’re welcome. Goodbye.
- Here is your coffee.
- Thank you and goodbye!
Have a nice day/night
Another way English speakers end a conversation is with the phrase Have a nice day! or Have a nice night! In these cases, you don’t need to add goodbye to the end of the phrase.
It’s most common when speaking to people in businesses or restaurants, but you can also use it with friends and acquaintances.
- I would like to buy this scarf. Here is $10.
- Thank you. Have a nice day!
- Thank you for the wonderful meal.
- You’re welcome. Have a nice night!
How do you answer the phone in English?
Most English speakers say hello when they answer the phone. It usually sounds more like a question than a greeting: Hello? instead of hello. If you know who’s calling, you can answer the phone with hi or hey, followed by the person’s name.
When you end a conversation on the phone, you can say goodbye or bye, depending on who you’re talking to. If you’re going to see the person later that day, you can also say See you soon! or See you later! before saying bye.
Slang English greetings
When you know someone well, you may want to use an even more casual greeting in English. These English slang phrases are good choices for close friends to use with each other.
| English Slang Greeting | Pronunciation | What It Means |
| What’s up | wut’s UHP | How are you? |
| Sup | suhp | What’s up? (shortened) |
| Yo | yoh | Hi |
While you may hear friends ask What’s up? or say Yo! when greeting each other, you won’t hear these phrases in more formal conversations. Don’t use them when you’re talking to an older person, someone at work, or someone who works in a restaurant or shop.
When should you use formal greetings in English?
Formal greetings are best used in situations when you don’t know someone or in more professional settings. Use hello instead of hi when greeting people in these situations:
- Speaking to a restaurant server or employee in a shop
- Asking someone for help, such as a police officer or airport worker
- Talking to someone who is older than you are
- Speaking or emailing a boss or manager at work
- Interviewing for a job
You should avoid using slang phrases like What’s up? or yo when greeting someone in these moments. Hello or good morning are excellent ways to address people you’ve just met or people at work, and they don’t feel too formal for everyday use.
Regional English Greetings
When you’re learning how to speak English, you’ll also need to consider the region where you’ll be speaking English and the local ways of greeting.
What greeting do you use in England?
English speakers in Britain use very similar greetings to American English speakers. When you’re in Britain, you’ll hear hello or hi most of the time.
Some British pronunciations may make hello sound more like “ello,” but you should feel free to use your natural voice and accent when greeting people in Britain.
What greeting do you use in Australia?
Australia has a unique English greeting that most locals and Australian citizens use every day. G’day (or g’day, mate) means good day, and basically means the same thing as good morning.
You can use g’day any time of the day in Australia, but avoid saying it if you’re not actually in Australia, because British and American speakers don’t use g’day in their everyday speech.
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