American Greetings

Learn how to greet people appropriately in American English in various situations, including formal, casual, and time-specific greetings. Understand when and how to use each expression.

How do you do?

• Usage & Situation: Very formal, used when meeting someone for the first time in professional or official settings.
• Response: Repeat, "How do you do?" or nod politely.
• Example:
  At a job interview:
  "Hello, Mr. Smith."
  "How do you do?"

Hello

• Usage & Situation: Formal and polite, suitable for initial introductions or professional environments.
• Example:
  Meeting a new colleague:
  "Hello, Dr. Johnson."

Note:

• "Good evening" is mainly a greeting, not a farewell.
• "Good night" is used as a farewell or bedtime wish, not as a greeting when arriving.

Standard Casual Greetings

Popular Casual Questions & Expressions

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• Use formal greetings like "How do you do?" and "Hello" in professional or first-time meetings.
• Use time-specific greetings appropriately based on the time of day.
• Use casual and informal greetings like "Hi," "Hey," and "Yo" with friends, peers, or in relaxed settings.
• Remember, "Good evening" is a greeting, not a farewell; "Good night" is a farewell or bedtime wish.
• Casual questions like "What's up?" and "How's it going?" are friendly ways to start conversations among peers.
• Incorporate the new informal greetings for variety and friendliness in casual conversations.

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Choose the correct greeting for each situation:

You meet your teacher for the first time in the morning. You say: __________
You see your friend after school. You greet him with: __________
It’s late at night, and you’re leaving your friend’s house. You say: __________
You see your coworker during lunch hour. You say: __________
You’re meeting someone new at a formal event. You say: __________

Exercise 2: Match the Greeting to the Situation

Match the greeting with the appropriate situation:

Feynman
Hello everyone, I'm Feynman. Today I'm hoping to learn about the fascinating world of American English greetings. It seems there are so many ways to say 'hello,' and I've invited Einstein to help explain these concepts to me.

Einstein
I'm happy to be here, Feynman. I'm Einstein, and I've been studying this comprehensive guide on formal, casual, and time-specific expressions in American English. This material covers when and how to use each greeting, and I'll try to explain it in simple terms.

Feynman
That's great! I often find myself wondering if I'm using the right greeting. Let's start with the most formal. The guide mentions 'How do you do?' Is that still commonly used?

Einstein
That's an excellent question, Feynman. According to the guide, 'How do you do?' is indeed very formal. It's typically used when meeting someone for the very first time in professional or official settings, like a job interview. The interesting part is that the expected response is often to simply repeat, 'How do you do?' or nod politely, rather than actually answering about your well-being.

Feynman
Ah, so it's more of a formal acknowledgment than a literal question. That makes sense. What about 'Hello'? Is that also considered formal?

Einstein
Yes, 'Hello' is also considered formal and polite. The guide states it's suitable for initial introductions or professional environments. It's a versatile formal greeting, much more common than 'How do you do?' in everyday formal interactions.

Feynman
Okay, so 'Hello' for general formal situations, and 'How do you do?' for very specific, highly formal first encounters. Got it. Now, what about time-specific greetings like 'Good morning' or 'Good evening'?

Einstein
The guide clarifies these well. 'Good morning' is used from early morning until around noon. 'Good afternoon' is from noon until early evening, say around 5 or 6 PM. And 'Good evening' is from early evening onward. The key nuance here is that 'Good evening' is always a greeting, never a farewell.

Feynman
That's a crucial distinction! I've definitely mixed those up before. So, if 'Good evening' is a greeting, what do you say when you're leaving at night?

Einstein
That's where 'Good night' comes in. The guide emphasizes that 'Good night' is used as a farewell, or when someone is going to bed. It's not a greeting when you arrive somewhere in the evening. It's like wishing someone well before they leave or go to sleep.

Feynman
That's very helpful! So, 'Good evening' when you arrive, 'Good night' when you leave. I think I can remember that. Let's move on to casual greetings. I hear 'Hi' and 'Hey' a lot. What's the difference?

Einstein
'Hi' is a standard casual greeting, versatile and polite for everyday informal situations. 'Hey' is slightly more informal, often used among friends or peers. Then you have 'Yo,' which the guide notes is very informal, typically reserved for close friends or texting.

Feynman
So 'Hi' is generally safe for casual, 'Hey' for friends, and 'Yo' for really close friends. What about those casual questions like 'What's up?' or 'How's it going?'?

Einstein
Those are very common! 'What's up?' can mean 'How are you?' or 'What are you doing?' and is used among friends or peers. 'How's it going?' is a friendly check-in, asking 'How are things?' or 'How are you?' The guide also lists 'What's new?' and 'What's happening?' as similar informal ways to start a conversation or check in.

Feynman
I see. So they're not just greetings, but also ways to open a conversation. And I've heard some even more informal ones, like 'Howdy!' or 'Sup?'

Einstein
Indeed! 'Howdy!' is a friendly, informal greeting often associated with the Southern or Western US. 'Sup?' is an extremely casual, abbreviated form of 'What's up?', typical in texting or among peers. The guide also mentions 'What's the word?' and 'What's the scoop?' as very casual ways to ask 'What's happening?' or 'What's the latest news?'

Feynman
This is great! So, to summarize: 'How do you do?' is very formal for first meetings, 'Hello' is generally formal. Time-specific greetings like 'Good morning' are for arriving, but 'Good night' is for leaving. And then there's a whole spectrum of casual greetings from 'Hi' to 'Sup?' depending on how informal you want to be and who you're talking to. Did I get that right?

Einstein
That's an excellent summary, Feynman! You've perfectly captured the nuances of American English greetings. Understanding these distinctions will certainly help you navigate social situations more confidently. You've truly grasped the core concepts from this guide.