English greetings: a starter guide

Greetings are the first functional language most learners need. English is relatively informal compared with many languages, but context still matters — a job interview, a hotel desk, and a group chat all expect different openings.

Basic hellos

Hello works in almost any situation. It is neutral and polite. Hi is shorter and more casual — common with friends, colleagues you know well, and in app notifications.

Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening add time awareness. Good night is usually a farewell before sleep, not an arrival greeting.

• Hello — neutral, almost anywhere
• Hi — casual, friends and chat
• Good morning / afternoon / evening — time-specific
• Good night — farewell, not hello

Responses to "How are you?"

In the United States and UK, How are you? is often a ritual hello, not a deep health question. Fine, thanks or Good, and you? is enough in shops and offices.

With close friends, people answer more honestly: Pretty good, a bit tired, Can't complain. Learners should master the short exchange before worrying about creative answers.

Goodbyes

Bye and See you are everyday. See you later implies you expect to meet again soon. Take care is warm and common in speech and messages.

In professional email, Best regards or Kind regards close the message; spoken goodbyes might be Nice to meet you after a first introduction.

Practice in WooMoa

Open the first greeting topic on the map — look for basics, daily life, or introductions. Multiple-choice questions train recognition; typing and swipe formats train production and spelling.

Play a short session in that topic, then return for spaced repetition. Adaptive difficulty will bring back phrases you miss until they stick.