How To Say Hello To Someone

Whether you’re meeting someone for the first time or want to strike up a conversation with someone you know, greeting them first is a great way to set the stage for conversation. When you meet strangers or if you are in a professional setting, be sure to greet them in a formal way so that you appear more polite and likeable. If you know the other person, you can use friendly greetings because you both know each other. Besides saying hello, you can also use open body language to bring comfort to the other person.

Table of Contents

Friendly greetings

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Say “Hi” or “Hello” for a brief greeting. When you want to strike up a polite conversation with someone you’re not too close to, you’ll say “Hello brother/sister/friend” because this greeting seems more formal. You can say “Hello” if you are close to that person. After saying hello, you just need to continue chatting to have more time to talk. If you don’t have time for a long conversation, it’s still a good idea to say hello so you don’t come across as impolite or ignore the other person. ^{[1] X Research Source}

For example, you could say “Hello, Mai” or “Helo Thanh”.
Or, you would say “h-h-h-h-hoo,” even though the word might sound odd or slang-like.

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Try greeting close friends by saying “Hey”. You can shorten the greeting or lengthen the “ê” sound to make the greeting sound more impressive. Try saying “Hey” with the person’s name to get their attention when you want them to listen. ^{[2] X Research Source}

For example, you would say “Hey, Duc! Come see this!”
If you’re close to the person, you can change their name to something else, such as “kid” or “small”.

Note: Do not use “E” when talking to parents, teachers or lecturers as this is a disrespectful way of saying.

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Say “Long time no see” if you haven’t seen the person in a while. Add this at the end of your greeting to let the person know you’re happy to see them again. Mention the time when the two of you have not seen each other so that you can ask about each other’s status in the conversation. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

For example, you could say, “Hey kid, long time no see! It’s been a few months.”
Or, you’ll say “Long time no see”, “Where have you been hiding all this time?” or “How long have we not seen each other?”

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Ask “How are you?” or “How are you these days?” to continue the conversation. If you have time to check in or talk to the person, ask how they’re doing. Maybe the person will reply “It’s fine” or share more information. If they want to continue the conversation, they will ask you the same thing. Listen attentively so you can respond honestly. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

For example, a full greeting might be “Hi Son! Long time no see. How are you these days?”
You can also say “Are you okay?” or “How’s it going?” because these are all inquiries.

Practice saying formal greetings

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Say “Hi” with the person’s name for a quick hello. If you are not close to the person or if they are seniors, you will use the title with the first name (or with the last name if it is a foreigner). For acquaintances of the same age, you just need to say their name. Speak in a polite and friendly voice when greeting so that the other person feels welcome. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

For example, you could say “Hi Mr. Johnson” or “Hello, Ms. Nga”.

Note: For foreigners, when you first meet them, you can call them “sir” (grandpa) or “madam” (madam) instead of calling their name to say hello.

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Say “Good morning/noon/evening” depending on the time of day. If you meet someone before noon, say “Good morning”. Between noon and about 5-6 pm, you will say “Good afternoon”. If you’re chatting with someone after 6 p.m., say “Good evening” to politely greet them. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

For example, you can say “Good morning, Miss Mai” or “Good evening Lan”.
If you choose this greeting, you don’t need to say “Hello” because it sounds superfluous.
When greeting in English in the evening, you should not say “Good night” because this is the greeting before goodbye.

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Introduce yourself after saying hello if the person doesn’t know you yet. Say hello to the other person before introducing yourself. Next, introduce yourself and your full name to the person. Speak clearly so they can hear your name and not be confused. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

For example, you could say “Hi, my name is Nam” or “Good morning, Miss Lan. My name is Mai.”
When meeting your boss at work, you can also mention your title when saying hello. For example, you would say “Hi, I’m Khoa, a salesman here”.

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Say “Nice to meet you” the first time you meet someone. After you say hello and introduce yourself, politely say that you’re happy to meet them. Smile and look the other person in the eye to show sincerity while greeting. Speaking in a polite and serious voice is a way to show your sincerity. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

For example, you could say, “Good morning, Mr. James. My name is Khoa. Nice to meet you”.
If you want to add a touch of formality and professionalism, say “Nice to meet you.”
In case you have met them before, you can say “Nice to see you again”.
If the person doesn’t say your name or someone introduces you to them, you’ll say, “Sorry, I didn’t hear your name well. Can you repeat it?”

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Ask “How are things going for you?” if you want to continue the conversation. If the person is interested in talking to you, try asking how they’re doing. Maybe the person will answer briefly before moving on to another topic, or they will continue to chat. You need to respond to every question or comment the person makes so that the conversation doesn’t go one sided. ^{[9] X Research Source}

When greeting in English, you can use “How do you do?” to ask respectfully.
Use “How can I help you?” when greeting others in a work context.

Incorporate more body language

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Look the other person in the eye and smile when greeting them. Try to look the person in the eye as soon as you meet them or when someone else introduces you to them so you can easily connect with them. Smile after a few seconds looking them in the eye to show sincerity. During the conversation, you will continue to look them in the eye to stay focused and avoid distractions. ^{[10] X Research Source}

In some cultures, making eye contact is considered illegal. You need to learn the local customs to know what is polite. Making eye contact is normal and preferred in English-speaking cultures.

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Shake hands when you greet someone. Hold out your right hand when you greet or meet someone so they can shake your hand. Hold their hand but not so tightly that it hurts or feels uncomfortable. Hold their hand and move it up and down for 2-3 seconds before releasing it. ^{[11] X Research Source}

However, shaking hands is not acceptable in some cultures, so you need to find out before shaking someone’s hand.

Tip: Avoid shaking hands with your left hand because many people are right-handed and they get confused when they have to use their left hand. ^{[12] X Research Source}

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Wave when greeting someone from a distance. Bring your hands near your head and move them gently to the sides to greet the person. You can also try quickly closing and opening your hand in greeting as a way of waving. If you need to get someone’s attention from afar or show excitement at meeting someone, try raising your hand above your head and swinging your arm. ^{[13] X Research Source}

Waving is also a way to greet others when you don’t have time to chat with them or if you’re just walking past them.

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Try a friendly greeting by touching the other person’s fist with your fist. You will make a fist and extend your hand towards the person. Gently touch your fist to the front of the person’s fist, then lower it. Be careful not to punch them hard, or you’ll hurt them. ^{[14] X Research Source}

This action is safer than shaking hands because bacteria are often spread through the palm of the hand.

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Hug if you’re close to the person. Extend your arms as you approach the person to see if they do the same. If they’re ready for a hug, just wrap your arms around them and give them a hug. After a few seconds, release your hand and take a step or two back so you can talk to them. ^{[15] X Research Source}

Avoid hugging for too long, or you’ll make the person feel uncomfortable.
Don’t try to hug someone when they’re uncomfortable.

Advice

While it’s a good idea to greet someone informally the first time you meet someone, you can switch to a friendly greeting once you feel more comfortable with them.

Warning

Greeting will vary by country and culture. What is acceptable in one place may not be appropriate in another. Always check local customs to see what is polite there.
Don’t try to hug or greet someone when they feel uncomfortable.

Steps

Friendly greetings

Practice saying formal greetings

Incorporate more body language

Advice

Warning

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