English Greetings and Expressions : Formal and Informal Greetings in English

 

What is a Greeting?

Greeting traditions can vary greatly depending on location and culture. But, it happens everywhere in the world and in all societies.

 Greeting is done by a physical gesture such as a namaste or a handshake or a nod of the head or by speaking or a combination of both.

In written communication, such as letters or emails, greetings can also be used. In some languages, greeting and farewell gestures share the same term or sign. For instance, "good day" in English and "as-salam-alekum" ( ) in Arabic are also used when bowing their heads and shaking hands to greet and farewell one another.

Greeting is way of saying hello to  someone. In the English language, there are some ways in which this can be done. 

There are greetings which can be used in formal situations and also greetings which are used in a more friendly(informal). 

It is very important to be able to select an suitable greeting for every situation.

5 types of greetings

• By Standing: To stand up to welcome someone.
• Hello: Greetings with folded hands.
• Feet Touching: Touching feet of elders, elders, teachers.
• Prostration(saashtaang pranaam): Laying down on the ground with feet, knees, stomach, head and hands on the ground.
• Respond: Reply to greetings with greetings.

Formal Greetings

When meeting someone under formal situation such as in a business meeting or meeting an important person for the first time, you might use some of these more formal greetings. If you are in doubt as to whether you should use a formal or informal greeting, it is always better to opt for the formal.

It takes place here- In Government and private organization among employees.

Informal Greetings

Informal Greetings are quite informal and should only be used when speaking to someone you are very familiar with and at ease around. Remember that a lot of slang is regional, so adopting Australian slang in America, for instance, can seem rather odd. Wherever you are, you'll need to learn the local slang, but these examples will get you started.

Common English Greetings and Expressions:-

1. Hey, Hey man, or Hi and Greeting a stranger

  

Instead of saying "hello," you can greet someone by saying "hey" or "hi." Both are especially well-liked among young people. While "hello" can be used in any informal setting, "hey" is reserved for those you've already met. A stranger may find it confused if you say "hello" to them because they will be trying to recall when you last met! When addressing men, you can finish your greeting with the word "man." Some people will casually greet younger women with "hello man," but only if you know them well. Remember that not all "heys" are intended to be greetings. You can also get someone's attention by saying "hey."

2. How’s it going? or How are you doing?

 

These are informal ways to ask someone how they are. Keep your greeting to "how are you?" if you're attempting to be especially courteous. Otherwise, you can greet just about everyone with these phrases. Typically, the word "going" is abbreviated to make it sound more like "go-in." Depending on the question, you can respond with "it's doing well" or "I'm doing well." Most people simply respond "good" even if it isn't grammatically proper, and you can too. You can ask "and you?" after your response, just as you would when answering "how are you?"

 

3. What’s up?, What’s new?, or What’s going on?

  

These are some additional informal ways to welcome someone and are frequently used when you have met them before. Most respond with "nothing" or "not much," respectively. Or, if it feels appropriate to strike up a discussion, you may also mention anything noteworthy or novel that has been happening in your life before moving the topic on by asking, "What about you?"

 

4. How’s everything?, How are things?, or How’s life?

  

These are some additional methods to ask someone how they are. Although these can be used to casually greet anyone, these are most frequently utilized to do so when greeting a familiar face. You may respond "good" or "not bad" to each of them. Again, if making small conversation feels acceptable, you might also mention any noteworthy events in your life before posing a question such, "How are you?" or another salutation.

 

5. How’s your day? or How’s your day going?

 

What they really mean is "how are you?" not just now, but throughout the entire day. These greetings would be used with someone you see routinely and later in the day. You might, for instance, ask a co-worker one of these questions in the afternoon or the grocery store cashier you see every day. The grammatically proper response is "It's going well," but a lot of people just say "fine," "good," or "alright." Also, take note that the correct responses to practically any greeting inquiry are "excellent," "fine," or "not terrible."

6. Good day, good evening, or good morning.

 Depending on the time of day, these are formal ways to greet someone. Remember that saying "good night" is only appropriate for saying "good bye," so if you run into someone late in the day, make sure to say "good evening" instead of "good night". Saying "morning" instead of "good morning" can be more informal. Although they are less frequently used, "afternoon" and "evening" are also acceptable informal greetings. 

7. It’s nice to meet you.

These greetings are formal and polite. When you introduce yourself to someone for the first time, saying this will make you sound polite. Just remember to utilize these salutations when you meet someone for the first time. Saying "it's wonderful to see you again" the next time you visit the person will let them know you remember them. 

8. How have you been?

People who have already met one another are the only ones who ask this greeting. When someone inquires about your well-being, they want to know if it has been since the two of you last spoke.

 

9. How do you do?

 

This greeting is VERY formal, and quite uncommon, but it may still be used by some older people. The proper response is “I’m doing well” or, as strange as it seems, some people even ask “how do you do?” right back as an answer.

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10. Are you OK?, You alright?, or Alright mate?

  This informal way of asking both “hello” and “how are you” is common in Britain. You can respond “yeah, fine”, or simply “alright”.

I hope you have fun learning these fresh English greetings. You'll learn that introducing yourself in various ways will make your English sound more natural and may even make it more enjoyable and intriguing for you.

Thank You !