Different Greetings in English for Every Situation
Created: Feb 28, 2025
Last Updated: Feb 28, 2025
When you’re learning a language, greetings are one of the first things you learn. The English language has many variations and different customs depending on the situation - context is everything. Whether you’re looking to make a good impression, greeting an old friend, or addressing a hiring manager for a new role, you must use the most appropriate greeting to match the scenario.
This blog will mainly focus on greeting styles used in the UK but are also quite often used in American English, too. So, whether you’re looking for the best way to communicate with an employer or want to try out some informal greetings with friends, you’ll find plenty of options here.
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Formal and polite greetings
When faced with a conversation, relationships and social settings are key to figuring out the right way to greet someone. Formal greetings are best used in professional settings, or when interacting with people that you have no existing relationships with. This might include bankers, local shopkeepers, potential employers, and anyone else that you barely know.
Top tip: Try practicing greetings with native English speakers to help get yourself used to how different ways of communicating alter conversations.
How are you doing / How do you do?
If you’re looking for a formal greeting, question-led introductions like "How do you do?" can help the conversation flow naturally, with the other person potentially following up with, "I’m good, thanks, how are you?"
However, this greeting can be a bit more nuanced, as some individuals may use "How do you do?" as more of a statement than a question. It’s all in the intonation and tone of voice. This is commonly used when shaking hands with a professional, but you’ll be able to tell whether it's meant to prompt a response by how they finish the sentence and their body language.
“How are you doing” is much more of an obvious question and is generally understood to prompt a response. The person saying it typically expects an answer about how you're feeling or what you've been up to, inviting a response.
Nice to meet you / Pleased to meet you
This polite, respectful and formal greeting can be used in most situations where you are faced with meeting a complete stranger. Whether it’s in an interview, being introduced to a new connection or attending a professional networking event, this phrase is useful. “Pleased to meet you” is viewed as the most formal variation and commonly used to greet authoritative figures or senior professionals that you’ve never spoken to before. “Nice to meet you” has a more casual undertone - perhaps most suited to casual settings.
It’s often followed by a handshake, depending on the formality of the context. You can use this greeting to show interest in the other person and highlight genuine pleasure in getting to know a new person.
How have you been?
This friendly greeting can be used as an introduction in conversations with people you are familiar with, whether you’ve met once before or known them for several years. By using this greeting, you are essentially inviting the person to talk about what they’ve been doing since you last met, or how they’ve been feeling.
It’s a way of showing interest in their well-being and encouraging a personal exchange. “How have you been” is appropriate for business and casual settings, as it’s generally acknowledged as just a kind and respectful greeting.
Formal greetings for emails and letters
If you’re living in an English-speaking country, chances are that you will have to deal with formal written correspondence at some point. If you’re writing to the local council, enquiring about a bank statement or filing a formal complaint, you should use correct formal etiquette to ensure your email or letter appears respectful and professional.
Dear Sir/Madam/Professor
When addressing a professional individual, the most polite way to start your written message is with “Dear Sir” or “Dear Madam”, supposing you know the gender of the person you are addressing. You are most likely to use these terms in situations where their full name is unknown, as it shows you are being respectful.
However, if you don’t know the person’s gender, it’s more appropriate to use "Dear Sir/Madam" as a neutral option.
To whom it may concern
Similar to the greeting above, this greeting can be used in a circumstance where you have no idea who the person is that you’re addressing. This is usually the case when emailing a business or organization where the recipient isn’t made clear.
While this greeting is recognized as polite, it can sound a bit impersonal, so if you know the department or position of the person you’re reaching out to, it’s better to address them directly.
Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms/Master [surname]
For centuries, the most commonly used method of starting written communication has been by addressing the recipient with their honorific and surname. However, this can be difficult to pinpoint if you are unsure of the marital status of the person you are writing to. However, “Mrs” and “Ms” are considered inclusive and can be used to address a woman regardless of her marital status in all professional settings.
Calling someone by their honorific and surname is a traditional sign of respect and indicates that a relationship is still in its formal stage.
Casual conversation greetings
When you’re looking to make new friends or start a conversation with acquaintances, you can opt for casual greetings rather than formalities. Casual greetings are perfect for situations where you want to keep things light and friendly, helping to set a comfortable and relaxed tone.
Hello/hey/hi
Perhaps the most generic greeting in the book, “Hello” is a quick, simple greeting without much meaning behind it. It’s a versatile method of approaching family, friends, co-workers and strangers without the need for formality. "Hey" is often seen as a more relaxed and casual version of "Hello," while "Hi" falls somewhere in between.
Whichever variation you pick, they typically mean the same thing. If you extend the greeting into something like, “Hey, how’s your day going?” or “Hi, how’ve you been?” it signals genuine interest and shifts the exchange from just a greeting to a meaningful chat.
Morning/afternoon/evening
Sometimes, you may find yourself face to face with someone in passing, where a conversation may not actually follow up from the initial acknowledgement. When you pass by a local or briefly encounter someone but don’t have time to stop and chat, these greetings provide a polite and effortless way to acknowledge them. They feel natural, considerate, and suited to the time of day.
Nice to see you
Not all interactions with acquaintances and friends are planned, which is when “Nice to see you” comes in. This greeting is often used to address people you recognise or have a relationship with, but haven’t seen in a while. It’s the middle ground between casual and warm, offering a pleasant acknowledgement that you’re happy to reconnect, even if just for a brief moment.
By choosing this greeting, you’re conveying that the meeting is a welcome and pleasurable part of your day.
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