Greetings in English: Formal, Informal and for Kids
Which greeting fits which moment? This guide sorts English greetings from "How do you do?" to "What's up?" by formality and time of day, shows how to answer each one, and gives you 3 short dialogues and a role-play task to practise with.
Greetings in English are the words you use when you meet someone, and the right one depends on who you are speaking to and when. "Good morning" and "Hello" are safe with anyone, "Hi" suits people you know, and "What's up?" is for friends. Your answer usually repeats the greeting, and "How are you?" gets "Fine, thanks."
Below are the common greetings sorted by formality and time of day, how to answer each one, 3 short dialogues and a role-play task.
Key takeaways
- The more serious the situation and the less you know the person, the more formal your greeting should be.
- "Good morning", "Good afternoon" and "Good evening" change with the time of day, while "Hello" and "Hi" work at any time.
- "Good night" is a goodbye, not a greeting.
- The usual answer to "How are you?" is short and returns the question: "Fine, thanks. And you?"
Common greetings in English, from formal to informal
Greetings in English run from "How do you do?" at the formal end to "What's up?" at the informal end, and this table shows when to use each one and how to answer it.
| Greeting | Formality | Time of day | How to answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| How do you do? | Very formal, old-fashioned | Any time, first meeting only | How do you do? I'm Ana Costa. |
| Good morning | Formal and polite | Until about 12 o'clock | Good morning. |
| Good afternoon | Formal and polite | About 12 o'clock to about 6 o'clock | Good afternoon. |
| Good evening | Formal and polite | After about 6 o'clock | Good evening. |
| Pleased to meet you / Nice to meet you | Polite | Any time, first meeting only | Pleased to meet you too. / Nice to meet you too. |
| Hello | Neutral | Any time | Hello. / Hi. |
| How are you? | Neutral | Any time, after a hello | Fine, thanks. And you? |
| Morning | Informal | Until about 12 o'clock | Morning. |
| Hi / Hi there | Informal | Any time | Hi. |
| Hiya | Informal | Any time, with people you know well | Hi. / Hiya. |
| How's it going? / How are things? | Informal | Any time | Not bad, thanks. You? |
| Long time no see | Informal | Any time, after a long gap | I know, it's been ages. |
| Hey / What's up? | Very informal | Any time, with friends | Hey. / Not much. You? |
Formal greetings in English
Formal greetings are for serious situations and for people you do not know well, such as an interviewer, a head teacher or a new client.
Start with the greeting for the time of day, and add a title and surname if you know them: "Good afternoon, Dr Rao." At a first meeting, add "Pleased to meet you". "How do you do?" is very formal, and you answer it by saying "How do you do?" back and giving your name.
Informal greetings in English
Informal greetings are short, and they are for friends, classmates, family and other people you know.
- Morning, Afternoon, Evening: friendly short forms, useful for a neighbour you see every day.
- Hey: a greeting among friends in some English-speaking places. "Hey" can also be a sharp way to get attention, so keep it for friends.
- What's up? A friendly hello between friends, but "You look sad. What's up?" really means "What's wrong?" and needs a real answer.
Good morning, good afternoon or good evening: which one?
Choose by the clock: "Good morning" until about 12 o'clock, "Good afternoon" until about 6 o'clock and "Good evening" after that.
These times are not strict: morning can last until lunch, and evening can start when the sun goes down. "Good night" is different, because it is a goodbye. Arrive at a dinner with "Good evening" and leave with "Good night".
How to answer "How are you?"
Answer "How are you?" with a short line, then ask the question back: "Fine, thanks. And you?" In a quick hello, this question is part of the greeting and not a request for news.
- Formal: "I'm very well, thank you. How are you?"
- Informal: "Not bad. You?"
- A good friend, on a bad day: "Not great, to be honest."
Greetings in English for kids
Younger children need only a few phrases to start: "Hello", "Good morning", "How are you?", "I'm fine, thank you" and "Goodbye". These phrases belong to Pre-A1 English, the first stage for complete beginners of any age.
If you are a parent, use the phrases at the same moments each day: "Good morning" at breakfast, "Hello" when your child comes home, "Good night" at bedtime. If your child only says "Hi" or waves, accept it and say the full phrase yourself. Our English speaking activities for kids have more ideas.
Greetings dialogues and a role-play task
These 3 dialogues show greetings changing with the setting, and the role-play lets you try it yourself.
Dialogue 1: a child at school
It is 8:30 in the morning, at the classroom door.
Teacher: Good morning, Mia. How are you today?
Mia: Good morning, Ms Hill. I'm fine, thank you. How are you?
Teacher: I'm very well, thank you. Come in.
Leo: Hi, Mia!
Mia: Hi, Leo! Do you want to sit with me?
What to notice: Mia uses "Good morning" and a title and surname with her teacher, then "Hi" and a first name with her friend.
Dialogue 2: a teenager with friends
It is after school, at a bus stop.
Sam: Hey, Noor! Long time no see. What's up?
Noor: Hi, Sam! Not much. I'm just waiting for the bus. How's it going?
Sam: Not bad. I joined a new sports club last month.
Noor: Oh, nice! Here's my bus. See you!
Sam: See you!
What to notice: "What's up?" and "How's it going?" are a friendly hello here, so short answers are enough.
Dialogue 3: an adult in a formal setting
It is just before 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Ana has come to an office for a job interview.
Receptionist: Good afternoon. How can I help you?
Ana: Good afternoon. My name is Ana Costa. I have an interview with Dr Rao at 2 o'clock.
Receptionist: Thank you. Please take a seat.
Dr Rao: Ms Costa? Good afternoon. I'm Priya Rao. Pleased to meet you.
Ana: Pleased to meet you too, Dr Rao. Thank you for seeing me.
What to notice: Ana uses full sentences and says "Dr Rao" until she is invited to use a first name.
Role-play task: 1 person, 3 meetings
You need a partner: a friend, a parent or a teacher.
| Card | Time | Who you meet |
|---|---|---|
| A | 9 in the morning | A new teacher or manager, for the first time |
| B | 4 in the afternoon | A friend you have not seen for months |
| C | 7 in the evening | A friend's parents, at their home, for the first time |
- Choose a card and keep it secret.
- Greet your partner in the way that fits your card.
- Your partner answers and asks 1 question back.
- Answer the question, then say goodbye. Use 4–6 lines in total.
- Your partner guesses the card and says which words gave it away. Then swap.
Younger children can play with 2 toys: one is the teacher and the other is a friend.
Common mistakes
- Saying "Good night" when you arrive in the evening. Say "Good evening" and keep "Good night" for leaving.
- Answering "How do you do?" with "I'm fine." Say "How do you do?" back and give your name.
- Saying "Nice to meet you" to someone you already know. Say "Nice to see you" instead.
- Saying "What's up?" to an interviewer or a head teacher. Use "Good morning" or "Hello".
Frequently asked questions
What is the most formal greeting in English?
A very formal greeting in English is "How do you do?", which you use when you meet someone for the first time, although it now sounds old-fashioned. For everyday formal situations, "Good morning", "Good afternoon" or "Good evening" with a title and surname sounds polite and natural.
How should a child greet a teacher in English?
A child can greet a teacher with "Good morning" or "Hello", followed by the name the teacher uses with the class, for example "Good morning, Ms Hill". "Hi" is informal, so a child can use "Hi" if the teacher says "Hi" to the class. "Hello" suits any teacher.
How do you reply to "What's up?" in English?
The usual reply to "What's up?" is short, such as "Not much. You?" Between friends, "What's up?" is a friendly hello, so nobody expects a full report. If the person looks worried, "What's up?" can mean "What's wrong?", and then a real answer is the better reply.
Sources
- Longman Dictionary: how do you do
- Longman Dictionary: hey
- Longman Dictionary: morning
- Wiktionary: what's up
Practise your greetings with a teacher
At Fleydo English School, children, teens and adults can take one-to-one lessons of 30 or 45 minutes with a native English-speaking teacher, and most of each lesson is speaking practice. The English speaking practice page explains how children and teens practise in groups of at most 6. A free trial lesson comes with no payment and no obligation.
