Lesson L0.2: Everyday Greetings and Phrases
In the last lesson, you learned how to introduce yourself. But before any introduction happens, there’s usually a greeting — a simple “hello” that opens the door to a conversation. English has many small greeting phrases for different times of day, different people, and different levels of formality. This lesson gives you the ones you’ll actually use, every single day, along with enough practice to make them stick.
What you’ll learn
- Greetings for morning, afternoon, evening, and casual “anytime” moments
- How to greet a stranger, a colleague, and a close friend differently
- Natural ways to ask “how are you” and reply — without sounding repetitive
- How to greet people in writing — texts, emails, and chat messages
- How to say goodbye politely in different situations
- How to listen for a greeting and respond at the right pace
Two real-life scenarios
Scenario 1 — The lift moment: You walk into the office lift at 9 a.m. and your manager is already inside. You have three seconds before the doors close. What do you say?
Scenario 2 — Starting a chat message: You need to message a colleague on Slack for the first time today. Do you jump straight to the question, or open with a greeting first?
Small moments like this happen dozens of times a day — passing a neighbor, opening a video call, or replying to a text. The right greeting takes half a second to say, but it shapes how people perceive you as warm, professional, or approachable.
The building blocks
Greetings in English change slightly depending on the time of day, how well you know the person, and whether you’re speaking or writing. The good news: there are only a handful of patterns to learn, and they repeat constantly.
Key vocabulary
| Phrase | When to use it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Good morning / afternoon / evening | Formal, time-specific greeting | Good morning, everyone. |
| Hi / Hey | Casual, any time of day | Hey, how’s it going? |
| How are you? / How’s it going? | Asking about someone’s wellbeing | Hi Raj, how’s it going? |
| Long time no see | Greeting someone you haven’t met in a while | Hey! Long time no see. |
| Hope you’re doing well | A warm opener for a written message | Hi Anjali, hope you’re doing well. |
| Take care | A warm, casual goodbye | Take care, see you tomorrow. |
| It was nice seeing you | A polite goodbye after meeting someone | It was nice seeing you again. |
| Catch up soon | A friendly closing when you plan to meet again | Let’s catch up soon! |
Sentence patterns you can reuse
Dialogue 1: Passing a colleague in the corridor
Dialogue 2: Opening a work chat message
Listening practice
Audio script (read this aloud to yourself, or have a friend read it to you):
“Hey, long time no see! How have you been? I heard you moved to a new team last month — how’s that going? Anyway, I have to run, but let’s catch up soon. Take care!”
Comprehension questions:
- Have the two speakers met recently or after a long time?
- What change happened in the listener’s life recently?
- How does the speaker end the conversation?
Practice it yourself
Speaking practice: Today, greet three different people using three different phrases from this lesson — one formal, one casual, one time-of-day specific. Notice how each one feels different to say.
Writing practice: Write a short message greeting a colleague you haven’t spoken to in a while, as you would send it on Slack or WhatsApp — try using “Hope you’re doing well” or “Long time no see.”
Practical activity: Keep a small mental note today of every greeting you hear or read in English — from a lift, a shop, an email. Notice which pattern from this lesson it matches.
Common mistakes to avoid
| Instead of this | Say this |
|---|---|
| “Good night” (as a greeting when meeting someone) | “Good evening” (use “good night” only when leaving/going to sleep) |
| “How is you?” | “How are you?” |
| “I am fine, thank you, and you?” (in every casual chat) | “I’m good, thanks! You?” (more natural for daily conversation) |
| “Bye bye” in a formal work setting | “Take care” / “Have a good day” |
| “Long time not see.” | “Long time no see.” |
| Starting every work message with no greeting at all | A short “Hi [name], hope you’re doing well” softens even quick requests |
Today’s challenge
Greet the very first person you see today in English, even if it feels unusual. Notice their reaction — most people respond warmly to a simple, genuine greeting.
Self-assessment
Check off what you can now do confidently:
- I can greet someone correctly for the time of day.
- I can ask “How are you?” and reply naturally, without overthinking.
- I can open a written message with a warm, appropriate greeting.
- I can say goodbye differently in formal and casual settings.
- I understood the listening script without reading it twice.
Quick quiz
1. Which greeting is correct when you meet someone at 7 p.m.?
2. What’s the correct way to ask about someone’s wellbeing?
3. Which is a warm, casual way to say goodbye to a colleague?
4. Which phrase suits meeting someone after a long gap?
5. Which is a good way to open a work chat message?
Lesson summary
You now have greetings for every time of day, every level of formality, and a natural way to ask “how are you” without it feeling scripted — spoken and written. Combine this with Lesson L0.1’s introduction pattern, and you can now open almost any conversation confidently.