Other ways to say hello: 39 greetings for every situation
The most useful other ways to say hello are “Hi” and “Hey” with people you know, “Good morning / afternoon” at work or with strangers, “How’s it going?” with friends and colleagues, and “Long time no see!” for someone you haven’t seen in a while. Below are 39 greetings sorted by situation, with how formal each one is, how to answer the question ones, and the mistakes learners make.
By The YoFluent teamUpdated 6 min read
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Formal greetings (7)
| Say | Use it for | Example or note |
|---|---|---|
| Good morning / afternoon / evening. | Anyone, especially at work or with strangers | “Good afternoon. I have an appointment at three.” |
| Nice to meet you. | Meeting someone for the first time | “Hi, I’m Sam. Nice to meet you.” |
| Pleased to meet you. | First meeting, a little more formal | Common in British English and at interviews. |
| It’s good to see you. | Someone you have met before | “Maria! It’s good to see you again.” |
| How do you do? | Very formal, mostly British | The reply is the same: “How do you do?” It is not a real question. |
| Welcome. | Greeting guests or customers | “Welcome, please come in.” |
| Hello, and thank you for coming. | Opening a meeting or event | Then introduce yourself or the topic. |
At work and in emails (6)
| Say | Use it for | Example or note |
|---|---|---|
| Hi everyone. | Starting a call or meeting | “Hi everyone, thanks for joining.” |
| Hi [name], hope you’re well. | Email opening | “Hi Priya, I hope you’re well.” |
| Hope your week is going well. | Email mid-week | Use it as the first line of the email. |
| Morning! / Afternoon! | Colleagues you see daily | The short form is friendly and natural. |
| How are things? | A colleague you know | “How are things? Busy week?” |
| Thanks for making the time. | Starting a meeting with someone senior | Shows respect for their time. |
Casual and slang (10)
| Say | Use it for | Example or note |
|---|---|---|
| Hi! | Anyone, any time | The safest casual hello. |
| Hey! | Friends, people your age | Very common; a little more casual than “hi”. |
| Hey there! | Friendly, light | Can sound playful or a bit cute. |
| How’s it going? | Friends and colleagues | Answer: “Good, thanks. You?” |
| What’s up? | Friends | Answer: “Not much. You?” It doesn’t need a long answer. |
| How are you doing? | Anyone you know | Often “How you doing?” in fast speech. |
| What’s new? | Friends you see sometimes | Answer with one piece of news. |
| Yo! | Very close friends | Slang, mostly American and very casual. |
| Sup? | Very casual, short for “What’s up?” | Mostly texts and young people. |
| Heyyy! | Text, excited | Extra letters show energy. |
When you haven’t seen someone for a while (5)
| Say | Use it for | Example or note |
|---|---|---|
| Long time no see! | Someone you haven’t seen for weeks or months | Casual and warm. |
| It’s been ages! | A friend you haven’t seen for a long time | British and American. |
| Look who it is! | A surprise meeting | Friendly teasing. |
| Where have you been hiding? | A friend you haven’t seen | Playful; not a real question. |
| Great to see you again! | Anyone, after a gap | Works at work too. |
Regional greetings: US, UK, Australia (6)
| Say | Use it for | Example or note |
|---|---|---|
| Howdy! | Southern and western US | Friendly and a little old-fashioned. |
| Hiya! | UK, friendly | Common in northern England. |
| Alright? / You alright? | UK, casual | Means “hello”, not “are you OK?”. Reply: “Yeah, you?” |
| G’day! | Australia | Often “G’day, mate!” |
| Wassup? | US slang | Very casual. |
| Hey y’all! | Southern US, a group | “Y’all” = you all. |
On the phone and by text (5)
| Say | Use it for | Example or note |
|---|---|---|
| Hello? | Answering an unknown number | With rising intonation. |
| Hi, this is [name]. | Calling someone | “Hi, this is Ana from the dental clinic.” |
| Hello, [company], [name] speaking. | Answering a work phone | “Hello, Bright Travel, Sam speaking.” |
| Hey, got a minute? | Calling a friend or colleague | Checks it is a good time. |
| Hi! How are you? | Text | Simple and friendly. |
How to answer greeting questions
| They say | You can reply |
|---|---|
| “How’s it going?” | “Good, thanks. You?” · “Not bad. How about you?” |
| “What’s up?” | “Not much. You?” · “Just got back from work.” |
| “How are you doing?” | “I’m good, thanks. And you?” |
| “You alright?” (UK) | “Yeah, good thanks. You?” |
| “How do you do?” | “How do you do?” (the same words back) |
| “Long time no see!” | “I know! How have you been?” |
These are greetings, not real questions. A short answer and the same question back is normal; a long story about your health is not expected.
Common mistakes
- Answering “What’s up?” with “The sky”. It’s an old joke; most people just want “Not much, you?”.
- “Yo” or “Sup” at work. Too casual for most offices and for people you don’t know.
- “Nice to meet you” to someone you already know. Use “Good to see you” instead.
- “Good night” as hello. It means goodbye or bedtime. Say “Good evening”.
- “Hello sir, how are you, how is your family?” In an email this sounds too much in many countries. “Hi Mr. Lee, I hope you’re well” is enough.
More everyday phrases
See other ways to say good morning, other ways to say goodbye and, to keep talking after hello, small talk in English.
Frequently asked questions
What is another way to say hello?
Common alternatives are “Hi”, “Hey”, “Good morning / afternoon / evening”, “How’s it going?”, “What’s up?” and, for someone you haven’t seen for a while, “Long time no see!”.
How do you say hello formally?
Use “Good morning”, “Good afternoon” or “Good evening”, and “Nice to meet you” or “Pleased to meet you” when meeting someone for the first time. In an email, write “Dear [name]” or “Hi [name], I hope you’re well.”
What is a cool way to say hello?
Casual, friendly options include “Hey there!”, “What’s up?”, “Yo!” (very casual), “Howdy!” (American South) and “Hiya!” (UK). Use them with friends, not at work.
How do you reply to “What’s up?”
Reply with “Not much. You?” or one short piece of news, such as “Just finished work. You?”. It is a greeting, not a request for a long answer.
What does “You alright?” mean in British English?
In British English, “You alright?” or “Alright?” is a casual hello, not a question about your health. Reply “Yeah, good thanks. You?”.
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