Greetings & Introductions
English has no formal/informal split in the word for you — one form covers everyone, from a close friend to a head of state. Politeness is carried by other words instead: please, would, could, sorry.
That makes English easy to start and easy to get subtly wrong. These phrases are safe everywhere.
Vocabulary
- Hello
- A greeting for any time of day
- Hi
- Informal hello
- Good morning
- Before about midday
- Good afternoon
- Midday until about 6pm
- Good evening
- After about 6pm
- Goodbye
- A formal farewell
- See you later
- An informal farewell
- Please
- Softens a request
- Thank you
- Expresses gratitude
- Sorry
- Apology, or excuse me
Example Phrases
What's your name?
Asking someone's name
My name is Ana.
Giving your name
How are you?
Asking how someone is
I'm fine, thanks.
A standard reply
Nice to meet you.
On meeting someone new
Grammar note
Contractions are normal, not lazy
I am becomes I'm, what is becomes what's, do not becomes don't. In speech and everyday writing these are the default — using the full forms throughout sounds stiff or emphatic.
Keep the full forms for formal writing, or when you want to stress the word: I am not going.
Cultural note
"How are you?" is often a greeting
In the UK and US, how are you? frequently functions as a greeting rather than a real question. The expected reply is short and positive — fine, thanks, or good, thanks — followed by asking back.
A detailed answer isn't wrong, but among strangers it's usually more than the question was asking for.