Greetings In English

irst of all — it should be stated very clearly — so that there is no confusion — that:  The Oldest, Most-Common, and BEST way to greet someone is to simply say…  (wait for it)… “Hello”.

econdly — it also needs to be made clear that — despite the common expression “ways to say hello” — which is very common with traditional English teachers — there is only ONE way to say “Hello”.

his mistake among Traditional English teachers is so common, that I have had numerous “Advanced-Level” students who did not even know the verb:  (to) Greet — which is what people MEAN when they say:  “Ways To Say Hello”.  But that expression is NOT a phrasal-verb used to describe the different ways of greeting someone — even if that is how the use it.  😐

have also been guilt of this mistake, in the past.  In fact — this blog post used to be titled “Saying Hello”.  But the Proper & Correct way to describe the different expressions that are used to greet someone is with the verb:  (to) Greet (someone).  And actually saying the word, “Hello” is the most common greeting in English.

here are a number of different ways that people greet each other in English.  “Hello” being the most common and the most appropriate for formal situations or when you don’t know the person.  “Hi” being sort of a shortened version of “Hello”.  But there are many others that you have probably heard before.

he video below gives you a few more colloquial examples that are very common for informal situations.  So watch the video, and then I’ll have a little more to say about what was in it.  😉

owever — it is important to note that not everyone in America speaks like the guy in the video.  He does seem to have a bit of the “frat-boy” / “college-guy” thing going on (especially with the awkward head-tilt).

his is fine, of course.  Everyone has the right to express themselves in their own way.  But the most important thing is in what he is saying about the expressions.  Not necessarily how HE says them.

or some of his examples — if you don’t already speak that way — then I suggest NOT following his direction.  But it is good to know what OTHER people mean when THEY say things like he does…  NOT that YOU should talk like that.  (Especially if you want to be seen and thought-of as an intelligent person.)  😆

nother thing that the speaker in the video mentioned was that the “proper” (or at least most common) way to respond to someone who says, “What’s Up?” — is to respond by simply saying, “What’s Up?”…

his is usually only true for people who already know each other fairly well, or are being introduced by someone who knows them both well.  It would not be a good idea to say this to someone you have never met before.  Especially in the way that he said it in the video.

he reason for this is because — “what’s up” can also be something that someone says when they have a problem with another person and they want to fight.  So if you do not know the person (and especially if your pronunciation is not “native” sounding) — and even more-so if you are in a bar with lots of intoxicated people — saying “What’s Up” to someone you don’t know, the way Shane did in the video, may get you into a fight.

he best alternative is to simply say “Hello”, “Hi” or “Hey”.  Despite what Shane said in the video — this absolutely IS a very “native” English thing to say.  And it can not be interpreted incorrectly.

or situations where-in you don’t know the person very well, and don’t want to sound like a dumb-ass — Then the exchange could go something like this…

owever — if things are NOT really going very well for you at the moment — the proper etiquette — regardless of whether or not it is a formal or informal situation — is to just say…

he reason for this is — most people are already dealing with their own problems, difficulties, etc..  So they REALLY aren’t that interested in hearing about your problems.  This may sound rude and insensitive, but if you said “How’s It Goin'” to someone that you are not very close to, and they responded by saying…

hen, even though they are being honest  (and they are just answering the question that you asked them)…  You (or at least MOST people) would want to get as far away from them as possible.  I’m not saying that this is “right” — but it is the way that most people are at this point in human evolution.  So, I mention it here to save you from a possibly embarrassing or un-comfortable situation.

nd THIS is why — regardless of all the videos where-in the teacher says:  “Don’t Say This” — “Don’t Say That”…  “It doesn’t sound natural or native”…  They are almost always WRONG!!!