Q&A for How to Greet Someone

Being more formal will serve you better in a business environment. Try talking about the future, so the business associate imagines a future with you and your business in it. You might say, "Hello, Thomas, it's so nice to meet you. I'm looking forward to our business relationship."

Be sure to make eye contact and offer a smile. At a casual event, you might say something like "Hi, it's nice to meet you!" At a business event, you could say, "Hello, it's certainly a pleasure to meet you."

Make eye contact and smile if you pass by someone on the street. You can even add a verbal "hello" or "hi."

If you really can't decide which one of these greeting options to use, just use both. For example, you could say, "Hi, how are you?" or "Hi, how's it going?"

You could, although shaking hands upon introduction isn't as common for teens as for adults. Perhaps you might approach him and simply smile and introduce yourself instead.

Start with a hello or a compliment, and remember to always smile.

As I understand it, in most social situations it is typically expected that a man will greet first. However, it is becoming more and more common for women to greet first/initiate conversation. So really, it depends more on the social situation you're in and less on gender.

You could just say hello, tell them your name, and ask them if they'd like to play with you.

Yes! You should try to make sure it's appropriate for the situation though. A hug isn't always the right way to go. (For example, you wouldn't want to hug someone who was interviewing you for a new job.)

If you work in a chain restaurant, the management may have something specific they would like you to say. Otherwise, you can just say, "Hi, welcome to [restaurant's name]."

Smile, say hi, and ask what you can help them with.

Ask them question like, "How is your morning/day/evening going so far?" or simply, "How's it going?" Listen to what they say after that and ask some follow up questions.

Check the tips in Greet in English .

It's polite. However, it's only really necessary if you want to talk to a stranger or if your friends/relatives introduce you to new people.

That may depend on how people in diffrent countries greet each other. What could be the right way in your country could be the wrong way to greet someone in a different country. Then again, think about how you would like someone to greet you.

Be polite. Say something like, "Hello Mr./Ms. [their last name], how are you today? My name is [your name]."

It really depends on the situation, but generally speaking, if you don't know someone well, don't bring up religion or politics or anything else that is potentially controversial. Keep the conversation light.

Say the restaurant’s name and "how may I help you?"