Greetings and goodbyes
Say hello and goodbye in English — formally and informally — and answer “How are you?”.
In this lesson you will
- Say hello and goodbye at different times of day
- Ask and answer “How are you?”
- Choose formal or informal greetings
Learn
We greet people when we meet them and when we leave. English has informal greetings for friends and family, and formal greetings for work, shops and people you don’t know.
Informal: Hi, Hello, Hey (very informal). Formal: Good morning (before 12:00), Good afternoon (12:00–about 6 pm), Good evening (after about 6 pm).
Good night is not a greeting. We say it when we leave in the evening or go to bed.
After hello, people often ask How are you? The usual answers are I’m fine, thanks, I’m good, thanks or Not bad. Then ask back: And you?
To say goodbye: Goodbye, Bye, See you later, See you tomorrow, Have a nice day.
| Time | Greeting | Leaving |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Good morning | Have a nice day |
| Afternoon | Good afternoon | Goodbye / See you later |
| Evening | Good evening | Good night |
Examples
- Hi, Tom! How are you?informal
- Good morning, Ms Lee.formal
- I’m fine, thanks. And you?
- Bye! See you tomorrow.
- Good night — sleep well!when you leave in the evening
Vocabulary
hello
a word you say when you meet someone
“Hello, I’m Sara.”
goodbye
a word you say when you leave
“Goodbye, see you soon.”
morning
the time from when you wake up until 12:00
afternoon
the time from 12:00 until about 6 pm
evening
the time from about 6 pm until bed
fine
OK, well
“I’m fine, thanks.”
thanks
thank you (informal)
In real life
Two neighbours meet in the morning.
Audio isn’t available in this browser — read the transcript instead.
Anna: Good morning, Mr Brown!
Mr Brown: Good morning, Anna. How are you?
Anna: I’m fine, thanks. And you?
Mr Brown: Very well, thank you.
Anna: Have a nice day!
Mr Brown: You too. Goodbye!
Practice
It’s 9 o’clock in the morning. You meet your teacher. What do you say?
Listening: At the office
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Sam: Good afternoon, Mrs Patel.
Mrs Patel: Good afternoon, Sam. How are you?
Sam: Not bad, thanks. And you?
Mrs Patel: I’m very well. See you at the meeting.
Sam: Yes, see you later.
1.What time of day is it?
2.How is Sam?
3.The conversation is formal.
Speaking
Say hello to three people: your friend, your boss in the morning, and a shop assistant in the evening. Then say goodbye to each one.
- Friend: Hi! How are you?
- Boss: Good morning, Mr/Ms …
- Shop assistant: Good evening.
Model answer
Hi, Maya! How are you? … Good morning, Mr Silva. … Good evening. … Bye, see you later! … Have a nice day! … Thank you, good night.
Writing
Write a short conversation (4–6 lines) between you and a neighbour in the morning.
- ☐ A greeting for the morning
- ☐ How are you? + an answer
- ☐ And you?
- ☐ A goodbye
Lesson quiz
It’s 7 pm. You arrive at a restaurant. You say:
Review
Key points
- Good morning / afternoon / evening are formal greetings by time of day.
- Hi and Hello work almost any time; Hey is very informal.
- Good night is for leaving or bedtime — not for arriving.
- Answer “How are you?” and ask back: “I’m fine, thanks. And you?”
What you learned
- ✓ I can greet people at different times of day.
- ✓ I can ask and answer “How are you?”
- ✓ I can say goodbye in different ways.
Grammar reference: The verb “to be” (am, is, are)