Common English Greetings

Topic Category
English greetings and responses.
ESL study.
English daily expressions, saying, and one-liners.

Notes:
When you meet someone, or meet up with someone for the first time that day, there are
many ways you can greet them and respond back to them.
I've laid out some colorful choices below.
If I'm missing any good ones let me know.
One constraint (rule) here is that the responses that contain an "I" or "I'm" can only be used
with questions that have a "you" or "ya" in them.

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The Greeting Question:

THE GREETING RESPONSE

The Standard Responses:
A More Excited Response:
The Greeting Response - Not doing well:
Colorful Responses:
Quirky Responses:
Introduction: Salutation: Hello:
Say Goodbye in English
Responses for Telephone Calls

The Greeting Question:

Ask this when you want to get an update on a person's status. It shows you care about or
have concern for them.
How are you?
How are ya?
How you doin'?
How YOU doin'? -(the stress is on the 'YOU' part of the phrase, indicating a stronger, caring interest in the person)
How ya doin'?
How ya DOIN'?
How's it goin'?
How are things?
How're things with you?
How're things going with you?
How's business?
How's yourself?
What's new?
What's new and exciting?
What exciting stuff is happening on your end?
What's new on your end?
What's new on your end of things?
How are you this fine day?
How's life treating you?
Keeping out of trouble? or raising hell?
Are you in good form? - How are you?
What have you been up to?
How was your day today?

THE GREETING RESPONSE

The Standard Responses:

These are your plain, vanilla phrases when responding to a greeting.
Not bad.
Not too bad.
Not doing too bad.
I'm not doing too bad.
Not bad, could be worse.
Good!
Pretty good.
Great!
Wonderful!
Fine.
Swell.
I'm all right.
Can't complain.
Couldn't be better!
Never better!

Just another day at the ranch.

It's all good in the hood.
Things are well.
Doing great.
I'm phenomenal. Life's too short to be only good. R. [2010-11-26 Fri 07:18]
I'm in great form.
Good! good!
Same ol' same ol'
Nothing eventful.
Just loitering. languishing in the sun
Not much.
Not a whole lot.
Not a whole bunch.
Mostly uneventful.

A More Excited Response:

Actually, I tend to use the more 'charged' responses, even when greeting the cashier at the
store.
Awesome!
Fantastic!
Phenomenal!
Fantasmal! - (fantastic and phenomenal combined into one word)
Marvelous!
Superb!
Extraordinary!
Groovy!
Gnarly!

The Greeting Response - Not doing well:

When someone you greet makes this response, you will respond back with: "Oh?",
"Really?", "Why's that?", "Oh No!"
Not so good.
I'm not doing so well.
Could be better.
Things could be better.
Terrible!
Awful!
God Awful!
Horrible!
Poor.
Piss Poor.
I wish I could say things are good.
I'm having an off day.
I'm having a bad day.
Don't ask!
Don't get me started!
If it were any worse I'd have to kill someone.

Colorful Responses:

WARNING: ESL speakers need to be careful using these expressions below. They are very
colloquial expressions.
Hunky dory!
Tickety-boo!
Absolutely smashing!
Peachy!
Peachy keen!
Lovely!
Top drawer!
Dandy!
Jim dandy!
Hangin' in there.
Still hangin' in there.

Quirky Responses:
These are advanced phrases, really only heard from native English speakers with a slightly
warped sense of humor (like me ).
These can get creative sometimes and contain numerous variations.
Couldn't be better if you paid me.
I'm fair to middlin', thank you!
I'm finer'n frog hair and twice as fluffy.
Feeling as fine as frog's hair.
I'm finer than frog hair split four ways!
Still trying to carve out an existence.
It could be better but that would be a hell of a lot more expensive.
If I was any better, I couldn't stand it.
If I was any better, I'd be dangerous.
If I was any better, It'd be illegal.
Still breathing regular. - (Some old guy responded to me with this one time. Pretty funny
lol)
Up to no good again.
Still solvent!
I'm solid.

SVOdude
English Helper
English Level: Native
Top
by SVOdude Wed Sep 17, 2008 12:03 am

Introduction: Salutation: Hello:

There are many Ways to Respond to 'Hello'

First introductions:
Meeting someone for the first time:
Hi.
Hello.
How do you do.
Nice to meet you.
Good to meet you.
Great to meet you.
It's nice to meet you.
Glad to meet you!
I'm glad to meet you!
Glad to make your acquaintance.
Nice to make your acquaintance.
Glad to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you.

Meet someone you know or have met before:

Hi.
Hello.
Greetings.
Howdy
Good to see ya.
Hey!
Hey there!
Hey you!
Hey dude!
Yo
Yo dude
Howdy doody
Howdy doody tuitty fruity
Howdy ho. Heidi ho
Good morning.
Good morning to you.
Top of the mornin' to ya.
Good afternoon.
Good evening.
Greetings my excellent ones.
Aye mate, Aye matey

Howdy stranger - said to someone you haven't seen in a while

How the hell are you?
How the sam hell are you?
How have things been with you?

Response:
The feeling is mutual.

SVOdude
English Helper
English Level: Native
Top
by SVOdude Wed Sep 17, 2008 12:27 am

Say Goodbye in English

The many Ways to Say 'Goodbye'

Common Parting Phrases:

Bye.
Bye now.
Goodbye.
Bye bye.
Bu-bye.
See ya.
See you.
See ya later.
See you later.
Talk to you later.
Speak to you later.
Later!
Laters!
Take it easy!
Take care!
Don't work too hard!
Have a good one!
Have a nice day.
Have a good day.
Have fun.

Catch ya later.
I'll catch up with you later.
Cheers.
Cheerio
Peace!
Peace out!
Peace to you!
Tootles!
Tooda-loo!
Toodle-doo!
Ta-ta!
Ta-ta for now! (TTFN)
See ya around.
See ya soon
Have yourself a good night.
Catcha on the rebound.
See ya on the flip side.
Check ya later.
Spot ya later.
All right, signing out
Keep your gun clean and your powder dry
Kisses
xoxoxo
See you around.
See ya in the next life!
Have a nice one.
Enjoy your day.
Happy trails to ya.
Let's high-tail 'er outa here.
Many thanks!
Happy sun rise to you!
Have a nice weather!
Happy climatology!
Let's went.
I'm out.
Back to the salt mines.

Long Goodbyes:
So long.

Farewell.
Good luck.
Good luck to you.
Break a leg!
All the best.
All the best to you.
You be well!
You take care of yourself
You take care; ya hear!
Keep in touch.
Until next time.
Until later.
Until we meet again.
Gimme a holler.
Gimme a shout later.
Drop me a line.
Drop me a line sometime.
Don't be a stranger
Ya'll come back ya hear
Call me!
Ring me!
Email me!
Look me up!
Happy trails.
Happy trails to you.
Have a safe trip.
Don't forget to write.
God be with you.
Godspeed
Stay strong.

Colorful Goodbyes:
I Fare thee well.
Hasta la vista, baby.
Over and out.
Be good.
Keep your nose clean.
Keep a lid on it.
Don't get too radical.
It's been a slice.
It's been real.
Keep it human.
God be with you English.

See you later, alligator

Later gator - (to which the response may be "In a while, crocodile")
Later crocigator.
Keep the faith.
Keep the dream alive.

Wishing a Good Night:

Good night.
Have a good night.
Have a good sleep.
Sweet dreams.
Good night and have a pleasant tomorrow.
Good night, don't let the bed bugs bite.

Foreign but understood by English People:

Ciao (chow) - Italian
Sayonara - Japanese
Shalom - Persian
Salute (sa lu) - French
Adios (a dee oh s) - Spanish
Adios amigo
Arrivederci
Au revoir
Aloha

Parting Phrases in Writing only (Valedictions):

Sincerely,
Sincerely yours,
Yours truly,
Yours faithfully,
Best regards,
Kind regards,
Cordially,
Warmly,
Respectfully yours,