English Stack Exchange
English Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [greetings]

A greeting is a polite phrase of welcome or recognition given by someone upon meeting another, or when beginning a letter to another.

Use this tag for questions asking about the proper or normal greeting in a specific circumstance, or for questions about a specific spoken or written greeting.

150 questions
44
votes
1 answer

another greeting aside from "I hope you are well" in an email?

I'm stuck with "I hope you are well" every time I compose an email. What other similar opening lines can I use in an email?
user73103
  • 449
8
votes
2 answers

Ways to greet a third person in a conversation?

For example a situation where you are on the phone with a friend and he is with a person that you know. You would ask him to say hi for you. The french equivalent would be "Passer le bonjour" I am looking for formal and informal ways to say that.
Khaled Zarrad
  • 91
4
votes
1 answer

Proper polite response to "How are you doing?"

This is more of a culture question than a language question, but the two can't always be separated, can they? For me, one of the most shocking things about the United States was how often people ask "How are you doing?" The first thing the cashier…
Szabolcs
  • 540
2
votes
1 answer

How to formally greet someone in an email that I am pleased to getting to know?

When you greet someone new for the first time, you can say: Hello John, it's nice to meet you! But what if you cannot greet somebody in person, when the first contact happens? For example, some other person introduces you via email and then you…
Anderson
  • 135
2
votes
1 answer

Are you well? Happy New Year's Eve!

What are more formal ways to say "How are you" with a hint of positive expectation, in the sense that you want the other person to confirm that his/her life is just fine. Does "Are you well?" work? During new year season people greet "Happy New…
timur
  • 624
1
vote
1 answer

Good Friday as a greeting?

I have an interesting one which surprisingly I haven't found answer for on Google or here. You can say Good day when greeting someone. (I think) Can you also say Good Friday when it is obviously not the religious holiday, just a normal Friday? Or…
Lucas
  • 19
1
vote
1 answer

Greeting in the elevator; can I ask the neighbor where she was as a greeting?

Here in my country, we usually use the expression "where are you coming from?" as a greeting. (It literally means where you were before you got here). This is good manners to ask like this in our country, but I heard this is a really inappropriate…
Coby Park
  • 47
1
vote
2 answers

Is there a greeting used on war memorial/returned services days such as ANZAC Day or Veteran's Day?

Today is ANZAC day in New Zealand, which commemorates those who served and died in WWI and WWII. I'm wondering if there is a common greeting people use on such days, similar to how we have 'Merry Christmas', 'Happy New Year', 'Happy Birthday'.…
dwjohnston
  • 10,945
1
vote
1 answer

Exclamation point in a greeting

What is the accepted use of exclamation point in greeting on a letter or email, "Hi! Kim," or "Hi, Kim!"
Minda Galang
  • 11
1
vote
3 answers

Is there such a construction as "to send hello" or "to send hi"?

Is there such a construction as "to send hello" or "to send hi"? Or something close? Or which is better?
Super Babaca
  • 133
1
vote
1 answer

Can I say "Nice!" to a "How are you?" greeting?

Some friend told me that "Nice!" can't be used as a reply to "How are you?", instead, she suggested "Good!". Is it really so strict on the word choice in questions like "How are you?"
George
  • 145
0
votes
0 answers

How to reply to the question, "What's up?"

Possible Duplicate: What is an appropriate response to “what's up” greeting? If someone asks me "What's up, man?," how should I reply? What does it mean?
Arun
  • 109
0
votes
0 answers

How to respond "say hello to somebody"?

One of my previous professors emailed me and at the end he asked me to say hello to my mom. I am wondering how to reply him ? Is "Thank you, she say hi back to you" sounds correct?
Azadeh
  • 1
  • 1
  • 2
0
votes
1 answer

I hope you're feeling well

Are "I hope you're feeling well." suitable words for common greeting? I mean doesn't it sound odd if there have been no troubles with friend's health and I just want to know if everything is fine with him?
Kolridg
  • 1
0
votes
3 answers

What do you say to your friends when you're about to sleep in the morning? What is the morning version of 'good night'?

'Good morning' is usually a salutation while 'good night' is said while parting for the night. My question is basically "What do you say to your friends when you're about to sleep in the morning? What is the morning version of 'good night'?
Olly Garcky
  • 19
1
2