In English, formal greetings are the preferred way to initiate communication in most cases. As you become more familiar with one another, you can use more informal greetings.

Here are some FORMAL GREETINGS:

• "Good morning" "Good afternoon" or "Good evening" are polite ways to say "hello" that vary depending on the time of day. Keep in mind that "Good night" is reserved for saying goodbye, so use "good evening" when meeting someone late in the day. You can make "good morning" more casual by simply saying "morning."
• "Nice to meet you" or "Pleased to meet you" are formal ways to greet someone when meeting them for the first time. In subsequent meetings, you can say phrases like "it's nice to see you again."
• "How have you been?" is a greeting typically used by people who have already met.
• "How do you do?" is very formal and old-fashioned. People usually answer with the same question: "how do you do?".

You can also consider the following INFORMAL GREETINGS:

• "Hello", “Hey”, “Hi” or "Hello sir/madam". The most common informal way to greet someone.
• "How's it going?" or "How are you doing?" are colloquial ways for “How are you?”. Answer with "it's going well" or "I'm doing well," and you can follow up by asking "and you?" as you would with "how are you?"
• "What's up?" "What's new?" or "What's going on?" are other informal ways to ask how someone is doing.
• "How's everything?" "How are things?" or "How's life?" can be used for casual greetings, often with people you already know. Responses like "good" or "not bad" are common.
• "How's your day?" or "How's your day going?" Respond with answers like "fine," "good," or "alright."
• "Good to see you" or "Nice to see you" are also informal greetings used with friends, or family members, especially when you haven't seen them in a while.

Now, listen and repeat: