15 ways to say HELLO in English (without using HELLO)
15 ways to say HELLO in English without using HELLO? How is it possible? How do you eat? Relax, I promise you that today you will go to bed saying hello in English and dominating the greetings like a native.
How many different ways would you know of saying HELLO in English without using ‘HELLO’ or ‘HI’? Hmmm… I see, not so many!
Let’s stop boring the staff and give your English some joy, shall we?
we also know you guys are scared about it. but, I promise you all to it's going to be fun. we also teach you how do you say Thank you in a different way…
so let's jump on it!
15 ways to say HELLO in English
- Hiya!
It is the union of the words “hi” and “you”. It is quite informal and more common among women, “it’s a bit girly.”
It is unlikely that you will hear a man entering the pub and greeting his friends with a “Hiya!”, But among women, it is very common, in fact, Ami, Mr. Bartlett’s sister, always greets like that.
2. Are you alright?
Literally “Are you okay?” Although it seems like they are asking you how you are, no one expects to hear a short summary of their latest news.
The normal thing is to answer “Yes, and you?” “I’m alright, you?” or even with the same question: Are you all right? It is a question, usually not answered by any of the interlocutors, another of those British mysteries.
This greeting is so common in the UK and is also a phrase used in many other contexts that we dedicate an entire chapter to it in our book Born to Speak British.
Do you have questions about when to use “alright” or “all right”? Check out this post. The last paragraph is great!
3. Hello there!
It is often used “hello there” instead of “hello” in situations where there is more than one person and you want to indicate that you are greeting a specific person.
You also hear a lot when you meet someone unexpectedly: “Oh hello there!”
4. How’s it going?
One of the most popular ways to say hello is in English. It’s like saying, “how are you doing?” or “how are you?” You can also add “at work”, “at school”, etc. if you want to specify a little more.
- “How’s it going at school Priscilla?” — “Pretty good, I got an A in my science exam!”
- “How’s it going at work James?” — “The same crap different day.”
5. Morning!
Good Morning!
It is constantly used among the natives, of course in the mornings, until 12:00 noon, from then on it is “Good afternoon” or also “afternoon”, more casual.
It is the more relaxed and informal version of “good morning”, which of course, we recommend that you continue to use if you have a formal meeting or a job interview.
6. Hey! What’s up?
Hey! What’s happening? This is the quintessential Yankee greeting. In the US it is used every day to greet friends, family, co-workers. It is also very typical to use it when someone seems sad or worried and we want to know what is happening to them. For instance:
-Hey, what’s up? You seem a bit down today, are you alright?
- I’m fine, I’m just a bit tired but thanks for asking.
7. Fancy seeing you here!
It’s like saying “what a coincidence to see you here.”
It can be used when you are really surprised to see someone or also in an ironic way, for example, if you meet your friend at the bar where he goes every Saturday. It would be like saying: “Man, how strange you are around here!” (Drinking even the water from the vases).
8. I didn’t recognize you!
“I hadn’t recognized you!”
Perfect if you have tried to be crazy, but you have been caught trying to hide in the corridor of the supermarket behind the cans of “baked beans”.
9. It’s been ages! (since I last saw you)
I haven’t seen you for centuries!
This is a good alternative to the previous one. You can continue with a “How have you been?”
10. What a pleasant surprise!
What a nice surprise!
This is perfect for awkward situations or when you meet people you can’t stand. Remember irony and sarcasm come from the factory if you are born in the UK. (Only kidding!)
11. You’re a sight for sore eyes!
Blessed are the eyes!
This is used when you have not seen someone in a long time or when it is a relief to see that person. Sore means “sore, swollen.” It is very common to use it when you have a sore throat: “I have a sore throat”.
So, imagine that you are taking care of your nieces and they won’t stop crying and screaming and their parents appear at the door, 3 hours later than expected, you would say: “Oh! You’re a sight for sore eyes! “
12. Long time no see!
Long time no see! This sentence doesn’t seem grammatically correct, does it?
It turns out that there is an urban legend that says this expression has its origin in the Chinese community residing in the US. It seems that in Mandarin Chinese a phrase is used that is the literal translation of it.
Today, this way of saying hello in English is fully integrated into the language and is very common to hear in informal contexts. Use it fearlessly the next time you meet your English-speaking friends.
13. Top of the morning to ya!
A traditional greeting of Irish origin, which today is only used as a joke.
It means: I wish you the best of the morning. Top of the morning to you!
If you ever visit Ireland, don’t say hello to anyone like that seriously, or the result could be disastrous. Most likely they will take revenge on you!
14. Howdy!
If you want to leave Americans with their mouths open, you have to try: Howdy!
It is another way of saying “how do you do”, an old greeting in disuse, which simply means “hello”, it has nothing to do with “how are you”, nor is it a question.
It is a very common informal greeting in the southern United States. If you want to give your English a “country” air, this is your “greeting”.
And if you want to get to the farmer-cowboy level, try: “Howdy Doody!”
15. Look at what the cat dragged in!
Imagine that your friend comes to your party soaked because there is a storm outside. You could say something like: Well, well, well … look what the cat brought!
Don’t get caught by one of those awkward silences! Use these questions to keep the conversation flowing naturally:
What have you been up to?
It’s something like what have you been up to lately? It is also very common to use it in situations where you suspect that there is a cat locked up, for example, a mother to her adolescent son: “Why do you smell of tobacco? What have you been up to Peter? “
How are you getting on?
In this phrase “to get on” means progress, therefore this phrase is something like “how are you doing”, “how are you doing …”. For example: “How are you getting on in your new job?”
how's life (treating you)?
How is life going on?
The next time you meet for coffee with your friend who moved to town months ago, you can ask him: “So, how’s Brighton treating you?” a typical response will be “Not too bad, thanks! I’m getting by. “ (Not so bad, I’m surviving).
Is all about playing with verbs so, my next class is what is a verb and where do you use it in the proper way.
