Greetings and Salutations in American English
In American English, greetings and salutations can vary from casual to formal depending on the time of day and the context. Every beginner should try to master choosing the appropriate greeting for the situation. Here are some common greetings and salutations (and the song above is a great way to remember them!):
To Greet Someone, or Say Hello 👋🏾:
Basic (can be used anytime):
Formal/Standard: “Hello”
Casual: “Hey” or “Hi”
Informal/Slang: “What’s up?” "Yo”
Morning (before 12PM):
“Morning”
"Good morning."
Afternoon (12PM-4PM):
"Afternoon."
"Good afternoon."
Evening (4PM-8PM):
"Evening”
"Good evening."
You can combine basic greetings with any of the options above.
A: “Hi, good morning!”
B: “Hey, what’s up?”
To Say Goodbye 🫂:
Nighttime (8PM+, these are used to say goodbye):
"Night!”
"Goodnight!"
Anytime:
“Goodbye”
“See you later.”
“Bye” (casual)
“Later” (casual)
“Take care”
“See you”/ “See ya” (Casual)
“See you soon.” (when you have a plan to meet soon)
“See you tomorrow!" or “See you______” specify the time you’ll see them.
**We use “later” or “See you later” when you know you’ll run into someone again. For example friends, family, coworkers. Even if you don’t have a specific plan to meet, you know you’ll see them, so you can say “See you later!”
Multiple Choice Questions: Choose the correct answer from the choices for each question.
You are greeting a boss. It’s 8AM. Which greeting do you use?
a) Hello.
b) Good morning.
c) Morning.
d) Any of the above
You see your coworkers at lunchtime. What do you say?
a) Good morning.
b) Good afternoon.
c) Hey!
d) B or C.
What would you say at 5pm to greet someone formally?
a) Good morning.
b) Good night.
c) Good evening.
d) Good afternoon.
How would you say goodbye casually at nighttime?
a) Good night.
b) Night! See you tomorrow!
c) Good evening.
d) Good morning.
You are leaving a friend’s house for the night. What will you say?
a) Good evening.
b) Hey! How's your evening going?
c) See you later.
d) Good night.