Hello and Goodbye in English

Twenty ways to say hello and goodbye in English

There are lots of ways to say "hello" and "goodbye" in English. Choosing the right term usually depends on the following:

• the setting (e.g., a casual meeting in the street, a work meeting with colleagues).
• the relationship with the other person (e.g., we greet close friends and family members differently to how we greet work colleagues, bosses, elders, and professionals).
• the time of day (e.g., we say "good morning," "good afternoon," or "good evening" depending on the time of day).

A Short "Hello" in a Casual Setting

Here are nine short ways to greet someone in a casual setting. These terms are typically used between friends and acquaintances (e.g., work colleagues of the same status) when passing each other. Often, the response to one on these words is another of these words (often the exact same word).

short greeting	typical response	note
hi	hey	It is common to reply to an informal, one-word greeting by repeating the word.
hey	hey
hello	hey
hiya	hello
yo	yo	"Yo" is very informal. It is typically not used by people over 40 years old.
Howdy	hey	"Howdy" is far more common in the USA than in the UK.
morning	morning	The term "morning" is short for "good morning," but the "good" is dropped. It is said before midday.
afternoon	afternoon	Short for "good afternoon," it is typically used before six o'clock in the afternoon.
evening	evening	Short for "good evening," it is typically used after six o'clock in the afternoon.

Read more about telling the time in English.

A Longer "Hello" in a Casual Setting

Here are six, longer ways to greet someone in a casual setting. The response to a longer greeting like these is usually a longer response (i.e., not one of the short ones above). Often, the response includes a question asking how the other person is.

longer greeting	typical response
Hi, great to see you!	Hello. Yes, you too.
Hey, how's it going?	Fine. Thanks.
Long time no see!	Hello. Good to see you.
What's up?	Not much. How are you?
How's everything?	All good. Thanks. You?
How have you been?	I'm fine, thanks. How are you?

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Saying "Goodbye" in a Casual Setting

As with the short greetings, the response to one on these words is another of these words (often the exact same word).

greeting	typical response	note
bye	bye	"Bye" is short for "goodbye." The full version (i.e, "goodbye") feels quite formal – even too final – for most native speakers.
bye bye	bye
see ya	bye bye
see you	bye bye
see you later	bye bye
later	later	This is very informal.
ciao	ciao	"Ciao" has been borrowed from Italian. It can mean "hello" or "goodbye."
take care	you too
good night	good night	Oddly, "good night" is not used as a greeting like "good morning", "good evening," and "good afternoon."
see you tomorrow	good night

Saying "Hello" in a Neutral Setting

These greetings are typically used with people you do not know well (e.g., someone you have just met) or people of a higher status (e.g., a work manager, an older person). They are used when some formality or respect is appropriate.

The word "hello" is worthy of special mention as it is suitable for a casual or a formal setting.

greeting	typical response	note
Hello	Hello
Good morning	Good morning	In a formal setting, the word "good" is usually added. In a casual setting, the "good" is often dropped.
Good afternoon	Good afternoon	This is a more formal version of "afternoon."
Good evening	Good evening	This is a more formal version of "evening."
How do you do?	Fine, thank you. How are you?
Nice to see you	Yes, thank you. How are things?
Pleased to meet you	Thank you. And you?

Saying "Goodbye" in a Neutral Setting

Here are seven ways to say "goodbye" in a neutral setting. Note that "bye," which is typically used a casual farewell, is often used in the response to a more formal farewell.

greeting	typical response
Goodbye	See you soon
Have a good day.	Thank you. You too.
Have a great evening.	Bye. You too.
Take care	You too.
All the best	Thank you. You too.
Farewell	Bye
Until next time	See you soon.

Long Goodbyes

Here are four common ways to say goodbye when you are unlikely to see the person again soon. In other words, these terms all carry a connotation of a lengthy absence.

greeting	typical response
I'll miss you.	Goodbye. Love you.
Stay in touch.	Will do. Bye.
Don't be a stranger.	See you in the not too distant future, hopefully.
Safe travels	You too. Good luck.

Saying "Hello" in a Formal Setting

Here are five common ways to say "hello" in a formal, professional setting (e.g., before a presentation or interview).

greeting	typical response
Hello, everyone	Hello
Greetings	Thank you
Welcome	Thank you
It's a pleasure to meet you.	Thank you. You too.
Thank you for joining us.	It is my pleasure.

Saying "Goodbye" in a Formal Setting

greeting	typical response
It was a pleasure working with you.	Thank you. You too.
Thank you for your time.	You're welcome. Thank you.
I look forward to our next meeting.	Yes, see you soon.
Goodbye for now.	See you soon.

Here are some ways of ending a written text (e.g., a letter or email).

greeting	note
Yours sincerely (written)	This is used when you have used the person's name in the introduction (e.g., "Dear John")
Yours faithfully (written)	This is used when you have not used the person's name in the introduction (e.g., "Dear Sir")
Best regards (written)	This is a common, polite way to end a written message.
Kind regards (written)	This is another common, polite way to end a written message.

Saying "Goodbye" for Nighttime

greeting	typical response
Good night	Good night
Sleep well	You too
Sweet dreams	You too
Sleep tight	You too

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