Greetings and courtesy phrases
Learn common English phrases for greeting people and being polite.
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Flashcards
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Listen to the word and type it. Great for practicing spelling and pronunciation.
Match
Match the words against the clock. A fun, low-pressure way to review.
Terms in this deck
- helloa word used to greet someone
- hia casual way to greet someone
- good morninga greeting used in the morning
- good afternoona greeting used in the afternoon
- good eveninga greeting used in the evening
- good nightsaid when leaving someone or going to sleep
- how are youa question asked to greet someone and ask about their wellbeing
- nice to meet yousaid when you meet someone for the first time
- goodbyea word said when leaving someone
- see you latersaid when leaving, meaning you will see the person again soon
- see you soonsaid when leaving, expecting to see the person again in a short time
- take caresaid when leaving someone, wishing them well
- have a nice daya friendly phrase said when leaving someone
- pleaseused to ask for something politely
- thank youused to show you are grateful for something
- you're welcomesaid after someone thanks you
- excuse meused to politely get someone's attention or ask them to move
- I'm sorryused to apologize
- no problema casual way to say something is fine or an apology is accepted
- what's upa very casual way to greet someone
- long time no seesaid when you see someone you have not seen in a while
- welcomesaid to greet someone arriving at a place
- congratulationssaid to celebrate someone's achievement or good news
- good lucksaid to wish someone success
- my pleasurea polite way to say you were happy to help
- byea short, casual way to say goodbye
- how's it goinga casual way to ask how someone is doing
- bless yousaid politely to someone right after they sneeze
- have a good onea casual, friendly phrase said when leaving someone
- nice talking to youa polite phrase said at the end of a conversation
How to study this deck
Courtesy phrases are the first thing you use when speaking with someone and make you sound polite. Group them into greetings (hello, good morning), farewells (goodbye, see you later) and courtesy (please, thank you, excuse me). Practice answering each one automatically, because English almost always has an expected reply.
The trickiest words
- good night: it is only used to say goodbye or before bed, not as a greeting. As a greeting, use "good evening".
- how are you: it is usually a greeting, not a real question. The usual answer is "Fine, thanks. And you?".
- excuse me / I'm sorry: excuse me is to get someone's attention or pass; I'm sorry is to apologize for something you did.
Examples in context
Hello, how are you?
Good afternoon, how can I help you?
Nice to meet you, I am John.
Take care, and drive safely.
Thank you! You're welcome.
No problem, take your time.
Congratulations on your new job!
Hey, how's it going?
Mini dialogue
- A: Good morning! How are you?
- B: Fine, thank you. And you?
- A: Great. Excuse me, could you help me, please?
- B: Of course. Have a nice day!