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Meet, see, or visit
Meet is to get to know someone or arrange a time and place, see is to spend time with someone you know, and visit is to go to where they are.
Quick rule
First time, or arranging a place? Meet. Seeing someone you already know, or going to a professional? See. Going to their home or to a place for a while? Visit.
To see and know someone for the first time, or to come together after arranging it: meet my sister, meet at the gate.
To spend time with someone, go to a professional, or run into a person you know: see a friend, see a doctor.
To go to see a person or a place for a period of time: visit friends, visit a museum.
How to choose
| Question | meet | see | visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is it getting to know someone for the first time (Nice to ___ you)? | Yes | No | No |
| Is it going to a place or someone's home (___ Cusco, ___ my aunt)? | No | SometimesSometimes | Yes |
| Is it arranging a time and place (___ at the cafe at six)? | Yes | SometimesSometimes | No |
| Is it only seeing with your eyes, with no plan to meet anyone (___ a bird)? | No | Yes | No |
Why it trips people up
Meet, see, and visit all describe being with a person, but at different points: first contact, spending time with someone you know, and going to where they are. See is the broadest, so it overlaps with the other two.
How each one works
Meet
First time: being introduced
Come meet my sister. She just moved here.
Arranging a place to meet
We agreed to meet at the bus station at nine.
Meeting someone you admire
I would love to meet that author someday.
See
Seeing people you already know
I have not seen my old classmates in years.
Spending time with someone
Let's see each other more often.
Going to a professional
I have to see my dentist on Monday.
Visit
Going to see family
My aunt is visiting us from Chile this month.
Going to a place
Tourists love to visit the old market.
Visit + person, no to
Do not forget to visit your grandmother this weekend.
What comes next
meet plus person
I met my new neighbor yesterday.
meet at / for plus place or plan
Let's meet for coffee after class.
see plus person
I see my parents every Sunday.
see plus professional (a doctor, a lawyer)
He is seeing a dentist on Friday.
visit plus person or place
We visited my uncle and his family in May.
be visiting (just passing)
We are in town for three days. We are visiting my cousin.
Set phrases
Meet
- meet your match
- to meet someone as good as you or better
- meet the needs of
- to give people what they need
See
- see a doctor
- to go to a doctor for advice or treatment
- We'll see.
- I will decide later, after I think about it
Visit
- visit friends and family
- to go to spend time at their home
- visit a website
- to go to a page on the internet
Almost the same
I met my cousin at the airport.
I waited there, as we had arranged.
I saw my cousin at the airport.
I ran into him, maybe by chance.
I visited my cousin in Lima.
I went to where he lives.
I am glad to meet you, Ana.
You say it the first time you meet.
I am glad to see you again, Ana.
You already knew each other.
In a conversation
- A:
Where did you two meet?
- B:
At my cousin's wedding. I see her every weekend now.
- A:
Do you visit her family too?
- B:
Yes, we visit them on Sundays for lunch.
Common mistakes
Wrong: It was nice to meat your parents.
Right: It was nice to meet your parents.
Meet and meat sound the same. A greeting is about people, so it is meet.
Wrong: Can we see for lunch tomorrow?
Right: Can we meet for lunch tomorrow?
To arrange a plan with another person, meet is the usual verb. See needs someone to see: see you for lunch.
Memory trick
Ask whether you already knew them. If it is the first time, or you set a place, meet. If you already know them and spend time together, see. If you go where they are, or to a place, visit, with no to.
It depends
- See also means visit
- Oxford gives see for visiting (Come and see us again soon) and for meeting a professional. That is why it overlaps with visit and meet.
- Visit a web page
- Oxford also lists visit for going to a website: For more information, visit our website.
FAQ
What is the difference between see and meet?
Meet means to get to know someone or to come together after arranging it. See means to spend time with someone, or to go to a professional.
Is it see you or meet you?
Meet you is for the first time. See you is for someone you already know, or a goodbye like see you later.
Do you visit or see a doctor?
Oxford lists see a doctor. Visit is used for going to a person or place for a while.