“Hello” works almost anywhere, but different greetings can sound warmer, more casual, more formal or more specific to the situation. These 11 alternatives cover common spoken and written contexts.
Quick List: 11 Greetings
- Hi
- Hey
- Greetings
- Good morning
- Good afternoon
- Good evening
- Welcome
- How are you?
- Nice to meet you
- What’s up?
- Good to see you
Hi
Hi is the most common casual alternative and works in most friendly or neutral situations.
Example: Hi, Maya—thanks for getting back to me.
Hey
Hey is more informal than hi and is best with people you already know or in relaxed settings.
Example: Hey, are you free later?
Greetings
Greetings is formal or playful and is more common in writing than ordinary conversation.
Example: Greetings from the conference team.
Good morning
Good morning is a polite time-specific greeting used before midday.
Example: Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the meeting.
Good afternoon
Good afternoon is a polite greeting for the period after midday.
Example: Good afternoon, Dr Patel.
Good evening
Good evening is a polite greeting used later in the day, especially in formal or social settings.
Example: Good evening, and thank you for joining us.
Welcome
Welcome greets someone while also acknowledging their arrival at a place, event or group.
Example: Welcome to the new office.
How are you?
How are you? can function as part of a greeting, though it also invites a response about the other person.
Example: How are you? It’s good to see you again.
Nice to meet you
Nice to meet you is appropriate when greeting someone for the first time after introductions.
Example: Nice to meet you, Alex.
What’s up?
What’s up? is a very informal greeting among friends or peers.
Example: What’s up? I haven’t seen you in ages.
Good to see you
Good to see you is a warm greeting for someone you already know.
Example: Good to see you again after so long.
Match the Greeting to the Relationship
Hi is a safe everyday choice, while hey and what’s up are more casual. Time-specific greetings can sound more formal, and welcome, nice to meet you and good to see you fit particular social situations rather than replacing hello everywhere.