Greeting Someone

In this English lesson you will learn how to greet someone you know and how to respond when someone greets you.

Thre are Different Ways to Greet Someone in English

 In the USA, it is normal for men to shake hands when they meet, but it is quite unusual for men to kiss when they greet each other. Greetings are casual – a handshake, a smile and a ‘hello’ will do just fine.

 

HANDSHAKE

The British often simply say ‘hello’ when they meet friends. They usually shake hands only when they meet for the first time. Social kissing, often just a peck on the cheek,  is common in an informal situation between men and women and also between women who know each other very well.

 

French nationals, including children, shake hands with their friends and often kiss them on both cheeks, both upon meeting and leaving

 In Japan, the common greeting for men and women as well is to bow when they greet someone, as opposed to  giving a casual handshake or a hug.

In Arab countries, close male friends or colleagues hug and kiss both cheeks. They shake hands with the right hand only, for longer but less firmly than in the West. Contact between the opposite genders in public is considered obscene. Do not offer to shake hands with the opposite sex. 

Let's look at a video to know what to say when you want to Greet Someone.

Now, it is time for you practice the language