Hi there! Are you looking for some different ways to say “hello” in English? Well, a good conversation in English (or any language) requires some back and forth. Our students consider us the best English class online because we help our students know different ways to say things, but we also prepare them for how to respond or react.

Conversation is like tennis. You need to know how to hit the ball back to keep the game going! Today let’s focus on the beginning of a conversation: the different ways we say “hello” in English and how to respond.

The Basic “Hello”

There are so many creative ways to say “hello” in English. Whether you are having a casual conversation or preparing for a job interview in English, it’s important to know different ways to start a conversation.

We often start an English conversation with a simple “hello.” You may see someone you know, make eye contact with a stranger, or start a phone conversation with this simple greeting. You may be asking yourself: “What should I say instead of “hello?”

So what do you say to someone who has just said “hello” to you? Of course you can respond back with “Hello” or “Hi,” but does that move the conversation forward? No it does not!

Remember, we want to hit that tennis ball across the net. Answer a simple “hello” with a question. “How are you?” is a popular way to respond and keep the conversation going. You may want to add a simple “hello” to your response just to acknowledge the person, like “Hi there! How are you?” or “Hey man. What’s up?”

What do people really mean when they ask “How are you?”

When people start off an English conversation with “How are you?” they usually don’t expect you to go into much detail. Think of the “How are you?” question as a simple way to get the conversation going.