Hello!
A1
Everyday Phrase
Neutral
Very Common
Meaning
A common, friendly greeting used when you meet someone.
When to use it
Anyone can say hello to friends, family, people at work or people they meet for the first time. It is neutral: not especially formal or informal. It is also common when answering the phone. It is not suitable for saying goodbye.
Example Sentence
Hello! How are you?
Grammar & structure
Hello! or Hello + name: Hello, Anna! It can stand alone and is not a short form of a longer sentence.
✓ Correct
Hello, Dad!
Hello! Is this the doctor's office?
Hello! I'm your new neighbour.
✗ Incorrect
I hello you.
Hello are you?
Hello is a greeting, not a verb. A friendly voice makes it sound warm.
How to reply
Similar expressions
Hi!
More informal than hello, but very common in everyday conversation.
Good morning!
A greeting used in the morning. It can sound a little more formal than hello.
Hey!
An informal greeting, especially with friends.
Don't confuse it with
Goodbye!
— Something you say when you leave someone.
Say hello when you arrive and goodbye when you leave.
Common mistakes
✗ Hello to meet you.
✓ Hello! Nice to meet you.
Hello is a complete greeting. Use nice to meet you as a separate phrase.
✗ I'm hello, Anna.
✓ Hello, Anna.
Hello is not a word that describes you, so do not put I'm before it.
Dialogue
Two neighbours meet outside their homes for the first time.
Maya
Hello! I'm Maya, your new neighbour.
Jack
Hello, Maya. I'm Jack. Nice to meet you.
Maya
Nice to meet you too. Is that your dog?
Jack
Yes, his name's Max. He's very friendly.
Complete the conversation
1. A: Hello! I'm Lucy.
B: ___
2. A: Hello!
B: ___
Never forget "Hello!" again
Reinforce idioms and expressions with your daily goal in the Vocab5000 app and learn them for good with a scientifically proven repetition system. Start for free now.
