How to Greet Someone in English

Where and When Do We Greet? · あいさつはいつ、どこで使う？

You will use greetings every day in many situations. Here are 5 common situations where you will need it. あいさつは日常生活で毎日使います。代表的な5つのシチュエーションを確認しましょう。

5 Key Situations · 5つのシチュエーション

• Meeting someone for the first time: At a party, at school, or at work. You say your name and greet them.
  初めて人に会うとき：パーティー、学校、または職場で。自己紹介をしながらあいさつします。
• Starting a meeting or class: You greet your teacher, manager, or colleague before starting.
  仕事のミーティングや授業を始めるとき：本題に入る前に、先生や上司、同僚にあいさつします。
• Seeing a friend after a long time: You say something warm to show you are happy to see them.
  久しぶりに友人や家族に会うとき：久しぶりに会えてうれしいことを伝えます。
• Walking into a shop or office: A short greeting to the staff shows respect and good manners.
  お店やカフェ、オフィスに入るとき：スタッフへの短いあいさつは礼儀を示します。
• Starting a phone call or meeting: A friendly greeting at the start of a call creates a positive atmosphere.
  電話やビデオ会議を始めるとき：最初の友好的なあいさつがよい雰囲気を作ります。

Why It Matters · なぜ大切なのか

• Start conversations with confidence. 上手なあいさつは、自信を持って会話を始めるのに役立ちます。
• Make a great first impression. 礼儀正しく、話しかけやすい人だということを示し、良い第一印象を与えます。
• Feel more comfortable speaking. あいさつをマスターすることは、実際の場面で英語を話すことへの自信につながる最も早い方法の一つです。
• People remember how you make them feel. 温かいトーンを使うことで、相手に気持ちよく接することができます。

The Simple 3-Part Pattern · 基本の3パターン

You can greet almost anyone using this simple pattern. It is easy to remember and works everywhere. このシンプルな3つのパーツを使えば、ほぼ誰にでもあいさつができます。

What each part does · 各パートの役割

• ① Opening word: "Hi," "Hello," or "Hey." This is the first word. It gets the other person's attention and signals a friendly tone. "Hey" is the most casual. "Hello" is more neutral.
  相手の注意を引き、友好的なトーンを伝えます。
• ② Time greeting: "Good morning," "Good afternoon," or "Good evening." This is optional, but it makes the greeting feel more complete and polite.
  時間帯のあいさつです。省略可能ですが、より丁寧で完全なものにします。
• ③ Follow-up phrase: "How are you?" or "Nice to meet you." This shows interest in the other person and naturally opens the conversation.
  相手への関心を示し、自然に会話を始めます。

Set Your Scene · シーンを確認しよう

Tap each card to learn the key words. Cards are grouped by the 4 greeting categories. Click all cards to continue. あいさつの4つのカテゴリーに分けた重要表現です。全部タップしてみましょう。

0 / 12 activities tapped

20 Key Words and Phrases for Greetings

Here are key words and phrases for greeting someone. Study these before you practice. あいさつに使う重要な単語とフレーズをまとめました。声に出して読んで確認しましょう。

👋 Opening Words · 開始の言葉

⏰ Time-based Greetings · 時間帯のあいさつ

💬 Follow-up Phrases · フォローアップの言葉

👍 Replies & Responses · 返答のフレーズ

Word Selection Tap · 正しい単語を選ぼう

Choose the correct word to complete each sentence. 正しい単語を選んであいさつの文章を完成させましょう。

The Right Phrase for Every Moment · 場面に合ったフレーズ

Greetings are a short exchange. Here are phrases grouped by what they do in a conversation. 会話での役割別にフレーズを学びましょう。

1) Starting the Conversation · 会話を始める

2) Responding to a Greeting · あいさつに返す

3) Asking for Details · 詳しく聞く

4) Ending Politely · 丁寧に締めくくる

Category Phrase Sort · フレーズを分類しよう

Tap a phrase, then tap the correct column. There are 3 categories — Start Conversation, Respond & Detail, and End Politely. フレーズをタップしてから、正しい役割の列に分類しましょう。

Meeting a New Person at a Café · カフェで初めて会う人と

Read both sides aloud. Notice how Yuki says hello, introduces herself, and shares a nice moment with Sarah. 声に出して読みましょう。サラとの自然な初対面のやり取りです。

• Notice the flow: Yuki introduces herself naturally after Sarah sits down. Setting a friendly tone immediately helps.
• Ending on a high note: Always thank the person and use their name when closing a first greeting exchange — it sounds much warmer.

Greeting a Colleague on Monday Morning

The same greeting skills apply at work. Notice how David and Ken exchange warm, conversational morning greetings. 職場でも、週初めのあいさつはとても大切です。

• Casual shortcuts: Using "Morning, David!" instead of "Good morning, David" is very natural and commonly used with colleagues.
• Bounce it back: Always return the question ("How about yours?") to avoid making the conversation one-sided.

Greeting Someone at a Community Event

Read this polite exchange at a neighborhood gathering. See how the simple three-part greeting opens doors smoothly. ご近所の人と丁寧にあいさつを交わす場面です。

• Polite but warm: Even in slightly formal situations (like meeting an elder neighbor), English greetings remain simple and warm without heavy, complex honorifics.
• Non-verbal signs: Speak clearly, make brief eye contact, and try to smile. In English-speaking cultures, these are key.

Fluency Tips & Pitfalls to Avoid · 自然に聞こえるコツ

There is a big difference between a textbook greeting and how a real person talks. Study these quick contrast rules. 教科書のような表現と、ネイティブの自然なあいさつを比べてみましょう。

• Use contractions and friendly modifiers to sound natural. Short scripts can feel cold.
  「I am」の代わりに短縮形の「I\'m」や「really」を使うと、より自然で温かく聞こえます。
  
  ❌ Stiff: "Hello. I am fine. Nice to meet you."
  ✅ Natural: "Hi! I'm doing well, thanks. Really nice to meet you!"
• Extend your short answers so the conversation doesn't die. Use the pattern: Answer + Reason/Detail + Return question.
  「I\'m good」などの短い答えは会話を終わらせます。「返答 ＋ 理由や詳細 ＋ 質問を返す」を意識しましょう。
  
  ❌ Too short: "Good morning. How are you. I am good."
  ✅ Natural: "Good morning! How are you doing? I'm great, thanks for asking."
• Avoid saying "I am fine, thank you, and you?" like a robotic script.
  この定番フレーズは少し教科書的すぎて不自然に聞こえます。もっと口語的な表現を使いましょう。
  
  ❌ Robotic: "I am fine, thank you, and you?"
  ✅ Natural correction: "I'm doing well, thanks! How about you?" or "Pretty good! You?"
• Don't forget to return the question. If you don't ask back, there will be awkward silence.
  「How are you?」に答えたら、必ず相手に質問を投げ返しましょう。
  
  ❌ One-sided: "How are you?" -> "I'm good." -> silence
  ✅ Natural correction: "I'm good, thanks! How about you?" — Always bounce it back.
• Never say "Nice to meet you" if you've met before. This is a very common error.
  「Nice to meet you」は初対面だけです。既知の相手には別のフレーズを。
  
  ❌ Mistake: Saying "Nice to meet you!" to a coworker you saw last week.
  ✅ Natural correction: "Good to see you again!" or "Great to see you!"

Quick Capstone Quiz · 総まとめクイズ

Answer 4 questions to verify your greeting skills. 4問のクイズに答えて、あいさつのコツをチェックしましょう。

Write Your Own Greeting

Use what you learned today to build your own greeting template. [Brackets] can be changed to fit your real situation. 自分に合わせたあいさつの流れを作ってみましょう。

🌟 Worked examples · あいさつの作成例

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