Six Ways to Start a Conversation
One of the most exciting things about learning English is the opportunity it creates to meet and form relationships with so many new people.
Whether you’re being introduced to someone for the first time or catching up with an old friend, there are many ways to greet someone. Since a greeting sets the tone for the conversation that follows, it’s nice to have some variety in your personal word bank.
These 6 phrases each have slightly different meanings, so make sure you read the explanations!
- “How’s it going?” This is an informal way to say, “How are you?”
- “Long time no see!” This may look strange as a written sentence, but it’s a common thing people say when they haven’t seen each other in a long time.
- “Pleased to meet you.” This is another way to say “Nice to meet you.” It generally has a more formal connotation and can be used when you’re meeting a new person, like a new co-worker, for the first time.
- “Look who it is!” In informal settings, this is a way to express excitement about seeing a friend.
- “Good to see you.” Just like it sounds, this phrase is used to say you’re happy to see someone again.
- “Glad to put a face to a name.” Many times, we’ll talk to someone via email or over the phone before actually meeting them in person. This is what you can say when you’re finally meeting someone face-to-face after communicating with them in other ways for a while.
Now that you know how to use these different greetings in different scenarios, try one out! Whether it’s someone that you’re meeting for the first time, or an old friend that you haven’t seen in ages, you’ll be able to start the conversation on a much more personal note with these phrases.
*BONUS: “I haven’t seen you in ages” is similar to “Long time no see!” It is another way to greet someone you’ve missed for a long time.
Vocabulary:
opportunity – a chance or a good time to do something that you want to do, “Studying abroad is a great opportunity to practice a new language.”
form relationships – to start and develop friendships, connections, or bonds with other people, “Joining a local sports club is an easy way to form relationships with people who share your interests.”
catching up with – talking to someone you haven’t seen in a while to find out what has been happening in their life, “I am meeting my high school friend tonight for coffee and catching up with her.”
sets the tone – establishes the mood, atmosphere, or feeling for a situation or event, “A friendly smile at the start of a meeting sets the tone for a positive discussion.”
variety – a collection or mixture of several different things of the same general type, “The bakery offers a wide variety of cakes and pastries.”
word bank – a personal collection or list of words and phrases that a person knows and uses, “Reading books regularly is an excellent way to expand your word bank.”
connotation – an idea, feeling, or impression that a specific word invokes in addition to its literal meaning, “The word ‘home’ has a warm, comfortable connotation that the word ‘house’ does not have.”
co-worker – a person who works with you in the same office, company, or workplace; a colleague, “My new co-worker helped me find where the office supplies are kept.”
express excitement – to show or communicate strong feelings of happiness, enthusiasm, or eagerness, “The children began to express excitement when they saw the theme park gates.”
put a face to a name – an idiom that means to finally meet or see someone in person after only knowing them through emails, phone calls, or messages, “It was wonderful to finally meet our online manager and put a face to a name.”
via – by means of, through, or by using a specific route or method, “We received the event invitation via text message.”
face-to-face – in person, where you are physically looking at and standing close to another person, “Instead of texting, we should sit down and have a face-to-face conversation.”
scenarios – possible situations, events, or chains of events that could happen, “The emergency team practices different scenarios to prepare for real disasters.”
in ages – an informal idiom meaning for a very long period of time, “I haven’t been to the movie theater in ages because I usually stream films at home.”
personal note – in a way that is more intimate, friendly, or specific to an individual rather than purely formal or professional, “He ended the business letter on a personal note by wishing the client a happy holiday.”