Let's start with the most basic ways to say hello. In English, the two most common greetings are Hello and Hi. "Hello" is a standard, all-purpose greeting. You can use it in any situation, whether formal or informal. "Hi" is a bit more casual and is very common among friends, family, and colleagues.

You can also greet people based on the time of day. This is common in both professional and casual settings.

• Good morning is used from the time you wake up until noon (12:00 PM).
• Good afternoon is used from noon until about 6:00 PM.
• Good evening is used after 6:00 PM.

Note that "Good night" is typically used to say goodbye at the end of the evening, or when you are going to bed. It's not used as a greeting.

After greeting someone, you might want to introduce yourself. The simplest way to do this is by saying My name is... followed by your name. You can also use the shorter version, I'm...

To ask for someone else's name, you use the question: What's your name?

A very common question after a greeting is How are you? It’s a polite way to ask about someone's well-being. Think of it as the equivalent of Comment ça va? in French.

There are several standard ways to respond. A common and polite response is I'm fine, thank you. Or you could say I'm good, thanks.

After you answer, it's polite to ask the other person how they are, too. You can do this by saying, And you?

Now you have the basic tools to start a simple conversation in English.

Ready to check your understanding? Let's try a few questions.