Informal greetings are casual ways to say hello and start a conversation with friends, family, or people you know well. They are relaxed and friendly, and often include slang or shortened words.
Common Informal Greetings
These are some of the most common informal greetings used in everyday English.
| English Greeting | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| Hi | Hi, how are you? |
| Hey | Hey! What’s up? |
| Hello | Hello! Long time no see. |
| Hiya | Hiya! How’s it going? |
| Yo | Yo! Ready for the party? |
Informal Ways to Ask “How Are You?”
After saying hello, it’s common to ask how someone is doing. Here are some informal ways to ask the question.
| English Question | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| How’s it going? | Hey, how’s it going? |
| What’s up? | What’s up? Haven’t seen you in a while. |
| How are things? | Hi! How are things with you? |
| How’s everything? | Hey, how’s everything? |
| How you doin’? | Yo, how you doin’? |
Informal Responses to “How Are You?”
Here are some casual ways to respond to informal greetings about your well-being.
| English Response | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| Good, thanks! | Hi! Good, thanks! And you? |
| Not bad | Hey, not bad. What about you? |
| Pretty good | I’m pretty good, thanks! |
| Same old, same old | Oh, same old, same old. You? |
| Can’t complain | Can’t complain. How about you? |
Choose the informal response that means nothing new or exciting is happening: “___”
Same old, same old
“Same old, same old” is a casual way to say your life or routine hasn’t changed.
Choose the informal response that means you’re feeling mostly well: “___”
Pretty good
“Pretty good” means you’re feeling well, though it’s a casual rather than a strong positive statement.
Informal Ways to Say Goodbye
Informal greetings also include casual ways to say goodbye at the end of a conversation.
| English Goodbye | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| See ya | See ya later! |
| Catch you later | Catch you later, dude. |
| Bye | Bye! Talk to you soon. |
| Later | Later! |
| Take care | Take care! |
Choose the informal goodbye that suggests you’ll talk again soon: “___”
Catch you later
“Catch you later” is a casual way to say goodbye, implying you’ll see or talk to the person again soon.
Slang and Abbreviations in Informal Greetings
In informal writing, especially in texts and social media, people often use slang and abbreviations to greet each other quickly.
| English Slang/Abbreviation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| sup | Sup? You coming tonight? |
| ttyl | Gotta go, ttyl! |
| brb | Brb, need to grab something. |
| lol | Lol, that’s funny! Hey! |
| cya | Cya at the game! |
Putting It All Together
Here are some examples of informal greetings in full conversations.
| English Conversation |
|---|
| Alex: Hey! What’s up?<br>Jamie: Not much, you?<br>Alex: Same old. Catch you later!<br>Jamie: See ya! |
| Sam: Hiya! How’s it going?<br>Taylor: Pretty good, thanks. You?<br>Sam: Can’t complain. Later!<br>Taylor: Take care! |
Informal greetings are all about being friendly and relaxed. You can mix and match these phrases to start and end casual conversations easily.
Flashcards (1 of 27)
- Example Sentence: Hi, how are you?
- English Greeting: Hi
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
