Essential Greetings

Start every conversation with confidence

The secret to greetings? Your tone matters more than perfect pronunciation. Smile when you say "Hello"—people can hear it in your voice. These phrases will handle any situation you encounter.

Daily Greetings

Hello
heh-LOH
↻
Universal greeting
Works any time of day, any situation
Hi
hahy
↻
Casual and friendly
Most common greeting in America
Good morning
gud MOR-ning
↻
5 AM to 12 PM
Polite, professional greeting
Good afternoon
gud af-ter-NOON
↻
12 PM to 5 PM
After lunch hours
Good evening
gud EEV-ning
↻
After 6 PM
For greeting only. "Good night" is goodbye
How are you?
how ar yoo
↻
Usually just greeting
Answer: "Good, thanks! And you?"
Nice to meet you
nys too meet yoo
↻
First meeting only
Often with handshake
Good to see you
gud too see yoo
↻
Meeting again
For people you already know
Welcome
WEL-kum
↻
Greeting guests
Host says this when someone arrives

Goodbyes

Goodbye
gud-BY
↻
Formal farewell
More formal, final goodbye
Bye
bahy
↻
Casual goodbye
Most common way to say goodbye
See you later
see yoo LAY-ter
↻
Will meet again soon
Same day or near future
Take care
tayk kair
↻
Caring goodbye
Shows warmth and concern
Have a good day
hav uh gud day
↻
Polite wish
Customer service ending
Good night
gud nyt
↻
Going to sleep
NOT an evening greeting—only goodbye
Marcus's Tip:
"How are you?" in America is usually just a greeting, not a real question. Just say "Good, thanks! And you?" Keep it short and positive—save real feelings for close friends.

Introducing Yourself

The foundation of every relationship

Three things everyone needs: "My name is...", "I'm from...", "I work as...". Master these and you can start any conversation. Remember—speak slowly and clearly. Speed comes later, confidence comes first.

Personal Information

My name is...
my naym iz
↻
"My name is Carlos"
Most formal and clear
I'm...
ahym
↻
"I'm Maria"
More casual and common
I'm from...
ahym frum
↻
"I'm from Brazil"
Your country or city of origin
I live in...
ahy liv in
↻
"I live in Chicago"
Your current home
I work as a...
ahy wurk az uh
↻
"I work as a teacher"
Need "a" or "an" before job
I work for...
ahy wurk for
↻
"I work for Google"
Company name
I'm a student
ahym uh STOO-dent
↻
Must use "a"!
Common mistake: forgetting "a"
I speak...
ahy speek
↻
"I speak Spanish and English"
Your languages
I'm learning English
ahym LUR-ning ING-glish
↻
Shows effort and humility
People appreciate honesty
I'm here for...
ahym heer for
↻
"I'm here for business"
Your reason for being there
Marcus's Job Tip:
Talking about work: "I'm AN engineer" or "I work AS an engineer" (your role)
"I work FOR Google" (your company)
"I work AT a hotel" (your place)
"I work IN marketing" (your field)

Essential Questions

Information you need to ask for

Questions are your best tool for learning. Don't be afraid to ask people to repeat or spell things. Americans respect effort, not perfection. These questions will help you in any situation.

Basic Questions

What's your name?
wuts yor naym
↻
First thing to ask
Start every introduction
Where are you from?
wair ar yoo frum
↻
Common question
Shows interest in someone
Can you repeat that?
kan yoo ree-PEET that
↻
Very important!
Never feel bad asking
Can you speak slowly?
kan yoo speek SLOH-lee
↻
Polite request
Most people will help
How do you spell that?
how doo yoo spel that
↻
For names and words
Very useful for names
What does that mean?
wut duz that meen
↻
When confused
Ask anytime you don't understand
Where is...?
wair iz
↻
"Where is the bathroom?"
For finding places
What time is it?
wut tym iz it
↻
Asking for time
Common daily question
How much is this?
how much iz this
↻
Point at item
For prices in stores

Common Responses

How to answer and react naturally

Keep responses simple at first. "Yes" and "No" are complete sentences! Add more information when you're comfortable. "Yes, I do" sounds more natural than just "Yes", but both work fine.

Essential Responses

Yes
yes
↻
Agreement
Simple and clear
No
noh
↻
Disagreement
Polite refusal
Please
pleez
↻
Politeness word
Add to any request
Thank you
thank yoo
↻
Gratitude
Use often—Americans say this a lot
You're welcome
yor WEL-kum
↻
After "thank you"
Polite response
I'm sorry
ahym SOR-ee
↻
Apology
For mistakes or problems
Excuse me
eks-KYOOZ mee
↻
Getting attention
Or small apology (passing by)
I don't understand
ahy dohnt un-der-STAND
↻
Be honest!
Better than pretending
I don't know
ahy dohnt noh
↻
When you don't have answer
Honest response is good
Marcus's Tip:
Americans say "thank you" and "I'm sorry" more than many cultures. When in doubt, say "thank you"—it's never wrong. Use "excuse me" to get someone's attention politely.

Spelling Names Clearly

How to spell your name so everyone understands

When spelling names, use words people know: "M as in Mike, A as in Apple". This prevents confusion, especially on the phone or in noisy places. I'll teach you both systems Americans use.

Simple Letter Words (Most Common)

A as in Apple
ay az in AP-ul
↻
Everyone knows apple
Clear A sound
B as in Boy
bee az in boy
↻
Not P
B and P sound similar
C as in Cat
see az in kat
↻
Hard C sound
Not S or K
D as in Dog
dee az in dawg
↻
Not T
D and T confuse easily
E as in Egg
ee az in eg
↻
Short E
Common word
F as in Frank
ef az in frank
↻
Name works well
Clear F sound
M as in Mary
em az in MAIR-ee
↻
Common name
Clear M sound
N as in Nancy
en az in NAN-see
↻
Not M
M and N sound similar
S as in Sam
ess az in sam
↻
Hissing S
Not Z sound
T as in Tom
tee az in tahm
↻
Hard T
Not D sound
V as in Victor
vee az in VIK-tor
↻
Not B or F
Teeth on lower lip
Z as in Zebra
zee az in ZEE-bruh
↻
Buzzing Z
Not S sound
Marcus's Spelling Tip:
When someone asks "How do you spell that?", go letter by letter slowly: "Marcus. M-A-R-C-U-S. That's M as in Mike, A as in Apple, R as in Robert..." Don't rush—clarity matters more than speed.

Ready to Practice Your English Introduction?

You've got the foundation! Remember—your English is already better than you think. Start with "Hello, my name is..." and build from there. Every conversation makes you stronger. I believe in you!

Talk to Marcus →