Greeting People

Greeting people in a foreign language is not so simple as it may seem. There are many ways of saying “Hello” in English and the difficulty is to choose the right time. You would always say “Hello” to a friend.

If you want to inquire after a person’s health you merely ask, “How are you?” (but not “How do you do” which is used when people are introduced to each other). The answer might be, “Very well, thank you”, or perhaps, “Thank you, not so well”, or any other conversational formulas.

Of course, there are other ways of greeting a person. For instance, on coming to see or meeting people you know you might say “Good afternoon” or, perhaps, “Good morning”, or “Good evening”, but not “Good day”, which is curt dismissal.

In different countries the rules of greeting are different, sometimes very unusual. Most of the nationalities just shake hands and say “Hello”. In Afghanistan people say “Hello” for at least five minutes. In Thailand they clasp hands together and bow, when greeting someone. At a formal meeting people immediately exchange their business cards. You should remember that if you give people a pleasant impression when you first meet them it is easier to deal with them further. Always try to smile to people, call them by name, be friendly and helpful. Never forget that we don’t have a second chance for the first impression.

Answer the questions on the text:

1. When do people ask “How do you do?”

2. How do people greet each other in Afghanistan?

3. Where do people bow while greeting?

4. What advice can you give concerning a first meeting?

5. How do you behave while greeting: shake hands, bow, kiss on the cheek, etc?