Almost all conversations start with a greeting. There are several expressions that are commonly used as greeting, some formal and some informal. Which to use, of course depends on the situation.

Hello สวัสดี

Hi สวัสดี

Good morning สวัสดี (เช้า)

Good afternoon สวัสดี (บ่าย)

Good evening สวัสดี (เย็น)

Good night ราตรีสวัสดิ์

Good bye ลาก่อน

So long ลาก่อน

See you แล้วพบกันใหม่

See you later เดี๋ยวพบกันใหม่

See you soon ไว้พบกันเร็วๆนี้

See you around แล้วพบกันอีกนะ

What is your name ? คุณชื่ออะไร

My name is………. ฉันชื่อ………….

Allow me to introduce myself ขอให้ผมแนะนำตัวเอง

May I introduce you to……..? ขอแนะนำให้คุณรู้จักกับ……….

Do you know each other? คุณรู้จักกันหรือยัง

Have you met before? คุณเคยพบกันหรือเปล่า?

Have do you do ? สวัสดีครับ/ค่ะ

Glad to meet you ยินดีที่ได้รู้จักคุณ

How are you? คุณสบายดีหรือ?

Conversation

Mr. John	:	Hello, Mali. How are you?
			(สวัสดีครับ, มะลิ คุณสบายดีไหม?)
Miss. Mali	:	Hello, John. I'm fine. Thank you, and you?
			(สวัสดีค่ะ, จอห์น ฉันสบายดี ขอบคุณค่ะ แล้วคุณล่ะคะ สบายดีไหม?)
Mr. John	:	I'm fine. Thank you.
			(ผมสบายดีครับ ขอบคุณครับ)
	:	When we will go to the ja-tu-jag weekend market?
			(เราจะไปตลาดนัดจตุจักร เมื่อไหร่ครับ?)
Miss. Mali	:	Just a minute, come in please.
			(สักประเดี๋ยวนะค่ะ, เชิญเข้ามาข้างในก่อนค่ะ)
Mr. John	:	Thank you.
			(ขอบคุณครับ)

Miss. Mali	:	I would like to introduce you to my colleague Linda.
			(ฉันขอแนะนำเพื่อนร่วมงานของฉัน คุณลินดาค่ะ)
	:	Linda, this is my friend John.
			(ลินดา, นี่คือ จอห์น เพื่อนของฉันค่ะ)
Mr. John	:	Hello, I'm glad to see you, Linda.
			(สวัสดีครับ, ผมยินดีที่ได้พบคุณลินดาครับ)
Miss.Linda	:	Hello, I'm glad to see you too, John.
			(สวัสดีค่ะ, ดิฉันยินดีที่ได้พบคุณจอห์น เช่นกันค่ะ)
Miss. Mali	:	John is tourist in Thailand, and would like to see the ja-tu-jag weekend market with us.
			(จอห์น เป็นนักท่องเที่ยวในเมืองไทย และต้องการจะไปเที่ยวตลาดนัดจตุจักรกับเราค่ะ)
Mr. John	:	I must apologize for disturbing you.
			(ผมต้องรบกวนคุณแล้ว นะครับ)
Miss.Linda	:	Not at all. I should be delighted.
			(ไม่เป็นไรค่ะ ดิฉันยินดีมาก)
Mr. John	:	Thank you very much.
			(ขอบคุณมากครับ)
Miss. Mali	:	That would be nice. Are you ready to go?
			(ดีค่ะ พวกคุณพร้อมจะไปกันได้ หรือยังคะ?)
Miss.Linda	:	Yes, I'm ready to go.
			(ค่ะ, ฉันพร้อมจะไปแล้วค่ะ)
Mr. John	:	Me too.
			(ผมก็เช่นกัน ครับ)
Miss. Mali	:	Let's go now.
			(พวกเราไปกันได้เลย ค่ะ)

Introductions

When you meet and greet someone for the first time introductions are needed. There are a number of standard expressions that can be used for introductions. Take a look at some of them.

Talking English

English Expressions

Expression	Response
Hello, I’m ( ... Ms. Jaines).	Hello, Ms. Jaines, I’m Susan Appleton.
My name is ( ... John Grey).	Nice to meet you Mr. Grey, I’m Mrs. Sukjoy.
I’m (... George Franks. What's your name)?	My name is Sopida, Sopida Hakam. It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Franks.
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is ( ...Frank Jeffers).	I'm delighted to meet you Mr.Jeffers. My name is Pornpan Orasa.

Introducing others

On occasion, you may find yourself in a situation where you have to introduce one person to another. Look at these possible expressions that are used for this.

English Expressions

Expression		Response
Sam: Peter, I would like to introduce (... Miss Helen Cranston). Helen: Nice to meet you too Mr. Kellogg.		Peter: Hello Miss Cranston, nice to meet you.
Bob: Min Ju, this is ( ... my friend Betty Watson). Betty: Same here.		Min Ju: Hi Ms. Watson, a pleasure to meet you.
Alice: Harry, let me introduce ( ...my supervisor, Mr. Lee). Mr. Lee: Good to meet you too. But please, call me Sammy.		Harry: Mr. Lee, it’s good to meet you.

Point to remember

Many beginning learners use the expression “Nice to meet you” even when they interact with a

person they have already been introduced to. This expression (Nice to meet you) is only used

at a first meeting, not after that. Instead, if greeting a person for the second time, use “Nice to see

you again”

Farewells

Just as there are several standard expressions for greetings, there are also expressions of farewell. The farewell itself is generally very short- one or two words. However, many times people add something to the expressions, depending on what they want to happen in the future or the situation.

Expressions

Goodbye Bye

So long Catch you later

I have to run I have to be going now

So long Later dude

Good day

Extensions to farewells

See you again I hope to see you again

See you later (soon) Call me

Well Being

After the greeting are finished the conversation should be continued in some way. One of the most common ways is is ask about the other persons well being. Again, there are several expressions that can be used for this. The responses to such inquiries will, of course, depend on how one actually feels. Lets take a look at these.

Expressions	Responses
	IF GOOD
How are you?	Great.
How’s it going?	Couldn’t be better.
How are things?	Fantastic.
	IF SO-SO
How are things going?	Could be worse.
How have you been?	I can’t complain.
How do you feel?	Not bad
	IF BAD
How goes it?	I’ve had better days.
How are you doing?	Not too good.
How's life treating you?	Lousy.

English Dialogue

Students should work together in pairs and read the following dialogue, one student reading one part, the other student reading the other. Note the expressions used in the dialogue and the progression of the conversation. The dialogue can be used as a model to have similar conversations.

Sam: Hello, you look lost. Can I be of assistance?

Mary: Oh, thanks. You’re right, I am lost. I’m looking for the Student Union building?

Sam: You’re close; it’s just across the lawn. It’s the three story brick building over there.

Mary: I see, well thanks a lot. You’ve been a big help.

Sam: Excuse me for saying so, but you’re not from around here, are you? Are you British or what?

Mary: Actually I’m Australian. I’m a new transfer student. You’re an American, I assume?

Sam: Yes, by the way I’m Sam, Sam Jones.

Mary: I’m Mary Donald. Pleased to meet you.

Sam: So how long have you been in the States, Mary?

Mary: I’ve been here about three weeks now. So, what’s your major Sam?

Sam: I’m a pre-med student. What’s yours?

Mary: I’m not sure yet, but I’m kind of interested in sociology.

Sam: So, do you live in the dorm?

Mary: Actually no, I have a small apartment about five blocks from here. Well, I have to run. Thanks for your help.

Maybe we’ll bump into each other again sometime.

Sam: Could be, it’s a pretty small campus. Nice to meet you, Mary. See you later.

Mary: So long.

After reading, close your book and tell your partner a summary of the dialogue. Then switch and have your partner tell his or her summary. Start like this: This dialogue is about two people who meet...This may seem silly, since you both already know what the dialogue is about, but the purpose is to practice using your English, not to give information or test your reading skills.