English - First Greetings

Lesson 1 of 139

Two people smile and greet each other at a casual meetup. The scene supports English learning for first greetings and simple conversation openers.

Goal: Start a conversation with simple, friendly hello phrases.

Free English lessons with audio, guided practice, and speaking support.

Welcome to your first Yak Yacker lesson! Here, you will listen to useful phrases, practice their meanings, and then say them out loud. Small phrases, big yak power.

Level A1: In this first lesson, you will practice simple greetings like “Hello,” “Hi,” “Hey,” and time greetings like “Good afternoon” and “Good evening.” You will also learn easy openers for meeting someone: “How are you?”, “What’s your name?”, “Can I join you?”, and “Do you have a minute?” By the end, you can start a very short friendly conversation.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Greet someone politely or casually.
  • Ask and answer a simple “How are you?” question.
  • Introduce yourself with “I’m ___.”
  • Use A1 opening phrases to start or join a short conversation.
A friendly welcome table at an international community event. Learners practice English phrases like “Hello,” “Hi,” and “Welcome.”

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

Hello

greet someone politely

Meaning: Hello. = greet someone politely

When to use: Use this when you meet someone or start a conversation. It works in many situations.

Hello, Anna.
A polite greeting to Anna.
Hello. I’m David.
A greeting plus a simple introduction.

Hi

greet someone casually

Meaning: Hi. = greet someone casually

When to use: Use this with friendly people, classmates, coworkers, or new people in relaxed situations.

Hi, David.
A casual greeting to David.
Hi. What’s your name?
A casual greeting before asking a name.

Good afternoon.

greet someone in the afternoon or evening

Meaning: Good afternoon. = greet someone in the afternoon

When to use: Use this after midday and before evening.

Tip: Do not use “Good afternoon” late at night. Use “Good evening” in the evening.

Good afternoon, Anna.
An afternoon greeting to Anna.
Good afternoon. Can I join you?
An afternoon greeting before asking to join.

Good evening.

greet someone in the evening

Meaning: Good evening. = greet someone in the evening

When to use: Use this when you meet someone in the evening.

Good evening, David.
An evening greeting to David.
Good evening. Welcome.
An evening greeting plus a welcome.

How are you?

ask how someone is

Meaning: How are you? = ask how someone is

When to use: Use this after a greeting to start a friendly short conversation.

Tip: Answer with how you feel, not with your name. For example: “I’m good, thanks.”

Hi, Anna. How are you?
A casual greeting and a friendly question.
Hello, David. How are you?
A polite greeting and a friendly question.

I'm good, thanks.

respond to a greeting briefly and positively

Meaning: I’m good, thanks. = respond to a greeting briefly and positively

When to use: Use this after someone asks “How are you?”

Anna: How are you? David: I’m good, thanks.
David answers the question in a friendly way.
I’m good, thanks. How are you?
A response, then the same question back.

I'm ___

introduce yourself simply

Meaning: I’m ___. = introduce yourself simply

When to use: Use this with your name: “I’m Anna.” or “I’m David.”

Tip: Use your name after “I’m.” Example: “I’m Maria.”

I’m Anna.
Anna introduces herself.
Hello. I’m David.
David greets someone and says his name.

What's your name?

invite the other person to introduce themselves

Meaning: What’s your name? = invite the other person to introduce themselves

When to use: Use this when you want to know someone’s name.

Hi. What’s your name?
A casual way to ask for a name.
I’m Anna. What’s your name?
Anna introduces herself and asks the other person’s name.

Can I join you?

ask if you can join or enter the conversation politely

Meaning: Can I join you? = ask if you can join a person or conversation politely

When to use: Use this before you sit with someone or enter a small group conversation.

Hi. Can I join you?
A friendly way to ask to join.
Good afternoon. Can I join you?
A polite afternoon opener before joining.

Hey

Greet someone informally at first contact

Meaning: Hey. = greet someone informally

When to use: Use this with friends or in relaxed spoken English.

Hey, Anna.
An informal greeting to Anna.
Hey. How are you?
An informal greeting plus a friendly question.

Are you ___?

Ask if you are speaking to the right person

Meaning: Are you ___? = ask if you are speaking to the right person

When to use: Use this with a name or role when you want to confirm someone’s identity.

Are you David?
Ask if the person is David.
Hello. Are you Anna?
Greet someone and confirm their name.

Do you have a minute?

Start a short interaction politely

Meaning: Do you have a minute? = start a short interaction politely

When to use: Use this when you want to talk to someone briefly.

Hi, David. Do you have a minute?
Ask David for a short time to talk.
Hello. Do you have a minute?
A polite way to begin a brief conversation.

Welcome.

welcome someone politely

Meaning: Welcome. = welcome someone politely

When to use: Use this when someone arrives at your place, event, class, or group.

Welcome, Anna.
A friendly welcome to Anna.
Good evening. Welcome.
An evening greeting plus a welcome.

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Anna and David meet at an evening community meetup.

Anna and David meet for the first time and start a short conversation. The image shows English greetings, names, and polite openers in context.

Are Anna and David meeting at a community meetup?

Portrait of Anna in a English lesson dialogue

Anna

Good evening. Welcome.

Anna greets and welcomes David.

Portrait of David in a English lesson dialogue

David

Hello. I’m David.

David greets Anna and introduces himself.

Portrait of Anna in a English lesson dialogue

Anna

Hi, David. I’m Anna. How are you?

Anna greets David, says her name, and asks how he is.

Portrait of David in a English lesson dialogue

David

I’m good, thanks. Are you Anna from the meetup?

David answers and checks Anna’s identity.

Portrait of Anna in a English lesson dialogue

Anna

Yes. Can I join you?

Anna asks if she can join David.

Portrait of David in a English lesson dialogue

David

Of course. Do you have a minute?

David says yes and asks for a short moment to talk.

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which phrase asks for someone’s name?

It is 8 p.m. Which greeting fits best?

Which phrase politely asks to enter a group or conversation?

Anna asks, “How are you?” Which answer fits best?

Anna: Hello, David. How are you? David: I’m good, thanks.

Anna: Hello, David. ___ David: I’m good, thanks.

At 7 p.m., David sees Anna at the door and says, “Good evening. Welcome.”

At 7 p.m., David sees Anna at the door and says, “___ Welcome.”

Anna wants to speak to David for a short time. She says, “Hello. Do you have a minute?”

Anna wants to speak to David for a short time. She says, “Hello. ___”

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

Hello

Greet someone politely.

Say this phrase out loud:

Hi

Greet someone casually.

Say this phrase out loud:

Good afternoon.

Greet someone in the afternoon or early evening.

Say this phrase out loud:

Good evening.

Greet someone in the evening.

Say this phrase out loud:

How are you?

Ask how someone is.

Say this phrase out loud:

I'm good, thanks.

respond to a greeting briefly and positively

Say this phrase out loud:

I'm ___

introduce yourself simply

Say this phrase out loud:

What's your name?

invite the other person to introduce themselves

Say this phrase out loud:

Can I join you?

Ask if you can join or enter the conversation politely.

Say this phrase out loud:

Hey

Greet someone informally at first contact.

Say this phrase out loud:

Are you ___?

Ask if you are speaking to the right person.

Say this phrase out loud:

Do you have a minute?

Start a short interaction politely.

Say this phrase out loud:

Welcome.

Welcome someone politely.