Lesson 4: Basic Greetings
Core & Everyday Vocabulary (A1)
You know how to ask for someone's name, age, and country. But how do you start the conversation? You use a greeting! This lesson will teach you the right words to say "hello" at any time of day.
Word Bank
| Phrase | Meaning & Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| Hello / Hi1 | Used to start any conversation. 'Hi' is more casual. Example: "Hello, Srey!" |
| Good morning2 | A greeting for the morning (until 12 PM). Example: "Good morning, teacher." |
| Good afternoon3 | A greeting for the afternoon (12 PM to 6 PM). Example: "Good afternoon, sir." |
| Good evening4 | A greeting for the evening (after 6 PM). Example: "Good evening, everyone." |
| How are you?5 | A polite question about someone's well-being. Example: "Hello, Bora. How are you?" |
| I'm fine, thank you.6 | A polite answer to "How are you?". Example: "A: How are you? B: I'm fine, thank you." |
Usage Note: "Good evening" vs. "Good night"
This is very important! You use these two phrases differently.
- "Good evening" is a greeting. You say it when you arrive somewhere at night.
- "Good night" is a goodbye. You say it when you leave at night, or when you go to bed.
In Conversation
It is 8:00 AM in Siem Reap. Srey sees Bora at a cafe.
Srey: Good morning, Bora!
Bora: Good morning, Srey! How are you?
Srey: I'm fine, thank you. And you?
Bora: I'm great! It's a beautiful morning.
quiz Check Your Understanding
1. It is 3:00 PM. You meet your friend. What do you say?
- a) Good morning
- b) Good afternoon
- c) Good evening
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) Good afternoon
2. You are going to bed. What do you say to your family?
- a) Good evening
- b) Good night
- c) Hello
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) Good night
3. Your friend asks, "How are you?". What is a good answer?
- a) I am from Cambodia.
- b) I'm fine, thank you.
- c) My name is Srey.
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) I'm fine, thank you.
edit Your Mission
- Practice: Tomorrow, use the correct greeting for the time of day with three different people ('Good morning', 'Good afternoon').
- My Dialogue: Write a short dialogue in your notebook. One person asks, "How are you?" and the other person answers, "I'm fine, thank you."
- Speak: Your mission is to greet one person in English today and ask them how they are.
book Lesson Glossary
- Hello / Hi (phrase) - Used to start any conversation. ↩
- Good morning (phrase) - A greeting for the morning. ↩
- Good afternoon (phrase) - A greeting for the afternoon. ↩
- Good evening (phrase) - A greeting for the evening. ↩
- How are you? (phrase) - A polite question about someone's well-being. ↩
- I'm fine, thank you. (phrase) - A polite answer to "How are you?". ↩