Formal and informal greetings

Foreign Languages

Definition

Formal greetings are used with strangers, elders, or in professional settings, while informal greetings are used with friends and family. In many languages, the level of formality changes the vocabulary and verb forms you use. For example, French uses "vous" for formal and "tu" for informal address.

Examples

  • French formal: 'Bonjour, comment allez-vous?' vs. informal: 'Salut, ça va?'
  • Spanish formal: '¿Cómo está usted?' vs. informal: '¿Qué tal?'
  • German formal: 'Guten Tag, wie geht es Ihnen?' vs. informal: 'Hi, wie geht's?'

Related Terms

Basic greetings Polite expressions Introductions Self-introduction

Study This Concept

Practice formal and informal greetings with free review games in these units:

German 1 Unit 1: Greetings and Introductions