Everyday greetings you will use in Sri Lanka
· myedu.lk team
Greetings are the English many of us use first every day — at the office, in shops, on the phone and with friends. Here are the most useful ones, and how to reply.
Greetings for different times of day
| Time | Greeting | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Before 12 noon | Good morning | Good morning, Mrs Perera. |
| 12 noon to about 5 pm | Good afternoon | Good afternoon. How can I help you? |
| After about 5 pm | Good evening | Good evening, everyone. |
Good night is not a greeting. We say it when we leave in the evening or go to bed: Good night, see you tomorrow!
Formal and friendly greetings
At work, in banks and offices, and with older people:
- Good morning, sir. / Good morning, madam.
- How are you?
- It's nice to meet you.
In Sri Lanka, sir and madam are used a lot in offices, shops and schools. They are polite and perfectly correct.
With friends and people your own age:
- Hi! / Hello!
- How's it going?
- What's up? (very informal)
At events you will also hear Ayubowan and Vanakkam. It is completely natural to greet someone this way and then continue in English.
How to answer "How are you?"
"How are you?" is often just a friendly hello. A short, positive answer is normal — and it is polite to ask back:
- I'm fine, thank you. And you?
- I'm good, thanks. How about you?
- Not bad, thanks!
Meeting someone for the first time
Nimal: Hello, I'm Nimal. I work in the accounts team.
Fathima: Nice to meet you, Nimal. I'm Fathima, from marketing.
Nimal: Nice to meet you too.
Answering the phone
- Hello, this is Kasun speaking.
- Good morning, Lanka Traders. How can I help you?
- May I speak to Mr Silva, please?
Saying goodbye
- Goodbye! / Bye!
- See you tomorrow.
- Have a nice day!
- Take care!
Practise now
Say these out loud: greet a colleague in the morning, answer "How are you?", and introduce yourself in two sentences. You can practise greetings with instant feedback in our beginner lessons.