Greetings and Introductions

What this page covers

This unit sits in the Everyday Communication strand of Other languages. Most of what is listed is about the first things you say to someone: hello, good morning, how are you, my name is, nice to meet you and goodbye. Japanese is the most common language, but you will also find Chinese, Korean, Thai, Greek, Arabic, Turkish, Farsi and Croatian material.

Where to start

Begin with the flashcards. The Chinese Phrases - Greetings deck lists each phrase with its pinyin and a literal meaning, which helps you see how the words are built. Korean Basic Sentences/Greetings moves from hello to introducing yourself and asking someone's name. For Greek, the Chapter 1 flashcards cover thanks, welcomes and simple name questions.

If Japanese is your target, the Japanese Greetings mind map is a good first look. It lays out phrases such as hello, good evening, good morning and nice to meet you in one picture, in Japanese script with English labels.

Using quizzes and maps together

1. Read the mind map or go through a flashcard deck once.
2. Take the Japanese Greetings quiz. It asks what phrases such as ohisashiburi mean and when to say them.
3. Try the Greetings quiz next. It checks how polite or casual a phrase is.
4. Return to the cards for any phrase you missed.

For Thai, the quiz on introducing yourself and personal details uses fill-in-the-blank sentences, which is a useful step up from recognizing words.

A note on culture

The note on Japanese greetings asks why greetings matter so much in daily life and explains the literal meaning of some phrases. It is a good read for teachers looking for a discussion prompt.

Make it your own

Choose one language, work through a deck and a quiz, then build a short set of your own cards for the phrases you want to remember.