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Bamboo Posted 21 years ago
Speech & Pronunciation

the phrase "nice to mee/see you"

i have a question about the phrase "nice to meet/see you." we are taught at school that's the common phrase when you meet someone for the first time but i hardly hear the native speakers saying it. only sometimes in a formal situation like business scene, or when we leave like "well, it was nice to see you. bye" is this phrase used often in a casual conversation or is there any alternative for this?

thanks,

bamboo [A]
  

Top answer

Nice to meet you is appropriate only the first time you meet someone, it can be a bit insulting further times as it shows that you have forgotten who they are and that you have met previously. Nice to see you is best if have already met someone before, or 'Nice to see you again'. But you are right, it is not really a casual thing.

— Nona the brit

  • Nice to meet you is appropriate only the first time you meet someone, it can be a bit insulting further times as it shows that you have forgotten who they are and that you have met previously.
  • Nice to see you is best if have already met someone before, or 'Nice to see you again'.
  • But you are right, it is not really a casual thing.
  • I might say them in social settings with people I do not really know, perhaps a big family get together with cousins I've never even heard of, or people I don't really know that well at a friend's wedding, but I wouldn't use them with real friends.
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2 Answers
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Nice to meet you is appropriate only the first time you meet someone, it can be a bit insulting further times as it shows that you have forgotten who they are and that you have met previously.

Nice to see you is best if have already met someone before, or 'Nice to see you again'.

But you are right, it is not really a casual thing. I might say them in social settings with people I
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thanks for your quick reply.

but then again what do you say for a casual greeting when you first meet someone? is just to say something like "how're you doing today?" ok?

thanks,

bamboo [A]
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