Search from various English teachers...
Megumi@Ibaraki
Do people say "How do you do?" as a formal greeting now?
Is it still common in a formal setting? How formal is this?
Jul 30, 2020 5:23 AM
Answers · 8
1
No one uses this phrase anymore
July 30, 2020
1
As Kevin points out, the greeting 'How do you do?' is a little old-fashioned nowadays. But as Duncan says, it is still sometimes used as a polite greeting in the UK. You will hear it in formal contexts - business meetings, for example - when people meet for the first time.
July 30, 2020
This is still quite common in the UK as a greeting between people that don't know each other. It's a fairly polite greeting used when meeting new people at work, or suchlike.
If I introduced a work colleague to a new employee he didn't know, it would be normal for him to say it:
"This is the new technician we've hired".
"Oh, hi, how do you do" - probably said while holding out his hand to shake.
You might also say "hi, it's nice to meet you".
Less formally perhaps "how's it going", "how's things", or even "alright".
July 30, 2020
Haha no, at least not in the US.
July 30, 2020
@ Jolie Mou I'm curious to know what phrase would be a 1.
July 30, 2020
Show more
Still haven’t found your answers?
Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!
Megumi@Ibaraki
Language Skills
English, Italian, Japanese
Learning Language
English, Italian
Articles You May Also Like

English Vocabulary for Using Microsoft Office at Work
22 likes · 3 Comments

How to Answer “How Was Your Weekend?” Naturally in English
53 likes · 29 Comments

Why Some Jokes Don’t Translate: Understanding Humor in English
15 likes · 6 Comments
More articles
