5 Useful English Greetings To Sound Like A Native Speaker (Say this!)

Hey what’s happening guys?  What does that mean?  Let’s find out. 

What’s up guys, my name is shane.  And today we are looking at 5 phrases native speakers use very often. 

If you want to speak English like a native speaker, it’s very important you know many phrases you can use in many situations.  Learning new phrases also makes speaking English more fun because you have more ways to express yourself and your personality.  So let’s get started and look at the first phrase for today. 

Phrase #1

The first phrase for today is how have you been?  How have you been? 

This is a very common phrase we say to people that we know that we haven’t seen for a long time.  Many weeks, many months.  It means during the time that we haven’t seen each other, have you been okay?  What have you been doing? 

And when we say it really quickly, it sounds like this.  How yuh bin?  How yuh bin?  We don’t’ say you, we say yuh.  And we don’t say been, we say bin.  How yuh bin? Now you try.  How yuh bin?

And if someone says this you, a very common response is yeah I’ve been good, what about you?  Or I’ve just been busy working or I’ve just been busy studying, what about you? 

Phrase #2

The second phrases is what’s happening?  What’s happening?  This is a very common phrase used between friends.  It’s a little bit informal so you probably shouldn’t use it at work. 

It can mean many things.  What are you doing?  How’s your day been?  What are you doing today? 

And when we say it really really quickly, it sounds like this.  What’s happenin’?  what’s happenin’?  We don’t say happening, we say happenin’.  What’s happenin’?  Now you try.  What’s happenin’? 

And if someone says this to you, a very common response is not much I’m just .. and then you say what you’re doing.  So for example, not much I’m just studying or not much, I just got home from work. 

Phrase #3

And the third phrase is where have you been?  This is a very common phrase we say to someone we haven’t seen for a long time but we should have seen them. 

For example, maybe you work together and you normally see each other from Monday to Friday but maybe you haven’t seen that person for 2 weeks and then they come back to work – you can say where have you been? Where have you been? 

And when we say this really quickly, it sounds like this.  Where yuh bin?  Where yuh bin?  We don’t say you, we say yuh, we don’t say been, we say bin.  Like this, where yuh bin?  Where yuh bin?  Now you try.  Where yuh bin?

And if someone says this to you, some common answers are: I’ve been sick, I’ve been overseas and I’ve been studying.

Phrase #4

And the next phrase is how’s your day going?  How’s your day going? 

This is a very common phrase we use to start a conversation with anyone at anytime.  You can use it informally and formally.

And when we say it really quickly, it sounds like this, how’s yuh  day goin’?  how’s yuh day goin’?  We don’t say you, we say yuh and we don’t say going, we say goin’.  How’s yuh day goin’?  How’s yuh day goin’?  Now you try.  How’s yuh day goin’?

And if someone says this to you, some very common responses are yeah not bad, what about you?  Or yeah it’s been busy, what about you? 

Phrase #5

And the last phrase for today is have you been busy today?  Have you been busy today? 

This is also a very common phrase to start a conversation with anyone at anytime.  It can be used formally and informally. 

But when it’s said really really quickly, it sounds like this.  bin busy today? bin busy today? We don’t say have you.  And been becomes bin.  So it sounds like this: bin busy today? bin busy today?  Now you try. bin busy today? 

And if someone asks you this, a very common response is yeah pretty busy, what about you or no not really, what about you? 

Okay they are the 5 phrases for today.  Make sure you practise these phrases many many times so when you are speaking, they will just come out of your mouth automatically, you won’t have to think.  And if you haven’t subscribed to this channel already, subscribe right now so you don’t’ miss any video that can help you understand English like a native speaker.  If you liked the video, please hit like and please share this with your friends who are learning English.  And for more content, follow my Instagram and my facebook.  And I will see you in the next video.