Did you see the movie, The King’s Speech?
There’s a scene where a woman comes home and discovers Queen Elizabeth is hanging out in her kitchen.
And she doesn’t know how to say “hello” to her.
Here’s the ladder of English greetings. Which end of the ladder do you think is more formal and which end is less formal?
Yo.
Hey.
Hi.
Hello.
Good afternoon.
If you answered “less formal” for the top and “more formal” for the bottom, very good! You’re almost ready to meet the Queen.
And if you’re like me, and you like to keep things simple, you just need to know that in 99% of situations, “Hi” or “Hello” are just fine.