Tell me more ×
English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 3 down vote favorite

What phrases can I use instead of pleased to meet you? I'm especially interested in using it as a greeting when chatting to a person for the first time online.

share|improve this question

6 Answers

up vote 3 down vote accepted

Probably, the closest in meaning would be pleased/delighted to make your acquaintance (theFreeDictionary).

Also I believe good old how do you do will work just fine here.

share|improve this answer
1  
+1: Emily Post prefers "How do you do" when meeting someone for the first time. She writes that terms like "pleased", "pleasure", "delighted", etc. are over the top when you know nothing about that person. – oosterwal Aug 30 '11 at 15:25
5  
I think many parents might be concerned if they found their teenage daughter chatting online to someone who typed "delighted to make your acquaintance". I myself would be likely to assume we were dealing with some kind of weirdo. – FumbleFingers Aug 30 '11 at 15:54
up vote 5 down vote

In addition to Philoto's contributions:

  • Nice to meet you.
  • Good to know you.
  • Pleasure.
  • Charmed. (Rather old-fashioned, and usually said to someone of the opposite [or preferred] sex.)

On a related note, bear in mind that "Nice meeting you," despite its similarity to "Nice to meet you," is more commonly said at the end of a first meeting, rather than the beginning.

share|improve this answer
I'm in doubt regarding the word "meet[ing]" in virtual meetings, but I saw an appropriate question on this site regarding this issue. – Eimantas Aug 30 '11 at 14:15
up vote 1 down vote

I am surprised nobody mentioned glad to meet you.

share|improve this answer
up vote 1 down vote

I am fond of "Well met", although it is seldom used in a modern context.

share|improve this answer
up vote 0 down vote

"Nice to meet you" is great for meeting someone for a first time. "Nice to see you" might be more appropriate if it was already someone you knew. If you were meeting someone you know already with someone new both at the same time, I believe it would be more appropriate to make a priority towards the person that I did not know and say, "Nice to meet you".

share|improve this answer
up vote 0 down vote

Here are a few:

  • Pleased to meet you
  • Glad to see you
  • Good to see you
  • Nice to see you
share|improve this answer

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.