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Is there a shorter phrase with this meaning:

I invited him to my party verbally when I met him.

I thought perhaps the phrase I invited him personally meant this until I saw personal in written invitations, I'm still looking.

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  • Yes. Why add verbally? Is anybody likely to think you sent him a text when you met him? If you mean spontaneously, say so; verbally adds nothing to the sentence.
    – John Lawler
    Commented Apr 1, 2014 at 2:30
  • @JohnLawler - He might have just handed him an invitation card
    – kolossus
    Commented Apr 1, 2014 at 2:36
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    As far as the sentence construction goes, IMO, "I verbally invited him to my party when I met him" sounds better to me, with the adverb closer to the verb. Other than that, you could just have "I asked him to my party when I met him" is just as good
    – kolossus
    Commented Apr 1, 2014 at 2:38
  • He might have thrown a pie in his face. The default mode for invite in ftf communication is via speeh.
    – John Lawler
    Commented Apr 1, 2014 at 2:39
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    I gave him a verbal invite when we met.
    – Jim
    Commented Apr 1, 2014 at 3:38

4 Answers 4

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I invited him in person.

Unless you used semaphores or slipped him a note, it would be implied that you asked him verbally.

By comparison, invited him personally means that you invited him specifically and not merely a group of people that may or may not have included him. Or that you yourself invited him.

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  • I should think "I invited him personally" means I did it myself as opposed to having had someone do it on my behalf.
    – nxx
    Commented Apr 2, 2014 at 0:06
  • @nxx Compare to a personal invitation . . .
    – David M
    Commented Apr 2, 2014 at 0:14
  • I just read through previous comments. I presume there was a link in the question at some point that had the meaning you mention? So I read your answer without context; but it may still pay to point out that the meaning you state is not the only one!
    – nxx
    Commented Apr 2, 2014 at 0:19
  • @nxx Fair enough, I will add it.
    – David M
    Commented Apr 2, 2014 at 3:07
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    I have read this discussions: englishforums.com/English/InPersonAndPersonally/brnlwp/post.htm and forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=1341584&langid=18 "in peson" means "face to face", so I think this answer is the best fit to my question.
    – Andrey Epifantsev
    Commented Apr 2, 2014 at 11:29
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How about: "Can you shorten this?" "Sentence" adds no information. It is merely reflexive and can be dropped without impairing the message.

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"I invited him to the party organized by me."

Above sentence clearly shows you personally invited the person to a party which is organized by you i.e. to your party.

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  • In your variant there is not information about how guest was invited. Did I send him a written invitation? Or did I ask him to come to my party when I met him?
    – Andrey Epifantsev
    Commented Apr 2, 2014 at 1:33
  • Is it necessary mention that how guest was invited? Main focus is that the guest is invited to my party
    – Abhijeet
    Commented Apr 2, 2014 at 11:26
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"Come to my party," I asked when I met him.

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