Welcoming phrase

To express genuine happiness at seeing the person

Greeting someone you've met before; slightly more personal than a first encounter greeting

Conversational settings with acquaintances or colleagues; professional environments where familiarity is appropriate; social gatherings

Good to see you

Good to see you

great, so great, lovely (intensifiers)

• again
• too
• really
• always

• Nice to meet you (first time)
• Pleasure to see you (UK)

Using ‘good to meet you’ for a first encounter; using ‘see’ implies prior acquaintance rather than meeting anew

Nice to meet you (first time), Good seeing you (US casual leave-taking)

Confusion with the verb ‘meet’ versus ‘see’. In American English, ‘meeting’ often signals a new relationship, so avoid mixing forms that could be misinterpreted as familiarity when it isn’t intended.

• Welcomes: Nice to see you
• Glad you could make it

The expression conveys sincere warmth without being overly effusive or reserved—suitable across many social relationships and registers (casual vs formal).

Affirms positive feelings and reinforces existing social bonds by signaling appreciation of reconnection.

good to see

The expression 'Good to see you' is used to greet someone you have met before, expressing happiness at seeing them again. It is more personal than a first-time greeting and implies a prior relationship. The phrase can be intensified with words like 'great' or 'lovely' and can be varied slightly in structure, such as 'It's good to see you' or 'Always good to see you'. Common mistakes include using 'good to meet you' for a first encounter or confusing 'see' with 'meet'. The expression is suitable for both casual and formal settings where there is some degree of familiarity.

Good to see you → Great to see you again → Always a pleasure to meet you