Hello is a modern greeting that dates back to at least 1850s. Hello evolved from earlier words like hallo and holla. Hi is considered more informal and originated from Middle English hy. There are numerous variations including halloo, hollo, and hullo
Various phrases like "What are you doing right now?" and "What have you been up to?" are used. Idiomatic expressions like "What's going on?" and "What's new" are common
"Hi. How are you?" is a common greeting response. "I'm fine" is the most popular neutral response. "I'm good" is slang, "I'm well" is formal
"How are you doing?" asks for detailed, direct responses about feelings. "How are you?" is a polite greeting requiring only positive responses. British English uses "Are you OK?" instead of "How are you?"
"Hola" is the most common greeting in Spanish. "Buenos días" means "good morning" until noon. "Buenas tardes" means "good afternoon" until sunset. "Buenas noches" means "good evening"
Common variations include "How's it going?", "What's up?", "How've you been?". "How are you?" is slightly more formal than "How are you doing?". Different questions require specific responses to avoid awkwardness