My teacher told us that if you want to start a conversation or greeting in a not necessarily formal way you should say the phrase "it's really nice seeing you" after saying hello.
Do native English speakers use it in real life with their friends or family members?
Best Answer
The "really" feels a bit over-the-top for most contexts, and "to see" feels more natural to me than "seeing". And some of us still cringe at "nice", having been warned against it in childhood because children over-use it; "good" is more grown-up.
But context is all-important. Is this encounter a surprise, or something planned in advance? How well do you know each other, and when did you last meet? If you're both students attending the same course, and you've seen each other every day this week, then saying "it's nice to see you" would seem very strange, almost implying that you previously failed to notice the other person's presence.
Possible variants:
"It's good to see you again" - if it's a long time since your last meeting.
"It's good to see you here" - if you wouldn't normally expect to meet the other person in that particular place.
"It's always good to see you" - if you have met frequently but not as a matter of routine.
"It's good to meet you at last" - if you've previously communicated, but haven't met in person.