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? expressions Share Improve this question Follow edited Oct 25, 2016 at 22:59 5 Answers Sorted by: 32 They are different, "nice to see you" implies that you have already met or seen the person before. "Nice to meet you" means that it is your first time being introduced to that person. "Nice to see you, it's been a while since we last met." "Nice to meet you, what's your name?" They're the same. "It was nice seeing you" can feel slightly more informal, simply because "seeing" is easier to say than "to see," but the difference is so small and depends more on your vocal tone anyway that people use the two phrases interchangeably. See a translation. 1 like. McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. See also: (it's) nice to see you. it was nice to see you. Hey! (it's) nice to be here. (it's) nice to see you, too. (it was) nice talking to you. nice talking to you. "Nice knowing you", or most commonly written out as "It was nice knowing you", is a phrase that is generally used when you're not going to be seeing this person anymore and they will be out of your life, so you will not know them anymore. Definition of it was nice to see you in the Idioms Dictionary. it was nice to see you phrase. What does it was nice to see you expression mean? Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. The phrase "good to see you" is a friendly and sincere greeting we often express when we encounter someone we've missed or haven't seen for a while. It demonstrates warmth, pleasure, and a sense of welcome. The phrase "it would be nice to see you again" is a common expression used to convey a range of emotions depending on the context and tone in which it's said. It can indicate a genuine sense of pleasure and excitement at the prospect of seeing someone again, or it can serve as a polite pleasantry with no deeper sentiment attached. an expression said when greeting or saying good-bye to someone. Mary: Hi, Bill. It's nice to see you. Bill: Nice to see you, Mary. How are things? John: Come on in, Jane. Nice to see you. Jane: Thanks, and thank you for inviting me. See also: nice, see, to He has a girlfriend: When you are on a date with a guy, and before leaving, he tells you with an undertone that it was nice seeing you, the chances are high that he has a girlfriend. It is possible that his girlfriend is on vacation or he is in a long-distance relationship. Onvh.