While both "greet" and "welcome" relate to receiving someone, they have distinct meanings and uses. "Greet" simply means to acknowledge someone's arrival with a word or gesture, while "welcome" implies a more warm and inclusive reception, often suggesting approval or happiness about the person's presence. Think of "greet" as a general acknowledgment and "welcome" as a more positive and enthusiastic one.

Here are some example sentences to illustrate the difference:

• Greet: "I greeted my friend with a wave." (Meaning: I acknowledged my friend's arrival with a wave.) Translation: I signaled to my friend that I saw him/her with a wave of my hand.

• Welcome: "The hotel staff warmly welcomed us." (Meaning: The staff showed us a positive and inclusive reception.) Translation: The hotel staff showed their joy and were hospitable to us.

• Greet: "She greeted the audience with a smile." (Meaning: She acknowledged the audience with a smile.) Translation: She showed the audience she saw them with a smile.

• Welcome: "We welcome all visitors to our school." (Meaning: We are happy to receive all visitors to our school.) Translation: We are pleased to have all visitors at our school.

Notice how "welcome" often implies a more formal or extended expression of hospitality than "greet." You might greet a stranger briefly in passing, but you would welcome a guest to your home. You can greet someone with a simple nod, but you would typically welcome someone with a more elaborate expression such as "Welcome to our home!" or "Welcome to our city!"

Sometimes the two words are used together, for example, "We warmly greeted and welcomed our guests." Here both actions are performed, and the sentence emphasizes both the acknowledgment and the warmth of the reception.

Happy learning!