You want to express that you haven’t met someone yet, but is the phrase “we have not met” a good way to go about this?
We’re here to answer that question. Moreover, we’ve provided a list of helpful synonyms below in case you ever find yourself at a loss for words!
Other Ways to Say “We Have Not Met”
- We haven’t been acquainted
- I don’t know him/her/them/you
- We are strangers
- We are unacquainted
- We haven’t had the pleasure of meeting
- We have not been introduced
- We haven’t been formally introduced
- I’ve never met them
- I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting you yet
- I have not been introduced
- They have never met me
- I am not sure who they are
- I’m unsure who that is
- I don’t know that person
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- “We have not met” is a grammatically correct phrase that you can use in both formal and informal settings.
- If you want to change your phrasing in formal circumstances, you can say “we haven’t been acquainted.
- In informal settings, you can say “I don’t know them.”
Keep reading to see how we use our choice of formal and informal synonyms for “we have not met” in a couple of helpful examples.
After that, we’ll discuss the correctness of the original phrase. Is it met or meet?
We Haven’t Been Acquainted (Formal)
If you’re unsure how to say you haven’t met someone in formal circumstances, we recommend the phrase “we haven’t been acquainted.”
This is an especially polite and flowery way to say you haven’t met someone yet. Therefore, you can use it in settings where an especially formal register is suitable.
Likewise, it would be suitable to use it in professional settings if you want to sound impressive and schmooze your clients at events or functions.
It is not a better phrase than “we have not met.” In fact, these phrases are direct synonyms and can be used interchangeably. Nonetheless, you can use this phrase to alter your wording from time to time.
Finally, let’s see a few examples making use of this phrase:
I’m afraid we haven’t been acquainted, but it would be my pleasure to rectify that.
We haven’t been acquainted, but I understand she holds a lot of power in the organization.
I Don’t Know Him/Her/Them/You (Informal)
A different way to say “we have not met” in informal circumstances is “I don’t know them.” As you can see, you can replace “them” with whatever pronoun is most suitable in the context.
We wouldn’t recommend using this phrase in formal circumstances. In particular, saying “I don’t know you” to someone in a work setting can come across as rude.
However, it’s perfectly suitable to use this phrase in casual conversations with your friends, acquaintances, or colleagues.
For example, consider the sentences below:
I don’t know him personally, but I’ve heard he can be rather difficult to work with.
Unfortunately, I don’t know them, but they have a good reputation in their field.
Is It Correct to Say “We Have Not Met”?
The phrase “we have not met” is perfectly grammatically correct. Moreover, it is appropriate to use this phrase in both formal and informal settings.
Therefore, while our list of synonyms can help you change your wording here and there, the original phrase is perfectly effective in its own right.
In fact, here are a couple of variations of the phrase that you might employ in practice:
- We have not met before
- We have not met yet
You will have noticed that, in each of these examples, we use the word “met” rather than “meet.” “Met” is the past tense form of “meet.”
Therefore, the phrase “we have not meet” would be incorrect, as the phrase “we have not” refers to the past.
“We have not met” is the only correct version of this phase.
In conclusion, “we have not met” is grammatically correct and suitable to use in most circumstances.
However, if you want to diversify your language, feel free to bookmark this page and keep our list of synonyms at your disposal.