"Nice meeting you"
"Nice meeting you" is used only in the situation where we separate for the first time or can I say it anytime we separate? Thank you so much as always and have a good day.
1 answer 
I basically agree with Tolley but Nice to meet you sounds more appropriate when you first meet someone (i.e., immediately after the introductions) and Nice meeting you (or Nice to have met you) when parting at the end of a first meeting.
The larger point, as Tolley clarifies in his comment, is that Nice to meet you and Nice meeting you are always wrong for a 2nd or subsequent meeting; it's a mistake many second language speakers make.
I am wondering if others agree with my final point on this, or am I off base? Many second language speakers introduce themselves by saying "Nice to meet you. My name is __." I always correct them by explaining that those two introductory sentences should be reversed: "My name is ___. Nice to meet you." Further, I say that the most natural introductory conversation should go something along these lines:
K: Hi my name is Kazuki.
C: Hi Kazuki, I'm Chuck. Nice to meet you.
K: Nice to meet you too.
I.e., Nice to meet you is most appropriate after both people have stated their names. I'd definitely be interested in some feedback on this. (I've been in Tokyo for nearly 4 years and may be losing some of my native speaker basics....)
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answered Jan 16 at 04:42
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Thank you so much and welcome back to me and take good care on snowy day.
I think, Shawn, that the order of introducing yourself and then saying “Nice to meet you” (or vice versa) may have different implications depending on culture. When doing business internationally, it can make a difference between making a sale or insulting a customer. Some cultures are quite formal and one party is considered superior to the other. Let’s say Kazuki is the superior to Chuck in the situation. Perhaps Chuck should be very glad to meet Kazuki before he asks to be acknowledged himself. It is an interesting world out there with many cultural differences. Informally in the US, I don’t think most people care which way it goes. Sales people might tend to do the opposite of your suggestion, as they often want to appear to care more about the customer than themselves.
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