The use of these expressions is quite idiomatic.
'Nice meeting you' Say this when you meet someone for the first time, but say it at the end of the encounter. It's a bit like 'Goodbye'. You can also say this at the end of subsequent meetings. Although not if you meet the same person several times a day.
'Nice to meet you' Say this as soon as you meet someone for the first time. Think of it as 'Hello, new person'.
Best wishes, Clive
AnonymousNice meeting you is in GERUND form whereas nice to meet you is in infinitive form. Both of them have the same or comparable meaning.
Still, in this expression (and probably in others as well), the -ing form seems friendlier while the to form seems colder and more formal.
At the beginning we don't know people very well so we tend to be more formal (Nice to meet you); after getting to know them we feel friendlier toward them (Nice meeting you).
CJ
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then could you explain why (b) is the correct answer in the following question?
It was nice meeting you, Tom.
(a) It's nice of you to say so.
(b) Great to meet you, too.
don't you have to say "great meeting you?? "
We were discussing the two specific expressions, using 'nice', that you asked about. I told you that their use is quite idiomatic.
There are also lots of other things you can say, and with many of them the first meeting/later meetings situation is less clear.
Answer B makes me think that Tom is perhaps saying good-bye after meeting the person for the first time.
Best wishes, Clive
Name withheld,
Tokyo, Japan
Not true, Name withheld. 'Nice meeting you' is merely a complimentary farewell, and carries no implications beyond that.
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B1: Nice meeting you, too.
B2: Good to meet you, too.
B3: Yes, indeed.