We bet you read the latter sentence in Joey Tribbiani"s voice. There are many more differences than that!
Most likely, you ask your conversation partners - foreign friends, English-speaking colleagues, or just new acquaintances - how they are doing on a daily basis. But are you sure you"re doing this correctly?
While "How are you?" và "How are you doing?" in theory might have the same meaning, you might be surprised with how their usage differs in practice, depending on the tone and context of the conversation, as well as its participants.
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You may wonder why we didn"t địa chỉ cửa hàng "How vì chưng you do?" lớn this comparison. To lớn take this off the table right away, it is worth mentioning that the expression that most of us consider being a question, in fact, is not.
It is a fixed phrase in the formal English language that had been in use for a long time as a commonplace greeting & a strictly official one (think of white-tie-and-tails official). Native English speakers most often use it instead of "Hello!", but it also sounds a bit old-fashioned (just lượt thích in that Steve Buscemi meme, yes).
To avoid mistakes in the field, let"s start small. In this post, we"ll help you figure out the difference between "How are you?" & "How are you doing?", when to use & how to answer them, as well as which one you should use in business correspondence. Read on.
But first, click this box to try a không tính tiền short story
"How are you?" is a more personalized expression that focuses specifically on a person"s condition - their mood, state of health, or general well-being. However, it is a more formal khung than "How are you doing?" và is usually used when speaking khổng lồ a person you"ve met for the first time or someone you aren"t particularly close with.
It can also be used as a way of saying "please khổng lồ meet you" or "good khổng lồ see you," especially in American English and is an alternative lớn "how vày you do?" in British English.
While "How are you?" is already a question that requires an answer (in contrast khổng lồ "How bởi vì you do?"), there is a certain subtlety here, too. Fortunately, there aren’t as many of them as in French.
By asking this question, a person does not intend lớn listen khổng lồ the details of one"s personal life - this is just a common khung of starting a conversation, an alternative khổng lồ a polite - but still formal - greeting, và nothing more.
So, how should you answer "How are you?" in a polite manner while also staying within the boundaries of your acquaintance? It is worth noting that "How are you?" should never be answered negatively or in too much detail. Otherwise, it will be obvious that you are not a native speaker of English.
"Great," "Fine, thanks," & "Couldn"t complain" are all appropriate responses. Ideally, the answer should be followed by a corresponding "How are you?", "How about you?" or a quick "And you?" to keep the chit-chat as polite as possible.
I"m fine, thanks. How are you? - This is by far one of the most socially acceptable answers & a basic khung of social interaction that does not require any further details, regardless of your current life circumstances. Most people use this answer on the daily basis.Never better! và you? - The fact that the response lacks detail does not mean you cannot express any emotions at all - especially if you"re in a good mood.Could be better. How about you? - On the other hand, if you are having "one of those days," it"s okay to giới thiệu it with the other person if they seem to lớn have a tough day as well, offering some sort of a quick yet friendly commiseration or a bit of support. However, it is crucial khổng lồ read the room lớn avoid creating an impression of an attention-seeker.
While "How are you?" asks for a statement of a person"s condition, "How are you doing?" asks for a more detailed answer. This is a more casual size of greeting that can also mean "How’s it going?", "How"s your day been so far?" - aimed to find out how things are in general or whether everything is fine.
According to a forums discussion at English Language và Usage Stack Exchange, the difference may also vary depending on the region.
Thus, while "How are you?" can be considered a bland greeting for someone you haven"t seen for a while, "How are you doing?" spoken in full (as opposed to lớn being shortened to "Howyadoin?") may be an actual inquiry - for example, when you"re meeting with an old friend. The latter usually occurs when there is some expectation that the subject might not be doing well.
In practice, this means that the word "doing" in the question marks the greeting as very informal, even conversational, và the greeter as a peer - a close colleague, a friend, or maybe a family member. When messaging someone, you can even spell it as "How ya doin"?" - but chú ý that this is pretty informal.
In some contexts, "How are you doing?" can also imply questions such as "How are you faring?" or "Do you need anything?". For example:
How are you doing with this puzzle?How are you doing with the new baby?I"ve heard about the diagnosis. How are you doing?Congratulations on a new job position! How are you doing?
"How are you doing?" should be answered positively - just lượt thích "How are you?", but this one allows for a more honest & possibly more detailed response if you are close enough with the person asking.
When answering this question, you vị not need khổng lồ worry about the fact that the phrase "How are you doing?" contains a verb in the Present Continuous tense, trying to lớn come up with an answer with a verb in this size as well. You can give a simple reply, such as:
I"m good, thank you. How about you? - In fact, replying with "good" isn"t grammatically correct either, but this is widely used in colloquial speech.
However, close friends and family members most frequently would ask, "How are you doing?" with a direct intention to lớn hear a full, thoughtful answer from you, not just a polite one.
As a result, if you answer them with a short bình luận "Fine, thanks" - the same way you replied khổng lồ "How are you?" - they may just ask it again because you haven"t answered their question at all.
However, the phrase “how are you doing” functions both as a question & as a fixed phrase greeting. Here are some useful tips proved by experience khổng lồ help you distinguish the question from the greeting:
A person was walking past somewhere, saying "How are you doing" for appearance"s sake, and went on without waiting for an answer.You"ve heard a mumbled “Howyoudoin?” shouted from someone on the go or just waving their hand in greeting.Someone asks you with an affirmative intonation, not a questioning one.
Depending on the word you put an emphasis on when speaking, these phrases can also convey different, quality meanings.
For example, while "How are you?" can be used as a khung of a versatile greeting, an accented "How are you?" would have a more personal, sincere, & even heartfelt tone, allowing you to express concern.
When it comes khổng lồ the other phrase, a straightforward, unassuming "How are you doing?" can be converted into a more intriguing one when putting an emphasis on "How are you doing?" - thanks khổng lồ Joey Tribbiani, you already have a clear understanding of how to lớn say it properly.
When used colloquially, the differences between these two phrases may seem invisible or too insignificant lớn bother. However, when comprising a business email, you might wonder which one will look more professional & appropriate for the context.
While both phrases are suitable enough for work-related correspondence, it is better to stick khổng lồ a more generic "How are you?", especially if you bởi not know the receiver very well. "How are you doing?" can seem a little too friendly in a formal context.
Moreover, it is completely okay to leave "How are you?" unanswered when writing a reply to lớn the email (or when using other online means of communication) & move directly to the email"s main subject.
You may want khổng lồ avoid starting an email with any of these phrases, as they might seem too casual or even ambiguous. Fortunately, you don"t necessarily have lớn stick lớn them - there are plenty of ways to compose an thư điện tử using alternative greetings but still staying polite và formal.
I hope you’re having a great weekend / productive week / upbeat day.I hope you’ve had your coffee already. / Are the ideas flowing along with the coffee?I enjoyed your social truyền thông media post / tweet / picture.
This is also a good practice to refer to shared experiences, such as industry events or specialized workshops attended earlier, to make the message more personalized - just make sure that such a chú ý is relevant khổng lồ the topic you"re going lớn discuss further in the email.
As you can see, the difference between "How are you?" and "How are you doing?" is not as insignificant as it might seem at first glance - the exact same words can gain a different meaning when spoken, depending on how well you know the person speaking, their intonations & accents, as well as the overall context of the conversation.
Don"t worry if you"ve realized that there is a difference between these two phrases only today - language learning is a life-long process, & you are now ready to lớn apply this knowledge in practice.
For example, you can start by watching English movies or listening to stories narrated by native speakers - we"ve got plenty of them on the Langster app. This way, you will not only get more familiar with the real-life usage of these phrases, but you’ll also learn more variations to lớn answer them.
And maybe you want to lớn learn how to lớn say "How are you doing" in other languages? Then visit our blog here.
Then it’s time lớn make sure you know how lớn react when someone asks “How are you?”
Sounds easy, right? Don’t you just tell people how you feel?
Not always.
Keep on reading to lớn see all the possible answers and reactions to lớn “How are you?”—things you never learned in ESL class or during your self-study.
Contents
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient và portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here khổng lồ get a copy. (Download)
Variations of “How Are You?”
How’s it going?
What’s up?
How’ve you been? (How have you been? )
What have you been up to?
What’s going on?
How are you doing?
Until you become familiar with these questions, you’ll have lớn pay attention to lớn which question was used. Why?
Well, if someone asks you “What’s up?” it doesn’t make sense to lớn answer “Good.” The common answer is “Not much,” followed by a return “What’s up with you?”.
Note: “What have you been up to?” và “What’s going on?” can be answered in the same way.
You might replace the “What’s up with you?” with “What’s going on with you?” if you want khổng lồ match the original question.
The difference between “How are you?” and “How are you doing?”
These phrases are very similar, but “how are you?” is slightly more formal, & may be used more commonly when someone is specifically asking about your health or wellbeing.
For the most part though, they are basically interchangeable.
They also have slightly different grammar, which will affect how you reply.
If someone asks “How are you doing?,” grammatically you should also answer “well.”
This says “I’m doing well.”
Since “doing” is an kích hoạt verb, we need to lớn use the adverb “well” lớn describe that action.
But most native speakers will still answer with the single word “Good.”
You’ll hear it regularly in speech, và people actually might think it sounds funny/wrong lớn say “Well.”
So, it’s perfectly acceptable to lớn respond to lớn “How are you doing?” with “Good!”
Even so, if someone asks “How are you doing?” then it’s grammatically correct khổng lồ say “Well.”
Formal Answers to “How Are You?” for Acquaintances & Strangers
Your answer to lớn the question “How are you?” depends on who asked you the question. First, we’ll look at what khổng lồ say when people you don’t know or people you don’t know very well ask how you are.
Let’s look at some formal (more polite) answers to “How are you?”
You will use these answers when you’re talking to acquaintances và strangers . Of course, you can use these with anyone you speak to, even family & close friends.
Acquaintances are people that you know, but don’t know very well. This could be someone you’ve met just once or twice, perhaps a friend of a friend, an old classmate that you were never really friends with or a man who works at the local grocery store.
When you see an acquaintance somewhere, it’s polite khổng lồ greet them. If you both know each other but don’t say anything lớn the other person, it’s somewhat rude (bad manners).
You will often encounter acquaintances in your everyday life, but also in your professional life at work. In these situations, it is essential that you know how khổng lồ talk to these acquaintances at work properly.
People that you don’t know or have never met before are called strangers. A stranger could be the cashier (the person working at the check-out counter) of a supermarket, the receptionist at an office or someone sitting next lớn you on the bus.
So, when one of these people (an acquaintance or a stranger) asks how you are, how should you respond?
It’s important lớn note: This person doesn’t want khổng lồ know how you actually are that day. They’re just being polite.
In the United States, “Hi, how are you?” is almost a cultural greeting—it’s how we say hello. If you say this to lớn an acquaintance or stranger, you probably aren’t really interested in their true answer.
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Also, the person you’re greeting won’t answer honestly, because that’s just how it is in this society.
So, in these situations, it’s best to lớn give a short answer. You usually won’t cốt truyện how you really feel.
Here are some common answers và what they mean:
Fine
As an ESL teacher, this is the answer I hear most often from non-native speakers.
Be careful, though! “Fine” often means that you’re not completely all right—something could be wrong.
The tone you use when you say this word makes a difference. A shorter, higher-pitched “I’m fine” with a smile will mean you actually are okay.
If you sigh, say it slowly and use a lower tone of voice, “I’m fine” could mean the opposite—you aren’t fine at all.
Let’s look at an example of how “fine” has a somewhat negative meaning, in a different situation:
Stephen: Oh, sorry. I ordered the wrong color… you wanted red!
Kate: It’s fine. We’ll just use blue. There’s no time to order red now.
As you can see, Kate said, “It’s fine,” when it really wasn’t fine at all. Stephen ordered the wrong color! But the word “fine” is often used khổng lồ mean “good enough.” It’s not great, but it will work.
The same thing happens a lot when asking how you are. If someone is “fine,” often they’re not great, but they’re good enough.
Try this: next time you’re watching an American sitcom in English, listen for the word “fine” and think about if it’s used in a positive, neutral or negative way.
Not bad
This answer can sound either more neutral or slightly positive, depending on your tone. If you’re “not bad,” it means that things are okay.
All right
Responding that you’re “all right” is neutral, but usually more positive than “fine.” and just lượt thích the first two answers we’ve seen here, your intonation (pitch of voice, high or low) can change the meaning slightly (a little).
“I’m all right” has a positive vibe (energy) if each word is higher in tone than the previous word. When said this way, each word is held a bit longer than the previous word, too. Overall, the phrase is spoken a bit slowly.
To make a more neutral-sounding answer, “I’m” is the highest pitched word, “all” drops in tone và “right” goes up a step, but is lower than “I’m.”
The words are spoken more quickly than in the previous example.
Ask a native speaker lớn say this phrase, or listen for it in context while watching American movies.
Good
The most common answer that I hear & say is “Good.” It’s a positive, polite & common response.
You might not actually be feeling too good when you answer “Good,” but for an acquaintance or stranger it’s a normal answer to give.
Saying “Good” is grammatically correct if you mean that you’re happy & pleasant!
Native speakers often confuse the word “good” with “well.” Let’s state each word’s usage more clearly.
Good is an adjective, which means it describes a noun (person, place, thing).
For example:
My son is a good boy.
I want khổng lồ read a good book.
I know a good restaurant.
You did a good job.
In response khổng lồ “How are you?” the response “good” is an adjective describing myself. I am good. It’s a correct response, grammatically.
(Note: The verb “are” comes from the infinitive “to be,” which is a linking verb. This isn’t an action verb, which is part of the reason why people get confused.)
Well
“Well,” on the other hand, is an adverb. That means it describes a verb—an action. It describes how you vì chưng something.
For example:
You did well on the exam.
He plays sports well.
My voice teacher said I sing well.
“Well” can also be used as an adjective, but only when you’re specifically talking about health. “Well” means “healthy” when it’s used in this way.
Here’s an example:
Stephen: I heard you had the flu, how are you?
Kate: I’m well.
Responding and continuing the conversation
After you say your quick answer, it’s polite to showroom a “thanks” afterwards. After that, you can ask the other person “How are you?”
You don’t have to say “thanks” first, but it’s always nice. It’s most polite lớn ask the person how they are in return.
Here are some full responses to lớn “How are you?”:
Good, thanks. And you?
Not bad. How are you?
I’m good. Và you?
I’m fine, thanks. How about you?
Now you’re ready to lớn go out in the English-speaking world and greet others. But what about when you’re talking with good friends or family?
Informal Answers khổng lồ “How Are You?”
When we’re talking with close friends or family members, we’ll answer the question differently.
It’s time to lớn be honest.
When talking with your friends, parents or siblings (brothers và sisters), it’s okay to tell them how you really feel.
Maybe you’ll answer “I’m fine” with a sigh at first, and then your friend will ask you “What’s wrong?” Then you can tell him or her exactly what’s bothering you.
Here are some more replies you might use to lớn describe how you’re really feeling:
Okay
Here’s another quick, neutral answer lượt thích “fine” or “all right.” Depending on your tone when you use this response, your friend might ask “Just okay?” as a follow-up.
This means they think something is wrong & want to know what’s going on in your life.
Great
We’ve seen lots of neutral & negative responses, but hopefully there are many times when you feel excellent!
When you’re better than good, say you’re great.
Excited
Here’s another very positive response. If you’re looking forward to something—like a concert next week, spending time with a good friend or getting a puppy—say you’re excited!
Then you can tell your friend or relative why you’re excited.
I can’t complain / Can’t complain
If things aren’t going amazingly well, but you’re grateful for the good things you have in your life, you can use this response.
Same old
This means everything is normal, neither positive nor negative. You’ve just been doing your “same old” routine lately.
Oh, you know
This is lớn use with the people who know you so well, they already know what’s going on in your life.
This can be paired with “same old” lượt thích this:
“How are you doing?”
“Oh, you know… same old”
I’ve been better
When there is something wrong, you can use “I’ve been better” as your first response.
This will lead your friend or relative to ask you “What’s wrong?” or something similar.
Could be worse
Maybe things aren’t going well lately, but you have some things khổng lồ be thankful for.
This expresses some gratitude that things aren’t going as badly as they could.
Frustrated
When you’re annoyed, or something keeps going wrong, you could be frustrated (annoyed).
You may be frustrated when you can’t get your computer to print or when your co-worker makes the same mistake over & over.
Busy
If you have no không lấy phí time because you have lots of things to do, say you’re busy!
Stressed out
When you’re busy, it’s possible that you could also be stressed out.
Feeling bức xúc (pressure) is a negative feeling that can happen when you have too much to vị (often things you don’t want khổng lồ do) and not enough time.
Worried
Use this response when you’re concerned about a problem. When you’re worried, you think the result of a situation could be bad but you don’t know how khổng lồ make it okay, or you don’t have control of the situation so instead you think about it a lot.
For example, someone who just lost their job will probably worry about money và finding a new job.
Exhausted
When you’re really tired. Maybe you didn’t sleep well or you worked all day. If you don’t have any energy, use this word.
How lớn Practice Responding lớn “How Are You?”
I bet you never thought that “How are you?” could be so complex. But don’t get stressed out!
Remember that there are two main situations with this greeting: talking to lớn people you know và people you don’t know. The closer you are khổng lồ someone, the more specific you can be about how you are feeling.
With some practice and seeing real-life examples, you will soon be comfortable with the “How are you?” greeting.
Because it’s so common in the English-speaking world, watching movies & TV shows can be a great way to learn all the nuances of the phrase.
If you don’t feel ready for material at such an advanced level, consider trying Fluent
U. It takes clips from all kinds of English nội dung (like commercials, speeches and TV shows) & turns them into language lessons.
Each video comes with interactive subtitles so you can follow along and check the meaning of any word with just a click. Plus, you can search for specific words or phrases lớn see videos where they appear.
You can even make a flashcard deck for greetings then practice them with the quizzes on Fluent
U. And if you’re on the i
OS or android app, you’ll get a chance khổng lồ practice speaking words out loud before you use them with a real person.
Then, it’ll be time to lớn take your knowledge to the streets! Say “hello” to as many people as you can và see how they answer your “How are you?”
Once you’ve mastered this question, you might be so happy that you answer “perfect” to the next person who asks how you are!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to lớn get a copy. (Download)
