When someone asks, How are you? it is important to respond so as not to be awkward or insulting. Note: What have you been up to? and Whats going on? can be answered in the same way. Are you just passing each other by, and youre acknowledging them? By Mitzi Bockmann Written on May 29, 2020. You can also use these responses if you are talking to someone at work, such as a coworker, a client, or your boss. that way they can answer honestly if not that will defuse the situation. It is polite and cheerful. So, to respond politely, here are some examples that you can use. Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full pricewine, food delivery, clothing and more. And possibly also the definition of the words, "what" and "are.". Well or very well: This answer is the most grammatically correct since the question "How are you?" should technically be answered with an adverb. You should think carefully about your answer, whether you want the person asking you the question to know more about your situation or not. This article has been viewed 649,862 times. One of these questions can be, How are you? To respond correctly, here are some examples that you use. With some practice and seeing real-life examples, you will soon be comfortable with the How are you? greeting. Have you ever been in the following situation: Someone asks, How are you? and you answer, Not well or Very sick or something similar, and then the inquiring person responds, Oh, thats good, and walks away. Im sure that we all have that one colleague that often asks you, How are you? or Hows your day going?. For example, someone who just lost their job will probably worry about money and finding a new job. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/7a\/Answer-when-Someone-Asks-How-You-Are-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Answer-when-Someone-Asks-How-You-Are-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/7a\/Answer-when-Someone-Asks-How-You-Are-Step-1.jpg\/aid9295757-v4-728px-Answer-when-Someone-Asks-How-You-Are-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"
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\n<\/p><\/div>"}. What would stop a large spaceship from looking like a flying brick? At first, the feelings can be so deep that anything that anybody says to us seems inauthentic and not only doesnt help, but makes things worse. This means give a polite non-answer that makes it clear you want this topic of conversation shut down. I think it conveys that I am not going to say more, but that I am doing okay. The most common answer that I hear and say is Good. Its a positive, polite and common response. If the person does not make eye contact or brief eye contact and is walking by you, they may not be interested in a long chat. If you dont want to give the complete detail, its up to you. Here are responses you can use: You can respond with a smile and a little nod. You can also use the responses I gave above. How to answer when an interviewer asks how you handle criticism. As you can see, both speakers are comfortable speaking to each other. When youre worried, you think the result of a situation could be bad but you dont know how to make it okay, or you dont have control of the situation so instead you think about it a lot. Plus, you can search for specific words or phrases to see videos where they appear. Someone is stalking me., A rainy evening to you, pal; how are you doing?, Good morning Bob, Im doing great, thank you?, Im doing quite fine. You may also be honest and tell a coworker or peer you are close with how you are actually feeling. Mention any skills you have that are rare or unique. But most native speakers will still answer with the single word Good., Youll hear it regularly in speech, and people actually might think it sounds funny/wrong to say Well., So, its perfectly acceptable to respond to How are you doing? with Good!, Even so, if someone asks How are you doing? then its grammatically correct to say Well.. ), etc. It describes how you do something. Oh, good to see you. This is a slight variation to yours, but often the one I would use if I am not comfortable disclosing pay to strangers, friends or family. Its fine. Klare Heston is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker based in Cleveland, Ohio. All rights reserved 2023 Copyright HowChimp.com. After that, you can ask the other person How are you?. When someone asks you, How are you?, a very common response is good thanks or good thank you. Your answer to the question How are you? depends on who asked you the question. One of them would answer that question with, "Enough to keep farming.". Im fine, and of course, Im having fun! @Zibbobz I literally have no qualms at all talking about work or work related topics outside of work, as I know some people are every interested in coding or know about it (as I like talking about it, too). If you are around coworkers, peers, or authority figures, a more polite, short response may be the way to go. Native speakers often confuse the word good with well. Lets state each words usage more clearly. The words are spoken more quickly than in the previous example. When youre better than good, say youre great. (With Examples), How Long Does It Take for Paint to Dry? Say hello to as many people as you can and see how they answer your How are you?. Start by brainstorming possible answers: Learning English becomes fun and easy when you learn with movie trailers, music videos, news and inspiring talks. In other words, its okay to not always be honest about how youre feeling. There are three basic emotional personality types. Take note that the person youre talking to wont be offended by your response. Why are people unwilling to share information about their salary? Overall, the phrase is spoken a bit slowly. Photo by Josh Rocklage on unsplash 02 "Not you, unfortunately." This is a flirty and sort of "dirty" response, so you'll have to be careful how and when you use it. I can get you in, it only Explanation - Many people are not comfortable to give the answer of this question irrespective of their high or low package. You can even make a flashcard deck for greetings then practice them with the quizzes on FluentU. How about you?, Im doing alright, thanks for asking, and you?, Yeah! (Download). Photo by Alexis Brown on Unsplash Stay Calm. How To Respond When Someone Asks How You Are And The Honest Answer Is, 'Not Great', 7 Surprising Things That Make Your Depression Even Worse, 6 Awful Things You Should Never Say To Someone Who Is Depressed (And What To Say Instead), 10 Agonizing Truths Depressed People Never Talk About, 11 Lesser-Known Signs of Depression (That You Probably Missed), 6 Things That Depression Definitely Is Not, How To 'Fake' Your Way Into A Happier Life. Last Updated: March 10, 2023 Because if you don't, the easy way out is just to say 'I don't really like to talk about work in my personal time'. This is a direct inquiry about how a person is feeling in general. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. If you are interested in long-term then say that. How can I remove a mystery pipe in basement wall and floor? When you are ready you can ask. When people go online shopping they often sort prices from "low to high", because you want to buy what is cheapest and not most expensive. How to react when a stranger suddenly shares intimate information with you? Here are some steps to take when answering this interview question: 1. Don't be discouraged; asking how someone is doing is sometimes not taken as a real invitation to say much. Here are some ideas of how to respond to "Did you miss me?": 01 "I'd give anything to have you by my side again. The most difficult person to answer is the person who asks, "How are you?" in such a way saddened tone, downcast eyes, and wrinkled forehead that indicates their expected answer. The person asking doesn't really want to know, and the person responding doesn't tell the truth. But dont get stressed out! When you're dealing with depression, anxiety, or even just a rough week, one of your primary goals should making sure that you're doing and/or asking for what you need, rather than trying to please other people, whether they're pushing because they want so badly for you to let them help or they're really just being polite. With this second inquiry, he seemed to get the point, and responded by disclosing a few details of his troubles and how he wasnt feeling well. You donthave to say thanks first, but its always nice. Then its time to make sure you know how to react when someone asks How are you?. You wouldn't be considered rude by refusing the answer the question, the person who asked the question is the one being rude. But usually, its used as a simple, friendly greeting. Is a dropper post a good solution for sharing a bike between two riders? (Oh, the joy!) To make a more neutral-sounding answer, Im is the highest pitched word, all drops in tone and right goes up a step, but is lower than Im.. Remember that there are two main situations with this greeting: talking to people you know and people you dont know. Please advise in comments if you need more clarification about how this works, but I think you get the idea. How are you?" (very positive) "Good, thanks, and you?" (positive - this is the most common answer) "Fine, thanks. Do you know that there has been something troubling this person? If you need help, ask for it. Heres another very positive response. Because this is a challenging question, it's important to think through your response before the interview. Can the person in question be of help to you in the future or do you have other reasons to not respond in a way that might otherwise, based on your personality alone, be flippant or dismissive? You might replace the Whats up with you? with Whats going on with you? if you want to match the original question. I usually say. This decreased my anxiety before connecting to my Zoom classes.". If you want to come across as positive or friendly, try something like Not bad or Cant complain. Make eye contact when you respond to show that youre focused on them. It is more polite or formal to say thanks or thank you after your response. Telling my mother that I am fine and then sulking around the house is just a lose-lose situation for both of us. FluentU brings English to life with real-world videos. You can also smile or nod if you want to appear friendly. Even when we go to the doctor, we might minimize or fail to mention problems we are having. Is the person asking you in a situation where they are having a hard time, or theyre in a good mood? Blunt or straight forward reaction of your real mind set at that time is also not healthy for the scenario. A speaker who wants to be heard needs to find a listener who is willing and able to do that. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Published: May 8, 2019 Etiquette & advice When people care about how you're feeling, there is much more to it than merely stating your current emotional state. How are you?" (a little less positive - I'm okay) Then, itll be time to take your knowledge to the streets! Feeling anything other than fine is not something that you have to share with someone you dont feel comfortable sharing it with. Your response should be based on whether the person asking you is an acquaintance, a stranger, a friend, or a family member. In response to How are you? the response good is an adjective describingmyself. You will use these answers when youre talking to acquaintances and strangers . 6 Ways To Ask "How Are You?" and 18 Ways to Answer Want to avoid awkward conversations with native English speakers? As you can see, Kate said, Its fine, when it really wasnt fine at all. By using our site, you agree to our. Factor in what we in the community organizing community would call your "organizational considerations" think of this as how you want to leave things with the person asking. All Rights Reserved. Evident by the number of varying answers here, you certainly have a lot of directions you could go with a response. 2023byTango Publishing Corporation All Rights Reserved. You could add that ranges can easily be found online and maybe specify your specialty or some field terminology to give them a nudge in the right direction querying Dr. Google can be challenging without specifics. If you don't want to get into any details, you can just say, "It's good, thanks for asking." "Weddings are expensive, and I have expensive taste in vacations, clothes, and footwear." As Carrie Bradshaw once said on Sex and the City, "I like my money right where I can see it hanging in. Are we afraid to admit that we have problems? I think this is especially the case with our men. How to convey seriousness in conditions when giving money to brother. Here are 4 suggestions of things to say when you're depressed, anxious or generally down and someone asks, "How are you?" 1. That's gonna hurt! Fine often means that youre not completely all rightsomething could be wrong. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. you got an offer?". And as always, your body language will be a factor. I know this does not mean that the person I am talking to wants to know how I feel, but sometimes I see that they repeat the question to me, so I answer that "I am fine", and I do not know what I should answer other than "fine" to people who I do know. If you do ask, do it with conviction. Of course, you can use these with anyone you speak to, even family and close friends. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. When were talking with close friends or family members, well answer the question differently. Some potential candidates for your go-to answer include, " Lots of people are going through difficult times these days. This can be paired with same old like this: When there is something wrong, you can use Ive been better as your first response. Don't you just tell people how you feel? Many use a phrase like this as just a casual comment/question. Things have been better. How to overcome a fear of seeming intrusive when asking even mildly personal questions? wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. If you want to attract a cynical woman, tell her: "We are all on drugs. If they aren't willing to tell you what they make, then you certainly shouldn't feel obligated to tell them what you make. This will determine whether you can respond informally or formally. The content produced by YourTango is for informational and educational purposes only. It reduces someone's . So, even if you dont feel like getting into it, telling someone youre struggling might be just what you need in the moment. Here are some fullresponses to How are you?: Now youre ready to go out in the English-speaking world and greet others. How about you?" Keep it sincere, short, and sweet when you don't know the person that well. 12 I have been asked one simple question many times by Americans: "How are you?". She noticed that Mr. A was not looking well when he came into her office. This can help you develop a clear story to tell employers when they ask questions . Where did the phrase how are you? come from? I've had two colleagues who were also farmers. Be cautious about opening up just because you feel awkward and don't really feel close to the person. Typically, they happen when the inquirer is not listening. I just dont want to get into it with her. But life goes on, no matter how were feeling, and sometimes we need to interact with people. Its a bit of a risk, sharing deeply, but the rewards can be substantial. In this case, you may opt for a brief, short response so the situation does not become awkward. rev2023.7.7.43526. "I make enough to get by, but not enough to brag about it". Since doing is an action verb, we need to use the adverb well to describe that action. Should you choose to be honest about your feelings, I would suggest being as simple and straightforward as you can. Build a Career in Hotel Work with These English Training Resources, Improve Your English Listening Skills: 26 Tips for Success, Learn English Through Movies and Film: The Complete Guide, How to Speak English Fluently: 27 Simple Tips for Reaching Your Language Goals, English Speaking Online: Top Courses, Tutoring Platforms and Practice Resources for 2023, How to Greatly Improve Your English Pronunciation in 15 Steps.