Other ways to say how are you: “How are you” drives me insane. It’s so boring, it’s so overused, it’s just this automatic filler phrase that we use to acknowledge people nonchalantly. It needs to go. It sounds so insincere. “How are you” is a question that we don’t really expect an answer to.
So, in this lesson, I’m gonna give you loads of alternatives to “How are you.” I’ve broken them down into three sections. I’m gonna give you:
- casual “how are you” alternatives for friends and family,
- formal ones for work situations and emails,
- some fun ones which you can choose if you use or not.
So this lesson is going to be perfect for improving your vocabulary. Right, let’s get started with the lesson.
Other Ways to Say How Are You Doing Today
- How are you doing?
- How have you been?
- What’s going on?
- What’s new/What’s new with you?
- What’s up?
- What are you up to?
- How are things going?
- How are you feeling?
- How’s it going?
- How is everything?
- How’s life?
- How’s your day been?/How’s your day going?
- Are you all right?
- How do you do?
- Are you well?
- How are things coming along?
- How’s everything coming together?
- How’s your health?
- Howdy
- How’s it hanging?
- How’s tricks?
- What’s sizzling?
Casual Aletntinves to day “How are you?”
So, let’s start with casual alternatives to “how are you.” “How are you,” oh, I hate it so much.
1. How are you doing?
Number one is, “How are you doing? And you would reply to this by saying, “I’m going well, thanks.”
You might hear some people respond with, “I’m doing good,” but that’s actually grammatically incorrect. When responding to a “how are you” style question, you do well or you are good.
If I say I’m doing good, it could mean I am doing charity work or doing something positive.
2. How have you been?
This is a very warm and friendly one. I really like it.
Answer: “Yeah, I’ve been great, thanks.” Or, “I’ve not been so good, actually.”
3. What’s going on?
This one’s slightly more American, “What’s going on?” “Hey, what’s going on?”
Answer: A very common answer to this is nothing much, no much at all.
4. What’s new/What’s new with you?
This is more asking for updates or if anyone’s been doing anything interesting in their life since you last saw them.
You could say this to someone that you’ve seen recently and you just want a short update.
5. What’s up?
I wonder if you’ve heard this one before, it’s “What’s up?” Traditionally very American, but now used much more in Britain.
6. What are you up to?
This is a very British one. Now this comes from to be up to mischief, which means you’re doing something mischievous. It’s a very friendly and endearing question. It implies mischief but in a friendly way.
So if I say what have you been up to, or what are you up to? I’m kind of saying, what mischievous things have you been doing? What trouble have you been making? It’s very friendly. [Other Ways to Say How Are You Doing Today]
That’s a really, really good one. If you’re gonna take one thing away from this lesson, make it that.
7. How are things going?
This is very general. Things, I mean, it couldn’t be more general than that. It’s a great one to use if you can’t quite remember what someone’s been doing for work or in their personal life, so how are things going? It’s very non-specific.
8. How are you feeling?
This implies that you know something about their health. Maybe they were ill a short time ago. Maybe they’re overcoming an illness. Adds a layer of familiarity because you’re implying that you know something wasn’t good before and so you’re wondering how they’re feeling now.
It could also be used if you know the person is nervous. Maybe it’s before a big meeting or a speech. “How are you feeling?” “Are you feeling all right?”
9. How’s it going?
I would say this is slightly more American than British. We do use it a bit now.
Answer: You would say, “Yeah, it’s going great.” “Yeah, everything’s good.”
10. How is everything?
This phrase is very general.
Maybe implies that you know that everything hasn’t been so great or there’s been a problem in their life.
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11. How’s life?
a very casual one, this is great if you haven’t seen someone in a while, “How’s life?” “How’s life treating you?” You can say either/or.
12. How’s your day been?/How’s your day going?
This is very warm and friendly, “How’s your day been?”
Now, in America, this is used more in customer service positions, they always want you to have a great day.
I just remember going to America and being surprised at how many people wanted me to have a great day. After everything it was, have a great day, you have a great day. It was like, okay, I will try and have a great day, thank you. No one’s ever told me to a great day so many times before.
But in British culture, we mean it more when we say it because we say it with less frequency.
13. Are you all right?
I must say I’m not a huge fan of this one. This again is another one we don’t really expect an answer from, it’s just hey, how are you? Yeah, I’m fine, you all right?
It’s very casual.
Formal Aletntinves to day “How are you?”
Right, let’s move on to formal ways to say how are you.
1. How do you do?
A very formal way is, “How do you do?” And you would normally say this when you’re greeting someone or meeting someone that you don’t know so well.
Normally said while shaking a hand and we don’t necessarily expect a response in the UK from this one.
2. Are you well?
The next one is, “Are you well?” And posh British people just love to use the word well. such as:
- Are you well?
- I’m well, I hope you’re well.
- Is he well?
- Are they well?
So you can write down this phrase in you notebook because this is so cool, I guess.
The next few are more business-related. They're things that your boss might say to you.
3. How are things coming along?
This implies that there is some sort of progress to be made. Maybe you’re working on a project or you’ve got a big job going on.
You can use this phrase in different ways:
- How are you getting on?
- How are things coming along?
- How much progress is being made?
4. How’s everything coming together?
This implies that maybe there were implies that maybe there were problems at the beginning but now everything is coming together nicely.
Respond: As a good response, you could say, “Oh, things are coming together nicely, thank you.”
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In Britain especially, we do like to talk about health a fare amount, especially to the older generation. You maybe had a public struggle with health. There are a couple of things you can say that are more formally, obviously, because you’re talking to an elder.
5. How’s your health?
If you know that they’ve got a health issue that they’re happy to talk about, then “How’s your health” is the perfectly reasonable way of saying how are you. Two other ways are:
- Hello, I hope you’re well?
- I trust you’re well?
They’re not necessarily questions, it’s more statements about health.
Funny Aletntinves to day “How are you?”
Let’s move onto funny phrases. Now these are if you want to show a bit of character. A lot of them of quite American. I wouldn’t necessarily advise using these in a formal situation or in an English exam or around people you don’t know. Try them out with friends and family first. [Other Ways to Say How Are You Doing Today]
1. Howdy
This is very American. It’s basically a shortened down version of “how do you do.”
2. How’s it hanging?
We also have “Hey, how’s it hanging?” Again, very American, but it’s kind of come over to the UK because we watch American films and TV shows here.
3. How’s tricks?
This phrase is a very old-fashioned one that’s sort of coming back because of old-fashioned TV shows and films is, “how’s tricks?” “How’s tricks?”
4. What’s sizzling?
It’s another way of saying what’s kicking. “Hey, what’s kicking?”
Conclusion
Right, that’s it for this lesson. [Other Ways to Say How Are You Doing Today] I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you learned something. I hope I have equipped you with many alternatives to “Hey, how are you,” that phrase we all hate so much.
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