How to answer greetings in English? How to respond to “How are you?”, “What’s up?” and other similar questions How are you in Russian

Mark: Very well, thank you. And you?

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– short, non-committal conversations, including with strangers, for example, in an elevator or in queues. To start a conversation, people ask familiar questions like “How’re you?” or “How’s going”.

Do you know how to answer them? Of course, “I’m fine” - after all, it’s not customary to complain, and no one is interested in your affairs and concerns. But you can come up with something else, add variety to the standard answer.

How are you?

• Fine. Brevity is the soul of wit. By limiting yourself to one “fine”, you are sending a clear signal that you do not intend to continue the conversation.
• Not bad. Sounds a little friendlier.
• Fine, thanks. This is a formal answer - just right for answering a stranger like a waiter in a restaurant.
• Very well, thanks. An ideally correct answer from a grammatical point of view, because the question “how” requires an adverb answer. Although, in general, few people worry about this, except that the English “grammar Nazis” may insist on observing this rule.
• Pretty good. Let's forget about grammar, long live the living language and everyday “good” and “pretty good”.
• Great! How are you doing? A full positive answer and mirroring the question to the interlocutor - now let him answer himself, and then, lo and behold, the conversation will begin.
• I"m hanging in there. This is what you can say if the day turned out to be difficult.
• I "ve been better. Yes, the answers are not always positive; there are also black streaks in life. If the answer sounds sad, then this implies that you want to tell your sad story, so the next question will probably be “What’s wrong?” - and your time will come to complain to the whole world.

How's it going?

It’s no different from “how’re you”, so you can safely use everything listed above. But there is one exception answer that works only for this case:

• It's going well. Friendly and polite, suitable for colleagues, clients and distant acquaintances.

What's up?

This question in expanded form sounds like “What's happening in your life?” Naturally, an honest narrative about the latest events of your life is not required - a short question still requires a short answer, perhaps one of these:

• Nothing much. The most popular answer, because most of the time nothing interesting happens. Although you can answer like this: “Nothing much.” Just preparing for a great weekend party.”
• Not a lot. Same “nothing special”, just a little different.
• Nothing. This answer sounds a little annoyed, perhaps rude.
• Oh, just the usual. It can be used if everything is absolutely the same and there is nowhere to expect variety.
• Just the same old same old. The same routine without a glimmer of novelty. What's different about this answer is that it shows that you're a little bored with it all.
• Oh gosh, all kinds of stuff! If the number of interesting events in your life is off the charts, answer like this.

Have you noticed that all conversations among English speakers begin with the phrases “How are you?”, “What’s up?”, “How’s it going?” and so on. However, not everyone knows how to answer these questions correctly. In this article you will find enough information and learn how to easily, almost automatically, select the necessary words and expressions to answer the basic greeting phrases and questions of your interlocutor.

How to answer How are you?

Here you have a lot of options, it all depends on the current state of affairs, since this question translates to “How are you (you)?” or “How are you?” Therefore, answer exactly how things are going for you. And in English it might look like this:

Fine.

Great.

The simplest and most direct answer. If you limit yourself to just this word, the interlocutor may decide that you are not going to continue the conversation with him. Basically, now you understand how to respond to show that you are not in the mood to talk to a certain person. Not bad.

Not bad.

This answer already sounds more welcoming than “fine”. Fine, thanks.

Excellent thank you.

This is a formal answer. This way you can respond to someone you don't know. For example, a waiter in a restaurant. Very well, thanks.

Very good thanks.

A person who loves all kinds of grammatical norms and rules will most likely answer this way. From a technical point of view, the question “How...?” (How...?) you need to answer with an adverb. However, many English speakers, simply put, don't care. Those who are accustomed to following everything that is written in textbooks insist on using grammatically correct constructions. Pretty good.

Pretty good.

If you don’t really care about grammar, you can answer “Good” or “Pretty good.” This is a more common and much more natural answer. That is exactly what most ordinary people say. Great! How are you doing?

Amazing! And how are you?

This is such a rather enthusiastic and joyful answer. If you want to continue the conversation, it is better to always ask counter questions to your interlocutor. I'm hanging in there.

So-so (neither bad nor good).

This is the answer if you've had a hard day. I've been better.

It could have been better. A: How are you?

How are you? . B: I've been better

It could have been better. A: What's wrong?

What's wrong? (What's happened?) B: I just found out that I’m being laid off.

I just found out that I was fired. How to answer a question

This question is similar to “How are you?” The meaning is the same - “How are things going?” All the answers discussed above are also suitable for “How’s it going?”

And here is another answer to the question “How’s it going?”, which is no longer suitable for “How are you?”.

It's going well. Everything is fine. (Literally: going well).

This is a friendly and correct response that is suitable for colleagues, clients and acquaintances whom you have not seen for a while.

How to answer What's up?

This is probably one of the most difficult questions for those learning English, because many people are interested in how to answer it correctly.

It is similar to the question “What’s happening in your life?” (What's going on in your life?). But no one forces you to answer honestly. If you don't want to have a long conversation, you can use one of the standard answers:

Nothing much . Nothing special.

This is the most common option. You can supplement it with some interesting details that happen (if any). For example, " Nothing much. Just getting ready for Tom's graduation"(Nothing special, just getting ready for Tom's graduation).

Not a lot.

This is another very common answer. The meaning is the same, but it's a little fresher than "Nothing much" because it's used a little less often.

Nothing. Nothing.

As short and specific as possible. Answering this way can make you seem rude or angry.

Oh, just the usual. Everything is as usual.

Answer this way if you do the same thing every day, and nothing, in principle, changes.

Just the same old same old. Everything is the same, everything is the same.

This expression means that you do the same thing every day, and you are a little tired of it.

Oh gosh, all kinds of stuff! Yes, a lot of everything!

You've been very busy and something interesting has happened in your life recently.

I just found out that I was fired. What's happening?

This question means the same thing as What’s up?, so the answers to it can be used the same as those discussed above.

Now you know many possible answers to basic welcome questions in English. You can use any of them according to the situation. Don't forget that you can improvise and come up with your own answers, because no one likes "robots" who communicate according to a rote pattern. Nobody forces you to speak using only a certain set of words. We are all human and talk as we please.

But still take into account grammatical rules and norms in certain situations, do not overdo it with naturalness. In everyday friendly conversations, all the rules are sometimes forgotten, so don’t be surprised when you hear another new phrase or word. Just try to grasp the general concept, and then everything will work itself out.