Hey! How are you? This is the typical question that we all ask whoever we meet the very first time or after a long time. The response to this question has become so common that it seems that we have an automated machine installed in our heads and we get that same programmed response time and again. We human beings are highly sophisticated beings but also are creatures who tend to say one thing while we mean something else. In this article we shall see How to reply to ‘How are you’?
As a result, we are stuck to the same typical, old, half-hearted responses. In this article, we will be discussing some of the interesting ways to spice up your boring chats.
“I’m great.”
If someone asks you how are you, you can reply with “I’m great!”. But you need to say this with an upbeat voice that sounds energetic and positive.
I’m feeling bad.
In case you are not happy with your current situation, you can reply with “I’m feeling bad. If the person to whom you are replying is a friend or co-worker then might ask yourself “Why? What happened?” You should be ready with an explanation. Let’s say someone asks you “How are You?” and you say “I’m feeling bad”, maybe, I hit some homeless people with my car last night.
“I’m okay. I’m okay.”
This response is like one of the intonation practice sessions. So, you need to say this with an upward intonation to sound cool. Let’s say someone asks you how you are and you just replied with “I’m okay.”, they’ll be like “Hey, what happened?”. So, when using this reply be careful with your intonation of “I’m okay.” to sound perfect as it is very much of a serious response.
“Thank you for asking.”
This is one of the responses that you can use in formal situations. Imagine a friend of yours says “How are you?” and you reply with “Thank you for asking” they will be confused with your response. You’d better reply with “I’m fine” or “I’m doing great.” For example, if a colleague of yours asks you “How are you doing?” you can reply “Thank you for asking. I’m doing great!”
“How about you?”
One of the common responses to “How are you?” is “I’m fine, thank you, and you?”. So here “and you” is not an appropriate way of responding to a “How are You?” question. You’d better respond to the person with “Hey, I’m fine. How about you?”. That would seem more natural.
“How are you?”
You can say ‘How are you?’ again after you have responded to the same question. For example: “How are you?” “I’m fine. How are you?” or “How are you?” “I’m good, how are you?” or “How are you?” “I’m okay, how are you?”.
“How have you been recent?”
This is one of the responses which you can use if you have met the other person for a while.
“I’m not bad”
This response shows that you are doing good and everything is positive in your life. “How are you?” “I’m not bad.” or “How are you?” “I’m not bad, things could be worse.
“I’m sleepy.”
Another response that we have in this list is “I’m sleepy”. When someone asks you “How are you?” you can say “I’m okay, but feeling a bit sleepy.” If the other person is a good friend of yours then you can say “I’m sleepy” directly. If the person is a close one then you can also say “I’m super tired.” or “I’m really tired.” It feels a bit more natural than replying with a mere “I’m sleepy.”
“I’m good”
This is one of the liveliest responses to “How are you?”. If someone inquires how you are you can say “I’m good.” Better respond with a smile on your face. You can even repeat the sentence twice to make a more positive impact like “I’m good. I’m good.”. Of course, do not forget the smile while replying.
“Fine”
Usually, people respond with “I’m fine.” or just ‘“Fine” to a typical “How are you?” question you don’t sound positive and this response of yours only means that you are okay and you are not interested to stretch the conversation. But, please keep in mind that your facial expression matters a lot while responding. So when you say “Fine.” or “I’m fine,” say it energetically. If you say this with a drooping voice then the meaning could be something different.
“Not so good”
If you are responding to people whom you are comfortable sharing your not-so-good experiences with then you can use this expression, because you’d like to share with them why you are not feeling good. So the expression “Not so good.” is loud and clear.
“Just fine, thank you.
This is a grammatically as well as a polite way of responding to “How’s it going?”. You can try this response when you want to make an impression such as in a job interview or a meeting or seminar. It is pretty much concise and respectful as well as does not add unnecessary details.
“Not great.”
One of the informal ways of replying to “How’s it going?” is “Not great.”If you do know not the person properly then this response can be used. It is not a way of answering that question. “How’s it going?” is a greeting and according to social norms, it is expected that we give a short and fairly positive answer to such a question.
Not bad, but the day is young!
You can use this funny response before lunch. This is also a good icebreaker that can help you to start a conversation. It can add a bit of lightheartedness to the ongoing discussion. You can use this informally with co-workers.
Conclusion:
So, there are plenty of ways to respond to the question “How are you?” Some of the responses are grammatically correct and formal, while some are highly informal with horrible grammar. But you need to keep this mind that whenever someone is asking you “How are you?” they are greeting you. So, keep your responses short and sweet and you can even add a bit of humor to them if you want.
