Many people don't know how to answer the question “How are you?”. Despite this, there are several ways to respond to this question without having to be repetitive and without freezing up. Depending on the level of formality or intimacy with the other person, you can give a short or complete answer.

When it comes to English conversation, many people can resort to the basics and end up falling into the same old routine. However, it is possible to get out of a situation like this by starting off on the right foot! To do this, it is important to nurture your vocabulary to improve your English level.

Therefore, in this post you will learn several ways to respond to “How are you?” that will improve your fluency. Check out the full content!

What it means "How are you?”

Literally, “How are you?” means “how are you?” In other words, when someone asks you this question, they want to know how your life is going and how you have been. Therefore, it is very important responding with something other than “fine”, isn't it?

This phrase is usually used at the beginning of conversations, right after greetings. Also, a variation of this question is when someone asks “How are you doing?”, which has the same meaning. You must have heard some of these sentences in some film or series.

For this reason, this is one of the most common English phrases in dialogues. So, continue on this post and see how to answer this question in different ways and rock every occasion.

How to answer the question “How are you?”

Basically, there are three types of answers: short ones, those that start with “I am” and those that begin with “I am doing”. Each type can be used in different situations. For example, a short answer can be used when want to get straight to the point of the conversation. A more formal way is to start by using “I am doing OK”.

A classic form of start learning english is through greetings. So, check out the main ways to respond when asked in English how you are.

Short answers

There are several ways to respond when the idea is to be quick and succinct. However, when using these phrases, you need to be careful not to sound harsh. Here's how to do it:

• Fine: good.
• OK: ok.
• Great: excellent.
• Absolutely great: absolutely great.
• Good: good.
• Pretty good: very good.
• Pretty well: very good.
• All right: all very well.
• Not bad: not bad.
• Not ok: not so well.
• Bad: bad.
• Really bad: very bad.
• Pretty bad: very bad.

To return to the question, you can use “And you?” or even “How about you?“, which mean, respectively, “And you?” and “What about you?”.

Answers with “I'm doing”

The use of “I'm doing” along with your mood is a complete way of expressing your feeling. It can be used on various occasions and expresses a more friendly way of responding. Check out some common expressions.

• I'm doing fine: I am fine.
• I'm doing OK: I'm ok.
• I'm doing great: I am doing great.
• I'm doing absolutely great: I'm absolutely fine.
• I'm doing good: I am fine.
• I'm doing pretty good: I am really well.
• I'm doing pretty well: I am really well.
• I'm doing all right: everything is fine.
• I'm not feeling well: I'm feeling bad.
• I'm doing really bad: I'm very bad.
• I'm doing pretty bad: I'm very bad.

If someone asks how you are, it is important to thank them for asking. Therefore, use the expressions “Thanks for asking” – “thanks for asking” – or “Thanks” – “thank you”. For example “I'm doing good. Thanks for asking. How about you?”, which translates to “I’m fine. Thanks for asking. How about you?”

Note that the term “doing” is a conjugation of the verb “all of”. This difference in writing occurs because it is one of several irregular verbs in english.

Complete answers

A complete way to answer when asked “How are you?” is to start the sentence with “I am”, along with the feeling you want to convey. In this way, you add “I am” to your state of mind.

• I am fine: I am fine.
• I am OK: I'm ok.
• I am great: I'm fine.
• I am absolutely great: I'm absolutely fine.
• I am good: I am fine.
• I am pretty good: I am very well.
• I am pretty well: I am very well.
• I am all right: all very well.
• I am not bad: I'm not doing bad at all.
• I am not ok: I'm not doing so well.
• I am bad: I'm feeling bad.
• I am really bad: I'm very bad.
• I am pretty bad: I'm very bad.

If the conversation is more informal, you can use the abbreviation of the verb “I am”. That is, you can say it in the form of “I'm”. This tip applies to both spoken and written dialogue.

Other ways to respond

In addition to the classic forms mentioned above, depending on the context, it is possible to resort to other ways of responding. As in the examples listed below:

• Same as always: the same as always
• I'm getting by: I'm taking
• I can't complain: I can't complain
• I couldn't be better: couldn't be better
• I've been better: I've been better
• I've had better days: I've had better days
• It's getting better: it's getting better

These other ways of answering the question show fluency with the English language, because they are forms that are widely used in everyday life. In addition, the sentences listed above are more commonly used in informal conversations. However, in certain cases, it is necessary to be careful with some cognates and false cognates.

Mastering the English language is important in many aspects of life. Whether it’s for a job interview, an exchange program, or even to better understand series and movies. However, with our increasingly busy schedules, it’s hard to find time to perfect a second language. To learn how to deal with this, see our post about the reasons for doing private language class.