[General] Hello! How are you?

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paysage57

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A very common question... but I'm not sure how to answer properly:

1. "I'm fine, thank you! And you?"

2. "I'm fine, thank you! And yourself?"

3. "I'm fine, thank you! How about you?"

4. "I'm fine, thank you! How are you?"


To be honest I use these 4 responses alternatively. Which one(s) is (are) correct?

Someone told me it was the 4th anwser, but it sounds stange to my ears to repeat the same question like a retarded person (no offense:))...

Thank you

Guillaume
 

SoothingDave

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Any of those are fine.
 

BobSmith

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Personally, I like to respond with "What's the haps?"
 

billmcd

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A very common question... but I'm not sure how to answer properly:

1. "I'm fine, thank you! And you?"

2. "I'm fine, thank you! And yourself?"

3. "I'm fine, thank you! How about you?"

4. "I'm fine, thank you! How are you?"


To be honest I use these 4 responses alternatively. Which one(s) is (are) correct?

Someone told me it was the 4th anwser, but it sounds stange to my ears to repeat the same question like a retarded person (no offense:))...

Thank you

Guillaume

You will hear any of your examples in AmE. I would usually use #1.

 

billmcd

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Personally, I like to respond with "What's the haps?"

I have never heard that one. But as a greeting, both as a question and as response, I might hear "What's happening?" OR more frequently here in NE U.S. "How ya doin?"

 

emsr2d2

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A very common question... but I'm not sure how to answer properly:

1. "I'm fine, thank you! And you?"

2. "I'm fine, thank you! And yourself?"

3. "I'm fine, thank you! How about you?"

4. "I'm fine, thank you! How are you?"


To be honest I use these 4 responses alternatively. Which one(s) is (are) correct?

Someone told me it was the 4th anwser, but it sounds stange to my ears to repeat the same question like a retarded person (no offense:))...

Thank you

Guillaume

There's no right or wrong answer. All four of your suggestions are fine. There is certainly nothing wrong with repeating the question as you did in #4. There are plenty of alternatives.

Hello. How are you?
Good thanks. You?
I'm fine ta. How are you doing?
I'm all right. You all right?
I'm OK. How are you?

I could go on. I won't.
 

Barb_D

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"Fine, thanks. You?" is probably my most common response (similar to #2 on ems's list above).

Note that it doesn't matter if your back is killing you, you just got a $300 vet bill to remove a splinter from your dog's paw, your unemployed brother-in-law just asked if he could stay an additional three weeks on your couch, and you found a positive pregnancy test in your teenage daughter's bathroom. The answer is still "Fine, thanks."
 
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emsr2d2

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"Fine, thanks. You?" is proably my most common response (similar to #2 on ems's list above).

Note that it doesn't matter if you're back is killing you, you just got a $300 vet bill to remove a splinter from your dog's paw, your unemployed brother-in-law just asked if he could stay an additional three weeks on your couch, and you found a positive pregnancy test in your teenage daughter's bathroom. The answer is still "Fine, thanks."

Rare typo from BarbD - underlined above should be "your".
 

Barb_D

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Oh, sadly, I wish it were a rarity... but I rival Jed for these things. I had planned to start with "you're looking at a $300 vet bill... " and then I switched gears. In speech, it would have gone unnoticed...
 

shannico

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Or if you're not feeling particularly optimistic you could say "Not (too) bad, thanks!"

As far as informal greetings go, I prefer

How's it going?
How are things?
How are you keeping?





"Fine, thanks. You?" is proably my most common response (similar to #2 on ems's list above).

Note that it doesn't matter if you're back is killing you, you just got a $300 vet bill to remove a splinter from your dog's paw, your unemployed brother-in-law just asked if he could stay an additional three weeks on your couch, and you found a positive pregnancy test in your teenage daughter's bathroom. The answer is still "Fine, thanks."
 

BobSmith

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Tullia

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A very British reply is "Could be worse!"
 

Barb_D

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Well, there's also "finer than frog hair." I love it when I say that and people do a double take and just look quizzical. "How fine do you think frog hair is?" I will ask. "Pretty fine?" they reply. "I'd say so!" I can then say "So I must be doing pretty fine!"
 
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