20+ ways to answer the question ‘How are you?’

When somebody asks, “how are you?” you may find yourself pausing. If you fall back on cheery answers like “awesome” or “things are great,” you may sound insensitive or not genuine. Alternately, if you delve into the complexities of life—kids at home, incredible fatigue, or other personal stressors, you may feel you’re offering up too much information and excessive negativity.

So how do you respond? Like with most things, the answer to “How are you?” depends on your situation.

Note: If just thinking about answering “How are you?” makes it clear to yourself that you need additional support, check out The Mental Health Coalition and its program, Every 1 needs to talk 2 some 1. It supports people who need this kind of conversation. And if you don’t share in the context of a program like this, share how you’re doing with a person who can respond with sensitivity. They should probe and lend an empathetic ear. Being honest like this also helps others to share their own struggles and anxieties.

“How are you?” responses

Here are some common answers to “How are you?” depending on the scenario you’re in, whether you want a longer conversation, and how you actually are.

When “How are you?” is used as a greeting or casually

In day-to-day life, “How are you?” can often sub in for a greeting. If you’re walking by a coworker or neighbor but not stopping to chat, it might be almost perfunctory. However, you do still need to respond.

The classic “I’m fine, thanks,” is good to use when you don’t necessarily want to pursue the conversation much more. For instance, if you’re in a store and a clerk at the checkout asks you how you are, you can offer this response as a courtesy. But it’s definitely not a conversation starter. It’s a polite way of saying “end of discussion.” (That’s okay sometimes. There’s no need to pressure yourself into being socially engaged in every situation.)

If you want to be a bit more polite and the situation calls for it, you should return the question, but don’t expect a long answer.

Here are some example answers:

• “Fine. How are you?”
• “I’m good. And you?”
• “Can’t complain! How are you?”“Pretty good. Excited for [upcoming event, season, or holiday]. How about you?”: For this one, make sure the thing you’re excited for is something your conversation partner would know about as well. 
• “I’m all right. Thanks.”
• “I’d be better if it would stop raining!”
• “Good enough for a Monday morning. How are you?”
• “Living the dream.”

When you’re asked by someone you know or want to start a conversation with

If the person who asks “how are you?” is someone you know well and/or someone you want to have a deeper conversation with, you might consider a response like one of these:

• “Thanks for asking! I’m doing well.”: This is a good answer if you want to be gracious and share something but not get into a heavy discussion. The “thank you for asking” up front warms up your response by showing that you appreciate the question but don’t want to elaborate further.
• “Things are good. I just [something recent in your life] How are things with you?”: Sharing something specific strengthens your ties with the other person. It could be that you saw the latest episode of a popular show, or that you love the warm weather and sunshine (“things are good, I’m loving this warm weather,”) or that you’re having a particularly great day (“I’m having a great day: slept well, had a terrific workout this morning, and now you and I are together.”) 
• “I’m looking forward to [future event.]”
• “Honestly, not too well. How are you?”
• “I’m not feeling great.”
• “Busy.”
• “Pretty overwhelmed with [situation]. How are you?
• “I’m hanging in there. And yourself?”

When you’re asked in a work situation:

You might use the above answers with colleagues or in the workplace, depending on the context of when “How are you?” gets asked. But sometimes, the question “How are you?” has an unspoken “in the context of your job” at the end, such as when you’re in a one-on-one with your boss or a team check-in. 

Here are some responses you might use in this case: 

• “Pretty good. Just finishing up on [work task].”
• “I’m doing well. I just [share a recent win or update].”
• “A bit stressed. My plate is pretty full.”
• “I’ve had a whirlwind of a week, but I’m hanging in there.”
• “It’s been a rough week.”: Depending on the situation, this might be a good, honest reply. But if you’re spilling all, you’ll want to make sure you’re sharing with someone who will listen and provide counsel or sensitivity. When you say “it has been a rough week,” or “things are so busy,” or “I don’t know how long I can take it,” you are essentially reaching out for help. It’s good to do that, and there are many people today who need that support. 

In these work situations, it’s almost always a good idea to follow up by asking how the other person is doing as well. Whether they’re your boss, teammate, or someone you oversee, you never know when someone might be struggling with something that you can help out with.

Variations on “How are you?” and how to answer

Here are some of the common ways people might reframe, “How are you?” and how your answer might change.

What’s up?

This question isn’t about “how” you’re doing, it’s about what you’re doing. So phrase your answer accordingly. Some common examples are:

• “Nothing much. How about you?”
• “The usual. What’s up with you?”
• “Ready for the weekend. You?”
• “A lot.”: Be prepared to follow up with this one!

This can also be a conversation starter, so feel free to talk about a specific event that’s going on or has recently happened in your life. 

How have you been?

This question usually comes from someone you’ve met before, but maybe haven’t talked to in a bit. So if you want to have a conversation, be sure to tie your answer to a specific period of time — usually anything that’s happened since the last time you talked. 

For example:

• “Great! My partner is pregnant.”
• “Pretty good. I just got a new job.”
• “Good! We started working with the new client this week.”
• “Super busy with work and school. How about you?”
• “I’ve been all right. Still looking for a new job.”

If you’re not looking to start a conversation, most of the answers to “How are you?” work perfectly well as a response here.

How’s it going?

This question is basically interchangeable with “How are you?” and almost all of the possible answers are the same. However, “How’s it going?” does allow a few new phrasings such as:

• “It’s going well. How are things for you?”
• “Well…it’s going.” 

JUDITH HUMPHREY also contributed writing, reporting, and/or advice to this article and a previous version.