Japanese word for how are you

Hello Junkies!

How are… you? This is a very important question and is used every day in all conversations around the world. In fact, it can also be considered a way to say hello in Japanese.

So in this lesson you will learn the 22 Ways to ask How Are You in Japanese.

Ready? Let’s go.

1. お元気ですか?

Asking about their “genki-ness” – How are you?
This is #1 most common way to way to ask how someone is in Japanese. You’ll read this in every textbook and hear this in every lesson. Genki simply means “lively” or “healthy.”Here’s the polite version to use for strangers and older people.

• O Genki desu ka?
• お元気ですか?

By the way, you should also hear real Japanese and its sounds.

So, if you’re interested, here’s a quick lesson greetings from JapanesePod101.

• Japanese Lesson – Where Are You From?
• Click here to get more fun Japanese lessons at JapanesePod101.

2. 元気？

Here’s the casual way to use with friends. All you have to do is say this with a question tone.

• Genki?
• 元気？

3. 元気だった?

Another variation is… Have you been well? The difference here is that this is in the past tense. You want to know how they’ve been.

• Genki datta?
• 元気だった?

4. 最近はどうですか? How are you recently?

This is another way to ask about them. In this case, you want to know how they are recently. Note, if you noticed above, keep the “desu ka” and it’s polite. Remove the “desu ka” and it’s casual.

• Saikin wa dou desu ka?
• 最近はどうですか?

5. 最近どう?

And here’s the casual way. You can also say “sakin wa dou” but “wa” can get dropped. Casual is all about dropping words.

• Saikin dou?
• 最近どう?

Or even more casual, here are some other variants of “How are you” in Japanese.6. Dou yo?How’s it going?Super casual. Yo is added for extra enthusiasm.

• Dou yo?
• どうよ?

7. 気分はどうですか? How do you feel?

Kibun means mood or feeling. So this question literally asks how your mood or feelings are. This is more about health and well-being (physical or emotional), rather than just asking “how are things?”

• Kibun wa dou desu ka?
• 気分はどうですか?

8. 気分どう?

And more casually…

• Kibun dou?
• 気分どう?

9. 調子はどうですか? How’s it going?

Choushi means condition. You can only ask this when there’s implied context or some understood situation. For example, if your friend is sick… and you ask him that, you’re referring to his sickness. If your friend is busy at work, this means you want to know about things going on with his work situation.

• Choushi wa dou desu ka?
• 調子はどうですか?

10. 調子はどう?

And more casually…

• Choushi wa dou?
• 調子はどう?

11. どうしたんですか?What’s wrong?

Another good way to say how are you in Japanese. And yes, this should be used in negative situations when you think something is wrong.

• どうしたんですか?
• Dou shitan desu ka?

12. どうしたの？

And more casually (you can even drop the “no”).

• どうしたの？
• Dou shita no?

13. 何事だ？What’s goin’ on?

Super casual. When you just want to find out what things have been going on.

• Nani koto da?
• 何事だ？

14. 今なにしてるの？What are you up to right now?

Very common question among friends. Although it’s not an obvious “how are you,” it’s another variation of find out what’s going on with your friend.

• Ima nani shiteruno?
• 今なにしてるの？

15. 私はただあなたの本当の気持ちが知りたいだけだよ。All I want is to know how you really feel.

Now this is a pretty serious way to ask “how are you.” Most people aren’t direct. Ask them directly how they feel. But this is too direct of a phrase for Japanese natives to use, so keep that in mind.

• Watashi tada anata no hontou no kimochi ga shiritai dake dayo.
• 私はただあなたの本当の気持ちが知りたいだけだよ。

16. How have you been? (Long time no see!)

Technically, hisashiburi means “long time no see.” However, it can be interpreted as “how’ve you been?” Use it when you haven’t seen someone in a while!

• Hisashiburi!
• 久しぶり！

17. 心の声を聞かせて。Tell me how you really feel.

If translated literally, it’s “tell me your heart’s voice.” However, you should know that you can’t be literally translating stuff – you’re not capturing the intended meaning.

18. なんか面白いことあった？Anything interesting?

This is super casual. It’s like asking “what’s the good news” or “anything good happen lately? It’s a way to dig for positive news in Japanese.

• Nanka omoshiro koto atta?
• なんか面白いことあった？

19. 最近なにしていますか? How are things going recently? What are you doing recently?

Here, you’re simply asking what they’ve been doing (shite-imasu) recently (saikin). Just another variation of things you’ve learned before.

• Saikin nani shite-imasuka?
• 最近なにしていますか?

20. 元気かい? Hey, whats up? How are ya?

This is super colloquial and casual. You’ll see “kai” which is the colloquial for “desu ka.” Do NOT use it this outside of friends.

• Genki kai?
• 元気かい?

21. どうだい?How’s things? How’s it going?

Again, super casual and worthy of it’s own entry. You know “dou” but “dai?” “Dai” is a colloquial version for “dayo.” Again, don’t use this outside of your friends.

• Dou dai?
• どうだい?

22. 最近なんか変わったことある?Anything change/anything new recently?

Here, you’re asking if there’s any thing (koto) that has been changed (kawatta).

• Saikin nanka kawatta koto aru?
• 最近なんか変わったことある?

Conclusion

And that’s it!You’re done.Do you know of any other ways to ask how are you in Japanese? Please leave a comment below. I read all comments and I will add your suggestions to this list! Let’s make it a big one.Feel free to share or print this article for your own review!

The Main Junkie

!P.S. I highly recommend this – if you REALLY want to learn to Japanese with effective lessons by real teachers – Sign up for free at JapanesePod101 (click here) and start learning

!

Despite being a polite language with many honorific styles of speech, asking someone “how are you?” in Japanese is not very common.

Whereas, asking someone “How are you?” is a simple greeting that we commonly use in English. We use it frequently as a conversation opener when we want to be polite.

However, in Japanese, it’s more common to greet the person with a simple “hello,” or “good morning” and jump straight into a conversation.

You’d think that being a language with various forms of language honorifics, not asking someone how they are would be considered rude. Instead, it’s more the level of politeness you use in your greetings that matters the most in Japanese.

In Japanese, it could be considered a little too direct and unnatural if you were to ask everyone how they are all of the time.

For instance, in English, we might ask the store cashier “how are you” while we’re being served. This kind of small talk is mostly absent in Japanese culture, at least, the asking of how someone is doing is.

So what if you genuinely want to ask someone how they are, or how they’ve been in Japanese?

There are plenty of phrases and expressions that you can use to convey a “How are you” in Japanese. There are a few of them actually.

Although you won’t be using this phrase anywhere near as much as you do in English, there are situations when you’ll definitely want to ask someone how they are.

In this post, we explore all of the most appropriate ways how to say “How are you” in Japanese, and the situations when you can use them.

Author’s Note:  The audio files presented are the natural way to pronounce each entry of “How Are You” in Japanese, so I recommend using them when referring to pronunciation if you can!

• How are you?
  元気？
  genki

//thelanguagequest.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/元気.mp3

The best Japanese expression you can use to convey a meaning similar to the English “How are you” is 元気 (genki).

Although a simple greeting would be sufficient enough in Japanese culture, sometimes you’ll want to ask someone how they are, before jumping into a conversation.

When you do, 元気 (genki) is the phrase you’re going to want to use. In Japanese, we use 元気 (genki) frequently, especially when we haven’t seen someone in a while.

For instance, We would say to a friend whom we haven’t seen for a while 元気? (genki?) to ask them how they are, or how they’ve been. On the other hand, we probably wouldn’t use it if we had just seen the friend yesterday.

元気 (genki) means: lively; full of spirit; energetic; well.

So technically, when you use this phrase you are asking someone “Are you well?” You can use 元気 (genki) as a reply too. If someone asks you “元気?” You can simply reply with “元気だよ” (genki dayo), which means “I am well” in Japanese.

Related: How to say Nice to Meet You in Japanese [Ultimate Guide].

How Are You Formality

Despite a high frequency of asking “how are you” being absent in Japanese culture, Japanese is still a polite language. Depending on who you’re speaking to, you might need to speak politely.

If you were speaking to a manager, an acquaintance, or to someone who is not a close friend or family member, you should avoid simply saying 元気 (genki). Instead, you can select from two polite versions.

1. 元気ですか　(genki desuka)
2. お元気ですか (ogenki desuka)

Attachingですか (desuka), turns this phase into a polite question. Attaching お (o) makes the phrase even politer. By including the お (o) you essentially beautify the following word, increasing your politeness even more. Which one you use is up to you, and how polite you want to be.

More Ways to say How Are You

• How are you?
  調子はどう？
  choushi wa dou?

//thelanguagequest.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/調子はどう.mp3

There are three components of this next expression. Let’s break them down a little.

調子 (choushi) – This is a noun, meaning “condition” or “state of health” in Japanese.

は (ha) – This is a subject marker particle that places emphasis on the preceding word as the main topic of the sentence.

どう (dou) is an adverb that we use to ask questions such as “how” or “how about” in Japanese.

If we combine the three components we can see that the literal meaning of this expression would mean “how is the condition?” or “How is the state of health?”

In Japanese, we often omit pronouns, and in this case too. Here, “You” is already understood by the listener that you’re already talking to them. Efficient right?

Similar to 元気 (genki), (explained above), you might use this expression after you see a friend for the first time in a while. When you see them, at the beginning of the encounter you might say, 調子はどう? (choushi wa dou). In this case, you can interpret it similarly to “What’s up,” or “How are you.”

We don’t really walk up to each other and ask 調子はどう？ (choushi wa dou) as it’s not in the Japanese culture to start a conversation with “How are you?”.

You can, however, use this expression when you want to ask someone how they are when you’re with them at the office, before a presentation, or at a theme park having fun with friends. This interpretation would be more like “How are you feeling/doing” in Japanese.

Formality: In business situations, don’t forget to attach ですか to the expression! This makes it 調子はどうですか？ (choushi ha dou desuka). 

How Are Things (Recently)

• How are things? (recently)
  最近はどう
  saikin wa dou?

//thelanguagequest.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/最近はどう.mp3

This next expression also uses three components.

最近 (saikin) – This word means “recently” in Japanese.

The next two components are the same as the ones found in 調子はどう (choushi wa dou), above.

Next up, は (ha) marks the word preceding it as the subject of the sentence.

どう (dou) – An adverb that means “how” in Japanese.

In Japanese, we often omit many parts of the sentence. The omission of pronouns is particularly common. We omit it here too as it is already understood by the listener that they are being spoken to.

With that said, if we combine the three components we construct a sentence that would literally translate to “Recently, how is?” or “How is recently?” in English.

The great thing about 最近はどう (saikin ha dou) is that it’s more obvious in regards to when you should use it. You can use this expression in the exact same way as when you ask someone “how are things recently?” in English.

The biggest difference with this expression is that unlike 元気 (genki) and 調子はどう (choushi wa dou) you are not asking someone specifically how they are in regards to their “condition”. This gives us more flexibility with situations when we can use this expression. Therefore, you could use it when you want to ask someone how their workdays have been recently, or ask just in general how they are.

Formality: Of course, just like the previous entries, you’re going to need to attach ですか (desu ka) to expression during business/formal conversations. This would make it 最近はどうですか？ (saikin wa dou desuka) when you want to speak politely.

What’s Up? in Japanese

In English, sometimes we use “What’s up” as a more casual variant of “How are you”. You can use “What’s up” as a greeting, or as an expression of concern for someone similar to “What happened?”. We also have an ultimate guide on how to say “What’s up” in Japanese.

• What’s up in Japanese
  どうしたの？
  dou shta no?

//thelanguagequest.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/どうしたの？.mp3

どうしたの (dou shta no), is an expression that is not used as a greeting. Instead, we mostly use it when it is implied that something has happened to the person who is calling you.

For instance, say you’re upstairs in your room, and suddenly you hear your flatmate calling your name from the kitchen. You head downstairs to see what’s up, and at this moment, you could say どうしたの？ (dou shta no), meaning “What’s up” in Japanese.

• 私を呼んでいた？ どうしたの？
  watashi wo yondeita? dou shta no?
  Were you calling me? What’s up?

You could interpret this expression as something with similar nuances to “What’s the matter” in English. 

Formality: Firstly, let’s look at the ending of どうしたの？ (dou shta no). The の (no) adds more emotion to the expression. It tells the listener that you care that little bit extra.

You could say どうした？ (dou shta) without the の (no), however, depending on the situation, it could come across as somewhat cold. Note, that this expression is a casual one.

If you’re speaking to a colleague, manager, or stranger, for instance, you’ll need to be polite. You can do this by changing the expression to どうしましたか (dou shi mashita ka).

How Are You Doing/How Is It Going?

• How is it going?
  元気にしてる？
  genki ni shi te iru?

//thelanguagequest.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/元気にしてる.mp3

In a situation when you haven’t seen a friend in a while you might want to ask them how they’ve been. Say for instance you’ve just bumped into a friend you haven’t seen for a few weeks. As an initial greeting, you might call their name, and then immediately ask, 元気にしている (genki ni shi te iru).

In this situation, we can translate it as something similar to “hey, how’s it going?” in English. If you want to sound even more natural, you could throw in a 久しぶり (hisashiburi) after you say their name. 久しぶり (hisashiburi) means “Long time no see” in Japanese. The whole phrase would sound something like this:

• {name}! 久しぶり！ 元気にしている？
  {name}! hisashiburi! genki ni shi te iru?
  {name}! Long time no see! How is it going?

You can use this phrase as a very friendly informal greeting in Japanese.

If you’re interested, take a quick glance at this video for a deeper explanation!

Jumping back to 元気にしている (genki ni shi te iru), let’s break it down a little so we can better understand it. The phrase has three components.

1. 元気 (genki) – a noun that means “lively, full of spirit, well” You can check a full explanation on this page at the top. 元気 is the first entry.
2. に (ni) – is a Japanese grammar particle that has many variations. I recommend this ultimate guide for full explanations on the uses of に should you need it. In this case, に connects the noun to the verb.
3. している (shi te iru) – is the present progressive form of the verb する (suru), which means “to do.”

Combing these components together we have a phrase that can literally be translated as “doing well?”  in Japanese. As pronouns are often omitted, 元気にしている (genki ni shi te iru) translates as “Are you doing well?” in Japanese.

Polite How Are You Doing in Japanese

• How are you doing?
  いかがですか
  ika ga desu ka?

//thelanguagequest.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/いかがですか.mp3

いかがですか (ika ga desuka) is a very formal expression that we use in Japanese when we need to be polite. It is perfect to use when speaking with managers, teachers, someone who is of a higher status, or with people who you don’t know too well.

With other expressions such as 元気 (genki), people will instantly understand that you are asking them about their condition/how they are feeling. Whereas いかがですか (ika ga desu ka) points towards something different. A literal translation of this expression would be “How is (X) going?” or “How is (something)?”

When you ask someone いかがですか (ika ga desu ka), you can state the topic which you are asking them about. When you do,  people will understand what it is exactly you’re asking them about.

For instance, you could ask someone “How is work going?” in Japanese. Firstly the word for “work” in Japanese is 仕事 (shigoto). After you have introduced the topic, (in this case, work), before you say いかがですか (ika ga desu ka), you always have to insert the topic marker particle.

The topic marker particle tells the listener that the preceding word is the topic of the sentence. The topic marker particle in Japanese is は (ha). So the complete phrase is:

• 仕事はいかがですか
  shigoto wa ika ga desuka?
  How is work going? (Formal)

You can simply swap the noun of the sentence for any other of your choice. To ask how one’s baby was doing in Japanese for instance, you  swap the word for “work,” for “baby.” The Japanese word for baby is 赤ちゃん (aka chan).

• 赤ちゃんはいかがですか
  aka chan wa ika ga desu ka
  How is the baby doing? (Formal)

How Are You Feeling

• How are you feeling?
  体調はどう？
  taichou wa dou?

//thelanguagequest.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/体調はどう？.mp3

If someone looks like they aren’t feeling too well, you might want to ask them how they are feeling. In Japanese, we say 体調はどう？ (taichou wa dou).

The first component of this expression is 体調 (taichou) which means “physical condition” (of one’s body) or “state of health.”

The second component is は (ha). In Japanese grammar, は (wa) functions as a topic marker that marks 体調 (taichou) as the subject of the sentence.

Lastly, どう (dou) means “how” in Japanese. Combining these components together we have a sentence that literally means “How is the state of health” in Japanese. So, how and when can you use it?

If someone looks unwell, you can ask them 体調はどう？ (taichou wa dou). Subsequently, the next day you see them you could also repeat the question and ask them again.

• おはよう。今日体調はどう？
  ohayou. kyou taichou wa dou?
  Good morning. How are you feeling today?

For the most part, you can use this expression the exact same way as you would use “How are you feeling?” in English. One exception to this might be if you’re asking someone how they are feeling before an important test or job interview for instance. In these cases, you will sound much more natural if you were to ask “Are you Okay?” instead.

Formality: This is an informal expression, so you will need to use its formal counterpart in business situations or when speaking with people who are of a higher status than yourself. To say “How are you feeling” in Japanese politely, you can use 体調はどうですか (taichou ha dou desuka).

Are You Okay? in Japanese

• Are you okay?
  大丈夫？
  daijoubu

//thelanguagequest.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/大丈夫？.mp3

If someone looks unwell, nervous, unsure, or just not content with a situation, you’ll probably want to ask them if they are okay.

大丈夫 (daijoubu) is the most common way to say “Are you okay?” in Japanese.  This expression is super easy to use as it has the same nuances as in English.

For example, say a friend is shaking nervously before their super important test, you could ask them 大丈夫？ (daijoubu). Likewise, if you go skiing with your friend and you fall face-first into the snow, they might shout to you 大丈夫？ (daijoubu).

• 痛そう！ 大丈夫？
  itasou! daijobu?
  That looks painful! Are you okay?

Formality: When speaking with people you aren’t friends with, such as strangers, you’re going to need to use 大丈夫ですか (daijoubu desuka). The ですか (desuka) transforms the expression into a polite one.

For instance, if you’re on an aeroplane to Japan and a passenger sitting next to you looks a little unsteady, you might ask them 大丈夫ですか？(daijoubu desuka). This means “Are you okay?” or “Are you alright?” in Japanese.

Related: How to say Ok, Okay and I’m Okay in Japanese [Ultimate Guide].

Responding to Are You Okay? in Japanese

What is great about 大丈夫 (daijoubu) is that you can use it as a response too. As previously mentioned, when we speak Japanese, we frequently omit pronouns as it is generally understood who is being referred to.

For example, after someone asks you 大丈夫？ (daijoubu), you could respond with those very words: 大丈夫! (daijoubu). Responding to “Are you okay?” in Japanese with 大丈夫 (daijoubu) is the same as saying “I am okay” in English.

• 大丈夫!
  daijoubu!
  I’m okay!

However, if you are not okay though, you can say 大丈夫じゃない (daijobu janai). This means “I am not okay” in Japanese.

I Hope You Feel Better Soon

• I hope you feel better soon
  お大事に
  odaiji ni

//thelanguagequest.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/お大事に.mp3

After you’ve asked someone how they feel, you might want to tell them “I hope you feel better soon” in Japanese. When someone is feeling unwell, in Japanese we say お大事に (odaiji ni). For more information on how to say Hope in Japanese, have a glance at this ultimate guide!

It is the closest Japanese expression that means the same as “get well soon” in English.

After someone sneezes, for instance, you might say お大事に (odaiji ni) which means “bless you” in Japanese. Of course, in English, we don’t say “I hope you feel better soon” after someone sneezes, but saying お大事に (odaiji ni) is a kind way of telling someone to take care of themselves.

If someone is ill, or if they tell you they feel unwell, you can also say お大事に (odaiji ni). This tells the person that you are hoping for them to get well soon. The beautiful thing about this expression is that you can use it in both formal and informal circumstances. 

How Was Your Day?

• How was your day?
  今日はどうだった？
  kyou wa dou datta?

//thelanguagequest.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/今日はどうだった？.mp3

Sometimes, when we ask someone “How are you?” we’re asking how their day was as a whole.

You can say “How was your day” in Japanese by saying 今日はどうだった？ (kyou wa dou datta). It has the exact same functions as the way you ask someone how their day was in English.

You might ask someone how their day was after a day at work for instance, or after a day of classes. Alternatively, you might want to say “Have a good day” to someone before their day begins. There are plenty of ways of wishing someone a good day in Japanese.

• お帰り！ 今日はどうだった？
  okaeri! kyou wa doudatta?
  Welcome home! How was your day?

For all of the possible ways how to wish someone having a good day in Japanese, have a look at this ultimate guide on “How to say Have a Good Day in Japanese”.

The first component of this phrase is 今日 (kyou) which means “day” in Japanese. どうだった (doudatta) is a past tense component which translates as “how was” in English. As discussed earlier, we know that Japanese pronouns are often omitted. Hence why there is no “you” in this phrase.

Combining them together, we have a phrase that literally means “How was your day?” in Japanese.

How Was Your Day Politely in Japanese

Remember the いかがですか (ika ga desu ka) we covered earlier? By itself, いかがですか (ika ga desu ka) is a very formal way of saying “How was (something)” Japanese.

Following the same format we discussed earlier (topic+いかがですか), we can take the word for “day” in Japanese: 今日 (kyou) and attach it to the beginning of いかがですか (ika ga desu ka). This makes the phrase:

• 今日はいかがですか？
  kyou ha ika ga desu ka?
  How was your day? (Formal)

You can use the above phrase to ask someone “How was your day” politely in Japanese.

How Did It Go

• How did it go?
  どうだった？
  dou datta?

//thelanguagequest.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/どうだった？.mp3

Imagine you’re accompanying a family member to the doctor for an appointment. You patiently wait outside as they see the doctor. Waiting in anticipation you wonder if they are okay. When they do finally finish, you see them, and you’ll probably ask something along the lines of “How did it go?”.

For situations similar to these, you can use どうだった (dou datta) to ask someone “How did it go?” in Japanese. Another example might be after a friend finishes taking an examination, and you could ask them どうだった (dou datta).

To be more specific in what it is you’re specifically referring to, you can say the: noun+は+どうだった. For instance, the word for examination in Japanese is 試験 (shiken). You would say:

• 試験はどうだった？？
  shiken ha dou datta?
  How was the exam?

This means “How was the examination?” or “How did the examination go” in Japanese.

Formality: To ask “How did it go” politely in Japanese, you change だった (datta) to でしたか (deshita ka).

This makes the phrase どうでしたか？ (dou deshita ka) which is a formal way of saying “How did it go” in Japanese.

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There you have it! There is a bunch of ways that you can say “How are you” in Japanese. I hope I was able to help you find a suitable expression for any situation when you want to ask someone how they are. Should you have any specific questions regarding the Japanese language or culture, please contact me here or leave a comment below!

See you next time!

Further Ultimate Guides:

How to say No Problem in Japanese

How to say Good Luck in Japanese

Resources:
Free Japanese Reading Exercises

There are several ways to ask someone “how are you” in Japanese. こんにちは (Konnichiwa | Hello) and おげんきですか？ (O genki desu ka? | How are you?) are one of the first expressions when you start learning Japanese.

However, did you know that these are not exactly what you hear in everyday conversations in Japan? In this lesson, we’re learning about true-to-life Japanese greetings!

Things to Know Before Learning “How Are You” in Japanese

Before we start learning how to say “how are you“ in Japanese today, let’s focus on the あいさつ (Aisatsu | 挨拶 | greeting) in Japan.

Aisatsu

Aisatsu has two かんじ (Kanji  | 漢字). The first あい (Ai | 挨) signifies “to open” or “to get closer,” and the following さつ (Satsu | 拶) means “to approach” or “to advance.”

The word Aisatsu conveyed the meaning of “to push each other” earlier, but it has developed into the “greeting” gradually via ぜん (Zen | 禅 | a school of Mahayana Buddhism).

Hugging and kissing aren’t typical in Japanese culture. People use more vocal communication than non-verbal communication when they say hello and how are you to each other. You can see people shaking hands, raising or waving their hands, patting someone’s shoulder, and bowing or nodding as a series of familiar gestures.

Here is some vocabulary related to greeting in Japan.

English	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji
greeting	挨拶	あいさつ	Aisatsu
gesture	身振り	みぶり	Miburi
gesture	手振り	てぶり	Teburi
gestures	身振り手振り	みぶりてぶり	Miburi Teburi
handshake	握手	あくしゅ	Akusyu
bow	お辞儀	おじぎ	Ojigi
light bow, nod	会釈	えしゃく	Eshaku
courtesy, manners	礼儀	れいぎ	Reigi
social platitude, flattery	社交辞令	しゃこうじれい	Shakou Jirei

Today’s theme, How are you, is one of the most common salutations in any language, and using this phrase is pretty natural in day-to-day life in the West.

Yet, “how are you” in Japanese, “おげんきですか？ (O genki desu ka?)” is too mannerly to greet friends and family members. This is typically seen in letters, commonly used in business situations, and regularly heard on official occasions.

For example, when you want to ask how you are doing with your friends in Japanese, use the phrase げんき？ (Genki?) instead of O genki desu ka?. Feel free to use some variations with your close friend and on casual occasions.

• おげんきですか？ (O genki desu ka? | お元気ですか？)
• げんき？ (Genki? | 元気？)

We’ve added more of these variations below, which you can use depending on who you are speaking with.

Formal “How Are You” in Japanese

Japanese people don’t say O genki desu ka? as frequently as the textbooks teach you. They use different ways and expressions instead. For instance, it’s common to emphasize the period they didn’t see each other by using past tense such as O genki deshita ka?.

O genki desu ka? and O genki deshita ka? are called けいご (Keigo | 敬語 | polite languages) in the Japanese language. When native speakers speak Japanese, they use the Keigo and act courteously in certain circumstances.

For example, Keigo is preferred on occasions when people meet the elderly, someone with higher status, someone you want to show your respect to, and someone they haven’t seen before.

Formal Expressions and Other Phrases

Using non-formal phrases in inappropriate situations is considered rude in Japan, so use polite expressions if you’re not so sure. Let’s take a look at the variations in a formal way!

*This literally means, “Were there any changes?”

**It’s a common phrase in Japanese business situations but not easy to get translated into English.

***It’s an old-fashioned and feminine phrase.

Related Vocabulary (Formal)

Here are some additional vocabulary in the formal version.

Have you experienced that a Japanese person answered your how are you question a little awkwardly? Some people who speak fluent English would reply naturally, but people at the beginner level would say so-so. The reason isn’t only their language skills and lack of experience.

Japanese people skip rigidly orthodox Konnichiwa and Genki? in casual meetings since they’re considered unnatural among close friends.

Informal Expressions and Other Phrases

The amicable conversations often begin with the phrase おまたせ (Omatase | Sorry for the wait) or just raising their hand, and friendly chats follow. Here are more of these expressions.

*When you meet someone unexpectedly.

Related Vocabulary (Informal)

Below are other related vocabulary in the informal version.

Asking About Someone’s Health or Physical Condition

When you’re concerned about someone’s health or physical conditions, you can use the following phrase to ask how they are feeling and doing. They all mean, “how is it?” in English and are almost equally exchangeable.

Polite Expressions and Common Questions

Here are some examples of questions that you can ask to check if someone is okay in the polite version.

*No distinctions between mental and physical conditions

**This literally means How is your health condition?

Casual Expressions and Common Questions

Below are the questions that you can ask someone in a casual version.

Words of Encouragement for Health and Physical Conditions

By skipping ですか？ (desu ka? ) or ください (kudasai ), you can ask someone the same thing more casually.

*the most common expression

Related Vocabulary

How to Answer “How Are You” in Japanese

Like English, there are various ways to answer O genki desu ka? in Japanese. Here, we’ll show you some suggestions. They are all written formally, but you can make them more easy-going by simply omitting です (desu) and ます (masu) words.

Good

For a positive response, you can answer the person asking with the sentences below.

*This is for both mental and physical conditions.

So-So

Here are the sentences that you can use to answer someone how you are but you’re unsure if you’re feeling good or not.

Not Good

If you’re certain that you’re not okay, here are the sentences that you can use in response.

Thank You for Your Concern

Lastly, it’s always polite to say “thank you” to the person for their concern. Here are the sentences that you can use.

We also have an article dedicated to saying “thank you” in Japanese.

Other Basic Greetings in the Japanese Language

Apart from asking someone how they are, there are also other ways to greet people in Japan. We’ve listed some of them below.

Standard Form

Here are the standard greetings in Japanese that you can use.

Informal and Abbreviated Form

If you’re speaking to a friend, family, or someone close to you, you can use the greetings below.

Casual and Easy-Going Form

Here are more ways to speak with someone casually. These shouldn’t be used with someone older or of higher status.

“How Are You” in Japanese and The Gifting Customs

Japan has a unique gift-giving custom apart from someone’s birthdays or during the Christmas holidays.

Japanese people have hello and how are you visit with a small gift to their new neighbors when they move into new houses and apartments. It’s also common to bring a gift when visiting the hospital to see how their friend, a family member, and a co-worker are doing.

These how-are-you visits and gifts exist upon the wishes with “Best Regards” or “No disaster will remain,” so comforting chats and gifts that disappear after use and eat are preferred.

Related Vocabulary

*A gift from the patient.

**A gift to the patient.

***A gift to the people who moved in.

****A gift from the people who moved in.

What Aisatsu Means in Japanese Society

Presumably, one could say that Japanese people put importance on あいさつ (Aisatsu | greeting) way more than in the West. Japanese people suppose it’s a way to show their consideration, good manners, and cooperative attitudes in society. The importance of Aisatsu has been imprinted in practice for a long time.

Basic Rules for Bowing and Hello/How Are You in Japanese

Bowing is probably one of the most prominent Asian cultures. There are occasions that Japanese people habitually lower their torso and greet, but many are not familiar with the explicit rules of bowing. おじぎ (Ojigi | お辞儀 | bow) is the universal term in the Japanese language, but it has three different ways and invisible intentions.

Three Types of Ojigi

It’s said that “verbal greeting first and bowing second” is the proper way.

1. えしゃく (Eshaku | 会釈) — A light bow roughly 15 degrees. It could be a nod in casual greetings.
2. けいれい (Keirei | 敬礼) — A standard bow about 30 degrees. Common in the first meetings and when seeing someone off.
3. さいけいれい (Sai Keirei | 最敬礼) — A deep bow between 45 degrees to 90 degrees. The most formal way originates in a ritual bow. It shows one’s sincere apologies or deep appreciation.

However, it’s more than enough to say hello with a smile and give the company a small nod as an extra.

In addition to that, no need to bow or nod when you ask someone, “how are you” in Japanese. Don’t forget that the idea of Ojigi is similar to Keigo in the Japanese language. Try adding a nod or bow whenever you speak in a formal way.

“How Are You” in Japanese from the Heart and the World

Greetings are one of the essentials in learning Japanese and other languages. Probably, its styles and people’s perspectives vary from place to place and from time to time, but the fundamental idea remains the same everywhere.

The expression how are you shows your good intentions towards others and society, even though it sometimes is a form of social platitude. Start a casual talk with Genki? or another phrase next time to have more meaningful and fun interactions!

Often times when you run into a person that you haven’t seen in a while, you want to catch up on things and ask them how everything is going. Today you will learn how to say “how are you” in Japanese in several different ways.

Take a look at each of these different phrases and read about the context or situations that they are most often used in so that you know the right one to use at any given time.

I’ve tried to provide as much explanation as possible along with some example sentences to help lock them into your memory. Let me know in the comments section if anything doesn’t make sense.

Let’s begin!

Using 元気 to Ask How Are You

One of the first phrases that every Japanese learner comes across is the following.

• お元気ですか？
• ogenki desu ka?
• How are you?

The word 元気 (genki) means “full of spirit; in good health” and is used to refer to both a person’s mental well-being and their physical well-being.

However, one important thing to understand about 元気 (genki) in Japanese is that you really only ask a person this when you haven’t seen them for quite some time.

In America, it’s normal to ask a person how they are doing each time we see them, but in Japan this would be considered a little rude since it means that you’re not really paying attention to how the other person is fairing when you’re with them.

If you see the same person every day, such as at work or school, then it’s expected that you are silently paying attention to their state of well-being during your interactions with them. That means that you don’t need to directly ask them how they are each day.

In Japanese culture, the indirect route is usually the correct one. This is pretty different from American culture where directness is valued.

Using 大丈夫 to Ask Are You Okay

Another pretty common Japanese word is 大丈夫 (daijoubu) and it means “alright; okay” and can be used when asking about a person’s situation.

For example, if you’re talking to someone over the phone or the radio and you hear a commotion on the other end, you can use this word to ask them if they are okay.

• 田中君、大丈夫ですか？
• tanaka kun, daijoubu desu ka?
• Tanaka, are you okay?

Or if you’re talking to a friend and they look like they’ve got a concerned look on their face about something, then you can use 大丈夫 (daijoubu) to ask them what’s wrong.

Related: Other ways to say “what’s wrong” in Japanese.

This is a pretty useful phrase that can also be used in casual situations by dropping the ですか (desu ka) part and simply asking 大丈夫 (daijoubu) with a rising intonation at the end.

Using 気分 and 調子 To Ask About Health

Now there are two new words to learn. The first one is 気分 (kibun) which means “feeling; mood.”

You may have noticed that this word shares the kanji 気 (ki) with the first phrase we learned in this lesson. That’s because 気 (ki) is used to refer to the “mind” or the “spirit” of a person.

• 気分はどうですか？
• kibun wa dou desu ka?
• How are you feeling?

This is a phrase that you would most likely ask if you friend was looking slightly ill. Perhaps they had too much to drink the night before and are a little hungover. Or perhaps they ate the chicken at the restaurant and suspect that it may have been a little under cooked.

• 気分が良くないです。
• kibun ga yoku nai desu.
• I don’t feel well.

In situations like this, you may want to have them visit the doctor.

The other new word to learn in this section is 調子 (choushi) and it means “condition; state of health.”

While this word is not a common one, I have heard it used a couple of times to inquire how a person is fairing. I’ve also heard a girl ask a kitten this phrase while feeding it some milk.

• 調子はどう？
• choushi wa dou?
• How are you doing?

Related: Learn “what are you doing” in Japanese.

Using どう and いかが to Ask How

You may have noticed a word that keeps popping up in these questions. That word is どう (dou) and is used to ask “how” in Japanese.

It actually has kanji that it can be written as 如何 (dou), but it is much more common to see it written in hiragana.

Let’s say that you’re eating lunch with a friend and they take a couple bites out of their meal. You want to ask them how it is, so you say the following.

• どうですか？
• dou desu ka?
• How is it?

So if you want to ask how a specific thing is, such as a person’s health or feelings, then you can use どう (dou) along with words such as 元気 (genki) and 気分 (kibun) to do so.

For example, if you wanted to ask a person how things have been going recently you can do so with the help of the word 最近 (saikin) which means “recently; lately.”

• 最近、どうですか？
• saikin, dou desu ka?
• How have things been?

On the other side of things we have the word いかが (ikaga) which also means “how” in Japanese. It also shares the exact same kanji 如何 (ikaga)!

So what’s the different between these two?

The difference is the formality level. いかが (ikaga) is considered to be more formal and polite, whereas どう (dou) is considered to be more casual and informal.

So you will probably hear いかが (ikaga) used more often when a service person or a store employee asks you how something is, but when you’re hanging out with friends or family you will probably hear どう (dou) used instead.

Now I Want to Hear From You

That’s all for today’s lesson. If you have any questions about the words or phrases that we covered, let me know by leaving a comment down below.

Or if there is just something that you would like to add to the conversation, I want to hear it!

Thanks for reading until the end, and I will catch you next time!

Hi Japanese Learner, how are you? This is one of the most common question used in everyday life. There are many possible responses to this question and various tons to use.

You must learn those different ways to respond because one answer may fit better, and having a greater range of expression is a sign of fluency. With this Japanese lesson, Risa will teach you the 10 best responses to “How Are You” in Japanese. Here we go!

Click Here to Learn How to Pronounce Those 10 Phrases

1.私は元気です。
わたしはげんき。
Watashi wa genki desu.
I’m fine.

2.大丈夫です。
だいじょうぶで。
Daijōbu desu.
I’m okay.

3.眠いんです。
ねむいんです。
Nemui n desu.
I’m sleepy.

4.絶好調です。
ぜっこうちょう。
Zekkōchō desu.
I’m great.

5.調子が悪いです。
ちょうしがわるいです。
Chōshi ga I’m feeling bad.
Warui desu.

6.いい感じです。
いいかんじです。
Ii kanji desu.
I feel good.

7.悪くないです。
わるくないです。
Warukunai desu.
I’m not bad.

8.おかげさまで。
Okagesama de.
Thank you for asking.

9.まあまあです。
Māmā desu.
I’m feeling so-so.

10.ぼちぼちです。
Bochibochi desu.
So-so.

Click Here to Access to the Video and Audio version of this Lesson

Don’t forget to sign up for a free account on JapanesePod101 and access entertaining lesson to help you from absolute beginner to reach fluency.

In English, we often ask our friends, “How are you?”. Response might be, “I am doing well, thanks.” or “Well, I am not doing so well today..”  If we were to apply this for conversation in Japanese, what will be the most appropriate way of asking, “how are you?”?

My best advice to you is, if it’s your close friend, you simply ask

Genki? (元気？げんき？)

Believe it or not, in Japanese, we don’t say this every single time. We would greet each other by saying, good morning (おはようございます。or おはよう。) or hello(こんにちは), and go right into a conversation.

Asking Genki indicates that you might have not seen your friend recently. For example, if you just saw her yesterday, we don’t normally ask, “Genki?” since you know that you just met her yesterday.

However, depending on the closeness or situation, here are some common ways of asking how your friend is doing besides, Genki?

Choushi do? (調子どう？ちょうしどう)

Choushi wa do? (調子はどう？ちょうしはどう？)

This is a very casual way of asking how he/she is doing. You would not use this expression to someone older than you or someone you don’t know too well.

If the person is older or someone you don’t know too well, then, you can say:

Choushi wa do desuka? (調子はどうですか？ちょうしはどうですか？)

By adding “desuka”,  it will sound much more polite.

You could also ask by saying:

Gokigen ikaga? (ご機嫌いがが？ごきげんいかが？) or Gokigen ikagadesuka? (ご機嫌いかがですか？ごきげんいかがですか？)

This is probably the literal translation of “How are you?” in Japanese. However , it is not common to use this expression among close friends. It is more appropriate to use this expression with someone who is older or someone who might be in higher social status than you are. This expression has politeness built in for sure.

You could also use the expression:

Ogenki desuka? (お元気ですか？おげんきですか？)

This could be another literal translation into Japanese. This expression is mostly used in writing. For example, when you are writing a letter or an email to someone who might be living far away from you, this will be the expression to use. Again, you would not typically use this expression with someone whom you see often on a regular basis.

Hope you got an idea on how to use “how are you?” expression in Japanese language!