Distinguishing Between “How Are You” & “How Do You Do”

How Are You vs How Do You Do

Although the phrases “How are you?” and “How do you do?” may be used interchangeably, there is a difference in their usage. “How are you?” can be used in both formal and informal contexts, while “How do you do?” is more appropriate in very formal situations.

Key Takeaways

• ‘How are you?’ is used in both formal and informal contexts, while ‘How do you do?’ is used in very formal situations.
• Both phrases are conversation starters and not meant to inquire about a person’s health.
• ‘How do you do?’ is responded to with the same phrase, followed by a formal handshake and a transition to the main topic of the conversation.

What does How Are You mean?

The phrase ‘how are you?’ is a greeting used when people meet, not to inquire about someone’s health or feelings. It can be used in both formal and informal contexts. In a formal setting, “hello” should precede the phrase, as in “Hello! How are you?” The standard response is “fine, thanks” or “very well, thank you.” The person who initially asked the question should then be asked the same question in return. In an informal context, “hi” is used instead of “hello,” making the full greeting “Hi! How are you?”

What does How Do You Do mean?

The phrase ‘how do you do?’ is also a greeting used when people meet but is more formal and typically used in business meetings or when meeting someone for the first time. The greeting is followed by a formal handshake, and the reply to “how do you do?” is also “how do you do?” Once both parties have exchanged the greeting, the conversation turns to the main topic of the meeting.

Difference between How Are You and How Do You Do

• ‘How are you?’ is used in both formal and informal settings, while ‘how do you do?’ is used in very formal situations.
• Both phrases are conversation starters, not inquiries about a person’s health.
• ‘How do you do?’ is replied to with the same phrase, followed by a formal handshake and a transition to the main topic of the conversation.
• ‘How are you?’ is answered by “fine, thanks” or “very well, thank you” and is followed by asking the same question to the first party.
• ‘How are you?’ is preceded by “hello” in a formal context and “hi” in an informal context.