How are you in Japanese
How do you ask How are you? in Japanese? And how do you reply? This free Japanese lesson is essential for your Japanese language survival kit, whether you’re traveling to Japan or getting to know Japanese people closer to home.
Pronouncing How are you? in Japanese
For someone you just met or more senior people, you would say:
For friends, you would greet them with a simple "genki" or "saikin dō?":
How are things going lately? (informal)
If you're asked "how are you" in Japanese, how would you answer? Well, it depends on how you feel! Here are some possible answers:
Hai, genki desu. Arigatō gozaimasu
Okage sama de genki desu.
I am well, thanks to you.
A common follow-up question is, “And you?”, “Anata wa?” or address the person by name “[name] –san wa?” Or for a more informal way, “name -kun/-chan wa?”
If someone tells you that he or she is not feeling well you could say the following…
I am sorry (you are not well).
If someone is feeling great you might want to say the following…
Feeling confident with these basic Japanese words and phrases will make such a positive difference to your experiences with Japanese people. Remember, a stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet!
Find out all about asking Japanese questions
in this series of lessons. Make sure you listen to the audio and practice your Japanese pronunciation. And do the Japanese tests at the end of each lesson to reinforce your knowledge of Japanese questions!