How do I respond to 'how are you' in English?

The honest truth: In most English-speaking contexts, "how are you?" is a greeting, not a genuine enquiry about your wellbeing. The expected response is brief and positive, then reciprocate.

• "Good, thanks — you?"
• "Fine, thanks. How are you?"
• "Not bad, thanks — yourself?"
• "Pretty good, how about you?"

The reciprocal question matters: If you just say "fine" without asking back, the exchange feels abrupt. The "you?" is the social contract.

When a real answer is expected: If a close friend sits down and says "how are you doing?" with eye contact and a pause, they want a real answer. The tone and context signal this clearly.

British vs American: British "how are you?" is even more purely a greeting. American "how are you doing?" is also a greeting but Americans more readily accept a brief real answer. In the UK, giving a detailed real answer to a stranger's "how are you?" will cause polite bewilderment.

Tags: social English, greetings, etiquette, everyday conversation