How are you doing? Answers Formal & Informal

How are you doing?   Answers Formal & Informal in English

“How are you doing?” appears to be the simplest question one can ask and answer. However, it is the most frequently asked question in English conversations.

It is rather a greeting than a question in English conversation. In fact, it is one of the most popular conversation starters for those who are known to each other as well as among strangers.

There are many different ways in which one can answer this question. Your answer may depend on the person with whom you are conversing, your relationship with them and the situation in which you are in.

Accordingly, you can give a positive answer as well as a negative answer. You can also make your answer sound formal or informal, funny or serious.

Following are a list of different answers from which you can choose the appropriate reply to match with your context of communication.

  • Hello ! How are you?
  • How are you doing?

Popular short answers

  • Great!
  • Not bad!
  • Fine!
  • All right !
  • Good !
  • Well !
  • Okay !
  • Excellent!
  • Wonderful !
  • Perfect !
  • Never better !
  • Can’t complain.
  • Pretty well !
  • Doing great !
  • I’m fine.
  • I’m good.
  • I’m OK.
  • I’m alright.
  • I’m doing just fine.
  • I’m doing great!
  • I’m doing well !
  • I’m doing excellent !

It’s quite customary that you thank the person for being concerned about you. Further, you can also ask the same question in turn to pay courtesy.

  • It’s all good here!
  • I’m quite ok. Thank you for asking.
  • Fine! Thanks. Hope you are ok.
  • Thanks for asking, I’m good !
  • Great ! What about you?
  • Very well! How about you?
  • Never felt better ! How are you?
  • Things are going well ! Hope you are well!

Informal Reply

Following may sound much more informal and better to be used among close friends or relatives.

  • Good .. yeah ! You?
  • Nice !
  • Cool!
  • Same as you !
  • Happy ! Thank you!
  • As usual!. And you?
  • Life is good !! How about yours?
  • Alive ! and kicking !!
  • Just hanging in there ! , You?
  • So far so good ! How did it go for you?
  • I’m doing better now that you’ve asked ! .. and you?

When you answer this question, nobody really expects you to tell exactly how you feel. One may lie rather than saying the truth since the objective of the question itself is to set the background for a friendly discussion. Your answer is expected to create a positive vibe. Hence, at times, you can skip giving an exact answer and ask the same question from the other party.

  • Oh! , you know !
  • Well, you know how it goes these days … How about you?

Negative Reply

You always have the option to be very direct and genuine with your answer and come up with a negative reply.

  • Mm.. busy!
  • …tired !
  • Exhausted !
  • Well .. not quite ok!
  • Oh! frustrated !
  • Stressed out !
  • I'm a bit worried !

When you give a negative reply, you are usually expected to explain why you say so. All the same you may choose not to be genuine depending on how much time you have to explain things.

  • I’m not doing particularly great today. … Actually, I’m ……
  • To be honest, I’m not doing ok. I wish ………….

Funny Reply

You can also give a funny answer.

  • Oh! That’s an interesting question !
  • Not that question, please !
  • No questions please!
  • Quite an unexpected question !
  • I didn’t quite hear you !
  • You tell me !
  • You better not ask !
  • Greater than you think ah!
  • Trust me, you don’t want me to answer it !

Whether you give a positive reply or a negative reply, your tone matters. Your tone may suggest the intensity of your feelings.

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