How do you do?

How would/could you [to] reply to the welcome note : "How do you do?"

JTT: BV Praveen,

"How do you do?" is a more formal term used for introductions and the reply was usually, "How do you do?"

These are all replies to "How are you?"; "How are you doing?" ; "How have you been doing?"


a) I'm fine.
b) Doing good.
c) Doing well.
d) Doing

Also, "how do you do" is verbal, and not written.

Dear Friends,

To Abbie: What do you mean by the term : "not written"? Is it that they are not used in Novels,etc.

To JTT: I'm an Indian. Here they are not using 'How do you do?' for the reply. Can I use it in India? I don't find it correct.

'How do you do?' prompts for an answer and how can we post the same question back to the person?

Praveen.

If I may intrude, I'll try to explain what Abbie means (if you'll excuse me, Abbie?)

You say "how do you do" the first time you meet someone. It is written in novels, of cousre, but when the author reports the first meeting of someone with another person. It's something you say when shaking hands for the first time (if you shake hands), or you rub eachother's nose, Eskimo-fashion.

I certainly do excuse you, Pieanne - always!


When it is written in novels, it is usually written as reported speech, i.e. what someone is saying to someone else.

It is a strange thing, I admit, that when soemone greets you by saying "How do you do?" you don't actually answer, but ast the question straight back!

So, if you were being formally introduced to someo

Yes, that's English, but it doesn't sound wierd to me any longer.
It's some kind of harmfess ritual...

Thanks Pieanne.

Meanwhile, I have heard that 'Hi' is a short form for 'How are you?'. Hence, if you say
'Hi, How are you?' you are actually asking 'How are you?' two times. Anyway, 'Hi' has been used as a friendly welcome note.

Am I correct?

Praveen.

It is a strange thing, I admit, that when someone greets you by saying "How do you do?" you don't actually answer, but ast the question straight back!

It's the same as my language. In Japanese, when we see each other for the first time, we do this way;

Paco : Hajime mashite, Paco desu. (See you for the first time! I'm Paco.)
Abbie: Hajime mas

Hi, bvpraveen
"hi!", if I'm not wrong, is mostly AmE, originally at least, because I guess it's often heard in GB. And yes, it'

Dear Pieanne,

Thanks for correcting my grammatical mistake.

I'm afraid I couldn't get what you mean by the abbrevations - AmE and GB. Can you eloborate them?

Praveen.