I am British and I taught English up to and including Cambridge Proficiency for over forty years. First of all, I , for one, do say "I'm fine, thanks. How are you?" as do millions of other native speakers. As for "Not too shabby,." I've never heard this in my life. Is it a regional variant? You need to make it clear to your students in which context you can use these expressions. There are many formal situations in which these might noe be appropriate. By all means teach your students colloquial ways of speaking but don't tell them not to use a standard exchange which will serve them well whichever situation they find themselves in.
So you mean it's ok and common to use 'I'm fine, thanks', even among native speakers? You are British and you say you use it. Because I also think it's regularly used by native speakers! I mean, it isn't an old fashioned or too formal expression?
@@rubenrojas6082 It's perfectly normal. There are some more informal ways of responding but I rhink you're safer saying 'I'm fine, thanks.' especially in more formal contexts such as an international business or political meeting or a job interview etc. I have noticed a recent trend coming in from American usage to say "I'm good" but I have to admit I don't really like this. However, language evolves naturally and it may one day replace "I'm fine".
Thank you Sheila, it's always good to have different points of view. Even better if they come from native speakers, I am Mexican but I have had friends from The UK, US, Canada. I have heard several ways to answer this question, actually I use different ways, but nobody has told me that 'I'm fine, thanks' is not commonly used. Thank you so much again.
I say this every time I’m in a restaurant and a Waiter asks “is everything is alright, can I get you any refills or more bread?” I reply “We’re fine, thank you.” Anyone that’s alone replies “I’m fine, thank you.” This should be your English lesson. Teaching them how to express between the singular and the plural. You saying “I’m an English teacher” and trying to tell us that a phrase I hear said on the daily basis by hundreds of people, and have for 30 years - should be stopped because they taught you something in academia that’s better? Just no. Wrong.
With all due respects, being a scholar in English literature does not necessarily make one an expert on common expressions as used by the average person in the street.
I also say I’m fine, thanks although I am not a native speaker. I remember a scene from a comedy tv show where one responds with “I’m good” and another one says “Superman is good, you are fine” 😁
That answer "i'm fine thank you" is boring even in spanish. There are experessions in spanish as: estoy excelente, más o menos, he estado mejor, super bien.
I am a non-native English speaker and teacher but have been listening to genuine modern English material for the best part of 30 years. I'm fine/quite well, thanks/thank you is a frequent answer being echanged in both American and British everyday conversations.
I’m an American and was raised by English parents. “I’m fine thanks, how are you?” Is what native English speakers commonly say - both American and British speakers. Everybody says that!!!
Agreed! People say "I'm fine" all the time, no one thinks it's "boring". But of course there are other ways to answer, as he explained in the video. But nothing wrong with saying "I'm fine"!
@@margaritakleinman5701 But Moon on the sky is not connrcted with Monday or americans cant sleep before new working week and spend night without sleeping and they observe the Moon for relax
I am also using sometimes: - Stil kicking - Still above the ground - There is always space for better - With your help it will be better (like in a shop).
I just made a comment defending the use of "I'm fine, thanks", but I do have an alternative that a very elderly friend used to use. To the question "How are you?", she would reply "Upright and breathing." When I asked her why she said that, she told me "because it's better than the alternative".
I used to to reply with “I’m Alive” which always made people laugh which as you said sets a good tone for the rest of the conversation. These days I reply with “I can’t complain, nobody listens” 🤣🤣
I am a native English speaker and I absolutely do say "I'm fine thanks, how are you?", as does pretty much everyone I know. For most people the opening pleasantries are no more than a standard way to start a conversation, and in the majority of cases, "How are you?" is not a real question. If anything it is slightly rude to answer with any real information about how happy or sad you might be. If you know each other well, the conversation itself will soon turn to how you actually are, but otherwise, you shouldn't burden a stranger with displays of ecstasy or despair. Perky replies sound insincere to many British ears, rather like the overly bright greetings used by some restaurant staff.
Greg. I appreciate your attempt to increase our vocabulary. I work in a very exclusive” spa, in Florida, and any of your suggestions would be absolutely embarrassing. I have to give the impression I’m on top of the world and in perfect health. “I’m fine, thank you” or “great” would be an appropriate response. Anything with a question to it like”I’m ok”or worse”I’ve been better” would leave a question as to what’s wrong. Thank you, but I will continue with my same response.
As a native British speaker and an English teacher, try (in answer to the stock question "How are you?"): "Pretty good, thanks. And you?" Or "Can't grumble." (Then you could add, for comedic effect) "Tried it. Didn't work" Then there is "I've been worse!" or "I'm fantastic, thanks. How about you/yourself?" or "Couldn't be better, thanks. And how's things with you?" It's worth noting that these are all informal responses. I actually agree with Greg (and others) in that I'm not a lover of "I'm fine, thanks", as it CAN come over as being a bit dismissive....like you don't want the conversation to continue. So, be adventurous with your responses!
I’m British, and it was a French person who taught me (about 55 years ago) that it it correct to say « How do you do? » only when first being introduced to somebody. After that, « How are you? » is correct. As for the response, « I’m fine, thank you » is perfectly acceptable. It requires a fine-tuning of one’s social antenna to switch to one of the more colloquial questions, such as « How’s your belly off for wrinkles? » or responses such as « I’m in the pink ». When in doubt, stick to the formulaic and boring, then listen to what people around you are saying in different settings.
Language, after all, is mainly a means of communication between people all over the world and brings us closer to one another! So don’t make it more complicated and then ignore its main purpose!
I have been speaking English for 60 years and will always reply "Fine thanks, how are you?" to a question of "How are you?" It is very widespread, polite and perfectly acceptable. "Non too shabby"? from a native speaker this sounds self conscious and affected from a non native speaker, you'll get a laugh. But for the wrong reasons.
For non-native speakers that come to these types of "DO NOT SAY THIS THING, HERE ARE # BETTER WAYS!" Understand that the way you are generally taught in your school or private lessons is that of the more general way. It is a good option if you find yourself in a situation that you do not know which response would be appropriate or correct, you can always turn to the one taught to you at school. "I'm fine (thanks)." is one such response. There are dozens, if not hundreds of different ways to respond to "how are you?" that have specific contexts and are appropriate in different dialects of English, but the "I'm fine (thanks)." response is one that is a catch-all solution for any situation without it causing any fuss.
I think it's important to remember that non-native English speakers are not necessarily stupid and are most definitely human and not space alien or AI. They also speak a language natively and know that sometimes languages are taught formally and there are many informal and colloquial ways to say things which are not included in formal lessons. I think native speakers who never learn another language are more likely to think the non-natives are stupid, non human or autistic. :) It's also how an older doctor would speak vs a younger med student. Med student would say hepatomegally, while an older doctor would just say enlarged liver.
Nobody says “I’m fine thanks how are you”, but everybody here interacts along the lines of “How you doing?” “Fine, you?” “Yeah fine” “Fine” is a perfectly normal and native response if used less formally
I spent a decade amongst the British tribes and lived to tell the tale. "I'm fine, how are you?" seemed quite common, albeit boring. My favourites: "We mustn't grumble", because it feels so quintessentially British to me. and "It could be worse." possibly followed by "I guess", suggesting it's bad enough already. This version tends to trigger the best conversations
I always reply: ,,Extremely bad." This is definitely not an expected classic boring answer. It works for me, an upcomming conversation always becomes more intereting, because people are curious to find out what's wrong. Nobody cares if you just say that you are fine.
As a native speaker, I've always reserved "How do you do?" for formal introductions and would expect to receive the original question as a reply. "I'm fine thanks ..." is also perfectly acceptable for informal use.
Hii sir,could you help me to learn English if you could. Because i want to learn english but in our locality nobody can speak english that is why I'm not able to learn it. So i request you to be help me plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Yes, "how do you do?" is to be used when meeting someone for the first time; it does not mean "how are you?". One could say, "how are you doing?", but not "how do you do?".
I’m Greek-American and actually prefer saying the greeting “Good morning / afternoon / evening”, usually in cheerful smiling way.🙂 It sets the tone. If the other person cares to ask me “How are you?”*, I say “Ready to enjoy the new day / I’m enjoying this wonderful day”-even if I, personally, may not be- followed by “How about you?” Otherwise the more usual “Can’t complain, thanks” or “I’m doing alright, thanks”.* If nobody stresses on the YOU part of “How are you?”, then they just want to go on with their business and don’t really care… Why should I?
Excellent answers! Nobody really cares and I hate when people I don't know that are trying to sell me something ask me that. We know exactly what chicaneree they are up to. :-)
I'm Danish and as a Dane I often think about this English/American "how are you?" where I'm not quite sure what to answer other than "I'm fine thanks. How are you?", because that's what I was taught in English classes in school. In Denmark, if you ask a person "how are you?" you ask because you sincerely are interested to hear the answer. You might say that in Denmark it's kind of rude to ask a person "how are you?" if you actually don't care😊
Yeah I love that in Denmark and not the typical: "how are you" that happens in other parts of the world where the real question is not actually intended, and if you answer it for real the other person will roll their eyes "ok ok I don't really want to hear how are you, it was just a conversation opener" - that's so confusing and shallow. I'd rather kill the "how are you" question and have it only asked in literal ways, for example in the doctor "how are you [feeling]" or things like that.
In the US, especially Southern states, when a stranger says " how are you doing or how is it going" it's being used as a salutation. You can just say "good and you." Unless they know you personally, they don't really care or want to know how you are.
My answer is "Well as I can be! I get a positive come back of "That's all we can be"! True and positive. I live in the USA. I l enjoyed your come backs. 👍👍⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐😁
I remember once, I asked my dad, “How are you?” His reply to me was, “I’m placid and will remain so.” That tickled me. Now I know that’s not exactly what you would teach someone who’s learning English as it’s a bit offbeat, but still mildly humorous.
Oh I’m stealing that. I teach middle school, and whenever the children ask me what we are doing that day in class I say, “Work hard and suffer mightily, for life is pain.“ Anytime I can throw them off is a win for me lol
I am a Chinese and English is my second or even third language. I think the reply to how are you taught by this British teacher is too difficult for non native speakers like me to use them naturally . I think its almost impossible say its shabby . Even pronounciation is too difficult ". I am fine , thanks " is a perfect expression for me in greetings with westerners. ... I think I will not use reply other than " I m fine , thanks" in my whole life . Lol 😆
There's no need to worry about colloquialisms. I'm English and like to learn other languages. I find it far too complicated to worry about learning anything other than the standard phrases. When I am in other countries long term I naturally pick up colloquialisms from native speakers & know when & where it's appropriate to use them. Britain has so many different dialects & accents that you couldn't possibly learn all of the phrases that are relevant in different places, and there's no need to. I lived in NE Thailand for a few years and picked up a lot of Lao dialect & phrases without even trying from my coworkers. I didn't need to learn anything more than 'standard' Thai to work there, but it just naturally happened with no effort, which was great for me. It's the same with English. Learn the standard phrases and if you happen to pick up colloquial phrases from native speakers that you meet that's good, but it really isn't necessary. Nobody would judge you for speaking 'classroom' English. As a nation we are terrible at learning other languages & are always impressed by anyone who can make themselves understood in a second or third language 😅. I think that these 'don't say this' videos are often misleading & confusing unless you are actually living in Britain & hear these alternative phrases in practice. Anyway, we all say 'I'm fine thanks' all the time 🤷♀️.
Hanging in there / not to shabby / fair to middling - most of the time I do not speak English with native speakers, I think that most of non-native speakers would not understand these answers (me included). I would like to mention that we use word "fine" in my native language so maybe even because of this fact people can use it in English too.
So, after reading the comments here, it is obvious that "nobody says that" was a very fine art of provocation. That is the nice aspect of true english persons: They use understatements so often that their understatements have actually become real statements from time to time. As a non-native speaker of english, I prefer as THE answer: "Jolly good!" Nobody says that, but I like to take the opportunity to say "jolly good". So I can check my todo-list for using old fashioned, cool phrases in a conversation and then start the real conversation.
I’m not a native English speaker but have lived in Canada for 30 years now and I’ve used and heard so many variations of responses to “How are you?” including “I’m fine, thank you(thanks)” and I think we got to acknowledge what Greg is saying here that he didn’t say it’s wrong to answer this way, just for him it sounds “boring” and “shabby”. I use that, too and hear from other Canadian fellows here as much as I hear “I’m good.”, “Not too bad.”, “Not too shabby”, “I’m alright.”….etc. Only one expression I’ve learned for the first time now is “I’m fair to middling.” I have never heard anyone said this in my entire 30 years in Canada. So it’s new to me and maybe I want to use it sometime. (Curious to see the reactions in general) Given the fact that Canada has established the country with majority of old and new immigrants from literally from all over the world, the way we express and even the accents are quite diverged yet all are understood and pretty much accepted so for the new comers to Canada that are learning English is a bit of a confusion for sure. But this makes us Canadian unique, little different from the US or UK and I like it. But going back to commonly used responses to “How are you?”, I even started to use, “I’m good.” which in my opinion it’s more American and people from rather younger generations and I’ve never used to it before because I’ve once learned that it was not grammatically correct however now it’s very commonly used. I’m a middle age person but I think it’s “cool” to fit into younger generations in some ways and why not? 😅
RUclips just showed me your video and I need to say, thank you. How difficult was it to learn "how do you do?" Instead of the German "wie geht es dir" which is something like how are you going. And now you show us, that we were desperate for absolutely nothing. For a sentence that no one is using except someone who tried so hard to learn how do you do. And also thank you so much for the answer "fair in the middle". Here in Germany no one want to know that you're not good or feeling bad so you answer always that you're good, even when you have a really bad day. I need to walk on crochets since January now and my foot won't stop hurting but I say "good" because that's how we answer and I'm always thinking, that we also learnt to say the truth and the truth is somewhere in the middle, my health is feeling bad but it's a really great day, so telling the truth would be fair in the middle. I love that answer. Thank you so much😀
Most of the times one can sense that the question "how are you?" is just a courteous way to start a conversation and not that the person asking really wants to know how you are. So replying "Iam fine, thank you" is just so simple and easy, to go through the routine. Whatever other way you reply really doesn't matter. If the person asking is sincerely concerned, he would not just ask "how are you?" but something like "hope you are keeping well" or something which let's you feel that he is really concerned about your wellbeing.
The answer for this question is not really matter. But the rest of conversation is matter. You have to understand that person personality and situation quickly and talk to that person according to his/her situation. Is that person educated or not educated...etc. So, you can continue to conversation to attract them to talk more and interest your talking. You can affect them if you want it.
Dear Greg, A good friend of mine suggested to me that in response to the question "How are you?" you should always answer "excellent" or "superb", no matter the real situation is, so that whoever loves me will be happy to hear and whoever hates me will explode.
Hello Greg! I just subscribed to your channel. I am an American living in France, and I teach English mostly to adults but also to some kids. This video is so great, because every time I greet a group of students I usually say “hey, how’s it going?“ And they stare at me blankly, until I say “how are you?“ To which they reply, often in unison, “fine, thanks, how are you?“ I have worn out many dry erase markers listing better questions and responses, but this video puts it all together, and I will definitely use it in class. Looking forward to discovering more of your videos! Thanks!!
Couldn't agree more... As a French guy who studied english at school and lived in California, I would say that "How is it going ?" is more "American" (I'd spare you the "Hey, what's up, Dude ?" everybody was using when I was living in L.A.) and "How are you ?" is more "English".. In a professional situation, I've always used "Fine, thank you.. How are you ?" and nobody ever seemed surprised by my answer. I also use "I'm good" or "Not so bad" in less formal situations.. Am I mistaking ??
I'm usually giving an answer to this question by saying NOT TOO BAD. I'm having conversation with many people in every day because of my job. When I say not too bad, people reaction is less energic. But when I say "I'm fine thanks. How are you ?" or " I'm fine thanks, yourself?" , people response is better and more energic. The answer for this question is not really matter. But the rest of conversation is matter. You have to understand that person personality and situation quickly and talk to that person according to his/her situation. Is that person educated or not educated...etc. So, you can continue to conversation to attract them to talk more and interest your talking. You can affect them if you want it.
After nearly two years of working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic I went back to my office. People entering the room would ask "How are you?" and my answer was "I'm alive!" That made coworkers burst into laughter.
I knew the video title was a clickbait, therefore directly moved to the comments section, pausing the video even before it started. I’m glad there are so many native speakers explaining how to use the language.
Interesting remark about the fact that we say "not *bad* ", "can't *complain* " when everything is actually good and fine but when we want to emphasize that something is wrong we use the positive words like "I've been *better* ", "not *great* ". It struck me! How could I never notice it? 😅 I guess it applies to many languages and cultures. I'm from Poland and we even have a single word for "not bad" which is "nieźle". It's actually a combination of 2 words with the same exact meaning like in English: "nie-źle" = "not-bad". We are complicated creatures indeed 😂
As a german i'd say "Why do you ask, do we know each other?" or "Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer" Maybe a bit rude but hey, it's honest...
In North America I have been replying, “I’m fine, thanks” or a less formal, “Fine, thanks” my entire life and hearing other people say it as well day after day. Travelling throughout NA I have never heard, “Not to shabby” as a phrase except on very rare occasions in reference to completing a job successfully.
I have heard "not too shabby" used in the U.S. Maybe older Americans use it more, but I know I've most definitely heard it. You can respond to "How are you?" by saying "Not too shabby".
I'm not American and I'm not British but I always use I'm good when I get tired of it I say awesome. I never new the difference. It's great with variations. Great lessons it made me creative.
I know it's hard to make content for Yahoo, but I feel sorry for non-natives listening to this. It's really not right to mislead them on a phrase like this, no matter how much you dislike it, even if your personal dislike is genuine.
Agreed!! If somebody said “fair to middling” in response to me asking “how are you?” I’d think they were an oddball. The other responses are acceptable, but the safest bet is to stick with “Fine thanks, how are you?” Or simply just “fine thanks.”!
I always say "Still alive" or "Still in one piece"☺ During my University study we've been calling this kind of simple everyday expressions "Placeholders", cause they sound banal and stale. There are a lot of opportunities for some creativity and fun.
When someone asks “how are you”, point at them with both hands, smile and say “living the dream!” for a very positive response. Edit: I’ve never heard anyone younger than 50 say the word “shabby”
Hello dear professor I am from Algeria, let me tell you that i have been improving my English through your interesting method of teaching and excellent explanation,i do appreciate your job,i wish you peace and happiness under the sky of prosperity,all the best, take care and have a good time.
Thank you Greg for this great video, what would you say as a native speaker to someone you meet for the first time, let's say for a job interview? Would you say "Nice to meet you too" if you're being said " Nice to meet you"? Or is there a more relaxed or common way ? Thank you I really enjoy your videos 👏
In the US, a lot of people would say "You too" or maybe "Thanks, you too." In a situation like a job interview, you'll often see the interviewer say "Nice to meet you" and the person being interviewed will also say "Nice to meet you" before the interviewer has finished speaking, usually after the first couple words. Always let the interviewer start to speak first; they're the one with the power in this interaction. This is one of the few times it's not considered rude to talk before the other person has finished.
I'm in the US. We might say "How's it going?" or "How you doin'?" Notice that the G is left off "doing." Those are both informal ways of asking, though, especially "How you doin'?" In a business situation, you could probably use "How's it going?" with people you have known for a while. If you're talking to someone you just met or some sort of supervisor or upper-level manager, you're usually safer saying “How are you?” until they start to speak with you more informally. To sound more natural, don't say "How are you?"; instead, run the words together a bit, more like "How'er you?" The same applies to "How's it going?": "Howzit going?"
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I'm a non-native English speaker and my favorite, although oft overlooked reply to a stranger asking, "How are you?" is "Fuck off!" It's upbeat, it's refreshing, it's never boring, and most importantly, it immediately terminates any unwanted conversation.
It´s very interesting to know some more alternatives than I´m fine thank you. Because if I watch drama or follow native conversations, I must know these to understand better. You find these never in the study books. Teachers don´t tell any words from real life which are spoken between the natives. Very useful and good job!
We don't need to be more positive. We need to be more true. If you're feeling crap, I don't want you to pretend you're doing ok. Soft language and nice wrappings are - like sugar - slowly killing us.
Well, that depends very much on our relationship. If you are an old friend and I feel crap, then I'd say something like, "..yeah, fine... but.. you know...". If you are a mere acquaintance, then "I'm fine, thanks." is all I am prepared to say and then move on.
@@Onbehaard Yes, unfortunately, the consumer attitude towards people has become the norm. Now human care must be earned and bought. This, of course, makes it less human.
Sorry.... you haven't convinced me. When somebody asks me how I am I do not want to sound British because I'm not and this is a very personal question. I'm Italian, we tend to be particularly non-creative answering this question and I like to be as plain as I am in Italian...therefore "fine thanks" serves me perfectly well. I do not have to be grumbly to sound British or super eager to sound American. I'll stick to the middle and "fine" or "allright" are just perfect to me. We do mot have to change the way we feel when we speak a different language.
Couldn't agree more. Why would anyone want to sound as a native speaker in te first place. A non native speaker can communicate perfectly without sounding like a native. ESL students should focus first on effective communication rather than sounding like natives. Saying "I'm fine" is perfectly alright. I hear natives saying "I'm fine" every day.
The fact that you’re watching this video means you want to improve your English. Who better to learn it than from a native speaker & emulate their style of speaking? He’s suggesting alternatives to common greetings. Instead of always answering questions the same way, it’s good to switch it up once in a while. An eloquent speaker of any language knows different ways of expressing similar ideas. Also, say you’re with a close friend & you aren’t feeling that great, would you still say ‘I’m fine’? Is it better to be more precise to enhance communication? When in Rome, do as Romans do. If I want to learn foundational Italian, I’d learn a few basic phrases first. But if I want to learn advanced Italian, it helps to learn a wider repertoire of expressions. One can’t be a ‘language/cultural chauvinist’ & think that ‘I’m okay with my way of expressing & I’m done for the day’. That smacks of complacency & narrow-mindedness. Indians have a hard time pronouncing ‘V’ & Japanese have difficulty with the letter ‘R’, so if they want to learn English well, they’d have to learn the proper pronunciation to sound more natural. They can’t say ‘This is how I pronounce in my culture’. You are learning a language, of course you have to learn all the proper techniques that a native speaker uses. If I want to learn Italian well, I’d want to master all the nuances of the language as well.
@@ABC-ed8cg completely missed the point. Nobody ever talked against any of the things that you mentioned (which are really obvious for any learner of any language). ESL students will always be given more options for them not to say "I'm fine" all the time. In fact, vocabulary is something you learn as you speak the language it isn't something that is taught in a classroom necessarily (humans are exposed to language so they learn it). The fact that ESL speakers shouldn't say "I'm fine" because natives don't use it is what I don't agree with. There's definitely something wrong with the approach here, banning words or phrases just because natives don't use them.
@@ABC-ed8cg thank you for implying my obvious "narrow-mindedness". As already mentioned by Cristian Herrera all you say is beyond my point: of course I know other ways of expressing my state of health or my mood in English, simply I use them all according to the circumstances and most of the times "I am fine than you" is exactly what I feel like saying. BTW the reason why I was watching this video is not that I necessarily wanted to improve my English, but just that I was curious why I shouldn't be using an expresssion as useful as this one. For me English is simply a lingua franca and I'll just use it as such, in a functional way to express myself when abroad. I am not a native speaker and I do not intend to become one, nor I intend to achieve a fluency on a par with that I master in my mother tongue. Sorry for being "complacent and narrow-minded" or simply who I am and not wanting to twist my personality to fit a language which is not mine. As for Italian: I do not expect any foreigners to use it the way native speakers do as long as the communication is clear. When in Rome do as you please (within the constraint of the law more or less), exactly like Romans do!
MY GOD! It's always been a nightmare for me to give an answer from this simple chatter. As a French (I've said it all), I feel very uncomfortable not being able to answer this question freely! OK, you did it 3 years ago, but thank you Greg! Thank you very much, you've got my subscription! 😍😍 Above all, I wanted to say that your enthusiastic energy was a real relief when you got off work !! 🙏
Hi Greg, I've stopped answering "I'm fine" for a couple of years, thanks to several English lessons on RUclips! I was thinking that the British Alright?/Alright! has the equivalent in Italian by saying Tutto bene?/Sì, tutto bene, which reminds me of the Portuguese Tudo bem?/Tudo bem!
Although you have other options,you can definitely say” I am fine”It is the expected, polite response to “how are you?” ruclips.net/video/lJxXxqsv8Zc/видео.html
I always reply .... "I'm absolutely delicious."😀 More seriously, "Can't complain" is very British but also rather negative. "I'm brilliant thanks!" is a much better response!
Now imagine an immigrant who has a heavy accent, wil try saying some uncommon informal phrases like this dude Greg is teaching.. all this will make things even worse. Someone who is learning English should study the most common English possible just to get started talking ..AND should concentrate on pronunciation not trying to speak like Shakespeare lol 😆 ))
I’m fine thanks is perfectly normal. Nothing wrong with it. I have a tendency to answer How are you? question like this: If I’m good: Better then yesterday, worse than tomorrow! If not good: Worse than yesterday, better than tomorrow! Also as a grammar expert you should know that you can’t give us 10 alternatives but rather 10 options. Alternative is coming from latin alterus which means “the second of the two”. That’s why we have alternative current that switches between plus and minus alternatively 50 or 60 times per second. So in your next video please give us just ONE alternative to something or give us more OPTIONS and we will be FINE, thank you….🙂
I loved this! I don't agree with Sheila Margaret Ward that Greg was saying "I'm fine, thanks; how are you?" is wrong; it's okay, just predictable and it has one problem: Oftentimes I have a lot on my mind or am really busy and don't have time for any personal conversation, yet I still want to sound upbeat. So for me, "I'm good," stressing both words equally as I smile broadly is a reply I'll be using! Thanks, Greg!
The Beatles song “Getting Better” was inspired by an associate of the band who, when asked how he was doing, would always reply “It’s getting better all the time.” I like that one.
When you think of the word "fine" in terms of excellence, it is an appropriate and upbeat response to the question "How are you?". In the South, we kick it up a notch by saying, "finer than frog hair". It's a positive, friendly, and slightly humorous response that normally elicits a smile from the questioner.
Hi! My native language is Spanish. A british friend's just asked me that, and my answer was "alive and kicking". I wish I saw this video earlier.... feeling like I should go back to English kinder !
Not a native, lived in UK for 13 years though and my favourite by a mile is: 'Champion!' :) My observation is different: most locals replied: fine/ same old/ all right, but when someone said 'not so bad' meant it was really bad (cancer diagnosis level, I'm a dentist so got that message on medical interview from my patients sometimes).
I have heard 'Not so bad' in former colonies where the elder generation learned English in school from native speakers, and in my ears it means, 'I'm not well.' Would never say it myself for that reason as was brought up never to speak of feeling unwell, as that was considered bad manners.
Just what I was needing. I’m hispanic with some English basic knowledge and I work as Security Guard next to the office of the viceprincipal. Everyday he pass near me, he says “how are you” and I only say him:”I’m fine.” I was thinking how can I change my answer, and you appeared!😉
I am British and I taught English up to and including Cambridge Proficiency for over forty years. First of all, I , for one, do say "I'm fine, thanks. How are you?" as do millions of other native speakers. As for "Not too shabby,." I've never heard this in my life. Is it a regional variant? You need to make it clear to your students in which context you can use these expressions. There are many formal situations in which these might noe be appropriate. By all means teach your students colloquial ways of speaking but don't tell them not to use a standard exchange which will serve them well whichever situation they find themselves in.
So you mean it's ok and common to use 'I'm fine, thanks', even among native speakers? You are British and you say you use it. Because I also think it's regularly used by native speakers! I mean, it isn't an old fashioned or too formal expression?
@@rubenrojas6082 It's perfectly normal. There are some more informal ways of responding but I rhink you're safer saying 'I'm fine, thanks.' especially in more formal contexts such as an international business or political meeting or a job interview etc. I have noticed a recent trend coming in from American usage to say "I'm good" but I have to admit I don't really like this. However, language evolves naturally and it may one day replace "I'm fine".
Thank you Sheila, it's always good to have different points of view. Even better if they come from native speakers, I am Mexican but I have had friends from The UK, US, Canada. I have heard several ways to answer this question, actually I use different ways, but nobody has told me that 'I'm fine, thanks' is not commonly used. Thank you so much again.
I wish I have native speaker friend
@@rekanmohammed1004 ....you can say I wish I had a native speaker friend
"I'm fine, thank you" is totally okay. Nobody will think it's weird or boring. I say this as a professor of English Lit in the USA.
I say this every time I’m in a restaurant and a Waiter asks “is everything is alright, can I get you any refills or more bread?”
I reply “We’re fine, thank you.”
Anyone that’s alone replies “I’m fine, thank you.”
This should be your English lesson. Teaching them how to express between the singular and the plural.
You saying “I’m an English teacher” and trying to tell us that a phrase I hear said on the daily basis by hundreds of people, and have for 30 years - should be stopped because they taught you something in academia that’s better?
Just no. Wrong.
@@barkley611 You either misread the comment or you're replying to the wrong person, lol
With all due respects, being a scholar in English literature does not necessarily make one an expert on common expressions as used by the average person in the street.
UnitedStatesians say “I’m good”
I also say I’m fine, thanks although I am not a native speaker. I remember a scene from a comedy tv show where one responds with “I’m good” and another one says “Superman is good, you are fine” 😁
English is my first language and "I'm fine thanks, how are you", is perfectly natural and common.
Thanks for sharing 🤗
absolutely.....by the way...i'm fine too...
greetings from germany....:-)
😅😅
That answer "i'm fine thank you" is boring even in spanish. There are experessions in spanish as: estoy excelente, más o menos, he estado mejor, super bien.
When you're UK and don't like the English language from other countries would support this video. Facts.
I am a non-native English speaker and teacher but have been listening to genuine modern English material for the best part of 30 years. I'm fine/quite well, thanks/thank you is a frequent answer being echanged in both American and British everyday conversations.
I agree.,
I’m an American and was raised by English parents. “I’m fine thanks, how are you?” Is what native English speakers commonly say - both American and British speakers. Everybody says that!!!
Meinsk, tell me, is Monday a day connected with monkey and not with Moon. Monkey's Day is a difficult day for working after days off.
@@НАСТОЯЩИЙЧЕЛОВЕК-ю8е Connected with the moon, not monkey!!
Agreed! People say "I'm fine" all the time, no one thinks it's "boring". But of course there are other ways to answer, as he explained in the video. But nothing wrong with saying "I'm fine"!
@@margaritakleinman5701 But Moon on the sky is not connrcted with Monday or americans cant sleep before new working week and spend night without sleeping and they observe the Moon for relax
@@НАСТОЯЩИЙЧЕЛОВЕК-ю8е The word "Monday" does indeed derive from "moon", and the word was used long before the USA existed.
I am also using sometimes:
- Stil kicking
- Still above the ground
- There is always space for better
- With your help it will be better (like in a shop).
also excellent
I also use this sometimes”still alive &. Kicking👍😂😂😂🇵🇭
I just made a comment defending the use of "I'm fine, thanks", but I do have an alternative that a very elderly friend used to use. To the question "How are you?", she would reply "Upright and breathing." When I asked her why she said that, she told me "because it's better than the alternative".
I used to to reply with “I’m Alive” which always made people laugh which as you said sets a good tone for the rest of the conversation.
These days I reply with “I can’t complain, nobody listens” 🤣🤣
Me too,,”I’m alive & kicking”👍👏👏👏🇵🇭😂
I am a native English speaker and I absolutely do say "I'm fine thanks, how are you?", as does pretty much everyone I know. For most people the opening pleasantries are no more than a standard way to start a conversation, and in the majority of cases, "How are you?" is not a real question. If anything it is slightly rude to answer with any real information about how happy or sad you might be. If you know each other well, the conversation itself will soon turn to how you actually are, but otherwise, you shouldn't burden a stranger with displays of ecstasy or despair. Perky replies sound insincere to many British ears, rather like the overly bright greetings used by some restaurant staff.
By the grace of God fine.
My favorite is "If i were any better, i'd be twins." It never fails to bring a smile and a chuckle.😊🎉
Greg. I appreciate your attempt to increase our vocabulary. I work in a very exclusive” spa, in Florida, and any of your suggestions would be absolutely embarrassing. I have to give the impression I’m on top of the world and in perfect health. “I’m fine, thank you” or “great” would be an appropriate response. Anything with a question to it like”I’m ok”or worse”I’ve been better” would leave a question as to what’s wrong. Thank you, but I will continue with my same response.
Exactly, everything less than fine makes people think you have a lot of problems.
agree, all too negative and cause others to think which is not what they want to do in a greeting.
As an English teacher in India, I find your videos very useful. Thank you.
As a native British speaker and an English teacher, try (in answer to the stock question "How are you?"): "Pretty good, thanks. And you?" Or "Can't grumble." (Then you could add, for comedic effect) "Tried it. Didn't work" Then there is "I've been worse!" or "I'm fantastic, thanks. How about you/yourself?" or "Couldn't be better, thanks. And how's things with you?"
It's worth noting that these are all informal responses.
I actually agree with Greg (and others) in that I'm not a lover of "I'm fine, thanks", as it CAN come over as being a bit dismissive....like you don't want the conversation to continue.
So, be adventurous with your responses!
"I'm fine thanks" is a perfectly good answer. Sometimes we are just fine. It's natural and common - much more than "Not too shabby"
I'm fine is fine to say. BUT not when you are not fine. A lot of people are not fine when they say I'm Fine. Sad but TRUE.
@@sylviaripley6146 Of course, but the video is about use of language, not about being honest about your emotions.
@@mrdebussy6046 We English say You alright mate? How are you is a posh RP dialect 😉
Not too shabby my ISS ahahah
I’m British, and it was a French person who taught me (about 55 years ago) that it it correct to say « How do you do? » only when first being introduced to somebody. After that, « How are you? » is correct. As for the response, « I’m fine, thank you » is perfectly acceptable. It requires a fine-tuning of one’s social antenna to switch to one of the more colloquial questions, such as « How’s your belly off for wrinkles? » or responses such as « I’m in the pink ». When in doubt, stick to the formulaic and boring, then listen to what people around you are saying in different settings.
Never heard this "rule" before. I dont't honestly think you should abide on it. How do you do is a perfectly fine opening.
Language, after all, is mainly a means of communication between people all over the world and brings us closer to one another! So don’t make it more complicated and then ignore its main purpose!
I have been speaking English for 60 years and will always reply "Fine thanks, how are you?" to a question of "How are you?" It is very widespread, polite and perfectly acceptable. "Non too shabby"? from a native speaker this sounds self conscious and affected from a non native speaker, you'll get a laugh. But for the wrong reasons.
If someone replied 'not too shabby' to me, I would mark them down as very suspicious.
I'm fine thank you or very well thank you are infinitely better than the Americanism of" I'm good" when no one was asking about your behaviour.
@@robertwilson738 😄
"shabby chic" yes when refering to a piece of furniture but not "none too shabby" definitely No, you'll get laughed out of the room!
More common , “fine, thanks”
1st person) Alright
2nd person) Alright
And in that moment we both know our greeting is done. And it's alright 👍
From London, England, UK 🇬🇧
For non-native speakers that come to these types of "DO NOT SAY THIS THING, HERE ARE # BETTER WAYS!" Understand that the way you are generally taught in your school or private lessons is that of the more general way. It is a good option if you find yourself in a situation that you do not know which response would be appropriate or correct, you can always turn to the one taught to you at school. "I'm fine (thanks)." is one such response. There are dozens, if not hundreds of different ways to respond to "how are you?" that have specific contexts and are appropriate in different dialects of English, but the "I'm fine (thanks)." response is one that is a catch-all solution for any situation without it causing any fuss.
I think it's important to remember that non-native English speakers are not necessarily stupid and are most definitely human and not space alien or AI. They also speak a language natively and know that sometimes languages are taught formally and there are many informal and colloquial ways to say things which are not included in formal lessons. I think native speakers who never learn another language are more likely to think the non-natives are stupid, non human or autistic. :)
It's also how an older doctor would speak vs a younger med student. Med student would say hepatomegally, while an older doctor would just say enlarged liver.
First of all. A greeting shouldn't be a question.
Thanks for the alternatives of saying "I'm okay." I learned a lot and as a non-natives, this video helps.
Nobody says “I’m fine thanks how are you”, but everybody here interacts along the lines of
“How you doing?”
“Fine, you?”
“Yeah fine”
“Fine” is a perfectly normal and native response if used less formally
I spent a decade amongst the British tribes and lived to tell the tale. "I'm fine, how are you?" seemed quite common, albeit boring.
My favourites:
"We mustn't grumble", because it feels so quintessentially British to me.
and "It could be worse." possibly followed by "I guess", suggesting it's bad enough already. This version tends to trigger the best conversations
I always reply: ,,Extremely bad." This is definitely not an expected classic boring answer. It works for me, an upcomming conversation always becomes more intereting, because people are curious to find out what's wrong. Nobody cares if you just say that you are fine.
Nice idea! I'll follow this from today.😌
Also you can say “im dying”
You sound a bag of laughs..........not
Never ever hear of anyone in my family, relatives or friends use 'extremely bad'. It sounds as though something really disastrous is happening to u.
@@leechengho8407 ...and that is the point!
I’m a native and I say I’m fine thank you how are you !! And most people I know do .
As a native speaker, I've always reserved "How do you do?" for formal introductions and would expect to receive the original question as a reply. "I'm fine thanks ..." is also perfectly acceptable for informal use.
Hii sir,could you help me to learn English if you could. Because i want to learn english but in our locality nobody can speak english that is why I'm not able to learn it. So i request you to be help me plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Oh, I heard about this in one old textbook. It said that the reply to how do you do when introduction will sounds like how do you do. Is it true?
@@anyamaly8288 In formal contexts, yes.
@@ArvindKumar-vi3bj I am sorry Arvind, but I can see little that I can do for you. Keep using the internet.
Yes, "how do you do?" is to be used when meeting someone for the first time; it does not mean "how are you?". One could say, "how are you doing?", but not "how do you do?".
I’m Greek-American and actually prefer saying the greeting “Good morning / afternoon / evening”, usually in cheerful smiling way.🙂 It sets the tone. If the other person cares to ask me “How are you?”*, I say “Ready to enjoy the new day / I’m enjoying this wonderful day”-even if I, personally, may not be- followed by “How about you?”
Otherwise the more usual “Can’t complain, thanks” or “I’m doing alright, thanks”.*
If nobody stresses on the YOU part of “How are you?”, then they just want to go on with their business and don’t really care… Why should I?
B
Excellent answers! Nobody really cares and I hate when people I don't know that are trying to sell me something ask me that. We know exactly what chicaneree they are up to. :-)
I'm Danish and as a Dane I often think about this English/American "how are you?" where I'm not quite sure what to answer other than "I'm fine thanks. How are you?", because that's what I was taught in English classes in school. In Denmark, if you ask a person "how are you?" you ask because you sincerely are interested to hear the answer. You might say that in Denmark it's kind of rude to ask a person "how are you?" if you actually don't care😊
Thumbs up for common sense and sensitivity
Yeah I love that in Denmark and not the typical: "how are you" that happens in other parts of the world where the real question is not actually intended, and if you answer it for real the other person will roll their eyes "ok ok I don't really want to hear how are you, it was just a conversation opener" - that's so confusing and shallow. I'd rather kill the "how are you" question and have it only asked in literal ways, for example in the doctor "how are you [feeling]" or things like that.
@@AlfredBaudischCreations I totally agree👍
In the US, especially Southern states, when a stranger says " how are you doing or how is it going" it's being used as a salutation. You can just say "good and you." Unless they know you personally, they don't really care or want to know how you are.
@@jayeandre6987 Yes, I know and that sometimes makes it a little difficult to Danes😁 Don't ask if you don't care😊
My answer is "Well as I can be! I get a positive come back of "That's all we can be"! True and positive. I live in the USA. I l enjoyed your come backs. 👍👍⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐😁
True. That's quit boring to say,I m fine,thanks.
Nothing particular, Brilliant, ok,....etc
I remember once, I asked my dad, “How are you?” His reply to me was, “I’m placid and will remain so.” That tickled me. Now I know that’s not exactly what you would teach someone who’s learning English as it’s a bit offbeat, but still mildly humorous.
Oh I’m stealing that. I teach middle school, and whenever the children ask me what we are doing that day in class I say, “Work hard and suffer mightily, for life is pain.“ Anytime I can throw them off is a win for me lol
My father also has fun with “Have a nice day!” He replies, “They all good, just some better.” I like “Too late, already good!”
I am a Chinese and English is my second or even third language. I think the reply to how are you taught by this British teacher is too difficult for non native speakers like me to use them naturally . I think its almost impossible say its shabby . Even pronounciation is too difficult ". I am fine , thanks " is a perfect expression for me in greetings with westerners. ... I think I will not use reply other than " I m fine , thanks" in my whole life . Lol 😆
My wife is Chinese and I have never heard her say "I am fine, thanks". Rarely have I heard anyone say that apart from when I lived in China.
its perfect, keep it. fine, thank u.
There's no need to worry about colloquialisms. I'm English and like to learn other languages. I find it far too complicated to worry about learning anything other than the standard phrases. When I am in other countries long term I naturally pick up colloquialisms from native speakers & know when & where it's appropriate to use them. Britain has so many different dialects & accents that you couldn't possibly learn all of the phrases that are relevant in different places, and there's no need to. I lived in NE Thailand for a few years and picked up a lot of Lao dialect & phrases without even trying from my coworkers. I didn't need to learn anything more than 'standard' Thai to work there, but it just naturally happened with no effort, which was great for me. It's the same with English. Learn the standard phrases and if you happen to pick up colloquial phrases from native speakers that you meet that's good, but it really isn't necessary. Nobody would judge you for speaking 'classroom' English. As a nation we are terrible at learning other languages & are always impressed by anyone who can make themselves understood in a second or third language 😅. I think that these 'don't say this' videos are often misleading & confusing unless you are actually living in Britain & hear these alternative phrases in practice. Anyway, we all say 'I'm fine thanks' all the time 🤷♀️.
My favorite answer is: Bordering on excellent! That's pretty positive.
Hanging in there / not to shabby / fair to middling - most of the time I do not speak English with native speakers, I think that most of non-native speakers would not understand these answers (me included). I would like to mention that we use word "fine" in my native language so maybe even because of this fact people can use it in English too.
So, after reading the comments here, it is obvious that "nobody says that" was a very fine art of provocation. That is the nice aspect of true english persons: They use understatements so often that their understatements have actually become real statements from time to time.
As a non-native speaker of english, I prefer as THE answer: "Jolly good!" Nobody says that, but I like to take the opportunity to say "jolly good". So I can check my todo-list for using old fashioned, cool phrases in a conversation and then start the real conversation.
I’m not a native English speaker but have lived in Canada for 30 years now and I’ve used and heard so many variations of responses to “How are you?” including “I’m fine, thank you(thanks)” and I think we got to acknowledge what Greg is saying here that he didn’t say it’s wrong to answer this way, just for him it sounds “boring” and “shabby”. I use that, too and hear from other Canadian fellows here as much as I hear “I’m good.”, “Not too bad.”, “Not too shabby”, “I’m alright.”….etc. Only one expression I’ve learned for the first time now is “I’m fair to middling.” I have never heard anyone said this in my entire 30 years in Canada. So it’s new to me and maybe I want to use it sometime. (Curious to see the reactions in general) Given the fact that Canada has established the country with majority of old and new immigrants from literally from all over the world, the way we express and even the accents are quite diverged yet all are understood and pretty much accepted so for the new comers to Canada that are learning English is a bit of a confusion for sure. But this makes us Canadian unique, little different from the US or UK and I like it. But going back to commonly used responses to “How are you?”, I even started to use, “I’m good.” which in my opinion it’s more American and people from rather younger generations and I’ve never used to it before because I’ve once learned that it was not grammatically correct however now it’s very commonly used. I’m a middle age person but I think it’s “cool” to fit into younger generations in some ways and why not? 😅
'fair to middling' is probably a British thing, ironic understatement and all that, at the same time not actually very common.
RUclips just showed me your video and I need to say, thank you. How difficult was it to learn "how do you do?" Instead of the German "wie geht es dir" which is something like how are you going. And now you show us, that we were desperate for absolutely nothing. For a sentence that no one is using except someone who tried so hard to learn how do you do.
And also thank you so much for the answer "fair in the middle". Here in Germany no one want to know that you're not good or feeling bad so you answer always that you're good, even when you have a really bad day. I need to walk on crochets since January now and my foot won't stop hurting but I say "good" because that's how we answer and I'm always thinking, that we also learnt to say the truth and the truth is somewhere in the middle, my health is feeling bad but it's a really great day, so telling the truth would be fair in the middle. I love that answer. Thank you so much😀
Most of the times one can sense that the question "how are you?" is just a courteous way to start a conversation and not that the person asking really wants to know how you are. So replying "Iam fine, thank you" is just so simple and easy, to go through the routine. Whatever other way you reply really doesn't matter. If the person asking is sincerely concerned, he would not just ask "how are you?" but something like "hope you are keeping well" or something which let's you feel that he is really concerned about your wellbeing.
Honestly, to me, non-English speaker, 'I am fine, thanks' always feels like 'I don't want to talk to you any further'
The answer for this question is not really matter. But the rest of conversation is matter. You have to understand that person personality and situation quickly and talk to that person according to his/her situation. Is that person educated or not educated...etc. So, you can continue to conversation to attract them to talk more and interest your talking. You can affect them if you want it.
Dear Greg,
A good friend of mine suggested to me that in response to the question "How are you?" you should always answer "excellent" or "superb", no matter the real situation is, so that whoever loves me will be happy to hear and whoever hates me will explode.
that s a nice one!
How are you?
Never been better thanks
Hello Greg! I just subscribed to your channel. I am an American living in France, and I teach English mostly to adults but also to some kids. This video is so great, because every time I greet a group of students I usually say “hey, how’s it going?“ And they stare at me blankly, until I say “how are you?“ To which they reply, often in unison, “fine, thanks, how are you?“ I have worn out many dry erase markers listing better questions and responses, but this video puts it all together, and I will definitely use it in class. Looking forward to discovering more of your videos! Thanks!!
Fine is boring but , you spent one half of the video with no alternatives! And that is not boring, man?
Couldn't agree more... As a French guy who studied english at school and lived in California, I would say that "How is it going ?" is more "American" (I'd spare you the "Hey, what's up, Dude ?" everybody was using when I was living in L.A.) and "How are you ?" is more "English".. In a professional situation, I've always used "Fine, thank you.. How are you ?" and nobody ever seemed surprised by my answer. I also use "I'm good" or "Not so bad" in less formal situations.. Am I mistaking ??
I'm usually giving an answer to this question by saying NOT TOO BAD. I'm having conversation with many people in every day because of my job. When I say not too bad, people reaction is less energic. But when I say "I'm fine thanks. How are you ?" or " I'm fine thanks, yourself?" , people response is better and more energic. The answer for this question is not really matter. But the rest of conversation is matter. You have to understand that person personality and situation quickly and talk to that person according to his/her situation. Is that person educated or not educated...etc. So, you can continue to conversation to attract them to talk more and interest your talking. You can affect them if you want it.
fine thanks; yourself is great
I think 'I'm fine' is absolutely regular in the States. It's been very long since I went there but I'm sure I heard it on a regular basis there.
😂😂😂Thanks Greg,im not an english person,but i learned more,,How are you? I prefer to use “ I ‘ M GOOD,I’M OK” 👍🤗♥️🇵🇭
After nearly two years of working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic I went back to my office. People entering the room would ask "How are you?" and my answer was "I'm alive!" That made coworkers burst into laughter.
I knew the video title was a clickbait, therefore directly moved to the comments section, pausing the video even before it started. I’m glad there are so many native speakers explaining how to use the language.
Interesting remark about the fact that we say "not *bad* ", "can't *complain* " when everything is actually good and fine but when we want to emphasize that something is wrong we use the positive words like "I've been *better* ", "not *great* ". It struck me! How could I never notice it? 😅 I guess it applies to many languages and cultures. I'm from Poland and we even have a single word for "not bad" which is "nieźle". It's actually a combination of 2 words with the same exact meaning like in English: "nie-źle" = "not-bad". We are complicated creatures indeed 😂
I ❤ love British English 😊
For those of you who would rather get to the topic it starts at 3:40.
You’re a good speaker , you pronounce every word clearly.
As a german i'd say "Why do you ask, do we know each other?" or "Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer"
Maybe a bit rude but hey, it's honest...
Wrote it all down in my notebook. When the time comes, I'll know where to search for the right words.
In North America I have been replying, “I’m fine, thanks” or a less formal, “Fine, thanks” my entire life and hearing other people say it as well day after day. Travelling throughout NA I have never heard, “Not to shabby” as a phrase except on very rare occasions in reference to completing a job successfully.
I have heard "not too shabby" used in the U.S. Maybe older Americans use it more, but I know I've most definitely heard it. You can respond to "How are you?" by saying "Not too shabby".
I'm not American and I'm not British but I always use I'm good when I get tired of it I say awesome. I never new the difference. It's great with variations.
Great lessons it made me creative.
I know it's hard to make content for Yahoo, but I feel sorry for non-natives listening to this. It's really not right to mislead them on a phrase like this, no matter how much you dislike it, even if your personal dislike is genuine.
Agreed!! If somebody said “fair to middling” in response to me asking “how are you?” I’d think they were an oddball. The other responses are acceptable, but the safest bet is to stick with “Fine thanks, how are you?” Or simply just “fine thanks.”!
@@Rootsk13 absolutely....fine/great or something positive and simple, to the point.
I am very proud of this style of teaching
I always say "Still alive" or "Still in one piece"☺ During my University study we've been calling this kind of simple everyday expressions "Placeholders", cause they sound banal and stale. There are a lot of opportunities for some creativity and fun.
I agree. Sometimes I like to say, “I can’t complain loudly enough.”
I'm a Filipino and i truly like the alternatives it makes sense in different ways of expressing oneself.
When someone asks “how are you”, point at them with both hands, smile and say “living the dream!” for a very positive response.
Edit: I’ve never heard anyone younger than 50 say the word “shabby”
'shabby' sounds rather an ugly word, so I rather stick to 'I am fine, thanks' or 'I am good'
Lol great response 😂
Surviving!😂 (from me the aircraft Maint Engineer to inbound Capt)
Next time i will use 'living the dream!' ❤
Did the Queen once say “Well, I am still alive!” when asked how she was by an Irish politician - I vaguely recall that and it made me smile!
Greg, I prefer " I am good". Thanks for the lesson.
You're welcome, Swapna :-D
Thank you 👍
Great video 👍🏼.. my all time favorite answer is: I am fine if you are fine! - this gets a smile at the minimum usually ✊🏼☺️
I see nothing wrong in saying I'm fine as well. Many people use it as well
Hello dear professor
I am from Algeria, let me tell you that i have been improving my English through your interesting method of teaching and excellent explanation,i do appreciate your job,i wish you peace and happiness under the sky of prosperity,all the best, take care and have a good time.
I prefer say "I'm fantastic today" 😂 then my pupils will smile.
Just because you like Fanta 😂
@@logikal8898 kkkkk
That doesn't describe how you feel but what you think of yourself.
Don't stop saying I am fine, Thank you! The best reply always.
Thank you Greg for this great video, what would you say as a native speaker to someone you meet for the first time, let's say for a job interview? Would you say "Nice to meet you too" if you're being said " Nice to meet you"? Or is there a more relaxed or common way ? Thank you I really enjoy your videos 👏
In the US, a lot of people would say "You too" or maybe "Thanks, you too." In a situation like a job interview, you'll often see the interviewer say "Nice to meet you" and the person being interviewed will also say "Nice to meet you" before the interviewer has finished speaking, usually after the first couple words. Always let the interviewer start to speak first; they're the one with the power in this interaction. This is one of the few times it's not considered rude to talk before the other person has finished.
Yes, “Nice to meet you” is good when meeting someone for the first time in a formal setting
@@michaelgreer3767 thanks Michael !
"Nice is a bit effeminate". Say "shove off you knob head". Works for me 🤪
How are you..??
Better for seeing you!
Is my favourite.. Warms the heart.. Irish I think..
Thank you for this video! 🙂
I need to try some of the expressions in my next meeting.
How could we ask “how are you” in a different way?
We can do it together Petra just to improve ourselves ?!
As a native speaker, my go to is "How's it?".
Why do you need a different way?
I'm in the US. We might say "How's it going?" or "How you doin'?" Notice that the G is left off "doing." Those are both informal ways of asking, though, especially "How you doin'?" In a business situation, you could probably use "How's it going?" with people you have known for a while. If you're talking to someone you just met or some sort of supervisor or upper-level manager, you're usually safer saying “How are you?” until they start to speak with you more informally. To sound more natural, don't say "How are you?"; instead, run the words together a bit, more like "How'er you?" The same applies to "How's it going?": "Howzit going?"
How do you do? Howdy?
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I'm a non-native English speaker and my favorite, although oft overlooked reply to a stranger asking, "How are you?" is "Fuck off!" It's upbeat, it's refreshing, it's never boring, and most importantly, it immediately terminates any unwanted conversation.
Well it can produce fight.
😂😂😂👍
It´s very interesting to know some more alternatives than I´m fine thank you. Because if I watch drama or follow native conversations, I must know these to understand better. You find these never in the study books. Teachers don´t tell any words from real life which are spoken between the natives. Very useful and good job!
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hey girl i am also Bangladeshi
I often say “Can’t Complain”🙂. Wishing you a wonderful upcoming weekend from Florida🌞!
We don't need to be more positive. We need to be more true. If you're feeling crap, I don't want you to pretend you're doing ok. Soft language and nice wrappings are - like sugar - slowly killing us.
Well, that depends very much on our relationship. If you are an old friend and I feel crap, then I'd say something like, "..yeah, fine... but.. you know...". If you are a mere acquaintance, then "I'm fine, thanks." is all I am prepared to say and then move on.
@@Onbehaard Yes, unfortunately, the consumer attitude towards people has become the norm. Now human care must be earned and bought. This, of course, makes it less human.
I despise the positivity. The whole 'how are you thing' is an ice breaker, an introduction to start the communication.
Don't ask
I am very fine. Thank you for your kind enquiry is absolutely correct.
Having lived in the US for years I heard “I’m fine, thanks” on a daily basis . It’s not true nobody says this.
Brilliant Teacher ! I've never met explanation like that!
Sorry.... you haven't convinced me. When somebody asks me how I am I do not want to sound British because I'm not and this is a very personal question. I'm Italian, we tend to be particularly non-creative answering this question and I like to be as plain as I am in Italian...therefore "fine thanks" serves me perfectly well. I do not have to be grumbly to sound British or super eager to sound American. I'll stick to the middle and "fine" or "allright" are just perfect to me. We do mot have to change the way we feel when we speak a different language.
Couldn't agree more. Why would anyone want to sound as a native speaker in te first place. A non native speaker can communicate perfectly without sounding like a native. ESL students should focus first on effective communication rather than sounding like natives. Saying "I'm fine" is perfectly alright. I hear natives saying "I'm fine" every day.
The fact that you’re watching this video means you want to improve your English. Who better to learn it than from a native speaker & emulate their style of speaking?
He’s suggesting alternatives to common greetings. Instead of always answering questions the same way, it’s good to switch it up once in a while. An eloquent speaker of any language knows different ways of expressing similar ideas.
Also, say you’re with a close friend & you aren’t feeling that great, would you still say ‘I’m fine’? Is it better to be more precise to enhance communication?
When in Rome, do as Romans do. If I want to learn foundational Italian, I’d learn a few basic phrases first. But if I want to learn advanced Italian, it helps to learn a wider repertoire of expressions. One can’t be a ‘language/cultural chauvinist’ & think that ‘I’m okay with my way of expressing & I’m done for the day’. That smacks of complacency & narrow-mindedness.
Indians have a hard time pronouncing ‘V’ & Japanese have difficulty with the letter ‘R’, so if they want to learn English well, they’d have to learn the proper pronunciation to sound more natural. They can’t say ‘This is how I pronounce in my culture’.
You are learning a language, of course you have to learn all the proper techniques that a native speaker uses. If I want to learn Italian well, I’d want to master all the nuances of the language as well.
@@ABC-ed8cg completely missed the point. Nobody ever talked against any of the things that you mentioned (which are really obvious for any learner of any language).
ESL students will always be given more options for them not to say "I'm fine" all the time. In fact, vocabulary is something you learn as you speak the language it isn't something that is taught in a classroom necessarily (humans are exposed to language so they learn it).
The fact that ESL speakers shouldn't say "I'm fine" because natives don't use it is what I don't agree with. There's definitely something wrong with the approach here, banning words or phrases just because natives don't use them.
@@ABC-ed8cg thank you for implying my obvious "narrow-mindedness".
As already mentioned by Cristian Herrera all you say is beyond my point: of course I know other ways of expressing my state of health or my mood in English, simply I use them all according to the circumstances and most of the times "I am fine than you" is exactly what I feel like saying.
BTW the reason why I was watching this video is not that I necessarily wanted to improve my English, but just that I was curious why I shouldn't be using an expresssion as useful as this one. For me English is simply a lingua franca and I'll just use it as such, in a functional way to express myself when abroad. I am not a native speaker and I do not intend to become one, nor I intend to achieve a fluency on a par with that I master in my mother tongue. Sorry for being "complacent and narrow-minded" or simply who I am and not wanting to twist my personality to fit a language which is not mine. As for Italian: I do not expect any foreigners to use it the way native speakers do as long as the communication is clear. When in Rome do as you please (within the constraint of the law more or less), exactly like Romans do!
@@mimmiblu6138 beautiful 👏👏👏
MY GOD! It's always been a nightmare for me to give an answer from this simple chatter. As a French (I've said it all), I feel very uncomfortable not being able to answer this question freely!
OK, you did it 3 years ago, but thank you Greg! Thank you very much, you've got my subscription! 😍😍
Above all, I wanted to say that your enthusiastic energy was a real relief when you got off work !! 🙏
And of I say: « I’ m Great! »
Hi Greg, I've stopped answering "I'm fine" for a couple of years, thanks to several English lessons on RUclips!
I was thinking that the British Alright?/Alright! has the equivalent in Italian by saying Tutto bene?/Sì, tutto bene, which reminds me of the Portuguese Tudo bem?/Tudo bem!
Although you have other options,you can definitely say” I am fine”It is the expected, polite response to “how are you?” ruclips.net/video/lJxXxqsv8Zc/видео.html
Alright is all wrong!
Hey, in Portuguese it is Ta bom/ta bom!
Sort of like "Ca va?" "Ca va." in French. (Sorry, I don't have the correct C on my keyboard.)
@@lisagd22, ca va bien!
I do prefer British English and, finally, I've found an excellent chanel with it!!! Thank you, so much!!!
I always reply .... "I'm absolutely delicious."😀
More seriously, "Can't complain" is very British but also rather negative.
"I'm brilliant thanks!" is a much better response!
I APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORD TO TEACH. I FOLLOW YOU. GREETINGS FROM 🇵🇱KRAKÓW
When people ask “How are you?” My standard reply is “Why do you ask? Are you a doctor?”
even more positive than "awesome" is WOWSOME, very much american way!
Now imagine an immigrant who has a heavy accent, wil try saying some uncommon informal phrases like this dude Greg is teaching.. all this will make things even worse. Someone who is learning English should study the most common English possible just to get started talking ..AND should concentrate on pronunciation not trying to speak like Shakespeare lol 😆 ))
I’m fine thanks is perfectly normal. Nothing wrong with it.
I have a tendency to answer How are you? question like this:
If I’m good: Better then yesterday, worse than tomorrow!
If not good: Worse than yesterday, better than tomorrow!
Also as a grammar expert you should know that you can’t give us 10 alternatives but rather 10 options. Alternative is coming from latin alterus which means “the second of the two”. That’s why we have alternative current that switches between plus and minus alternatively 50 or 60 times per second.
So in your next video please give us just ONE alternative to something or give us more OPTIONS and we will be FINE, thank you….🙂
I loved this! I don't agree with Sheila Margaret Ward that Greg was saying "I'm fine, thanks; how are you?" is wrong; it's okay, just predictable and it has one problem: Oftentimes I have a lot on my mind or am really busy and don't have time for any personal conversation, yet I still want to sound upbeat. So for me, "I'm good," stressing both words equally as I smile broadly is a reply I'll be using! Thanks, Greg!
very well, thank you
never been better
Thanks for all the alternatives. They sound natural, most of them, but if you don't know...
I'm fine thanks!
The Beatles song “Getting Better” was inspired by an associate of the band who, when asked how he was doing, would always reply “It’s getting better all the time.” I like that one.
When you think of the word "fine" in terms of excellence, it is an appropriate and upbeat response to the question "How are you?". In the South, we kick it up a notch by saying, "finer than frog hair". It's a positive, friendly, and slightly humorous response that normally elicits a smile from the questioner.
Hi! My native language is Spanish. A british friend's just asked me that, and my answer was "alive and kicking". I wish I saw this video earlier.... feeling like I should go back to English kinder !
I'm really thankful for finding your channel. Cheers.
A formal way of replying to how are you is ,I am fine thank you... PERIOD 😊
I living in London and my favourite is : not bad! I loved it
Not a native, lived in UK for 13 years though and my favourite by a mile is: 'Champion!' :)
My observation is different: most locals replied: fine/ same old/ all right, but when someone said 'not so bad' meant it was really bad (cancer diagnosis level, I'm a dentist so got that message on medical interview from my patients sometimes).
I have heard 'Not so bad' in former colonies where the elder generation learned English in school from native speakers, and in my ears it means, 'I'm not well.' Would never say it myself for that reason as was brought up never to speak of feeling unwell, as that was considered bad manners.
Just what I was needing. I’m hispanic with some English basic knowledge and I work as Security Guard next to the office of the viceprincipal. Everyday he pass near me, he says “how are you” and I only say him:”I’m fine.” I was thinking how can I change my answer, and you appeared!😉