Thread: HI and Hi, there

Originally Posted by chaika

Hanna, "slightly" more formal? Like, I mean, how much more formal than "hello" can you get? =:^)

Well, "How do you do" when meeting a certain type of people socially or for business.
The response is to respond with the same question.
I.e.

-How do you do? (extend his hand)
shake the hand and say:
-How do you do?

(Note: Nobody actually responds to the question! Strange, isn't it?)

It is the sign of a well-bred polite English person to respond in this way. Whatever you do, don't say anything else - it singles you out as a foreigner and/or not well bred person. I am not sure if this is used in the USA or not. I can't remember hearing an American say it, but I don't meet a lot of Americans on the other hand, so I might have just missed it.

(This is more of a "male" thing. Women can say shake hands and say "how do you do" in business, but socially, with people who greet in this way, it's best to just smile, nod and mumble "How do you do?" This type of people sometimes "air kiss" strangers too. Just go along with it, even if you don't know the person. First left, then right chin.

Originally Posted by Hanna

Note: Nobody actually responds to the question! Strange, isn't it?

you meant native speakers obviously
I'm actually feeling a little uncomfortable if somebody says "How do you do" to me. I'm always in between answering "Hello", "I'm fine" or actually answering the question
Can you please relieve me from this burden and tell me what should I answer and why?

Originally Posted by Doomer

you meant native speakers obviously
I'm actually feeling a little uncomfortable if somebody says "How do you do" to me. I'm always in between answering "Hello", "I'm fine" or actually answering the question
Can you please relieve me from this burden and tell me what should I answer and why?

Answer it in any way you would answer "How are you?" It's the same statement with an active voice, <<do you do?>> instead of <<are you doing?>> Another analog is <<How do you fare?>> (from old-world "How farest thou?" and so on) but no one ever says that.

You can say "Wonderful, and you?" and I don't think anyone would bat an eye. This is only my take, from personal experience as a native.

It would feel odd if someone said "How do you do?" to me, and I didn't respond.. I'd feel compelled to respond.

"How do you do?" probably makes everyone a little nervous. I know it does me. You're totally normal.