Thread: What's new?

Does "What's new?" (meaning "What's up?", "How are you doing?") really sound very odd and/or outdated?

Doesn't it mean just "Чего нового?"?

Originally Posted by Leof

Doesn't it mean just "Чего нового?"?

Literally, it does (I'd say "Что нового" though), but do you really expect to hear some news when you see a friend and say to him "Привет, что новенького"? Well, maybe sometimes you do, but in English "What's up?" means "How are you doing?" (...several natives told me that at least...), so I want to ask if "What's new?" sounds bad.

Same as "what's up?" or "how are you?" really. It could be a literal question or it could simply be a meaningless greeting - just another synonym for "hi". Which it is depends as much on how the person being asked chooses to answer as on the intent of the person asking the question. It doesn't sound "bad" though, it's quite a common informal greeting.

I hear it pretty often. It is more common if you haven't seen someone for some time. The idea is to find out what has been happening to your friend since you last saw them. A formal way to say it: "Is there anything new in your life since last I saw you?" THAT question would sound very odd and stilted, but that is the general idea.

The normal responses to this question:

1. You could mention anything important that has happened to you recently (won the lottery, got married, etc)
or, if you don't really want to talk much

2 "Nothing much"

Many thanks for the replies.
Well, I find English quite difficult first of all because natives very often can't agree that a sentence sound fine.
For example, someone (a Brit) told me "What's new" is bad, but scotcher is a Britisher too, and he said it's ok...

Originally Posted by Оля

Many thanks for the replies.
Well, I find English quite difficult first of all because natives very often can't agree that a sentence sound fine.
For example, someone (a Brit) told me "What's new" is bad, but scotcher is a Britisher too, and he said it's ok...

Sometimes native speakers aren't the best teachers

What's new? is used constantly around me.

What's new, Buenos Aires?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=dLuGqkUjcEE

Ignore the hysterical subtitles...

Разве первое, что мы скажем человеку при встрече, будет "Что нового?"? Так сразу, в лоб? Не думаю. Сначала идёт "Привет!", "Здорово!", "Здравствуйте!". Потом скорее всего пойдёт "Как дела?". И только потом логично спросить "Что нового?" То же самое в английском.

Originally Posted by Lampada

Разве первое, что мы скажем человеку при встрече, будет "Что нового?"? Так сразу, в лоб? Не думаю. Сначала идёт "Привет!", "Здорово!", "Здравствуйте!". Потом скорее всего пойдёт "Как дела?". И только потом логично спросить "Что нового?" То же самое в английском.

А кто говорил, что это первое, в лоб? "Привет", само собой. А вот "как дела" между "привет" и "что нового" совершенно не обязательно. Посмотри первые три минуты "Кин-дза-дзы".

Well, I find English quite difficult first of all because natives very often can't agree that a sentence sound fine.

Leof wrote:
Doesn't it mean just "Чего нового?"?

Literally, it does (I'd say "Что нового" though)

Я бы тоже самое о русском сказал.

Originally Posted by Оля

Many thanks for the replies.
Well, I find English quite difficult first of all because natives very often can't agree that a sentence sound fine.
For example, someone (a Brit) told me "What's new" is bad, but scotcher is a Britisher too, and he said it's ok...

Oi oi , Olya - don't forget that there are many kinds of Britishers, and that the language differences in the different regions are probably much larger than the language differences between the Russian regions (as far as I've understood). Scotcher is just that - scottish. And what may sound perfectly fine to him, may sound strange to a Londener, and what the Londoner says, may in turn sound strange to a Liverpudlian. And what the Liverpudlian says, sounds strange to everybody.

I spend a lot of time in Ireland - there, for example, I've never ever heard "what's new" as a greeting, only as a real question, that expects a real answer. On the other hand, the Irish will say "how are you?" (pronounced "harrrryeh" ) and mean "hello" - and then be baffled when the person they talk to actually tells them how they are!

What about "What's new at home"? Is it ok?

Originally Posted by Оля

What about "What's new at home"? Is it ok?

Yes, it is ok. That's a normal way to ask about someone's family.

Thank you very much, paulb

In america 'Whats up' means whats new/whats happeneing. In Englalnd though it means whats wrong.

Originally Posted by GreenLarry

In america 'Whats up' means whats new/whats happeneing. In Englalnd though it means whats wrong.

No, it can mean either "what's wrong?" or "how are you?"

Originally Posted by TATY

Originally Posted by GreenLarry

In america 'Whats up' means whats new/whats happeneing. In Englalnd though it means whats wrong.

No, it can mean either "what's wrong?" or "how are you?"

Err as an englishman I can defintely say its more likely to mean whats wrong,whats the matter. I should know, I've lived here 41 years!

Taty is defintely an Englishman as well.

Though, through my travels in England I've notived people tend to say either "Hey ya" or "hey ya goin" where American's would say what's up.

Originally Posted by GreenLarry

Err as an englishman I can defintely say its more likely to mean whats wrong,whats the matter. I should know, I've lived here 41 years!

Larry, can I ask you as an Englishman how "What's new?" sounds to you?