Cool MateHow are you vs What are you
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
How are you
High-frequency chunk
What are you
Top 3,000 (common)
Most common: How are you
| How are you | What are you | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //haʊ ɑː jʊ//🇺🇸 //haʊ ɑr ju// | 🇬🇧 //wɒt ɑː juː//🇺🇸 //wɑt ɑr ju// |
| Meaning | A way to ask someone about their well-being. | A common question asking about someone's identity or feelings. |
| Example | When I saw my friend, I asked, 'How are you?' | When I saw him after a long time, I asked, 'What are you?' |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | High-frequency chunk | Top 3,000 (common) |
| Collocations | ask how are you, respond to how are you, say how are you, greet with how are you, casually how are you | What are you doing, What are you thinking, What are you up to |
| Common mistakes | Saying 'How do you?' instead of 'How are you?', Using it too formally in casual settings., Forgetting to wait for a response. | Often incorrectly structured as 'What you are?', Confused with 'Who are you?' which asks for identification., Misused in contexts where a more specific question is appropriate. |
| Usage notes | Commonly used in informal and formal conversations. More personal than just saying 'Hello.' Use with friends, family, or colleagues. | Used in casual conversation to inquire about someone's current emotional state or identity; not typically used in formal writing. |
Frequently asked questions: How are you vs What are you
What's the difference between How are you and What are you?
How are you: A way to ask someone about their well-being. What are you: A common question asking about someone's identity or feelings.
Which is more common: How are you and What are you?
How are you is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
How are you: When I saw my friend, I asked, 'How are you?' What are you: When I saw him after a long time, I asked, 'What are you?'
Can I use How are you and What are you interchangeably?
Not always. How are you and What are you are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.