Cool MateHow you doing there vs What's up?
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
How you doing there
InformalBeyond 10,000 (less common)
What's up?
InformalTop 2,000 (common)
Most common: What's up?
| How you doing there | What's up? | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //haʊ jʊ ˈduːɪŋ ðeə//🇺🇸 //haʊ jʊ ˈduɪŋ ðɛr// | 🇬🇧 //wɒts ʌp//🇺🇸 //wɑts ʌp// |
| Meaning | A casual way to ask someone how they are. | A casual way to ask someone how they are or what's happening. |
| Example | Hey! How you doing there? It's been a while! | When I saw my friend, I casually said, 'What's up?' |
| Register | Informal | Informal |
| How common | Beyond 10,000 (less common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| Collocations | how you doing, doing well, doing okay, how's it going, how are you | What's up, buddy?, What's up, man?, What's up with that?, Hey, what's up?, So, what's up? |
| Common mistakes | Using in formal situations where standard greetings are expected., Confusing with more formal inquiries like 'How are you?' | Using it in a formal meeting where a respectful greeting is expected., Misunderstanding it as a question requiring a detailed answer., Not responding appropriately with a casual reply. |
| Usage notes | Used in casual conversations; appropriate among friends or acquaintances, but less common in formal settings. | Used mainly in casual conversations among friends. It may not be appropriate in formal situations. |
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Frequently asked questions: How you doing there vs What's up?
What's the difference between How you doing there and What's up??
How you doing there: A casual way to ask someone how they are. What's up?: A casual way to ask someone how they are or what's happening.
Which is more common: How you doing there and What's up??
What's up? is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
How you doing there: Hey! How you doing there? It's been a while! What's up?: When I saw my friend, I casually said, 'What's up?'
Can I use How you doing there and What's up? interchangeably?
Not always. How you doing there and What's up? 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.