元気です
genki desu
In Japanese, "I'm fine" is translated as 元気です (genki desu). If unsure, use 元気です. Wiktionary also lists おかげさまで元気です (o-kage-sama de genki desu).
Meaning: response (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 元気です | genki desu |
| おかげさまで元気です | o-kage-sama de genki desu |
This phrase is the standard response to the common greeting 元気ですか (How are you? / Are you well?). While it is used to say you are fine, it specifically carries the nuance of being energetic, healthy or full of spirit.
What does it mean word for word?
In the phrase おかげさまで元気です, the part おかげさまで literally means "thanks to you" or "thanks to your support" and is used to express gratitude for the person's well-being or the circumstances.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase 元気です is the polite standard. For a more casual and friendly tone with friends or family, you can use 元気だよ. In very informal settings, you might simply say 元気！ or use 大丈夫！ to mean "I'm okay!" or "I'm fine.". Additionally, 結構です can be used as a polite way to express that you are fine.
How do you pronounce it?
genki desu
Did you know?
- Using 元気ですか too often can feel unnatural. In Japan, people often replace 'How are you?' with comments about the weather or a shared situation to check on someone's well-being.
- While 元気 means 'healthy' or 'energetic', it is written with characters meaning 'origin' and 'spirit'. To be 'fine' in Japanese is literally to have your original spirit intact.
- When using 元気 as an adjective, it can describe a noisy or rowdy child. In this context, saying someone is 'energetic' is not always a compliment.
Examples in context
- 私は元気です。I'm fine.This sentence shows a formal way to say "I'm fine.".Tatoeba #157261 by arnab, translation #257272 by Eldad
- 私も元気ですよ。I'm fine too.Tatoeba #152193 by small_snow, translation #262357 by Eldad
- おかげさまで元気です。I'm fine, thank you.Tatoeba #227762 by bunbuku, translation #65115 by CM
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Hiroto meet at a cafe.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔君、元気ですか？Hiroto-kun, genki desu ka?Hiroto, are you doing well?
- 大翔 Hirotoはい、元気です。Hai, genki desu.Yes, I'm fine.
- 美咲 Misakiそれは良かったです。Sore wa yokatta desu.That's good to hear.
- 大翔 Hiroto美咲さんは元気ですか？Misaki-san wa genki desu ka?Are you doing well, Misaki?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I'm fine” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
