お元気ですか？
ogenki desu ka?
The Japanese phrase for "are you well?" is お元気ですか？ (ogenki desu ka?)
お元気ですか？ is a polite greeting used to ask about someone's general health and well-being. It is typically used when greeting someone you have not seen for a period of time, rather than as a daily "hello".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the honorific prefix o, the noun genki meaning health or energy, the copula desu meaning "to be" and the question particle ka.
Which one should you use?
While お元気ですか？ is the full polite version, the shortened form 元気？ is used more casually with friends and family to mean "Doing well?"
How does it change in a sentence?
If you want to ask how someone was doing during the time since you last saw them, you can use the past tense form お元気でしたか？ to mean "Were you well?"
How do you pronounce it?
ogenki desu ka?
When do people say it?
When someone asks you お元気ですか？, a standard polite response is はい、元気です。 (Yes, I am well.).
Did you know?
- If you use お元気ですか？ with a close friend or a younger sibling, it may actually sound sarcastic or overly dramatic, as if you are treating them like a stranger or an elderly person.
- While はい、元気です is the standard answer, it is common to follow it with おかげさまで, which means 'thanks to you' or 'thanks to your kindness'.
- The word 元気 is composed of two kanji meaning 'origin' and 'spirit'. It literally refers to the source of one's life energy rather than just a lack of illness.
Examples in context
- はい、元気ですYes, I'm well
- それは良かったですThat's good to hear
- お元気ですか？Ogenki desu ka?Are you well?
- 久しぶりですね。お元気ですか？Hisashiburi desu ne. Ogenki desu ka?It has been a long time. Are you well?
- 先生、お元気ですか？Sensei, ogenki desu ka?Teacher, are you well?
Example conversation
Misaki meets Yota, an old acquaintance, on the street.
- 美咲 Misaki陽太さん、お元気ですか？Youta-san, ogenki desu ka?Yota, are you well?
- 陽太 Yotaはい、とても元気です。Hai, totemo genki desu.Yes, I am very well.
- 美咲 Misakiそれは良かったです。Sore wa yokatta desu.That is good to hear.
- 陽太 Yota美咲さんもお元気ですか？Misaki-san mo ogenki desu ka?Are you well too, Misaki?
