こんにちは、お元気ですか？
konnichiwa, ogenki desu ka?
The English phrase "hello, how are you today?" is translated into Japanese as こんにちは、お元気ですか？ (konnichiwa, ogenki desu ka?)
こんにちは、お元気ですか？ is a polite greeting used to ask about someone's well-being. While this is a textbook translation, Japanese speakers rarely use 'konnichiwa, ogenki desu ka?' with people they see every day. It is more common when meeting someone after a significant period of time.
Which one should you use?
If you want to ask a friend how they are in an informal way, you can drop the konnichiwa and the o and the desu ka to simply say 元気？
How do you pronounce it?
konnichiwa, ogenki desu ka?
When do people say it?
When someone asks you this question, a standard polite response is はい、元気です。 Depending on the time of day, other greetings are used: おはようございます is used to greet someone in the morning until around 10 a.m., and こんばんは means good evening.
Did you know?
- The word 元気 literally translates to 'bright energy' or 'original spirit', meaning the phrase asks if your spirit is in its original healthy state.
- While English speakers often use 'how are you?' as a passing greeting without needing a real answer, a Japanese person asking お元気ですか? usually expects a genuine update on your life.
- The word こんにちは actually contains a hidden meaning of 'today' because it is the start of the sentence 'today is…'.
Examples in context
- こんにちは、元気ですか？Good afternoon, how are you?
- こんばんは、お変わりありませんか？Good evening, how have you been?
- おはよう、元気？Hey, good morning! How are you?
- こんにちは、お元気ですか？Konnichiwa, o genki desu ka?Hello, how are you today?
- こんにちは、お元気ですか？ 久しぶりですね。Konnichiwa, o genki desu ka? Hisashiburi desu ne.Hello, how are you today? It has been a while.
Example conversation
Yui meets Kenta in a neighborhood park.
- 結衣 Yuiこんにちは、お元気ですか？ 健太さん。Konnichiwa, o genki desu ka? Kenta-san.Hello, how are you today, Kenta?
- 健太 Kentaはい、元気です。結衣さんも元気ですか？Hai, genki desu. Yui-san mo genki desu ka?Yes, I am fine. Are you doing well too, Yui?
- 結衣 Yuiはい、とても元気です！Hai, totemo genki desu!Yes, I am very well!
- 健太 Kentaそれは良かったです。Sore wa yokatta desu.That is good to hear.
