హాయ్, ఎలా ఉన్నారు?
hay, ela unnaru?
హాయ్, ఎలా ఉన్నారు? (hay, ela unnaru?) is the Telugu way to say "hi, how are you?"
This phrase is a common greeting used to start a conversation and ask about a person's well-being.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of ఎలా (ela), which literally means "how" and ఉన్నారు (unnaru), a form of the verb "to be" or "to exist" used here to ask about a person's state of being.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase can be adjusted based on who you are addressing. Use the informal ఎలా ఉన్నావు? when speaking to friends, younger people or children. The polite or formal version, ఎలా ఉన్నారు?, is used when addressing elders, strangers or people in a professional setting.
How do you pronounce it?
hay, ela unnaru?
When do people say it?
When someone asks you how you are, a common response is బాగున్నాను (bāgunnānu), which means "I am fine".
Did you know?
- The formal ఉన్నారు (unnāru) is a plural verb form, but it is used to show respect to a single person. It treats an elder as if they were a group of people to elevate their status.
- In a traditional Telugu household, a greeting often begins with an inquiry about the other person's family before the individual ఎలా ఉన్నారు? is asked. This prioritizes the collective well-being over the individual.
- In very casual settings, Telugu speakers often drop the ఎలా and simply ask ఏంటి సంగతులు?, which translates to 'What are the news?' This functions as a 'how are you' without actually asking about well-being.
Examples in context
- హాయ్, ఎలా ఉన్నారు?hāyi, elā unnāru?Hi, how are you?
- హాయ్, ఎలా ఉన్నారు? అంతా బాగుందా?hāyi, elā unnāru? antā bāgundā?Hi, how are you? Is everything good?
- హాయ్, ఎలా ఉన్నారు? మీరు బాగున్నారా?hāyi, elā unnāru? mīru bāgunnārā?Hi, how are you? Are you doing well?
