आप कैसे हैं?
aap kaise hain?
In Hindi, 'how are you?' is expressed as आप कैसे हैं? (aap kaise hain?)
This phrase is a common greeting used to ask someone about their current well-being or general state.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase आप कैसे हैं? literally breaks down to 'You (formal) how are?'
Which one should you use?
While आप कैसे हैं? is the polite default, कैसे हैं आप? is also a formal way to ask the same question. For a more informal tone used with friends or peers, you can use तुम कैसे हो? In very informal or intimate situations, such as speaking to children or very close friends, you may use तू कैसा है?
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb ending hain must agree with the formal pronoun aap. When addressing a woman, the word kaise changes to kaisi, as seen in आप कैसी हैं?
How do you pronounce it?
aap kaise hain?
When do people say it?
A common way to respond to this greeting is मैं ठीक हूँ।, which means 'I am fine'.
Did you know?
- The word आप evolved from the Sanskrit word 'ātman', which refers to the 'self' or 'soul'.
- If you use the very informal तू instead of आप in the phrase, you risk sounding incredibly rude or even aggressive unless you are speaking to a very close child or a deity.
- In many parts of India, people might respond to 'how are you?' by mentioning God, such as saying 'God is great' or 'Everything is by His grace', rather than just saying 'I am fine'.
Examples in context
- नमस्ते, आप कैसे हैं?Namaste, aap kaise hain?Hello, how are you?
- बहुत दिनों बाद मिले, आप कैसे हैं?Bahut dino baad mile, aap kaise hain?Met after a long time, how are you?
Example conversation
Two acquaintances meet on a busy street.
- पूजा Poojaनमस्ते राहुल, आप कैसे हैं?Namaste Rahul, aap kaise hain?Hello Rahul, how are you?
- राहुल Rahulमैं ठीक हूँ, पूजा। आप कैसी हैं?Main theek hoon, Pooja. Aap kaisi hain?I am fine, Pooja. How are you?
- पूजा Poojaमैं भी अच्छी हूँ।Main bhi achhi hoon.I am also good.
- राहुल Rahulयह सुनकर खुशी हुई।Yeh sunkar khushi hui.Glad to hear that.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries आप, कैसे, CC BY-SA 4.0.
