आप कैसे हैं?
aap kaise hain?
How to say "how are you doing?" in Hindi is 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 word कैसे (kaise) literally means "how".
Which one should you use?
The phrase आप कैसे हैं? is the standard form. To address a woman, the adjective changes to आप कैसी हैं? For friends or people of equal social standing, you can use the informal तुम कैसे हो? The version तू कैसा है? is very informal and used only with very close friends or children.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In parts of Uttar Pradesh, कैसन हो? is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form आप कैसे हैं? uses the formal pronoun आप (aap) and is appropriate for elders, strangers or professional settings. When asking a woman, the adjective changes from कैसे (kaise) to कैसी (kaisi).
How do you pronounce it?
aap kaise hain?
When do people say it?
A common response to this greeting is मैं ठीक हूँ, which means "I am fine".
Did you know?
- The word आप (aap) is distantly related to the English word 'breath' and the German 'Atem' through a very long chain of linguistic evolution.
- Using the version तू कैसा है? (tu kaisa hai?) with a stranger or a superior is not just informal, it can be perceived as a direct insult.
- In Hindi, the gender of the speaker is reflected in the response, but the gender of the person being asked is reflected in the question itself.
Examples in context
- नमस्ते, आप कैसे हैं?Namaste, aap kaise hain?Hello, how are you doing?
- बहुत दिनों बाद मिले, आप कैसे हैं?Bahut dinon baad mile, aap kaise hain?Long time no see, how are you doing?
- सर, आप कैसे हैं?Sir, aap kaise hain?Sir, how are you doing?
Example conversation
Two acquaintances meet at a coffee shop.
- आदित्य Adityaनमस्ते अंजलि, आप कैसे हैं?Namaste Anjali, aap kaise hain?Hello Anjali, how are you doing?
- अंजलि Anjaliमैं ठीक हूँ, आदित्य। आप कैसे हैं?Main theek hoon, Aditya. Aap kaise hain?I am fine, Aditya. How are you doing?
- आदित्य Adityaमैं भी अच्छा हूँ, शुक्रिया।Main bhi achha hoon, shukriya.I am also good, thank you.
- अंजलि Anjaliयह सुनकर अच्छा लगा।Yeh sunkar achha laga.It's good to hear that.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries आप, कैसे, CC BY-SA 4.0.
