今日はどうですか？
kyō wa dō desu ka?
今日はどうですか？ (kyō wa dō desu ka?) is the Japanese way to say "how are you today?"
This phrase is a polite greeting used to ask someone about their current well-being or state of mind.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 今日 (kyō), which means "today" and どう (dō), which means "how".
Which one should you use?
The phrase 今日はどうですか？ asks how things are going today in a general sense. In contrast, 元気ですか？ specifically asks if the person is feeling healthy or energetic.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more formal way to ask how someone is feeling, you can use お元気ですか or the even more formal ご機嫌いかがですか to inquire about someone's emotional state. For informal situations with friends or family, you can use 元気？, 調子はどう？ to mean "how's it going?" or simply drop the ですか to say 今日はどう？
How do you pronounce it?
kyō wa dō desu ka?
Did you know?
- If you use this phrase with a stranger on the street, they might assume you are actually a salesperson or a telemarketer rather than someone being friendly.
- The word 元気 (genki) used in 元気ですか？ literally means 'original energy'. It refers to a state of being vibrant and healthy rather than just a general mood.
- Japanese has no single word for 'you' that is used as frequently as in English. Using the word for 'you' in greetings can often sound aggressive or unnaturally direct.
Example conversation
Ren and Himari meet at the office in the morning.
- 蓮 Renおはようございます。今日はどうですか？Ohayō gozaimasu. Kyō wa dō desu ka?Good morning. How are you today?
- 陽葵 Himariおかげさまで、とても元気です。Okagesama de, totemo genki desu.Thanks for asking, I am very well.
- 蓮 Renそれは良かったです。Sore wa yokatta desu.I am glad to hear that.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮さんはどうですか？Ren-san wa dō desu ka?How about you, Ren?
