元気？
genki?
The Japanese for hru, the texting short form of how are you, is 元気？ (genki?), a casual way to ask a friend how they are.
元気？ is used with friends, especially when you have not seen them for a while. It fits chat messages just as well as speech.
What does it mean word for word?
元気 (genki) means healthy or in good spirits. Said as a question, it means are you well.
Which one should you use?
お元気ですか？ is the polite version for people you do not know well. 調子どう？ is another casual option meaning how are things, from 調子, condition and どう, how.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
元気？ without desu ka is very informal and only for friends and peers.
When do people say it?
A common casual reply is 元気だよ (genki da yo), I am good.
Did you know?
- While 元気？ is the standard for 'hru', Japanese speakers often use the word お疲れ様 (otsukaresama) to acknowledge someone's hard work as a greeting instead of asking about their health.
- While 元気？ is a greeting, using it too often with the same person can feel strange because it implies a significant gap in time since your last meeting.
- The word 元気 (genki) contains the character for 'origin' or 'source' (元), suggesting that being 'well' is fundamentally linked to one's original energy or life force.
Examples in context
- 元気？genki?How are you?
- 最近、元気？saikin, genki?How have you been lately?
- 元気？ 仕事は忙しい？genki? shigoto wa isogashii?How are you? Is work busy?
Example conversation
Two friends meet briefly at a cafe.
- 蓮 Ren陽葵、元気？Himari, genki?Himari, how are you?
- 陽葵 Himariうん、元気だよ。蓮は？Un, genki da yo. Ren wa?Yeah, I'm good. How about you, Ren?
- 蓮 Ren僕も元気だよ。Boku mo genki da yo.I'm doing well too.
- 陽葵 Himariそれはよかった！Sore wa yokatta!That's good to hear!
