よう、元気？
yō, genki?
In Japanese, "yo, what's up" is expressed as よう、元気？ (yō, genki?)
よう、元気？ is an informal greeting used to ask a friend how they are doing. The genki? part specifically translates to "How are you?" or "What's up?"
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of the interjection よう (yo) and the adjective 元気 (healthy/energetic/well) used as a question.
Which one should you use?
While よう、元気？ is casual slang, the standard, polite way to ask how someone is doing is お元気ですか？
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
よう、元気？ is highly informal and should only be used with close friends or people younger than you.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this informal construction, the question particle ka is omitted and the sentence relies on rising intonation to indicate a question.
How do you pronounce it?
yō, genki?
When do people say it?
A common informal response to this greeting is 元気だよ, meaning "I'm doing well".
Did you know?
- The word 元気 (genki) is composed of two kanji: 元 meaning 'origin' and 気 meaning 'spirit' or 'energy'. Literally, the phrase asks if your 'original spirit' is in good condition.
- In some youth subcultures, the greeting よう (yo) is often accompanied by a light, single nod of the head rather than a bow, as bowing would be too formal for such a casual phrase.
- The interjection よう is often used by men to grab someone's attention, but it is quite rare for women to use it in the same way in standard Japanese.
Examples in context
- よう、元気？最近どう？Yō, genki? Saikin dō?Yo, what's up? How have you been lately?
- よう、元気？仕事は忙しい？Yō, genki? Shigoto wa isogashii?Yo, what's up? Is work busy?
Example conversation
Ren meets Misaki at a cafe.
- 蓮 Renよう、元気？Yō, genki?Yo, what's up?
- 美咲 Misaki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.
- 美咲 Misakiよかった！Yokatta!That's good!
