When someone says: “How are you?”
You say… “I’m fine.”
That’s correct… but BORING! It’s like the first thing you learn in English class.
Native English speakers have LOTS of different ways to respond to “How are you?” – let’s learn 10 phrases today so you can sound more fluent and natural when speaking English.
If you like this lesson, I’d highly encourage you to download my free e-book, 500 phrases to improve your English speaking instantly. It’ll give you plenty of options for expressing yourself in different ways. Click here and enter your e-mail address to receive that free e-book. It comes with audio, too, so you can listen and practice pronouncing the phrases correctly.
OK, let’s learn some different ways we can answer the question “How are you” besides just “I’m fine.” We can say,
1️⃣ I’m doing great!
This phrases is stronger and more enthusiastic than “I’m fine.”
✅ “I’m doing great, thanks! How about you?”
This phrase is very natural and can be used in both casual and professional situations.
2️⃣ Pretty good.
This phrase is relaxed and conversational, common in everyday American English.
✅ “Pretty good — I’m looking forward to the weekend.”
3️⃣ Not bad.
This one is fairly neutral, it means things are OK.
✅ “Not bad! How about you?”
4️⃣ I can’t complain.
This phrase kind of implies that things aren’t perfect, but they’re okay. It’s nothing so bad that you’d want to complain about it.
✅ “How are you?”
✅ “I can’t complain.”
5️⃣ I’m hanging in there.
This phrase means life is difficult, but you’re managing.
✅ “I’m hanging in there. It’s been a stressful week”
You’d say this if you want to let the other person know that honestly things have been challenging lately – but it’s still positive because it focuses on the fact that you’re persisting.
6️⃣ I’ve been better.
This one means you’re not feeling great. It suggests something is wrong at the moment.
✅ “Honestly, I’ve been better.”
It’s a little more indirect than just saying “Things are terrible,” but it does clearly show that things are not OK right now, so be prepared for the other person to show concern and follow up with a question like, “Oh, what’s going on?” or “Everything ok?”
7️⃣ I’m exhausted / busy / stressed.
If you want to talk about your problems instead of pretending everything’s fine, you can say specifically how you’re feeling. You’d usually follow this up with a quick detail about what’s making you feel this way, for example:
✅ “I’m exhausted — I was up all night studying.”
✅ “I’m busy – we’re prepping for a huge event at work.”
8️⃣ I’m doing well.
This one is polished, calmer and slightly more formal than “I’m doing great.” It’s good for professional or formal situations.
✅ “I’m doing well, thank you.”
9️⃣ I’m alright.
This is a neutral response. It means not amazing — not terrible. Just OK, fine. However, you can give it a more positive tone or a more negative tone depending on how you say it. Compare these two:
✅ “I’m alright! How about you?” (happy)
✅ “I’m alright. How about you?” (not very happy)
🔟 Could be better.
Meaning: Things aren’t ideal. It’s pretty similar to “I’ve been better,” it expresses that you’re facing problems or difficulties.
✅ “How are you?”
✅ “Eh… could be better. I hope this rainy weather clears up soon.”
🔥 Important English Conversation Tip
In English, “How are you?” is often just a greeting.
People usually expect a short answer — not your life story or your deepest feelings.
So we usually keep it brief by answering,
- “Pretty good.”
- “Doing well.”
- “Not bad.”
And then adding one quick detail, and/or returning the question by saying “How about you?”
If it’s a close friend or someone with whom you want to talk about your problems, then you can use one of the answers which implies there’s something wrong and you’d like to share that with them.
If you want to speak more naturally in conversations, you need to know the real phrases that native English speakers use – and you need to know more than just one phrase, right? Being fluent in English means you can express yourself in various ways in various situations.
That’s why I created my Everyday English Speaking Courses – to teach you what we actually say in day to day life. These courses will improve your speaking and your confidence to use English in any situation.
