how do you do? (what do you answer?)
¿Qué contestas cuando alguien te saluda diciendo "how do you do"?
17 Answers
It's still used quite frequently in my little corner of England - mostly in more formal situations.
For example, my bank manager or solicitor (Lawyer in USA speak) would greet me with "How do you do?". It's always accompanied by a handshake, and the correct response is, indeed, "How do you do?"
In practice, any attempt to use this greeting as an opening to actually discuss your health would be frowned upon - it doesn't really imply any interest on the part of the person asking!
Believe it or not, proper answer is:
How do you do?
It is more a phrase than an actual question. If you are really interested in the origin of the phrase, check out this link
I think it's more common in Britain than in North America. Personally, I've never heard it spoken.
EDIT: I just realized that robertico had already posted this link. 
Normalmente se dice esta frase cuando darse a conocer a alguien. Es como "¿Cómo está?" y es un poco formal. Puede contestar así.
Good/fine/well thank you, it's nice to meet you
A veces, esta frase se usa en lugar de "How are you?" o "How have you been?" o "How are you doing?" pero es un poco más formal. Puede responder
Good, thank you. How are you?
I'm fine, thanks. How about yourself?
OK I guess, how have thing been going for you?
I'm doing good. And how are you doing?
Hay otros modos tambien que puede responder y depende de ti y tu estilo personal.
I think it's more common in Britain than in North America.
It's not the most common greeting, but I definitely use it, and it does get used with some frequency in southeastern USA (Florida, Alabama, Georgia, etc.)
We say it fast, though. It's more like "Hadayadoo?"
It is used in exactly the same way as "How's it goin'?" and "How are you?" and can take all the same responses.
Interestingly, and tangentially, when we say "How about yourself?" we usually say it in one of two ways (here in the southeastern USA):
- How 'bout yourself?
- Hows about yourself? ("Hows about" is pronounced /how'-zuh-bout/)
The "s" on hows above is totally for word flow, and it makes an English z sound.
By the way, it is incorrect to write "how 'bout" or "hows about" unless you are quoting someone and wish to convey the actual sounds they made as opposed to the words they thought they said.
"How do you do?" Is a phrase that is quite formal but also quite normal in England. The correct answer would be "How do you do?"
You do not say something like "Fine thanks!"
The Spanish would be "Mucho gusto"
In other words it is only used the first time you meet someone (unless you have forgotten that you have already met them - embarrassing)
Im doing okay.
Ian said:
You do not say something like "Fine thanks!"
"How do you do," in the U.S. anyway (and in areas where the language has a strong U.S. influence), is a conventional expression that can be used as both a greeting and upon being introduced to someone. As such it would be perfectly to respond with a "Fine thanks!"
It literally means "how's your health," but has lost much of this original meaning and has simply become a wrote expression used for the two situations mentioned above.
In the U.S. corruptions of this phrase exist and include:
How-do
Howdy [probably more of a cross between "hello" and "how do you do" in meaning]
"Howdy" is somewhat common in southern portions of the United States but not nearly as common as the stereotyped image of the common southerner might lead some to believe.
As Heidita and Ian have alluded to, I don't think that it is used exactly the same way in the UK or in areas of the world where the dialect has more of a British influence. In these areas it apparently does not function as a catch all greeting and is used solely as a response to an introduction.
I'm doing fine?????link text
Many Americans seem to answer:
I'm good.
Seems to be very fashionable, mind you, a student says this and he will be marked wrong.
Im doing fine. how about yourself?
I read somewhere that the Canadians sometimes say "I am tickety-boo"........
In my part of western Canada, "How do you do?" is a more formal phrase. Usually when being introduced to someone for the first time. More familiar would be "How are you" How's it going" How ya doing". I think I would compare it to "Como este usted" as a formal greeting.
I have really only experienced this greeting in a playful manner. When someone wants to be more light-hearted. Almost mocking the formality of the phrase. And the response is usually an equally light-hearted, "Charmed, I'm sure!"
"How do you do" es un saludo como "How are you?" por lo menos en Los Estados Unidos. "I am fine or I am well" son respuestas apriopadas en mi opinion. Como puedes ver, el uso de esta expersion y la respuesta apropriada pueden variar dependiendo del region.
Here, in New England, simply "Good. And you?"
