Phrase guide

how do you do

noun · phrase · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A difficult situation

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, euphemistic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

phrase

Meaning 2

A greeting used upon being introduced to someone. Alternatives are how are you, pleased to meet you, and nice to meet you. (Sometimes used as a rhetorical question among familiar parties, depending on the region).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dated, formal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

76 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Abkhaz: бышҧаҟоу (bəŝpaqʼow) — Phrase: how do you do
  • Abkhaz: ушҧаҟоу (uŝpaqʼow) — Phrase: how do you do
  • Abkhaz: шәышҧаҟақоу (ŝwəŝpaqʼakow) — Phrase: how do you do
  • Arabic: تَشَرَّفْنَا (tašarrafnā) — Phrase: how do you do
  • Asturian: encantáu — Phrase: how do you do
  • Asturian: encantada — Phrase: how do you do
  • Asturian: Encantáu de coñocete — Phrase: how do you do
  • Asturian: ¿Cómu tás? — Phrase: how do you do
  • Catalan: encantat — Phrase: how do you do
  • Catalan: encantada — Phrase: how do you do
  • Catalan: encantat de coneixe't — Phrase: how do you do
  • Chinese Cantonese: 幸會 /幸会 — Phrase: how do you do
  • Chinese Mandarin: 幸會 /幸会 (xìnghuì) — Phrase: how do you do
  • Chinese Mandarin: 請多關照 /请多关照 (qǐng duō guānzhào) — Phrase: how do you do
  • Chinese Mandarin: 您好 (nínhǎo) — Phrase: how do you do
  • Chinese Mandarin: 初次見面 /初次见面 (chūcì jiànmiàn) — Phrase: how do you do
  • Czech: těší mě — Phrase: how do you do
  • Danish: goddag — Phrase: how do you do
  • Danish: (det) glæder mig — Phrase: how do you do
  • Dutch: hoe gaat het — Phrase: how do you do
  • Dutch: hoe gaat het met jou — Phrase: how do you do
  • Dutch: hoe gaat het met u — Phrase: how do you do
  • Dutch: hoe maakt u het — Phrase: how do you do
  • Estonian: kuidas läheb — Phrase: how do you do
  • Faroese: hvussu gongur — Phrase: how do you do
  • Finnish: hyvää päivää — Phrase: how do you do
  • French: enchanté — Phrase: how do you do
  • French: enchantée — Phrase: how do you do
  • Galician: encantado — Phrase: how do you do
  • German: sehr erfreut — Phrase: how do you do
  • German: sehr angenehm — Phrase: how do you do
  • German: wie geht es dir — Phrase: how do you do
  • Greek: χαίρω πολύ (chaíro polý) — Phrase: how do you do
  • Hiligaynon: kamusta — Phrase: how do you do
  • Hungarian: örvendek — Phrase: how do you do
  • Hungarian: örvendek a szerencsének — Phrase: how do you do
  • Hungarian: örülök, hogy megismerhetem — Phrase: how do you do
  • Indonesian: apa kabar? — Phrase: how do you do
  • Italian: piacere di conoscerla — Phrase: how do you do
  • Italian: come va — Phrase: how do you do
  • Italian: tutto bene — Phrase: how do you do
  • Japanese: 初めまして (hajimemashite) — Phrase: how do you do
  • Japanese: 始めてお目にかかります (hajimete o-me ni kakarimasu) — Phrase: how do you do
  • Japanese: 御機嫌よう — Phrase: how do you do
  • Japanese: ご機嫌よう (gokigen yō) — Phrase: how do you do
  • Kazakh: сәлеметсіз бе (sälemetsız be) — Phrase: how do you do
  • Kazakh: амансыз ба (amansyz ba) — Phrase: how do you do
  • Korean: 안녕하십니까 (annyeong-hasimnikka) — Phrase: how do you do
  • Latin: quid agis? — Phrase: how do you do
  • Latin: quid agitis? — Phrase: how do you do
  • Macedonian: мило ми е (milo mi e) — Phrase: how do you do
  • Macedonian: драго ми е (drago mi e) — Phrase: how do you do
  • Navajo: nizhónígo ałhééhosiilzįįd — Phrase: how do you do
  • Norwegian Bokmål: gleder meg — Phrase: how do you do
  • Norwegian Bokmål: hyggelig å møte deg — Phrase: how do you do
  • Norwegian Bokmål: hvordan har du det — Phrase: how do you do
  • Persian: از آشنایی شما خوشوقتم (az âšenâyi-ye šomâ xošvaqtam) — Phrase: how do you do
  • Polish: jak się masz — Phrase: how do you do
  • Polish: jak się macie — Phrase: how do you do
  • Polish: jak leci — Phrase: how do you do
  • Polish: jak tam — Phrase: how do you do
  • Polish: co słychać? — Phrase: how do you do
  • Polish: miło mi Państwa poznać — Phrase: how do you do
  • Portuguese: muito prazer — Phrase: how do you do
  • Russian: о́чень прия́тно (óčenʹ prijátno) — Phrase: how do you do
  • Russian: как дела́? (kak delá?) — Phrase: how do you do
  • Russian: прия́тно познако́миться (prijátno poznakómitʹsja) — Phrase: how do you do
  • Spanish: encantado — Phrase: how do you do
  • Spanish: encantada — Phrase: how do you do
  • Spanish: ¿cómo está usted? — Phrase: how do you do
  • Swedish: hur står det till — Phrase: how do you do
  • Swedish: hur är det med dig — Phrase: how do you do
  • Tagalog: kumusta — Phrase: how do you do
  • Tillamook: dəʔ šʔálen̓əxwš — Phrase: how do you do
  • Turkish: nasılsınız — Phrase: how do you do
  • Turkish: ne var ne yok — Phrase: how do you do