how do you do

phrase

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).

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Meanings

phrasehow do you do?

alternative how-do-you-do · alternative how-d'ye-do · alternative how-de-do

  1. datedformalA 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).

    ‘How do you do!’ said the Minister. ‘I’m very well, indeed! how’s yourself?’

    1911, ‘Steel Rudd’, The Book of Dan, Brisbane: University of Queensland Press, published 1970, page 37
    1 more example

    "How do you do?" began Pollyanna politely. "I'm from Miss Polly Harrington, and I'd like to see Mrs. Snow, please."

    1913, Eleanor H. Porter, chapter 8, in Pollyanna, L.C. Page, →OCLC
nounhow do you do (plural how do you dos)

plural how do you dos · alternative how-do-you-do · alternative how-d'ye-do · alternative how-de-do

  1. UKeuphemisticA difficult situation

    Well, this is a fine how do you do isn't it, Gromit?

    1993, Nick Park, Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers
    2 more examples

    On the winding road to Petropolis, they did not speak, not about modernism or the construction of houses or antique bird jails or fine how-do-you-dos.

    2010, Michael Sledge, The More I Owe You: A Novel, Counterpoint Press, →ISBN, page 78

    "Vienna!" Mr. B. went on. "This is a bit of a how-do-you-do, is it not?"

    2013, Chris Raschka, Seriously, Norman!, Scholastic Inc., →ISBN, page 115

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
how are you

Translations

Arabic تَشَرَّفْنَا
  • تَشَرَّفْنَا (tašarrafnā)Phrase: how do you do
Catalan encantat, encantada
  • encantatPhrase: how do you do
  • encantadaPhrase: how do you do
  • encantat de coneixe'tPhrase: how do you do
Chinese Cantonese 幸會 /幸会
  • 幸會 /幸会Phrase: how do you do
Chinese Mandarin 幸會 /幸会, 請多關照 /请多关照
  • 幸會 /幸会 (xìnghuì)Phrase: how do you do
  • 請多關照 /请多关照 (qǐng duō guānzhào)Phrase: how do you do
  • 您好 (nínhǎo)Phrase: how do you do
  • 初次見面 /初次见面 (chūcì jiànmiàn)Phrase: how do you do
Czech těší mě
  • těší měPhrase: how do you do
Danish goddag, (det) glæder mig
  • goddagPhrase: how do you do
  • (det) glæder migPhrase: how do you do
Dutch hoe gaat het, hoe gaat het met jou
  • hoe gaat hetPhrase: how do you do
  • hoe gaat het met jouPhrase: how do you do
  • hoe gaat het met uPhrase: how do you do
  • hoe maakt u hetPhrase: how do you do
Estonian kuidas läheb
  • kuidas lähebPhrase: how do you do
Finnish hyvää päivää
  • hyvää päivääPhrase: how do you do
French enchanté, enchantée
  • enchantéPhrase: how do you do
  • enchantéePhrase: how do you do
German sehr erfreut, sehr angenehm
  • sehr erfreutPhrase: how do you do
  • sehr angenehmPhrase: how do you do
  • wie geht es dirPhrase: how do you do
Greek χαίρω πολύ
  • χαίρω πολύ (chaíro polý)Phrase: how do you do
Hungarian örvendek, örvendek a szerencsének
  • örvendekPhrase: how do you do
  • örvendek a szerencsénekPhrase: how do you do
  • örülök, hogy megismerhetemPhrase: how do you do
Indonesian apa kabar?
  • apa kabar?Phrase: how do you do
Italian piacere di conoscerla, come va
  • piacere di conoscerlaPhrase: how do you do
  • come vaPhrase: how do you do
  • tutto benePhrase: how do you do
Japanese 初めまして, 始めてお目にかかります
  • 初めまして (hajimemashite)Phrase: how do you do
  • 始めてお目にかかります (hajimete o-me ni kakarimasu)Phrase: how do you do
  • 御機嫌ようPhrase: how do you do
  • ご機嫌よう (gokigen yō)Phrase: how do you do
Korean 안녕하십니까
  • 안녕하십니까 (annyeong-hasimnikka)Phrase: how do you do
Latin quid agis?, quid agitis?
  • quid agis?Phrase: how do you do
  • quid agitis?Phrase: how do you do
Norwegian Bokmål gleder meg, hyggelig å møte deg
  • gleder megPhrase: how do you do
  • hyggelig å møte degPhrase: how do you do
  • hvordan har du detPhrase: how do you do
Persian از آشنایی شما خوشوقتم
  • از آشنایی شما خوشوقتم (az âšenâyi-ye šomâ xošvaqtam)Phrase: how do you do
Polish jak się masz, jak się macie
  • jak się maszPhrase: how do you do
  • jak się maciePhrase: how do you do
  • jak leciPhrase: how do you do
  • jak tamPhrase: how do you do
  • co słychać?Phrase: how do you do
  • miło mi Państwa poznaćPhrase: how do you do
Portuguese muito prazer
  • muito prazerPhrase: how do you do
Russian о́чень прия́тно, как дела́?
  • о́чень прия́тно (óčenʹ prijátno)Phrase: how do you do
  • как дела́? (kak delá?)Phrase: how do you do
  • прия́тно познако́миться (prijátno poznakómitʹsja)Phrase: how do you do
Spanish encantado, encantada
  • encantadoPhrase: how do you do
  • encantadaPhrase: how do you do
  • ¿cómo está usted?Phrase: how do you do
Swedish hur står det till, hur är det med dig
  • hur står det tillPhrase: how do you do
  • hur är det med digPhrase: how do you do
Tagalog kumusta
  • kumustaPhrase: how do you do
Turkish nasılsınız, ne var ne yok
  • nasılsınızPhrase: how do you do
  • ne var ne yokPhrase: how do you do
Cite this entry
APA

how do you do. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/how%20do%20you%20do

MLA

“how do you do.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/how%20do%20you%20do. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “how do you do,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/how%20do%20you%20do.

Source: how do you do on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.