How to Say "How are you?" in Russian — A Complete, Friendly Guide

Want to ask "How are you?" in Russian without sounding awkward or too formal? This guide gives you the most natural options, when to use ты (tih) vs вы (vih), tone tips, mini-dialogues, and common replies—so you can check in like a native.

TL;DR (Quick Cheatsheet)

Most common: Как дела? (kak dee-LAH?) — neutral, friendly
Informal/short: Как ты? (kak tih?) / Как ты поживаешь? (kak tih pah-jee-VAH-yesh?)
Formal/polite: Как у вас дела? (kak oo vahs dee-LAH?) / Как вы поживаете? (kak vih pah-jee-VAH-ee-teh?)
Very polite greeting + question: Здравствуйте, как у вас дела? (ZDRAHST-vooy-teh, kak oo vahs dee-LAH?)
Slangy/casual variants: Как жизнь? (kak jeezn?), Как оно? (kak ah-NOH?)

1) The Core Phrases (and when to use them)

Как дела? (kak dee-LAH?) — The all-purpose "How are things?" Works with friends, classmates, colleagues you know.
Как ты? (kak tih?) — More direct "How are you?" to someone your age/close to you (ты).
Как у тебя дела? (kak oo tee-BYAH dee-LAH?) — Softer, friendly; literally "How are your things?"
Как у вас дела? (kak oo vahs dee-LAH?) — Polite/plural; safe with strangers, teachers, service staff.
Здравствуйте, как у вас дела? (ZDRAHST-vooy-teh, kak oo vahs dee-LAH?) — Very courteous opener.

Rule of thumb: with friends → ты (tih). With unfamiliar or older people → вы (vih).

2) More Ways to Ask (flavor & tone)

Как жизнь? (kak jeezn?) — "How's life?" casual.
Как оно? (kak ah-NOH?) — "How's it going?" very casual.
Как настроение? (kak nahst-rah-YEH-nee-yeh?) — "How's your mood?" friendly/curious.
Как всё? (kak vsyo?) — "Everything good?" short, casual.
Как поживаешь? (kak pah-jee-VAH-yesh?) — "How have you been?" to ты.
Как поживаете? (kak pah-jee-VAH-ee-teh?) — Polite/plural.

— Prefer learning visually? If you like seeing phrases with images and context, my visual dictionary of 6,600 words is built to pull you toward B2 comfort. Click and try it here →

3) Natural Replies (from short to detailed)

Хорошо. (hhah-rah-SHAW.) — "Good."
Нормально. (nahr-MAHL-nah.) — "I'm okay / not bad."
Отлично! (aht-LEECH-nah!) — "Great!"
Так себе. (tahk SEE-beh.) — "So-so."
Не очень. (neh OH-chen'.) — "Not so good."

Add a reason to sound more natural:

Немного устал(а). (neem-NAW-gah oo-STAL(ah).) — "A bit tired."
Много работы. (MNAW-gah rah-BAW-tih.) — "Lots of work."
Всё отлично, спасибо! (vsyo aht-LEECH-nah, spah-SEE-bah!) — "All great, thanks!"

Keep the conversation going:

А у тебя? (ah oo tee-BYAH?) — "And you?" (informal)
А у вас? (ah oo vahs?) — "And you?" (polite/plural)

4) Mini-Dialogues (Real Life)

Friendly classmates

— Привет! Как дела? (pree-VET! kak dee-LAH?) — "Hi! How are you?"

— Нормально, немного устал(а). А у тебя? (nahr-MAHL-nah, neem-NAW-gah oo-STAL(ah). ah oo tee-BYAH?) — "Okay, a bit tired. And you?"

At work (polite)

— Здравствуйте. Как у вас дела? (ZDRAHST-vooy-teh. kak oo vahs dee-LAH?) — "Hello. How are you?"

— Спасибо, хорошо. Много работы. А у вас? (spah-SEE-bah, hhah-rah-SHAW. MNAW-gah rah-BAW-tih. ah oo vahs?) — "Thanks, good. Lots of work. And you?"

Very casual friends

— Как жизнь? (kak jeezn?) — "How's life?"

— Отлично! Еду в отпуск. (aht-LEECH-nah! YEH-doo v OT-poosk.) — "Great! Going on vacation."

5) Politeness & Culture Tips

Pair the question with a greeting: Привет (pree-VET) for informal, Здравствуйте (ZDRAHST-vooy-teh) for polite.
With new acquaintances, default to вы (vih). Switch to ты (tih) when invited.
Russians often answer briefly first, then share a bit more—mirroring that feels natural.
If someone shares bad news, acknowledge it before changing topics: Сочувствую. (sah-CHOOST-voo-yoo.)

Continue Learning

Ready to learn Russian the visual way?

Get the Visual Dictionary: 6,600 words to pull you toward B2

Click and Try →

P.S. Built for foreigners learning Russian: clear images, high-frequency phrases, real examples, and spaced review—so your next «Как дела?» (kak dee-LAH?) sounds confident and natural.