Hello, how are you?

Hello, how are you is a simple and humble greeting we had. Its up to you how do you feel about it. When someone greeted you especially stranger, did you respond back? I do care about the greeting , if somebody greeted me of course i will do the same or respond back. Its only a greet, nothing will loose.

Yes it is sometimes a way to start a conversation but not always. Sometimes we do it casually but sometimes we meet any beloved after a long interval and at that time there is a care and love in asking hello and how are you.Even sometimes we only smile without saying anything. After all it depends on relationship with whom you are talking.

Stuck from 3rd grade english lesson: "How do you do? I'm saying to you. And you answer too, How do you do?" :) :)

I learned the same thing...it's just a greeting phraze. When someone says How are you? always just reply with Fine, thanks and you? =) If you start telling people that you slept bad, have a cold, have a sore leg or whatever...it will become awkward =)

if i greet people, i really mean it with my heart. but not everyone means it that i know. For some people it is just words with no emotion. happy mylotting.

I am teaching English to non-native speakers and at the start of every conversation, we really have these lines.First, these are one first words or sentences that they learned. It's easy to say and that's the start of the conversation or class.

I think this is more of a customary greeting rather than actually implying whether we are concerned about that person or not. Yes, sometimes, when we are having a good understanding with another person, we do mean good when we ask such a thing. Otherwise, it is just a form of greeting or custom and nothing more.

hello, well my friend you have pin pointed the best thing. I too think in this world now, this thing asking how are you have just become a formality. People does not care about anyone. They just think about themselves. They only come to you when they need you. Thats their only purpose of coming to you.

I wonder the same. I am from Spain and there people don't ask others how they are unless they are starting a conversation. If I meet a neighbour I just say "good morning". A funny thing that happened to me when I moved to UK was that they taught me in school to say "How are you?" and "Fine thanks, and you?" no matter if you are good or bad, you just say you are fine. Well, here people say "Your' right?", and I always thought I look ill or something so my answer was "Yes, why?", awkwardddd!