How to Say “How have you been?” in Chinese
Greetings and politeness · HSK 2
"How have you been?" in Chinese is 你最近怎么样？ (Nǐ zuìjìn zěnmeyàng?). 你最近怎么样 is the standard way to catch up with someone you haven't seen in a while; literally 'you recently how-ish?' Chinese speakers don't really use 你好吗 (how are you?) among friends; it sounds like a textbook. 最近 (recently) is the key word that makes this a genuine catch-up, not a passing greeting.
Primary translation
你最近怎么样？
Nǐ zuìjìn zěnmeyàng?
Traditional: 你最近怎麼樣？
Variants by register
Formal
您最近好吗？
Nín zuìjìn hǎo ma?
Casual
最近咋样？
Zuìjìn zǎyàng?
When to use it
你最近怎么样 is the standard way to catch up with someone you haven't seen in a while; literally 'you recently how-ish?' Chinese speakers don't really use 你好吗 (how are you?) among friends; it sounds like a textbook. 最近 (recently) is the key word that makes this a genuine catch-up, not a passing greeting. In northern China especially, 咋样 (zǎyàng) replaces 怎么样 in casual speech. For elders or bosses, swap 你 for 您.
Example sentences
好久不见，你最近怎么样？
Hǎojiǔ bújiàn, nǐ zuìjìn zěnmeyàng?
Long time no see, how have you been?
最近工作忙吗？
Zuìjìn gōngzuò máng ma?
Have you been busy with work lately?
还不错，就是有点累。
Hái búcuò, jiùshì yǒudiǎn lèi.
Not bad, just a bit tired.