It’s different from asking someone “What’s up?” which can be asked at any time. If you just met someone, ask them “How are you?” instead of “How have you been?”
Instead of saying something like “I have been studying,” it’s more natural to say “I’ve been studying. ”[3] X Research source
“I’ve been great!” “Never better. ” “Fantastic!” “Really, really good. ”
“I’ve been doing okay. ” “Things have been so-so. ” “I’ve been alright. ”
“Not great, but we’re getting there. ” “Honestly? Things have been better. ” “Things have been a bit rough lately. ”
“Good. I’ve been reading a lot of interesting books lately. ” “Not bad. I’ve been studying a lot for finals. ” “Great! I’ve been taking dance lessons at my gym. ” “I’ve been better. I’ve just been doing lots of work for my job. ” “Really good. I’ve been meditating every single day. ”
“Not bad. I just got back from my trip a few days ago. ” “Good. My family is coming to visit me tomorrow. ” “I’ve been better. My classes are really hard this semester. ” “Pretty good. My internship just ended. ”
“Good. The weather’s been so nice lately. ” “I’ve been pretty good. Everyone’s getting excited for the holidays. ” “Pretty alright. It’s crazy that it’s already the New Year. ”
“Good. How’ve you been?” “Not bad. How about you?” “Pretty good. What about you?”
“I’ve been good. Did you hear about the new restaurant coming to town?” “Pretty good. Hasn’t the weather been crazy lately?” “I’ve been doing pretty okay. Did you catch the debate on TV last night?” “Not bad. Did you know that they’re thinking about getting rid of the park nearby?”
“I’ve been good. Did you get that job you were applying for? “Things have been alright. How was your trip last month? “I’ve been pretty good. I saw your post the other day and absolutely loved the pictures you took. ” “Really good. I love the shirt you’re wearing!”
