Explanation: “What’s up?”
“What’s up?” is a casual way of asking, “What’s new in your life?” or “What’s happening?” It’s a friendly question that you can ask when you meet someone. You don’t always need a long answer—it can be as simple as saying, “Not much.”
Variations of “What’s up?”
- “Sup?”
- This is a short, very casual version of “What’s up?” People often use it with close friends.
- Example: “Hey, sup?”
(Means: “What’s up?”)
- “What’s new?”
- This asks if anything has changed or if there is something new happening in their life.
- Example: “Hey, what’s new with you?”
(Means: “Tell me if anything interesting is happening.”)
- “What’s shakin’?”
- This is a playful, fun way to ask “What’s happening?” or “What’s going on?”
- Example: “Yo, what’s shakin’?”
(Means: “What’s going on?”)
- “How’s life treating you?”
- This asks how someone is feeling or doing in general. It’s a way to ask how life is for them.
- Example: “Hey, how’s life treating you these days?”
(Means: “How are things in your life?”)
- “What are you up to these days?”
- This asks about someone’s activities or what they have been doing recently.
- Example: “What are you up to these days?”
(Means: “What have you been doing recently?”)
How to Reply to “What’s up?” and Its Variations
When someone asks you “What’s up?” or one of its variations, they’re just starting a casual conversation. You can reply with a simple answer or give more details if you want to keep the conversation going. Here’s how to reply to each one:
- “What’s up?”
- Meaning: “What’s new in your life?” or “How are you?”
- Simple reply: “Not much, just relaxing.” or “I’m good, how about you?”
- Detailed reply: “Not much, I’ve been working on a project lately. What about you?”
- “Sup?”
- Meaning: This is just a short way to say “What’s up?”
- Simple reply: “Nothing much.” or “Just hanging out.”
- Detailed reply: “Not much, I’m just getting ready to go to the gym. What about you?”
- “What’s new?”
- Meaning: “Tell me if something new or interesting is happening in your life.”
- Simple reply: “Not much, everything’s the same.”
- Detailed reply: “Well, I started a new job recently. What’s new with you?”
- “What’s shakin’?”
- Meaning: A fun way to ask “What’s happening?”
- Simple reply: “Not much, just chilling.”
- Detailed reply: “Not a lot, I’ve just been busy with school. What’s shakin’ with you?”
- “How’s life treating you?”
- Meaning: This asks how things are going for you in general.
- Simple reply: “Life’s good, thanks for asking!”
- Detailed reply: “Pretty good! I’ve been busy with work, but I can’t complain. How’s life treating you?”
- “What are you up to these days?”
- Meaning: “What have you been doing recently?”
- Simple reply: “Not much, just the usual.”
- Detailed reply: “I’ve been learning to play the guitar and working on some new hobbies. What about you?”
Activities
Activity 1: Match the Question to the Situation
Instructions: Match each situation with the correct question.
Situations:
- You meet a friend you haven’t seen in a few months.
- You see a close friend and want to greet them quickly.
- You want to ask how someone is feeling about their life in general.
- You meet a friend after a long time and want to know what they’ve been doing.
- You want to know if there’s anything new or interesting happening in someone’s life.
Questions:
- A) “Sup?”
- B) “What are you up to these days?”
- C) “How’s life treating you?”
- D) “What’s new?”
- E) “What’s shakin’?”
Answer Key:
- D) “What’s new?”
- A) “Sup?”
- C) “How’s life treating you?”
- B) “What are you up to these days?”
- E) “What’s shakin’?”
Activity 2: Fill in the Blanks
Instructions: Fill in the blanks with the right question.
- You haven’t seen your friend in weeks: “Hey, ___________?”
- You want to ask what someone is doing right now: “__________?”
- You see your friend and want to know how they are doing in general: “__________ these days?”
- You want to ask if there is something new in someone’s life: “__________ with you?”
- You run into a friend and want to say something casual and quick: “__________?”
Answer Key:
- “What’s new?”
- “Sup?”
- “How’s life treating you?”
- “What’s new with you?”
- “What’s shakin’?”
Activity 3: Write Your Own Response
Instructions: Read the question and write your own short response as if you are talking to a friend.
“What’s shakin’?”
Your answer: __________________
“What’s new?”
Your answer: __________________
“Sup?”
Your answer: __________________
“How’s life treating you?”
Your answer: __________________
“What are you up to these days?”
Your answer: __________________
Activity 3: Sample Answers
- “What’s shakin’?”
Your answer: “Not much, just chilling at home. How about you?” - “What’s new?”
Your answer: “Not much, just started a new hobby. What’s new with you?” - “Sup?”
Your answer: “Nothing much, just relaxing. You?” - “How’s life treating you?”
Your answer: “Pretty good, staying busy with work. How about you?” - “What are you up to these days?”
Your answer: “I’ve been working a lot and trying to stay active. What about you?”