What is WHAT’S UP? How do you answer? Easy English TIP 2

What is WHAT’S UP? How do you answer? Easy English TIP #2 English Speaking 360

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?”

  1. “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?”)
  2. “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.”)
  3. “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?”)
  4. “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?”)
  5. “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:


  1. “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?”
  2. “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?”
  3. “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?”
  4. “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?”
  5. “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?”
  6. “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:

  1. You meet a friend you haven’t seen in a few months.
  2. You see a close friend and want to greet them quickly.
  3. You want to ask how someone is feeling about their life in general.
  4. You meet a friend after a long time and want to know what they’ve been doing.
  5. 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:

  1. D) “What’s new?”
  2. A) “Sup?”
  3. C) “How’s life treating you?”
  4. B) “What are you up to these days?”
  5. E) “What’s shakin’?”

Activity 2: Fill in the Blanks

Instructions: Fill in the blanks with the right question.

  1. You haven’t seen your friend in weeks: “Hey, ___________?”
  2. You want to ask what someone is doing right now: “__________?”
  3. You see your friend and want to know how they are doing in general: “__________ these days?”
  4. You want to ask if there is something new in someone’s life: “__________ with you?”
  5. You run into a friend and want to say something casual and quick: “__________?”

Answer Key:

  1. “What’s new?”
  2. “Sup?”
  3. “How’s life treating you?”
  4. “What’s new with you?”
  5. “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

  1. “What’s shakin’?”
    Your answer: “Not much, just chilling at home. How about you?”
  2. “What’s new?”
    Your answer: “Not much, just started a new hobby. What’s new with you?”
  3. “Sup?”
    Your answer: “Nothing much, just relaxing. You?”
  4. “How’s life treating you?”
    Your answer: “Pretty good, staying busy with work. How about you?”
  5. “What are you up to these days?”
    Your answer: “I’ve been working a lot and trying to stay active. What about you?”

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