I just learned the response of “おかげさまで” which my textbook states as “the proper way of responding – meaning ‘good, thanks to you’”.
With this in mind, what would be the best response to げんきですか to a person who you just met and is interviewing you in a professional setting.
I’m worried that おかげさまで is too personal for a stranger.
Is just げんきです the best? Or something else?
Thanks!
2 comments
おかげさまで is not personal at all. It’s a polite and humble way of saying “yes” here without “bragging” about how good things are going for you or anything weird like that.
It’s also not “thanks to you” so literally- that seems like a somewhat forced translation. I’d suggest it’s more like a very secular “thanks be to God” without the religious meaning. More loosely, in this context, you can think of it as “thankfully” or even “thanks to everyone around me” -aka, something you say to acknowledge that you are happy but at the same time politely downplay your own success and acknowledge the support you’re recidivist in life.
In short, though, your textbook is right that it is the “proper” way of responding. You really can’t go wrong with it, *especially* in a formal setting.
I have never been asked how I am at a job interview in Japan, but I don’t feel that a reply of おかげさまで is particularly personal.
But ありがとうございます。おかげさまで元気に過ごしております is the most formal.