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hope you are well

English translation: "hope" not "how"

16:14 Oct 20, 2011
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
English term or phrase: hope you are well
Hello,

I'm from Slovenia and I'm writting to my friend in England. He usually writes on the end of the e-mail ''Hope you are well''. I have no idea what does that mean and you does he use it , is it like an empty phrase?
Dreyca
Local time: 03:51
Selected answer:"hope" not "how"
Explanation:
Not empty, but rather standard and bordering on cliche.
"Hope you are well" means exactly as it sounds. Perhaps it is a much shorter way of writing the traditional salutation of "I trust this letter finds you in good health."

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Note added at 4 mins (2011-10-20 16:19:13 GMT)
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Still, it is more common to start a letter with that. It is a bit unusual to put it at the end of the letter.
Selected response from:

Paul Lambert
Sweden
Local time: 03:51
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +8"hope" not "how"
Paul Lambert
4 +3He hopes you are doing well in every way
Demi Ebrite


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +8
when do you use ''how you are well''
"hope" not "how"


Explanation:
Not empty, but rather standard and bordering on cliche.
"Hope you are well" means exactly as it sounds. Perhaps it is a much shorter way of writing the traditional salutation of "I trust this letter finds you in good health."

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 mins (2011-10-20 16:19:13 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Still, it is more common to start a letter with that. It is a bit unusual to put it at the end of the letter.

Paul Lambert
Sweden
Local time: 03:51
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Monica Colangelo
1 min
  -> thanks
agree  kmtext
2 mins
  -> thanks
agree  eski
7 mins
  -> thanks
agree  Jenni Lukac (X)
7 mins
  -> thanks
agree  Armorel Young: In my view a very standard thing to find at the end of a letter too - it shifts attention from the writer to the person written to and so avoids the impression that the writer is totally self-centred!
20 mins
  -> thanks - and good point.
agree  Tina Vonhof (X)
1 hr
agree  Jack Doughty
2 hrs
agree  Suzan Hamer: And with Armorel. Now that I've told you all about me, I should really mention you....
4 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
when do you use ''how you are well''
He hopes you are doing well in every way


Explanation:
The expression may not be a complete sentence, but he is wishing you well.

"Hope you are well" means that he hopes you are feeling well, doing well, are in good health, etc. It is a positive phrase starting that he wishes you good fortune.
rtune

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Note added at 1 hr (2011-10-20 17:20:07 GMT)
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*please forgive typos; answering a question from a cell phone is not recommended!

Demi Ebrite
United States
Local time: 20:51
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 36

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Paul Lambert: Yes, now that the question has essentially changed, you are quite correct.
16 mins
  -> Thank you, Paul
agree  Tina Vonhof (X)
1 hr
  -> Thank you, Tina.
agree  AllegroTrans
2 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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