はじめまして

[manganimefan227]

Online lessons and maybe another source did. I can't remember if my sensei did . . I don't think so . . .

Lesson learned; げんきです。

Thank you for pointing that out!

[MMM]

Originally Posted by Sashimister

They teach you that?

This is the problem with self-taught. There is no one to tell you when you are wrong.

[Toastyzeus]

僕も元気です

(I am fine too)

[Eiri02]

Originally Posted by MMM

This is the problem with self-taught. There is no one to tell you when you are wrong.

I agree...o but if only I had a teacher myself!!

[Columbine]

Originally Posted by Sashimister

They teach you that?

Jeeze, you scared me for a second. I thought you meant you couldn't use お元気 at all and i'd been making a prat of myself for years, but of course it's ok if you're talking about someone else.

TZeusさんへ、
はじめまして、わたしはコレンバィンです。
元気です。
しゅうみは何ですか。
がんばってください！

[manganimefan227]

Originally Posted by MMM

This is the problem with self-taught. There is no one to tell you when you are wrong.

I'm not totally self taught; I take a class in high school as part of a program..

Plus I did say my sensei . . .

[Applestar]

Originally Posted by Sashimister

They teach you that?

Is that incorrect?

[cranks]

It is incorrect to put a polite お (丁寧語. Sorry I don't know the proper technical term for it in English.) when referring to yourself.

For example:

somebody: お元気ですか？

you: 元気です

This is "technically" correct. However though, you just don't say "お元気ですか" in a conversation, and you never answer to it with "元気です". お元気ですか is something you use in a letter, kind of like "sincerely". You don't answer to "sincerely" like "Oh, I care about you too!" right? That'd be odd. I don't know why all those Japanese teachers like to teach you this expression. It's a direct translation of "How are you?" and sounds weird most of the time. Ask them how many times they've actually used it in conversations in real life. Chances are, they have never used it except in writing.

You'd come across much more natural talking about the weather or the traffic. Avoid saying "お元気ですか？" in a conversation and/or answering "元気です" to it. If you wanna say "how are you?", something like "最近どうですか？", "最近何かありました？" or things along that line sound much better to me.

[Columbine]

Originally Posted by cranks

You'd come across much more natural talking about the weather or the traffic. Avoid saying "お元気ですか？" in a conversation and/or answering "元気です" to it. If you wanna say "how are you?", something like "最近どうですか？", "最近何かありました？" or things along that line sound much better to me.

Hmmm, I see. So how would you reply then? Something like おかげさまで is probably too formal, or too weird, I guess.　

And you can use 元気ですか to talk about a third person who isn't present, right? As in, 「ところで、山田さんはお元気ですか」