How to Say ‘How have you been lately?’ in Traditional Chinese
你最近好嗎？
nǐ zuì jìn hǎo ma
[nee dzway jin haow ma]
💬 Usage Tip: A very useful check-in phrase. Literally: "[you] [recently] [good?]"
🇹🇼 In Taiwan: This is more thoughtful than a quick hello, and works well with friends, classmates, or coworkers.
Phrase Breakdown
你最近
nǐ zuì jìn
you recently / lately
Refers to the recent time period and introduces a question about someone’s current situation.
你最近忙嗎？
Have you been busy lately?
Words in this phrase
你
nǐ
[nee]
you
The pronoun used to address someone directly.
你最近看起來比較累。
You look more tired lately.
最近
zuì jìn
[dzway jin]
recently; lately
Refers to the recent period of time.
你最近有去運動嗎？
Have you been exercising lately?
好嗎
hǎo ma
are you well?
A common way to ask about someone’s well-being; together with 最近 it means “How have you been lately?”
你還好嗎？
Are you okay?
Words in this phrase
好
hǎo
[haow]
good; well; fine
In this question, it asks about someone's condition or how they are doing.
希望你最近一切都好。
I hope everything has been going well for you lately.
嗎
ma
[ma]
question particle
Marks the sentence as a yes-no question.
你最近忙嗎？
Have you been busy lately?
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