How do you use "What's up?" in a sentence?

What's up?' 'Not much, you? What's up, dude? Hey, what's up? What's up with you lately?

What's up?

Q: What does "What's up?" mean?

A casual greeting meaning 'Hello' or 'What's happening?' Originally American, now universal casual greeting. Can mean both 'hello' and 'what's wrong?' depending on tone.

Slang Term AmericanBritishAustralian ★★★★★ Very Common Very Casual

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Meaning: A casual greeting meaning 'Hello' or 'What's happening?'

嗨；怎么了；发生什么事了

Hola; qué pasa; qué ocurre

やあ、どうしたの、何かあった？

안녕, 무슨 일이야, 뭐 하고 있어

Originally American, now universal casual greeting. Can mean both 'hello' and 'what's wrong?' depending on tone.

随意的问候，意思是'你好'或'最近怎么样'，或者是真正在问发生了什么/什么困扰着某人。语境决定含义。

Saludo casual que significa 'hola' o 'cómo estás', o una pregunta genuina sobre qué está pasando/preocupando a alguien. El contexto determina el significado.

「やあ」や「元気？」という意味のカジュアルな挨拶か、何が起きているか/何か困っているかという本当の質問。文脈で意味が決まる。

가벼운 인사로 '안녕' 또는 '어떻게 지내'의 의미이거나, 무슨 일이 있는지/뭐가 걱정인지 진지하게 묻는 질문. 상황에 따라 의미가 달라진다.

Examples

What's up?' 'Not much, you?
怎么样？→没什么，你呢？
¿Qué hay? → Nada, ¿y tú?
どう？→特に何も、そっちは？
「뭐 해?」「별로, 너는?」
What's up, dude?
怎么了，你看起来不太高兴
¿Qué pasa? Pareces disgustado
どうしたの、なんか怒ってる？
「왜 그래—기분 안 좋아 보여.」
Hey, what's up?
嘿，你好！
¡Eh, qué tal!
よう！
「야, 잘 지내!」
What's up with you lately?
今天的交通是怎么回事？
¿Qué pasa con el tráfico hoy?
今日の交通渋滞はどうなってるの？
「오늘 교통 상황이 왜 이래?」

Pronunciation

/wɒts ʌp/

Usage Guide

Context: friends, young people, casual

Tone: very casual, friendly

✓ Do Say

What's up?
怎么样？
¿Qué tal?
やあ、どうしてる？
무슨 일이야?
Sup?
嘿？
¿Qué hay?
よう？
야, 잘 지내?
What's up, man?
兄弟，怎么样？
¿Qué pasa, tío?
よう、調子どう？
너 무슨 일 있어?

✗ Don't Say

Very casual
非常随意，不适合正式问候
Muy informal, no para saludos formales
とてもカジュアルなのでフォーマルな挨拶には使わない
매우 캐주얼합니다—격식 있는 인사에는 적합하지 않습니다
Not for formal settings
如果对方看起来有困难，可能需要真正的回答
Puede necesitar respuesta real si alguien parece preocupado
相手が困っていそうなら本当の答えが必要かも
상대방이 힘들어 보이면 진짜 대답이 필요할 수 있습니다

Common Mistakes

Different meaning with concerned tone (means 'what's wrong?')
Very informal

Origin & History

American slang that became globally popular.

Etymology: From asking what is happening

First recorded: American, 20th century

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Younger generations

Social background: Universal, casual

Pop culture: Bugs Bunny; American pop culture

Regional notes: American origin but now universal. 'Sup?' is even more casual.

Variations

What's up?Sup?Wassup?What up?