25 Things Europeans Still Don’t Understand About The US

18. WHEN YOU ASK THEM “HOW ARE YOU?”

This is possibly the biggest cultural barrier separating Europeans and Americans. In the US, asking someone: “How are you?” or “How’s your day?” is a pretty standard greeting. It’s friendly, casual, and not an actual question. Over in Europe, asking someone how they are suggests that you actually want a full reply (basically, their life story).

In the UK, the equivalent is “are you alright?” This has actually freaked Americans out – it doesn’t mean that they think you’re unwell or in trouble. It just means “how are you?”