What does “How about…?” mean?
How about...? is used to ask for the other person's view or to offer an option. In conversation, it often means "what about this?" or "and you?"
When people say it
- To return the question: "Pretty good! How about you?"
- To check the situation now: "How about now? Is this better?"
- To suggest an option: "How about a mojito?"
- To propose a time, price, or other choice: "How about Sunday afternoon?" / "How about $18?"
Tone: It is casual to neutral and very common in everyday English; it sounds light and polite, though if you say only this phrase, it can sound a bit direct.
In 12 of Lin's scenes
Real lines from the scenes. Open one to watch it and say it yourself.
Other ways to say it
Very close in meaning and often interchangeable; sometimes a little more direct.
A stronger suggestion for doing something together.
Good for checking a time or plan, like "Does Sunday afternoon work?"
Quick answers
Is "How about you?" the same as "What about you?"?
In most everyday conversations, yes. Both are natural when you want to ask the other person the same question back.
What can come after "How about"?
Most often, a noun, pronoun, or -ing form: "How about this one?" "How about you?" "How about trying row H?" In informal speech, "How about we try row H?" is also common, but do not use an infinitive after it.