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howya

how-YA, one syllable-ishinterjectionInformalDublin

A Hiberno-English slang term. Browse all Irish slang.

What it means

  1. Hello. A greeting, not a question — it takes 'howya' back, or a nod, and never a report on your health.

In use

  • Howya, haven't seen you in ages.

  • Howya, two pints please.

    Note: The standard opening to a bar order or a shop transaction anywhere in Dublin.

Where it comes from

Compressed 'how are you', reduced to a single greeting word. The written form 'howya' is closely associated with Dublin speech, and outside the capital 'how's it going' or 'well' does the same job.

Other forms

Spellings and variants:
howaya, how's it going