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In my language we say in daily life to health person "how do you feel? " it has the same meaning as in English phrase "how are you? ", but it's just more warmhearted.

In English I'm not sure if it's used the same, and if it's possible to use this phrase between friends who feel well, and just want use it in meaning of "how are you" in more warmhearted way, or it's used in English only when the doctor or other care-providers ask the patient about his health.

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    In my experience you would ask someone How do you feel? only if the person concerned had been ill. It would be different if you were seeking an opinion in a question such as: How do you feel about the issue of abortion? where it means What do you think? How are you? or the more formal How do you do? are questions to which you ought to answer fine, thank you unless you want to bore the questioner stiff.
    – Ronald Sole
    Commented Dec 14, 2016 at 13:39
  • Note that "how do you feel about x" is a way of saying "what are your thoughts about" a situation or event or idea. Adding "about" changes it from asking about a physical or emotional state to an intellectual or opinion question.
    – user8356
    Commented Apr 29, 2022 at 14:08

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How are you? is the natural, standard question for someone when you want to know about them. Use this between friends, etc. Alternatively, you can use the more colloquial "How's it going?"

How do you feel today? is a question that is looking for a contrast between today and some other time.

So, how do you feel today?

Much better than yesterday, thanks!

You can also use the present progressive to express a longer time when the other person may not have been feeling great.

So, how are you feeling today?

I woke up today feeling amazing! I think I've finally beat this flu.

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  • But "how are you" is a boring and even too formal question. When I write this, it could be even less attractive since it's without melody. I'm looking for something warm-hearted way to ask close friends:)
    – Virtuous Legend
    Commented Dec 14, 2016 at 15:49
  • But in writing it's very difficult to transmit emotion. Isn't it? :)
    – Virtuous Legend
    Commented Dec 14, 2016 at 16:15
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    If you find "how are you" too boring and formal, less formal alternatives include things like How's it going? or What's up? But "How do you feel?" is not idiomatic, and will tend to be interpreted literally. If a coworker greeted me with "How do you feel?", my reaction would be "Uh...fine? Why, is there some reason I shouldn't feel OK? Did someone tell you I was sick?"
    – stangdon
    Commented Dec 14, 2016 at 16:16

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