Is 'How are you' a speech act?

[Anna Cbd]

Hello,

I would like to know if the question 'how are you' is a speech act or just an expression. Thank you for your answers

 

[Barb_D]

What is a "speech act"?

 

[amylee1]

A speech act is an utterance that serves a function in communication. We perform speech acts when we offer an apology, greeting, request, complaint, invitation, compliment, or refusal. So 'How are You' is a speech act.

 

[Barb_D]

In most cases, it is a greeting.
There are times when the person asking genuinely wants to know how the person is doing.

 

[Tdol]

Even if it is functioning as an expression without much meaning, it is still a speech act IMO- part of a greeting.