How have you been? asks how someone has been doing since you last saw them, usually after a long time apart. The question covers the whole period from your last meeting until now, not just how things are right now. It sounds friendly and works for both friends and colleagues.
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How have you been? — I've been good/great/busy, thanks. And you?; How have you been since + event?; How've you been? (in speech)
- Hey, Sam! I haven't seen you since the summer, how have you been?
- — How have you been? — Pretty busy, actually, I've just changed jobs.
- How have you been since the operation? Are you feeling any stronger?
What changed
First versionLong time no see! How were you?
RevisionLong time no see! How have you been?
Since the question is about time that has passed, the past tense How were you? can seem right. But that period stretches up to today, so you need have been. How were you? sounds like a question about a single moment in the past, such as how you felt yesterday.
How are you? is about how things are now, and you can ask it of someone you saw this morning. How have you been? only fits after a break; otherwise “how have things been all this time?” makes no sense. People answer with have been too, and it's an easy way to share news: I've been really busy, we've just moved house.
Your turn
I bumped into an old classmate I hadn't seen for five years and asked, '___?'
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How have you been — Five years without meeting: the question covers all that time up to today, so it's How have you been. How were you asks about one moment in the past and doesn't fit when you meet after a long gap.
Write a short dialogue: you meet a friend who's back from a long trip. Ask how they've been, and have them reply with one piece of news.
— Hi, Olga! You're back from Spain! How have you been? — I've been great, thanks, I've finally learnt to surf.
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