What does お元気にお過ごしですか mean?


I have received an email that begun with this:

> その後、お元気にお過ごしですか。

My immediate thought was その後ってどの後, after which I proceeded to be further
confused by the rest of the sentence. I'm guessing it means something like
"How have you been (since I last sent you an email)", but the lack of a past
tense throws me off.

What does this mean and what would be a polite response to it? And if it does
refer to the past, why is there no past tense?




"How have you been" is not a past tense either, it's called "present perfect".
As well as the English translation, the original sentence is referring to the
present state that is a consequence of the event (その as in その後). That's why
it's not a past tense.

As for how to response to it, I'd recommend おかげさまで 元気です. When you somehow
don't want to reply positively, おかげ様と言いたいところですが、あまり調子がよくありません could work,
though I don't hope you use it.




"How have you been" is not a past tense either, it's called "present perfect".
As well as the English translation, the original sentence is referring to the
present state that is a consequence of the event (その as in その後). That's why
it's not a past tense.

As for how to response to it, I'd recommend おかげさまで 元気です. When you somehow
don't want to reply positively, おかげ様と言いたいところですが、あまり調子がよくありません could work,
though I don't hope you use it.

