If you spend any time in Aberdeen or Aberdeenshire, there’s a good chance somebody will ask you:

Fit like?

Don’t worry. They’re not commenting on your appearance or asking about your fitness.

They’re simply asking how you are.

What does “Fit like?” mean?

In Doric, “fit like?” means “how are you?” or “how are things?”

You might hear:

Fit like, min?
How are you, mate?

Or simply:

Fit like?

And the reply might be:

Nae bad. Yersel?
Not bad. Yourself?

It’s one of those Doric expressions that’s still very much part of everyday conversation across the north-east of Scotland.

Why “fit”?

One of the most recognisable features of Doric is the use of fit where standard English would use what.

So you’ll also hear phrases such as:

Fit’s that?
What’s that?

Fit are ye daein?
What are you doing?

Fit time is it?
What time is it?

Once you know that, “fit like?” starts to make a little more sense.

What is Doric?

Doric is the name widely used for the Scots spoken across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and other parts of the north-east of Scotland.

It has its own distinctive words, pronunciations and expressions, many of which are still heard every day.

“Fit like?” is probably one of the best known.

A few more Doric phrases

If you’ve mastered “fit like?”, here are a few others worth knowing.

Far div ye bide?
Where do you live?

Gie’s a bosie.
Give me a hug.

I’m fair scunnert.
I’m very fed up.

Foo’s yer doos?
How are things?

Some make immediate sense once they’re translated. Others might take a bit more practice.

Doric is best heard as well as read

Like any spoken language or dialect, Doric isn’t just about individual words. The sound, rhythm and way expressions are used are all part of it.

If you’d like to hear more, have a look at our guide to helpful Doric phrases or learn more about the history of the Doric language.

And next time somebody asks “fit like?”, at least you’ll ken fit they mean.