However you look at this question it's not easy to answer
Whereas ignoring it is the easy option
However, neither will keep me awake at night
I'd always use "whereas" as the second part of a comparison. "however" could also be used in this way. Often "however" would have a comma after it when used as the second part of a comparison.
I take "however" as something like "how ever you take the meaning of this" .
OTOH "whereas" is something like "in contrast to the previous opinion"
The two are often interchangeable, but they can carry a wide range of meaning.
On the informal side, this "question" might actually be more of a greeting than a question. For example, I might pass a co-worker in the hallway, and say, "How're you doing?" and expect not much more than a nod in return, or maybe a quick "Fine, how are you?" In the latter case, we might be walking past each other as my colleague is speaking, so there's no expectation of an answer from me.
That said, on the other extreme, these questions can also be used to express deep empathy. Another co-worker might tell me that he's lost his mother two days ago, and that he's having to make funeral arrangements. In that case, I might ask him, "How are you doing?" and my mannerisms would be completely different. The words would be spoken more slowly and compassionately; I'd probably be making eye contact, or I might even have a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. I'm essentially asking him, "Is everything okay?" I might even follow it up with something like, "If you need anything from me, just let me know."
In the middle, imagine a group of friends who get together weekly for some activity. In that case, "How are you doing?" might mean, "Do you want to share anything that's going on in your life?" If I have nothing to say, I might respond with a quick, "Good, and you?" but if I have something I want to share, I might launch right in: "Good! We took Elizabeth back to college last weekend. How was your Christmas?"
Lastly – and maybe most importantly – regional/cultural differences may apply, a fact that was brilliantly noted in this funny commercial. By the way, in that YouTube video, I noticed that someone left a comment:
I had to explain this commercial to my friends that aren't from the Northeast.
So, maybe a little explanation is in order here:
- All but one of the characters are from the New York City area. (You can tell from the accents.)
- The man in the cowboy hat is probably from Texas, or somewhere near there. You can tell from both the accent and the hat.
- In the U.S. Northeast, "How ya' doin'?" is simply a quick verbal greeting. It's essentially the equivalent of "Hello, nice to see you." It's not a question.
- In the U.S. South, "How are you?" is a question often used to express interest and invite discussion.
So, notice the facial expressions the first two times the Texan starts talking. Everyone is confused, wondering, "Why does he think we've just asked him a question?"
Their facial expressions are even more priceless after the last patron walks in. At 0:24, the bartender tries using a quick hand gesture, as if to say, "Please don't ask that guy next to you how he's doing!" but it's all in vain; the mannerism is just too ingrained. A mere four seconds later, those looks are hilarious, too, as the new customer is bewildered, and the bartender starts wondering how many times he'll have to hear about the big airport in NYC.
I've lived in both areas of the U.S., and even though I've probably watched this commercial a hundred times, I still laugh heartily every time I see it. It's a wonderful dissection in the nuances of English usage. (I don't think it aired for very long, and I wonder if that's because this "disconnect" still largely exists, so the ad confused more people than it amused.)
Incidentally, nobody is being rude – they are simply unaccustomed to how the expressions are used outside of their respective locales.
As a footnote, I think the Texan believes "the people sure are nice" because everyone is taking the time to ask him how he's doing!
Best Answer
They are not quite the same, but they are similar.
Two-year-old is an adjective. You can say, two-year-old girl, or two-year-old cat, or two-year-old child. Sometimes, two-year-old is used as a noun on its own, and it that case ("My two-year-old", say), child is usually implied, although it could refer to an animal if the context is clear. It's a compound adjective, with dashes to make it clear it is all one phrase, and it is usually pronounced with the words run together. You might see it without the dashes, and it is usually clear what is meant.
You can't say "My daughter is two-year-old". In that case you say "My daughter is two years old".
I think the reason why it's year, when with dashes, is because the words are run together, and years would be hard to say.