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"Have you eaten?" (你吃了/吃了吗/吃饭没有 etc) sounds like a Chinese equivalent of "how are you?". However, I don't know what is the correct way to respond to the question.
What do Chinese people expect me to answer when they ask it? Should I just answer it literally?
I first thought they ask me to go in lunch together. But it is definitely not true... So if they want to ask me out, do they use a different approach or do I have to discern if they ask me out or just use the phrase as a greeting?
You can just answer it literally. Usually, I will response: 吃过了（or 还没有），你呢？
If people want to ask you out, they will go further with additional questions/requests: 我们一起去吃饭吧？
(I'm so starving, since we won't eat together, let's finish this topic and switch to whatever)
(I can't eat anymore, but I like to go out, let me ask it too to comfirm you was inviting me, if you response "我也没吃", deal. If you start to bullshit, that was just a greeting.)
(I am starving again, but piss off, I won't go out with you.)
(I'm full, but I like you, I wish you can introduce an restaurant, so we can go out.)
(Just put something in my stomach, I don't like guessing )
