mach's gut
/maxs ɡuːt/
To say be well in German when saying goodbye to a friend, say mach's gut. It wishes the other person the best.
mach's gut is the friendly goodbye you use with friends, family and peers. To add a caring note, say Pass gut auf dich auf, take care of yourself or Bleib gesund, stay healthy. Alles Gute, all the best, is another common way to wish someone well.
What does it mean word for word?
mach's gut is a contraction of make it well, so it literally means do it well. The apostrophe stands for the dropped vowel of the word for it.
Which one should you use?
mach's gut is informal. With strangers or in professional settings, use Machen Sie es gut or Passen Sie gut auf sich auf.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
mach's gut, Pass gut auf dich auf. and Bleib gesund. are informal. Machen Sie es gut and Passen Sie gut auf sich auf. are the formal versions.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Southern Germany and Austria, Pfia Di is an informal way to say goodbye.
How do you pronounce it?
mach's gut is said as two syllables. The ch is the throaty sound heard in Scottish loch, and the second word has a long oo sound, like goose.
Did you know?
- While mach's gut is used across Germany, people in Austria and Southern Germany often use Pfia Di instead, which is a shortened version of a prayer asking God to protect the person.
- The German word gut shares a prehistoric root with the English word 'good', originating from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʰedʰ-, which meant 'to unite' or 'to suit'.
- In German, wishing someone well during a goodbye often involves the verb machen (to make), whereas English uses 'farewell', which comes from the Old English 'faran' meaning 'to travel'.
Examples in context
- Mach's gut!Be well!
- Bis nächste Woche, mach's gut.See you next week, be well.
- Schönen Feierabend und mach's gut!Have a nice evening and be well!
Example conversation
Maximilian and Julia are saying goodbye after meeting for coffee.
- MaximilianEs war schön, dich zu sehen.It was nice to see you.
- JuliaGleichfalls! Mach's gut, Maximilian.Likewise! Be well, Maximilian.
- MaximilianDanke, Julia. Bis bald!Thanks, Julia. See you soon!
- JuliaTschüss!Bye!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry mach's gut, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gut, mach's gut, CC BY-SA 4.0.
