Which one should you use?
The phrase Guten Tag, wie geht es Ihnen? is formal, while wie geht es dir is the informal version used when speaking to friends or family. For even more casual settings, you can use Hallo, wie geht's? or Moin, wie läuft's?
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Guten Tag is a formal greeting suitable for business settings or when speaking to strangers, whereas Hallo is more casual.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Bavaria and Austria, you may hear the greeting Servus, wie geht's?
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase wie geht es Ihnen, the word Ihnen is the dative form of the formal pronoun Sie. It is used because the verb gehen (to go/to fare) requires the dative case to express how things are going for a person.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying wie geht es Sie. English speakers often mistakenly use the accusative Sie instead of the required dative Ihnen in this expression.
Did you know?
- The word Servus used in Bavaria and Austria comes from the Latin word for 'servant', implying 'I am your servant'.
- When responding to wie geht es Ihnen, it is common in Germany to mention a slight negative or a stressor rather than always saying 'great'.
- The word Tag in 'good day' shares a root with the word Reichstag, which refers to a formal assembly or diet.
Examples in context
- Guten Tag, Herr Müller. Wie geht es Ihnen heute?Good day, Mr. Müller. How are you today?
- Guten Tag, wie geht es Ihnen?Good day, how are you?
- Guten Tag, wie geht es Ihnen heute?Good day, how are you today?
- Guten Tag, wie geht es Ihnen und Ihrer Frau?Good day, how are you and your wife?
Example conversation
Julian meets a client in a professional office setting.
- JulianGuten Tag, wie geht es Ihnen, Frau Müller?Good day, how are you, Ms. Müller?
- JuliaGuten Tag, Herr Schmidt. Mir geht es sehr gut, danke.Good day, Mr. Schmidt. I am doing very well, thank you.
- JulianDas freut mich zu hören.I am glad to hear that.
- JuliaUnd wie geht es Ihnen?And how are you?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Tag, es, wie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
