gut, und dir?
/ɡuːt ʊnt diːɐ̯/word by word
The English phrase "good, how are you?" is translated into German as gut, und dir?
This phrase is used as a response to a greeting that answers the question and asks for the other person's well-being in return. It is customary to respond to 'Wie geht es Ihnen/dir?' with Gut, danke! (Good, thank you!).
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, gut, und dir? translates to "good and to you?" This is because dir is the dative form of du (you).
Which one should you use?
gut, und dir? is used with friends, family or people your own age, while gut, und Ihnen? is used for formal social distance.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use gut, und Ihnen? instead of gut, und dir? when speaking to a stranger, a superior or in a professional setting.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡuːt ʊnt diːɐ̯/
Did you know?
- In many German-speaking regions, answering gut can be seen as a genuine statement of health rather than a mere politeness. Some people may actually tell you if they are not doing well, even in a casual greeting.
- The word gut shares a deep ancestral root with the English word 'good'. Both descend from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʰedʰ-, which originally meant 'to unite' or 'to suit'.
- Depending on the region, a person might respond to the greeting with Passt schon, which suggests things are 'fine' or 'acceptable' rather than explicitly 'good'.
Examples in context
- Mir geht es gut, und dir?I am doing well, and you?
- Sehr gut, und dir?Very good, and you?
Example conversation
Julia and Lukas meet at a cafe.
- JuliaHallo Lukas, wie geht es dir?Hello Lukas, how are you?
- LukasGut, und dir?Good, and you?
- JuliaMir geht es auch super.I am doing great too.
- LukasDas freut mich, Julia.I am glad to hear that, Julia.
