Hallo, hoe gaat het?
The English phrase 'hello how are you' is translated into Dutch as Hallo, hoe gaat het?
This phrase is a common greeting used to initiate a conversation and inquire about someone's well-being. The component Hallo is the most basic and common way to say hello in Dutch and can be used in both formal and informal situations.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Hoe gaat het? literally translates to 'how goes it?'
Which one should you use?
While 'how are you' is a standard greeting in English, Hoe gaat het? is often treated as a genuine question about one's state, even though it is frequently used as a polite social filler.
How does it change in a sentence?
To specify that you are asking 'how are you' to a specific person, you can add met jou (with you) to the end of a phrase, such as Hoe gaat het met jou? In formal settings, you replace jou with u to say Hoe gaat het met u?
When do people say it?
A common and natural response to Hoe gaat het? is Goed, dank je (Good, thank you).
Did you know?
- Because Hoe gaat het? is often a genuine inquiry, a Dutch person might actually start telling you about their recent problems if you are not careful.
- Although it sounds like a simple greeting, the word hallo is actually a linguistic guest from English, having been borrowed from words like 'hello' or 'halloo'.
- If you use the informal greeting Hoi instead of Hallo when speaking to a boss or a stranger, it might be perceived as being far too casual.
Example conversation
Julia meets Lucas at a local cafe.
- JuliaHallo, hoe gaat het?Hello, how are you?
- LucasMet mij gaat het goed, dank je.I am doing well, thank you.
- JuliaFijn om te horen.Good to hear.
- LucasEn met jou?And with you?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hallo, het, hoe, CC BY-SA 4.0.
