hey, hoe gaat het?
The English phrase "hey, how are you?" is translated into Dutch as hey, hoe gaat het?
hey, hoe gaat het? is an informal greeting used to ask someone about their well-being. You can also use the even more casual shorthand Hoe is het? among friends to ask "How is it?"
What does it mean word for word?
The part hoe gaat het? literally translates to "how goes it?"
Which one should you use?
hoe gaat het? is the standard informal way to ask how someone is. If you want to make the question more direct and personal, you can say hoe gaat het met je? In contrast, use the formal version Hoe gaat het met u? when speaking to elders or strangers.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding met je (with you) to hoe gaat het? creates the more personal version hoe gaat het met je?
When do people say it?
A common and natural response to this greeting is Goed, dank je!, which means "Good, thank you!"
Did you know?
- In some informal settings, the greeting Hoe is het? can be answered simply with Z’n gangetje, which literally means 'its little walk'.
- While an English speaker might use 'How are you?' merely as a polite way to say 'hello', a Dutch person may actually be asking for a genuine report on your well-being.
- The word het originated from the Middle Dutch word dat, which was shortened in common speech before merging with the modern neuter pronoun.
Examples in context
- Hoi, hoe gaat het?Hi, how are you?
- Hey, alles goed?Hey, everything alright?
- Hallo, hoe is 't met u?Hello, how are you?
Example conversation
Noah and Sophie meet for coffee in a park.
- NoahHey, hoe gaat het?Hey, how are you?
- SophieGoed, dank je. En met jou?Good, thank you. And with you?
- NoahOok goed, Sophie.Also good, Sophie.
- SophieFijn om je te zien!Good to see you!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries het, hoe, CC BY-SA 4.0.
