hey, was geht ab
The English phrase "hey, what's up" is translated into German as hey, was geht ab.
hey, was geht ab is an informal greeting used to ask someone how they are or what is happening.
What does it mean word for word?
The part was geht ab literally translates to "what goes off".
Which one should you use?
A shorter, even more colloquial version of 'was geht ab?' often used among younger people is Was geht?
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
hey, was geht ab is an informal greeting and should be avoided in professional or formal settings.
When do people say it?
A common response to was geht ab is Nicht viel, meaning "not much".
Did you know?
- In some youth dialects, Was geht? is used as both the question and the answer, where the respondent simply repeats Was geht? back to the speaker.
- While was geht ab is used as a greeting, the verb abgehen can also describe a party or event that is 'going off' in an exciting or wild way.
- The English word 'off' and the German word ab are linguistic cousins, both stemming from ancient roots describing movement away from a point.
Examples in context
- Hi, Peter! Wie geht's?Hey, Peter! How's it going?
- Hey, was geht ab?Hey, what's up?
- Hey, was geht ab bei dir?Hey, what's up with you?
- Hey, was geht ab im Büro?Hey, what's up at the office?
Example conversation
Two friends meet on the street.
- SarahHey, was geht ab, Felix?Hey, what's up, Felix?
- FelixNicht viel, alles gut bei dir?Not much, everything good with you?
- SarahJa, alles bestens.Yes, everything is great.
- FelixSchön zu hören, Sarah.Good to hear, Sarah.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ab, was, CC BY-SA 4.0.
