What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Wie geht es dir heute? literally translates to 'How goes it to you today?'
Which one should you use?
While the default form is a full and complete way to ask the question, you may encounter the contraction Wie geht's? in casual settings, which means 'How's it going?'
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions, such as Bavaria, the informal greeting Servus, wie geht's? is common.
How does it change in a sentence?
German uses different pronouns depending on whether you are being formal or addressing a group. Use Ihnen instead of dir when speaking to a stranger, a superior or an adult you do not know personally, as seen in Wie geht es Ihnen heute? If you are addressing a group of people informally, use euch instead of dir, for example, Wie geht es euch heute?
What mistakes should you avoid?
Because German uses the dative case for this expression, you should say Mir geht es gut (To me it goes well) to indicate that you are doing well.
When do people say it?
A standard way to respond to this greeting is to say Gut, danke (Good, thanks) followed by Und dir? in informal settings or Und Ihnen? in formal settings.
Did you know?
- In some social contexts, asking Wie geht es dir? is seen as a genuine inquiry into one's health rather than just a polite formality.
- The greeting Hallo has roots in calling out to ferrymen to fetch them across a river. It is derived from the Old High German word holā, which was used to hail someone to come and fetch something.
- While Hallo is universal, people in Bavaria often use Servus as a greeting, which is also used as a way to say goodbye.
Example conversation
Hannah meets Julian at a cafe.
- HannahHallo, wie geht es dir heute?Hi, how are you today?
- JulianMir geht es sehr gut, danke!I am doing very well, thanks!
- HannahDas freut mich zu hören.I am happy to hear that.
- JulianUnd wie geht es dir?And how are you?
