Hoe gaan dit?
/ɦu ˈχɑːn dət/word by word
The English phrase 'how are you?' is translated into Afrikaans as Hoe gaan dit?
Hoe gaan dit? is used to ask how someone is doing. In more traditional or formal settings, you might encounter the phrase Hoe maak u? to say 'How do you do?'
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Hoe gaan dit? literally translates to 'How goes it?'
Which one should you use?
While Hoe gaan dit? is a general inquiry, Hoe gaan dit met jou? is used to specifically direct the question to the person you are addressing, meaning 'How is it going with you?'
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Hoe gaan dit? is widely used in informal situations. For a more colloquial or informal way to ask 'how are things?' among friends, you can use Hoe lyk dit? For a formal approach, use Hoe maak u?
When do people say it?
When someone asks you Hoe gaan dit?, a standard, polite and concise response is Goed, dankie.
Did you know?
- While Hoe gaan dit? is the standard greeting, some Afrikaans speakers respond with Lekker, which literally means 'tasty' or 'delicious' but is used to say everything is great.
- If you ask Hoe lyk dit? to a friend, you are literally asking 'How does it look?', even though you are inquiring about their well-being.
- The word gaan in Hoe gaan dit? shares an ancient root with the English word 'gang', which originally meant 'to go' rather than a group of people.
Example conversation
Andries meets Liezel at a local coffee shop.
- AndriesHallo Liezel, hoe gaan dit?Hello Liezel, how are you?
- LiezelDit gaan goed, dankie, en met jou?It is going well, thank you, and with you?
- AndriesDit gaan baie goed met my.It is going very well with me.
- LiezelEk is bly om dit te hoor.I am glad to hear that.
