Ways to say it
| Norwegian |
|---|
| hvordan har du det? |
| hvordan står det til? |
| hvordan går det? |
| korleis går det? |
| korleis har du det? |
| korleis står det til? |
These phrases are used as greetings to inquire about a person's well-being or current state. You can choose between a general inquiry about how life is progressing or a more personal question about how someone is feeling.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase hvordan har du det? literally translates to "how have you it?" The phrase hvordan går det? literally translates to "how goes it?"
Which one should you use?
hvordan går det? is a general or situational question, similar to the English "how's it going?", focusing on how things are progressing in life. In contrast, hvordan har du det? is more personal and often asks about a person's emotional or physical well-being. hvordan står det til? is a slightly more formal or polite way to ask how someone is doing compared to the more casual hvordan går det?
Is it said differently in some regions?
Forms starting with korleis are used in Nynorsk or specific Norwegian dialects, while forms starting with hvordan are used in Bokmål. Specific dialect examples include: Korleis går det med dykk? in the Stavanger dialect, Korleis e det hoss dokke? in the Bergen dialect and Koss går det? in the Trondheim dialect.
When do people say it?
When someone asks you one of these questions, a common response is Bare bra, takk! (Just fine, thanks!).
Did you know?
- While English speakers often use 'how are you' as a passing greeting, asking hvordan har du det? in Norwegian can feel unexpectedly intimate or deep.
- The English word 'thou' is a direct linguistic relative of the Norwegian word du.
Examples in context
- Hyggelig å møte deg. Hvordan går det?Nice to meet you. How are you doing?This sentence is useful for practicing the greeting hvordan går det? after an introduction.Tatoeba #10954145 by Mayk, translation #1346288 by marcelostockle
- Hvordan har du det?How are you?This sentence shows the usage of hvordan har du det?Tatoeba #5926947 by Magamed, translation #373320 by CK
- Hvordan går det?How are you doing?This sentence demonstrates the phrase hvordan går det?Tatoeba #562962 by contour, translation #38926 by Zifre
- Takk, det går bra.Thank you, I'm doing well.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ingrid meets Andreas at a local cafe.
- IngridHei Andreas, hvordan har du det?Hi Andreas, how are you?
- AndreasJeg har det bra, takk.I am doing well, thanks.
- IngridDet er hyggelig å høre.That is good to hear.
- AndreasHva med deg selv?What about yourself?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “how are you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries det, du, går, hvordan, korleis, til, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
