Wie geht es Ihnen?
The German phrase for "how are you? (formal)" is Wie geht es Ihnen?
This phrase is used to ask someone about their well-being in professional settings, with strangers or with people to whom you use the formal Sie.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to "How goes it to you?", where Ihnen is the formal version of "you".
How does it change in a sentence?
In this impersonal construction, the person being asked about always appears in the dative case, so the formal Sie becomes Ihnen.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying Wie geht es Sie? English speakers often mistakenly use the accusative Sie instead of the dative Ihnen in this specific construction.
When do people say it?
When someone asks you Wie geht es Ihnen?, a common polite response is Gut, danke. Und Ihnen? (Good, thanks. And you?).
Did you know?
- In many German-speaking cultures, asking Wie geht es Ihnen? is not always a casual greeting but a genuine invitation to share how you are feeling.
- Depending on the region, a person might reply Passt schon, which literally means 'it fits already' but functions as a way to say 'I'm doing okay'.
Examples in context
- Guten Morgen, wie geht es Ihnen?Good morning, how are you?
Example conversation
A business professional meeting a colleague in a hallway.
- LauraGuten Tag, Herr Schmidt. Wie geht es Ihnen?Good day, Mr. Schmidt. How are you?
- JulianMir geht es sehr gut, danke.I am doing very well, thank you.
- LauraDas freut mich zu hören.I am happy to hear that.
- JulianUnd wie geht es Ihnen?And how are you?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries es, wie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
