Hoe gaan dit?
/ɦu ˈχɑːn dət/word by word
In Afrikaans, "how are you?" is expressed as Hoe gaan dit?
The phrase Hoe gaan dit? is a common greeting used to ask about someone's general well-being. It can be used as a casual greeting similar to "How's it going?" or as a genuine inquiry into how a person is doing.
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 greeting, the phrase Hoe gaan dit met jou? is used to specifically direct the question to the person you are addressing.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Cape Peninsula, the informal phrase Hoe gaan dit met julle? is used to address a group of people.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɦu ˈχɑːn dət/
When do people say it?
When someone asks you this, a common and shorter response is Goed, dankie, which means "Good, thank you."
Did you know?
- In many South African contexts, people may respond to Hoe gaan dit? with a very brief 'Lekker!', which means 'delicious' but is used colloquially to mean 'great' or 'good'.
- In some formal or older contexts, a person might respond to Hoe gaan dit? by mentioning the 'Lord' or 'God', reflecting the historically strong influence of Calvinism on the language.
- Because Afrikaans lacks a formal 'you' (like the French 'vous'), Hoe gaan dit? is used for everyone from a close friend to a high-ranking official.
Examples in context
- Goed, dankieGood, thank you
- Baie goed, dankieVery good, thank you
Example conversation
Pieter and Nicola meet at a local coffee shop.
- PieterHallo Nicola, hoe gaan dit?Hello Nicola, how are you?
- NicolaDit gaan goed, dankie, Pieter.It is going well, thank you, Pieter.
- PieterEk is bly om dit te hoor.I am glad to hear that.
- NicolaEn hoe gaan dit met jou?And how are you doing?
