Wie geht's?
casual
In Austria you can ask Wie geht's? among friends, Wie geht es dir? in a more careful way and Wie geht es Ihnen? in formal settings.
Meaning: asking about well-being (phrase)
Ways to say it
| German | Note |
|---|---|
| Wie geht's? | casual |
| Wie geht es dir? | neutral |
| Wie geht es Ihnen? | formal |
Use dir with friends, family and people your age. Use Ihnen with strangers, older people and in business. A common answer is Gut, danke, und dir?
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Austrians keep the formal Sie in many situations where English speakers would already use first names, so start formal if you are unsure.
Did you know?
- In German Wie geht's? is often a greeting, so a short Gut, danke is enough as an answer.
Examples in context
- Servus, wie geht's?Hi, how are you?
- Wie geht es dir heute?How are you today?
- Guten Tag, wie geht es Ihnen?Good day, how are you?
Example conversation
Herr Gruber meets his neighbor Frau Huber on the stairs in Salzburg.
- Herr GruberGrüß Gott, Frau Huber. Wie geht es Ihnen?Hello, Mrs. Huber. How are you?
- Frau HuberGut, danke. Und Ihnen?Fine, thanks. And you?
- Herr GruberAuch gut, danke.Also fine, thanks.
