Ways to say it
| German | Note |
|---|---|
| wie geht es dir? | informal |
| wie geht es? | |
| wie geht’s? | |
| wie geht es Ihnen? | formal, plural, singular |
| wie geht es euch? | informal, plural |
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase wie geht es dir? literally translates to "How goes it to you?"
Which one should you use?
Use wie geht es dir? for one person you know well, and wie geht es euch? for a group of people you know well. If you are speaking to someone you do not know well or are in a professional setting, use the formal wie geht es Ihnen? The shortened forms wie geht es? and wie geht’s? are also common in casual conversation.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
wie geht es dir? and wie geht es euch? are informal. The form wie geht’s? is a highly contracted, colloquial version used in casual conversation. For formal situations, such as when addressing a stranger or a superior, use wie geht es Ihnen?
Is it said differently in some regions?
Na, wie geht's denn? is a colloquial expression used in some regions, especially in the south.
How does it change in a sentence?
In these phrases, the person being addressed is in the dative case because the verb gehen requires it. In wie geht es dir?, dir is the dative form of du (informal singular). In wie geht es euch?, euch is the dative form of ihr (informal plural). In wie geht es Ihnen?, Ihnen is the dative form of the formal Sie (formal singular or plural).
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying Wie bist du? to ask how someone is. Although this is a literal translation of "how are you" in English, it is incorrect in German.
When do people say it?
A common and natural response to these greetings is Gut, danke. (Fine, thanks.).
Did you know?
- While wie geht's? is common, some Germans may respond to a greeting with na?, which functions as a combined 'hello' and 'how are things?'
- Depending on the region, the response to wie geht es? might be passt schon, which roughly means 'it fits' or 'it's okay'.
- The verb gehen usually means 'to walk', but in this phrase it describes the state of one's life or well-being.
Examples in context
- Wie geht es euch?How are you?This sentence is useful for practicing the informal plural form wie geht es euch?Tatoeba #901351 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #373320 by CK
- Guten Abend! Wie geht’s?Good evening. How are you?This sentence shows how to use the colloquial contraction wie geht’s? in a greeting.Tatoeba #444481 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #6985178 by Eccles17
- Hallo Mimi! Wie geht es?Hi, Mimi! How are you doing?This sentence demonstrates the use of the standard form wie geht es?Tatoeba #674967 by samueldora, translation #54601 by Zifre
- Guten Tag, Herr Müller! Wie geht es Ihnen heute?Good day, Mr. Müller! How are you today?
- Hallo Tim! Wie geht es dir?Hello Tim! How are you?
- Moin Laura! Alles klar bei dir?Hey Laura! Everything okay with you?
- Moin Svenja! Wie geht's dir so?Hey Svenja! How are you doing?
- Servus Max! Na, wie geht's denn?Hi Max! How are you?
- 79 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sarah meets Lukas at a local cafe.
- SarahHallo Lukas, wie geht es dir?Hello Lukas, how are you?
- LukasMir geht es gut, danke!I am doing well, thanks!
- SarahDas freut mich zu hören.I am happy to hear that.
- LukasUnd selbst? Wie geht es dir?And yourself? How are you?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “how are you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
