Hoe gaat het?
everyday, Flanders
In Flanders you can ask Hoe gaat het? for "how are you". Friends often use the French borrowing Ça va?, and Hoe gaat het met u? is the polite version.
Meaning: greeting asking about someone's well-being (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Dutch | Note |
|---|---|
| Hoe gaat het? | everyday, Flanders |
| Hoe gaat het met u? | formal |
| Ça va? | casual, Flanders |
Hoe gaat het? works with colleagues, neighbors and shop staff. A common reply is Goed, en met u? or Goed, en met jou?
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Use u with older people and in formal settings. Between friends jij or the Flemish gij is normal, so Hoe gaat het met jou? is a safe informal choice.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Flemish speakers happily mix in Ça va?, which Dutch speakers in the Netherlands use far less. The words themselves are standard Dutch.
Did you know?
- Flemish is not a separate language. It is the name for the Dutch spoken in Flanders, the northern part of Belgium.
Examples in context
- Hoe gaat het met je?How are you doing?
- Ça va? Alles goed?How are you? Everything fine?
- Hoe gaat het met u, mevrouw?How are you, madam?
Example conversation
Jonas meets his neighbor Els in front of their house in Ghent.
- JonasDag Els, hoe gaat het?Hello Els, how are you?
- ElsGoed, dank je. En met jou?Good, thank you. And you?
- JonasOok goed, merci.Also good, thanks.
