Wie geht es dir?
The German phrase for "how are you?" is Wie geht es dir?
You can use the variation Wie geht es Ihnen heute? to express interest in how someone is doing specifically today, or Wie geht es Ihnen gerade? to convey concern about a person's immediate state. In casual spoken German, the contraction Wie geht's? is a common way to say "how's it going?" Additionally, Alles klar bei dir? can be used informally to mean "Is everything okay with you?"
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?
Wie geht es dir? is used for one person in an informal setting, whereas Wie geht es Ihnen? is the formal singular version. For a casual and shortened version, you can use Wie geht's?
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing a group of two or more people whom you address informally, use Wie geht es euch?
When do people say it?
A common and natural response to Wie geht es dir? is Gut, danke.
Did you know?
- Unlike in English, where 'how are you' is a standard greeting, Germans often use Wie geht es dir? only when they actually want a detailed answer about your well-being.
- In some German regions, people might respond to Wie geht's? with Muss ja, which literally means 'it must' and implies that they are surviving despite difficulties.
- The English word 'why' and the German word wie share a common ancestor, making them distant linguistic cousins.
Example conversation
Julian and Julia meet at a park.
- JulianHallo Julia, wie geht es dir?Hello Julia, how are you?
- JuliaMir geht es gut, danke!I am doing well, thanks!
- JulianDas freut mich zu hören.I am happy to hear that.
- JuliaUnd wie geht es dir?And how are you?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dir, es, wie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
