How to Say “How Are You Today?” in German

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Wie geht es dir heute?
In German, the phrase 'how are you today?' is expressed as Wie geht es dir heute?
This phrase is a friendly greeting used to ask someone about their current well-being or mood. While Wie geht es dir heute? is the standard way to ask this, it is more specific than the general Wie geht es dir? (How are you?) because it includes the word for 'today'.

What does it mean word for word?

Literally, Wie geht es dir heute? translates to 'How goes it to you today?' This is because German uses the dative case for the person being asked.

Which one should you use?

The phrase Wie geht es dir heute? specifically includes the word 'heute' (today), making it a more specific inquiry than the more general Wie geht es dir? (How are you?).

Is it said differently in some regions?

In Swiss German, you may encounter the commonly used phrase Wie gaht's?

How does it change in a sentence?

The pronoun changes based on who you are addressing: use dir for an informal single person, Ihnen for a formal single person and euch if you are addressing a group of two or more people whom you know informally.

What mistakes should you avoid?

Avoid saying Ich bin gut to mean 'I am doing well'. In German, this phrase actually means 'I am a good person' or 'I am good at something'.

When do people say it?

When someone asks how you are, a common response is Mir geht es gut, danke (I am doing well, thank you), which literally means 'To me it goes well, thanks'. If the person responds that they are not doing well, you can show empathy by saying Das tut mir leid (I'm sorry to hear that) or Ich hoffe, es geht dir bald besser (I hope you feel better soon).

Did you know?

  • The word heute shares an ancestral root with the Old English word 'hēodæġ', which is the ancestor of our modern 'today'.
  • The German word heute is related to the word 'heuer', which is used to refer to 'this year'.

Examples in context

  • Hallo, wie geht es dir heute?
    Hello, how are you today?
  • Sag mal, wie geht es dir heute?
    Tell me, how are you today?

Example conversation

Two friends meet at a local cafe.

  1. Hannah

    Hallo Felix, wie geht es dir heute?
    Hello Felix, how are you today?
  2. Felix

    Mir geht es sehr gut, danke!
    I am doing very well, thanks!
  3. Hannah

    Das freut mich zu hören.
    I am happy to hear that.
  4. Felix

    Und wie geht es dir, Hannah?
    And how are you, Hannah?

Sources

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Avery Sadie
Avery SadieHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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