mir geht's gut
In German, the phrase "I am doing good" is expressed as mir geht's gut.
mir geht's gut is a response used to say that you are feeling well or healthy when someone asks how you are.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a contraction of mir geht es gut, which literally translates to "to me it goes well".
Which one should you use?
To express the opposite, that you are not doing well, you replace gut with schlecht to say mir geht's schlecht.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The contracted form mir geht's gut is used in informal contexts. The uncontracted form mir geht es gut is slightly more formal or deliberate.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the dative pronoun mir (to me) rather than the nominative ich (I) because the state of "going well" is being applied to the person.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say ich bin gut to mean they are doing well. However, in German, ich bin gut means "I am a good person" or "I am good at something".
Did you know?
- In Germany, responding with mir geht's gut to a casual greeting is often seen as a polite formality rather than a literal report on one's health.
- In some older German dialects, the word mir could also function as a way to say 'we', a quirk that traces back to historical linguistic shifts and contractions.
- If you answer a greeting with gut alone, it is an acceptable and very common shorthand for the full phrase mir geht's gut.
Examples in context
- Danke, mir geht's gut.Thanks, I am doing good.
- Ja, mir geht's gut, danke der Nachfrage.Yes, I am doing good, thanks for asking.
Example conversation
Lukas and Laura meet at a cafe.
- LukasHallo Laura, wie geht es dir?Hello Laura, how are you?
- LauraHallo Lukas, mir geht's gut, und dir?Hello Lukas, I am doing good, and you?
- LukasAuch gut, danke.Also good, thanks.
- LauraSchön zu hören.Good to hear.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gut, mir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
