Mir geht's gut
The German phrase for "I am fine" is Mir geht's gut.
Mir geht's gut is a response used to say that you are doing well or feeling healthy when someone asks about your well-being. You can also use the casual phrase Alles in Ordnung to express that you are fine.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Mir geht's gut literally translates to "To me it goes well".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the dative pronoun Mir (to me) instead of the nominative Ich (I) because the German construction describes how things are going to a person. While Mir geht's gut is the most common contracted form, Mir geht es gut is the full, uncontracted grammatical version. To say the opposite, such as "I am doing badly", you can replace gut with schlecht.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying Ich bin gut to mean you are doing well. In German, this phrase implies that you are a "good person" or "good at a skill" rather than describing your current well-being.
Did you know?
- In many German dialects, the word mir can unexpectedly mean 'we' instead of 'me' due to an ancient linguistic blending of the words wir and mir.
Examples in context
- Mir geht's gut, und dir?I am fine, and you?This sentence is useful for practicing how to ask the other person how they are doing using Mir geht's gut.Tatoeba #356545 by MUIRIEL, translation #872223 by japegon
- Wenn jemand fragt, wie es Ihnen geht, können Sie sagen: "Mir geht es gut."When someone asks how you are, you can say: "I am fine."
- Wenn Sie einem älteren Kollegen begegnen, können Sie sagen: "Es geht mir gut."When you meet an older colleague, you can say: "I am fine."
- Wenn dich ein Freund fragt, wie es dir geht, kannst du sagen: "Mir geht's gut."When a friend asks how you are, you can say: "I am fine."
- Wenn deine Schwester fragt, ob alles in Ordnung ist, kannst du sagen: "Alles in Ordnung."When your sister asks if everything is okay, you can say: "I am fine."
- Danke, mir geht's gut.Thanks, I am fine.
- Mir geht's gut, danke der Nachfrage.I am fine, thanks for asking.
Example conversation
Laura and Felix meet at a cafe.
- LauraHallo Felix, wie geht es dir?Hello Felix, how are you?
- FelixMir geht's gut, danke!I am fine, thanks!
- LauraDas freut mich zu hören.I am happy to hear that.
- FelixUnd wie geht es dir, Laura?And how are you, Laura?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gut, mir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
