het gaat goed
het gaat goed is the Dutch way to say "I am good".
het gaat goed is a standard, neutral response used to say that you are doing well when someone asks how you are, typically following the question "Hoe gaat het?"
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase het gaat goed literally translates to "it goes well".
Which one should you use?
While het gaat goed is the standard response, you might hear the informal phrase Het gaat lekker, which means "Things are going well.".
How does it change in a sentence?
To specify that you personally are doing well, you can add met mij to the end of the phrase, forming het gaat goed met mij.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying ik ben goed to mean you are doing well. In Dutch, this implies that you are a good person or that you are skilled at a specific task.
Did you know?
- When you use the informal phrase Het gaat lekker, you are using a word that literally means 'tasty' or 'delicious' to describe your life's progress.
- In the Netherlands, saying het gaat goed is often a social politeness rather than a literal report. Like in English, people may say it even if they are having a mediocre day to avoid oversharing.
- The word goed descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʰedʰ-, which is a common ancestor for many words related to fitting or joining.
Examples in context
- Het gaat goed.I am good.This example shows the use of het gaat goed.Tatoeba #9022254 by Micsmithel, translation #1120792 by cntrational
- Ja, het gaat goed met mij.Yes, I am doing well.
Example conversation
Julia and Daan meet at a coffee shop.
- JuliaHoi Daan, hoe is het?Hi Daan, how is it going?
- DaanHoi Julia, het gaat goed!Hi Julia, I am doing well!
- JuliaFijn om te horen.Good to hear.
- DaanEn met jou?And with you?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries goed, het, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
