mach's gut
/maxs ɡuːt/
The English phrase 'stay well' can be expressed in German as mach's gut.
mach's gut is a friendly way to say goodbye and wish someone the best.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase mach's gut is a contraction of mach es gut, which literally means 'do it well'.
Which one should you use?
For example, Bleib gesund is used to specifically mean 'stay healthy' in an informal context, whereas the formal Bleiben Sie gesund also translates to 'stay healthy'. To express 'take good care of yourself', you can use the informal Pass gut auf dich auf or the formal Passen Sie gut auf sich auf. Additionally, Möge es Ihnen gut gehen is a formal way to say 'may you be well'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase mach's gut, the apostrophe indicates the elision of the word es (it).
Did you know?
- In German, the word gut does not only mean 'good' but can also refer to a 'landed estate' or 'manor' when used as a noun.
- While mach's gut is a common farewell, using Bleib gesund became an incredibly frequent societal staple during the COVID-19 pandemic, shifting from a rare wish to a standard goodbye.
- The word gut shares the same ancient Proto-Indo-European root as the English word 'good', both originating from a concept of 'uniting' or 'fitting together'.
Examples in context
- Mach's gut!Stay well!
- Bis morgen, mach's gut.See you tomorrow, stay well.
- Tschüss, mach's gut!Bye, stay well!
Example conversation
Julian and Julia are saying goodbye after a coffee date.
- JulianEs war schön mit dir.It was lovely with you.
- JuliaJa, ich muss jetzt gehen.Yes, I have to go now.
- JulianAlles klar, mach's gut, Julia!All right, stay well, Julia!
- JuliaDanke, mach's auch gut, Julian!Thanks, you stay well too, Julian!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry mach's gut, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gut, mach's gut, CC BY-SA 4.0.
