was geht ab?
The English phrase "what is going on?" can be translated into German as was geht ab?
was geht ab? is used as an informal greeting to ask someone how they are or to inquire about what is happening.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, was geht ab? means "what goes off?", where was means "what" and geht ab is a separable verb meaning "to go off" or "to happen.".
Which one should you use?
While was geht ab? serves as a casual greeting, Was ist los? is more commonly used to ask what is wrong or to inquire about a specific situation or problem. A shorter, even more slangy version of the phrase is Was geht?
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
was geht ab? is highly colloquial and should be used primarily with friends or peers rather than in professional settings.
Did you know?
- While was geht ab? is a casual greeting, the verb abgehen can also describe a party or event that is particularly wild or high-energy.
- If you use was geht ab? with a stranger or a superior, it can sound jarringly aggressive or overly familiar, almost like using 'what's up, dude?' in a business meeting.
- The German word was is a direct cognate of the English word 'what', meaning they share a common ancestor from the Proto-Germanic language *hwat.
Examples in context
- Was ist hier los?What is going on here?
- Was ist los? Ich habe gehört, du hattest gestern eine Prüfung.What is going on? I heard you had an exam yesterday.
- Hey, was geht ab?Hey, what's up?
Example conversation
Julian and Julia meet at a cafe.
- JulianHi Julia, was geht ab?Hi Julia, what's going on?
- JuliaNicht viel, und bei dir?Not much, and with you?
- JulianAlles gut, ich bin gerade erst angekommen.All good, I just arrived.
- JuliaSuper, wollen wir bestellen?Great, shall we order?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ab, was, CC BY-SA 4.0.
