German · Greetings & Essentials
"How are you?" in German: Wie geht's?
Wie geht's?
Note: formal: Wie geht es Ihnen?
How are you in informal German is Wie geht's? or Wie geht es dir?. Use it with friends and family. With strangers or in formal settings, say Wie geht es Ihnen?.
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How to pronounce Wie geht's?
Say it
vee gates
/viː ˈɡeːts/
vee gates. Geht's blends geht and es. Soft s at the end.
"How are you?" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Wie geht's? | How's it going? Most common informal form. | Most common informal form. |
| Wie geht es dir? | How are you? (du) Slightly fuller informal version. | Slightly fuller informal version. |
| Wie geht es Ihnen? | How are you? (Sie) Formal polite form. | Formal polite form. |
| Alles klar? | All good? Casual alternative among friends. | Casual alternative among friends. |
How to use Wie geht's? in real life
- 1Meeting a friend
Hey! Wie geht's dir heute?
Hey! How are you today?
Dir marks the informal you.
- 2Quick check-in
Kurz gefragt: Wie geht's?
Quick question: how's it going?
Wie geht's? alone is complete.
- 3After a hard week
Na, wie geht's nach den Prüfungen?
So, how are you after the exams?
Add context after the fixed phrase.
Mistakes English speakers make with Wie geht's?
Incorrect: Wie geht's? (to a formal client, then wait for a life story)
Correct: Wie geht es Ihnen? — and expect a short Gut, danke.
Formal how-are-you is Wie geht es Ihnen?, and answers stay brief.
Incorrect: Wie gehst du?
Correct: Wie geht's? / Wie geht es dir?
Don't conjugate gehen onto du here. The fixed phrases use geht's or geht es.
Good to know
Among strangers, Wie geht's? is less automatic than in American English. Shop staff may skip it. With friends it is a real question: answer briefly, then ask back Und dir?.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Running into a classmate
ChatPal
Hallo! Wie geht's?
Hi! How's it going?
You
Ganz gut. Und wie geht's dir?
Pretty good. And how are you?
ChatPal
Auch okay. Stressig, aber wie geht's dem Kurs?
Also okay. Stressful, but how's the class going?
You
Läuft. Wir sehen uns später!
It's going. See you later!
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Practice this conversation in ChatPal"How are you?" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "How are you?" in German
What is the informal how are you?
Wie geht's? or Wie geht es dir?
What is the formal version?
Wie geht es Ihnen?
How should I answer?
Gut, danke. Und dir? Keep it short unless you are close.
Is Wie geht's used with everyone?
Mostly with people you know. With strangers Hallo or Guten Tag may be enough.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
