How are you in German · with audio

How Are You in German: Wie geht's, Wie geht es dir, Wie geht es Ihnen

How are you

Wie geht's?

How are you in German is Wie geht's? with friends and Wie geht es Ihnen? with people you address as Sie. Literally the question means "how goes it", and the person is in the dative case: dir for a friend, Ihnen for a stranger or someone senior, euch for a group.

There is a cultural difference too. In English, "how are you" is part of the greeting and the answer is always "fine". In German it is a real question, and the person will tell you. The list below has the forms, the honest answers you will hear, and the one reply English speakers get wrong. Every phrase has audio.

Ways to ask how are you in German

Wie geht's is the everyday form. Choose dir, Ihnen, or euch depending on who you are talking to. Alles klar and Na are quick informal versions that are more greeting than question.

German	English	Note
Wie geht's? Informal, short for Wie geht es dir	How are you?	Informal, short for Wie geht es dir
Wie geht es dir? Informal, to one person you call du	How are you?	Informal, to one person you call du
Wie geht es Ihnen? Formal, to one or more people you call Sie	How are you?	Formal, to one or more people you call Sie
Wie geht's euch? Informal, to a group	How are you all?	Informal, to a group
Alles klar? Informal, often just a greeting	All good?	Informal, often just a greeting
Alles gut? Informal, also used when someone looks upset	Everything okay?	Informal, also used when someone looks upset
Na, wie geht's? Friendly opening between people who know each other	So, how are you?	Friendly opening between people who know each other
Na? Very informal. A greeting and a question in one syllable	Hey, how are you?	Very informal. A greeting and a question in one syllable
Wie läuft's? Informal. Literally "how is it running"	How's it going?	Informal. Literally "how is it running"
Was geht? Slang, young people	What's up?	Slang, young people

How to answer Wie geht es dir

Answer with es geht plus how you feel, then return the question. Und dir? is informal, Und Ihnen? is formal. Germans answer honestly, so Es geht so and Nicht so gut are normal replies, not complaints.

German	English	Note
Gut, danke. Und dir? Informal	Fine, thanks. And you?	Informal
Gut, danke. Und Ihnen? Formal	Fine, thanks. And you?	Formal
Mir geht es gut The full sentence	I am well	The full sentence
Sehr gut	Very well
Super	Great
Ganz okay	Pretty okay
Es geht Honest and very common	So-so, I am getting by	Honest and very common
Es geht so A little worse than Es geht	So-so	A little worse than Es geht
Nicht so gut People say this and mean it	Not so good	People say this and mean it
Müde A normal answer on a Monday	Tired	A normal answer on a Monday

Example sentences

Hallo Lena, wie geht's? Gut, danke. Und dir?
Hello Lena, how are you? Fine, thanks. And you?
Guten Tag, Herr Braun. Wie geht es Ihnen?
Good day, Mr. Braun. How are you?
Wie geht es euch? Uns geht es gut.
How are you all? We are well.
Na, alles klar? Ja, alles gut.
So, all good? Yes, all good.
Wie geht's? Es geht so, ich bin müde.
How are you? So-so, I am tired.
Wie geht es deiner Mutter? Danke, besser.
How is your mother? Thanks, better.

Good to know

Es geht plus the dative

The subject of the sentence is es (it), and the person is in the dative: Wie geht es dir?, Wie geht es Ihnen?, Wie geht es euch?, Wie geht es deiner Mutter? The answer keeps the pattern: Mir geht es gut, Ihr geht es besser (she is better). Never Wie geht es du or Wie geht es Sie.

It is a real question

Germans ask Wie geht es dir when they want to know, and they answer truthfully. Es geht or Nicht so gut followed by a reason is a normal reply, not rude. If you only want to greet someone, use Hallo or Na, and save Wie geht es dir for when you have a minute to listen.

Ich bin gut is wrong

English speakers translate "I am good" as Ich bin gut, which means "I am good at something" or "I am a good person". The correct answer is Mir geht es gut or just Gut. The same applies to Ich bin schlecht, which means "I am bad" rather than "I feel bad".

Wie geht's is informal

Wie geht's is the short form of Wie geht es dir, so it belongs to the du world. With a stranger, an official, or an older person, use the full Wie geht es Ihnen? In a shop or restaurant you normally do not ask at all; Hallo or Guten Tag is enough.

Pronunciation

Wie geht's is vee GAYTS, with the w sounding like an English v and geht rhyming with "gate". Ihnen is EE-nen. Dir is deer. Press play above to hear each phrase.

Practice with flashcards

This phrase and 120 more as cards. See the English, say the German, flip to check. Free, no signup.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you say how are you in German?

Wie geht's? or Wie geht es dir? to a friend, and Wie geht es Ihnen? to someone you address formally. Literally the phrase means "how goes it".

What is the difference between Wie geht's and Wie geht es Ihnen?

Wie geht's is informal, short for Wie geht es dir, and used with friends, family, and people you call du. Wie geht es Ihnen is formal and used with strangers, officials, and anyone you call Sie.

How do you respond to Wie geht es dir?

Gut, danke. Und dir? is the standard reply. Mir geht es gut is the full sentence. Honest replies like Es geht (so-so) or Nicht so gut (not so good) are also normal in German.

Do Germans ask how are you?

Yes, but as a real question, not as part of the greeting. They ask people they know and expect a true answer. Strangers and shop staff usually just say Hallo or Guten Tag.

Is it wrong to say Ich bin gut?

Yes, as an answer to how are you. Ich bin gut means I am good at something. Say Mir geht es gut or simply Gut.

What does Alles klar mean?

As a question, Alles klar? means "all good?" and is an informal way to ask how someone is. As a statement, Alles klar means "all right" or "got it".

Continue learning

Common German Phrases

Greetings, goodbyes, please and thank you, yes and no, and more, all with audio

German Phrases Flashcards

Drill the common phrases from English to German

Hello in German

Hello and Hi in German: Hallo, Guten Tag, and the Regional Greetings

Good morning in German

Good Morning in German: Guten Morgen, Morgen, and Moin

Thank you in German

Thank You in German: Danke, Danke schön, and Vielen Dank

Yes in German

Yes in German: Ja, Doch, Genau, and the Other Ways to Agree

No in German

No in German: Nein, Nicht, Kein, and the Casual Nee

You're welcome in German

You're Welcome in German: Bitte, Bitte schön, and Gern geschehen

Goodbye in German

Goodbye in German: Auf Wiedersehen, Tschüss, and Bis bald

Cheers in German

Cheers in German: Prost, Zum Wohl, and Other Toasts

Please in German

Please in German: Bitte and Its Four Meanings

Good night in German

Good Night in German: Gute Nacht, Schlaf gut, and Sweet Dreams

Excuse me in German

Excuse Me in German: Entschuldigung, Entschuldigen Sie, and Verzeihung

Sorry in German

Sorry in German: Es tut mir leid, Entschuldigung, and How to Apologize

Good evening in German

Good Evening in German: Guten Abend, Schönen Abend, and Guten Tag

Welcome in German

Welcome in German: Willkommen and Herzlich willkommen

My name is in German

My Name Is in German: Ich heiße, Ich bin, and Mein Name ist

Happy birthday in German

Happy Birthday in German: Alles Gute zum Geburtstag and Herzlichen Glückwunsch

I love you in German

I Love You in German: Ich liebe dich, Ich hab dich lieb, and Mein Schatz