Knowing how to say “hello” in German and how to ask someone their name are great starting points for learning German. But to truly engage in conversation, you need to know how to ask, “How are you?” in German.
Asking “How are you?” might seem like a simple question, but in German-speaking countries, it carries different social nuances than it does in English-speaking cultures. Whether it’s considered polite, genuinely caring, or even a bit awkward depends heavily on the situation and your relationship with the person you’re speaking to. Don’t worry, though! This guide will walk you through the various ways to ask “How are you?” in German and help you navigate these social cues with confidence.
In many English-speaking countries, particularly in America, “How are you?” has become almost a reflex, uttered in every social interaction from casual encounters with the cashier to greetings from your boss. Often, it’s more of a pleasantry than a genuine question, with no real answer expected beyond a quick “Fine, thanks.”
Similarly, in German, the phrase “Wie geht’s?” with a casual intonation can function as a rhetorical question, much like its English counterpart.
This casual usage is particularly useful in situations like:
- Meeting someone for the first time in an informal setting.
- Breaking the ice or filling an awkward silence with someone you don’t know well.
- Initiating a conversation with a stranger you’d like to get to know better.
However, it’s important to note that in German-speaking countries, where small talk isn’t as prevalent as in some English-speaking cultures, this rhetorical use of “Wie geht’s?” is less frequent. More often than not, asking “How are you?” in German is perceived as a genuine inquiry about someone’s well-being.
Therefore, if someone asks you “Wie geht’s dir?” and seems to pause, expecting more than a cursory response, it’s your cue to offer a sincere answer. In these instances, providing a bit more detail about how you’re actually doing is considered polite and thoughtful.
Germans are more likely to expect a real answer when they ask “How are you?” in circumstances such as:
- Catching up with a friend after a period of not being in contact.
- Checking in on someone known to be going through a challenging time.
- Sending a text message to a colleague who had to leave work due to illness.
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The Basics: Saying “How are you?” in German
When you start learning German, one of the first questions you’ll likely have is how to say “How are you?” Luckily, the most common way is concise and easy to remember: “Wie geht’s?” pronounced “Vee – gehts” (with “gehts” sounding like a drawn-out “gets”).
A slightly longer and more grammatically complete version is “Wie geht es dir?,” which literally translates to “How does it go to you?” This is still considered relatively informal but slightly more attentive than just “Wie geht’s?“
Generally, “Wie geht’s?” is a safe and versatile option for most situations. You can use it with friends, colleagues, and even your boss in a more relaxed work environment. It strikes a balance between casual and polite. However, depending on the formality of the situation or if you are addressing someone of higher status, more formal expressions are available and more appropriate.
Formal Ways to Ask “How are You?” in German
In formal situations, such as when speaking to someone you don’t know well, addressing a superior, or in professional contexts, it’s best to use the formal version: “Wie geht es Ihnen?“
To make it even more specific and context-appropriate, you can add time indicators, for example: “Wie geht es Ihnen heute Abend?” (How are you this evening?). There are various other formal variations depending on the situation.
Here’s a table with formal and semi-formal ways to ask “How are you?” in German:
| English | German | IPA | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| How are you doing? | Wie geht es dir? | [ˌviː ˈɡeːt əs ˌdiːɐ̯] | Vee geht as dear |
| How are you (to a stranger) | Wie geht es Ihnen? | [ˌviː ˈɡeːt əs ˈiːnən] | Vee geht as een-en |
| How are you feeling? | Wie fühlst du dich? | [ˌviː fyːlst duː dɪç] | Vee fülst do dich |
| How are you doing today? | Wie geht es dir heute? | [ˌviː ˈɡeːt əs ˌdiːɐ̯ ˈhɔɪ̯tə] | Vee geht as dear hoiteh |
| How have you been? | Wie ist es dir ergangen? | [ˌviː ɪst əs diːɐ̯ ɛɐ̯ˈɡaŋənən] | Vee isst as dear er-gung-en |
| How is work going? | Wie läuft es auf der Arbeit? | [vi: lɔʏ̯ft ɛs aʊ̯f de:ɐ̯ ˈaʁbaɪ̯t] | Vee loift es ouf der Ar-bite |
| What’s new? | Was gibt es Neues? | [vas gi:pt ɛs ˈnɔʏ̯əs] | Vuss geebt as Noies |
| How are you? (plural) | Wie geht es euch? | [vi: ge:t ɛs ɔʏ̯ç] | Vee geht as oich |
| What have you been up to? (plural) | Was habt ihr so gemacht? | [vas ha:pt i:ɐ̯ zo: ɡəˈmaxt] | Vuss hubt eer zo gehmacht |
Informal and Slang Ways to Ask “How are you?” in German
When you’re chatting with close friends or family, you can relax and use more casual and informal ways to ask “How are you?” In these contexts, the question is often a sign of genuine care, and a more elaborate answer is expected—something beyond a simple “fine.” To have a meaningful conversation with a German speaker, showing interest in their well-being, family, or work is highly valued.
The closer you are to someone, the more specific your questions can become. If you know details about their life, such as the names of their partner, pets, or children, asking about them is a thoughtful gesture. If they’ve mentioned a specific event, like a relative’s surgery or a child’s milestone, following up on those events is also very appropriate and appreciated. Germans generally value genuine interest over superficial small talk.
Here are some informal and slang ways to ask “How are you?” in German:
| English | German | IPA | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| How are you? | Wie geht’s? | [ˌviː ˈɡeːts] | Vee gehts |
| Hey, how are you? | Na, wie geht’s? | [na vi: ge:ts] | Nuh, vee gehts |
| Are you ok? | Alles ok? | [ˈaləs əʊˈkeɪ] | Ull-les ok |
| How is everything with you? | Wie läuft’s bei dir? | [ˌviː lɔɪ̯fts baɪ̯ ˌdiːɐ̯] | Vee loifts by dear |
| What have you been up to? | Was hast du so gemacht? | [vas hast du: zo: ɡəˈmaxt] | Vuss hust do zo geh-macht |
| Are you alright? | Geht’s dir gut? | [ge:ts di:ɐ̯ gu:t] | Gehts dear goot |
| How is your family? | Wie geht’s deiner Familie? | [vi: ge:ts ˈdaɪ̯nɐ [faˈmiːliə] | Vee gehts die-ner Fuh-me-lee-eh |
| How are your parents? | Wie geht’s deinen Eltern? | [vi: ge:ts ˈdaɪ̯nən ˈɛltɐn] | Vee gehts die-nen El-tarn |
| How are the kids? | Wie geht’s den Kindern? | [vi: ge:ts deːn ˈkɪndɐn] | Vee gehts den Kin-darn |
| How is your dog? | Wie geht’s deinem Hund? | [vi: ge:ts ˈdaɪ̯nəm hʊnt] | Vee gehts die-nem Hoond |
| How is your cat? | Wie geht’s deiner Katze? | [vi: ge:ts ˈdaɪ̯nɐ ˈkatsə] | Vee gehts die-ner cut-tseh |
| Did you sleep well? | Gut geschlafen? | [ɡuːt ɡəˈʃlaːfn̩] | Goot geh-shlah-fen |
| Is everything good? | Alles klar? | [ˈaləs klaːɐ̯] | Ulles clarr |
| Is everything good with you? (singular) | Alles klar bei dir? | [ˈaləs klaːɐ̯ baɪ̯ di:ɐ̯] | Ulles clarr bye dear |
| Is everything good with you? (plural) | Alles klar bei euch? | [ˈaləs klaːɐ̯ baɪ̯ ɔʏ̯ç] | Ulles clarr bye oich |
| How is everything with you? (plural) | Wie läuft’s bei euch? | [vi: lɔʏ̯fts baɪ̯ ɔʏ̯ç] | Vee loifts bye oich |
| What’s up? | Was geht? | [vas ge:t] | Vuss geht |
| What’s up? | Was läuft? | [vas lɔʏ̯ft] | Vuss loift |
| What’s up, buttercup? | Wie geht’s, wie steht’s? | [vi: ge:ts vi: ʃte:ts] | Vee gehts vee shtets |
How to Respond When Someone Asks “How are You?” in German
Knowing how to ask “How are you?” is only half the battle. You also need to be prepared to respond when someone asks you! The appropriate response in German, just like in English, depends on your relationship with the person asking. If you have a trusting and open relationship, even with your boss, you can feel comfortable giving an honest answer, even if you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed. In fact, being honest about not feeling great can sometimes open up opportunities for support and problem-solving.
If someone specifically asks “Wie fühlst du dich?” (How are you feeling?), they are definitely expecting a genuine answer about your emotional or physical state. For a more comprehensive guide on expressing emotions in German, you can explore our article on German emotions.
Here are various ways to respond to “How are you?” in German, ranging from positive to negative and neutral:
| English | German | IPA | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| I’m good. How are you? | Mir geht’s gut, und dir? | [mi:ɐ̯ ge:ts gu:t ʊnt di:ɐ̯] | Meer gehts goot, oond dear |
| I’m fine, how are you? | Mir geht’s gut, wie geht’s dir? | [mi:ɐ̯ ge:ts gu:t vi: ge:ts di:ɐ̯] | Meer gehts goot, vee gehts dear |
| I’m feeling great, thanks! | Ich fühle mich großartig, danke! | [ɪç ˈfyːlə mɪç ˈɡʁoːsˌʔaːɐ̯tɪç ˈdaŋkə] | Ich fühle mich gross-artich, dunk-eh |
| We’re good | Uns geht’s gut | [ʊns ge:ts gu:t] | Oons gehts goot |
| Splendid | Bestens | [ˈbɛstn̩s] | Bestens |
| Great | Super | [ˈzuːpɐ] | Zooper |
| Fantastic | Fantastisch | [fanˈtastɪʃ] | Fun-tust-ish |
| Swell | Prima | [ˈpʁiːma] | Preemah |
| So-so | Solala | [ˈzoːˌlaˌla] | Zolala |
| Meh… | Naja… | [ˈnaˈjaː] | Nuh-yah |
| It could be worse | Es könnte schlimmer sein | [ɛs ˈkœntə ˈʃlɪmɐ zaɪ̯n] | As könnte shlim-mah zine |
| Not too bad, thanks, and yourself? | Nicht schlecht, danke, und selbst? | [nɪçt ʃlɛçt ˈdaŋkə ʊnt zɛlpst ] | Nicht shlecht, dunk-eh, oond selbst |
| I’m a little tired, but good thank you! | Ich bin ein bisschen müde, aber gut, danke! | [ɪç bɪn aɪ̯n bɪsçən ˈmyːdə abɐ gu:t ˈdaŋkə] | Ich bin ine biss-chen mü-deh, uh-ber goot, dunk-eh |
| I’ve been better | Mir ging’s schon besser | [mi:ɐ̯ gɪŋs ʃo:n ˈbɛsɐ] | Mere gings shone besser |
| I’m not feeling so great today | Mir geht’s heute nicht so besonders | [mi:ɐ̯ ge:ts ˈhɔɪ̯tə nɪçt zo: bəˈzɔndɐs] | Meer gehts hoit-eh nicht zo be-zon-dares |
| I got up on the wrong side of bed today | Ich bin heute mit dem falschen Fuß aufgestanden | [ɪç bɪn ˈhɔɪ̯tə mɪt de:m ˈfalʃn̩ fu:s ˈaʊ̯fɡəˌʃtandn̩] | Ich bin hoit-eh mit dem fulshen foos ouf-geh-shtun-den |
| I’m miserable | Mir geht’s furchtbar | [mi:ɐ̯ ge:t ɛs ˈfʊʁçtbaːɐ̯] | Meer gehts foorcht-bar |
| Not good | Nicht gut | [nɪçt gu:t] | Nicht goot |
| I’m having a bad day today | Ich habe heute einen schlechten Tag | [ɪç ha:bə ˈhɔɪ̯tə ˈaɪ̯nən ˈʃlɛçtn̩ taːk] | Ich huh-beh hoi-teh ine-nen shlecht-en Tug |
| I’ll be fine | Ich komm’ schon klar | [ɪç kɔm ʃo:n klaɐ̯] | Ich komm shone clarr |
| Can’t complain | Ich kann mich nicht beklagen | [ɪç kan mɪç nɪçt bəˈklaːɡn̩] | Ich cun mich nicht beh-cluh-gehn |
| I’ve never been better | Mir ging es nie besser | [mi:ɐ̯ gɪŋ ɛs ni: ˈbɛsɐ] | Meer ging as knee better |
| It’s a beautiful day today! | Heute ist ein schöner Tag! | [ˈhɔɪ̯tə ɪst aɪ̯n ˈʃøːnɐ ta:k] | Hoit-eh ist ine shön-er tug |
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Is it Always Appropriate to Ask “How are you?” in German?
Now that you’re equipped with various ways to ask “How are you?” in German, it’s crucial to understand the cultural context to use them effectively.
A common stereotype suggests that Germans are very literal and will launch into a detailed health and life update if you simply ask “How are you?”. While this is a humorous exaggeration, it touches upon a grain of truth. Germans generally aren’t as accustomed to casual small talk with strangers as people in some English-speaking cultures. Sharing personal information with those they don’t know well is often avoided.
Therefore, if you ask a complete stranger “How are you?” in German, you might be met with a puzzled look or even be ignored. If your intention is simply to acknowledge someone’s presence in passing, a simple “Hallo” (hello) with a nod or smile is more appropriate.
“How are you?” in German is generally understood as an invitation to start a conversation, not just a polite greeting. So, when considering asking “Wie geht’s dir?,” make sure you are genuinely interested in engaging in a conversation and hearing more than just a perfunctory “good.” Don’t expect the cashier at the supermarket to ask you “Wie geht es Ihnen?” as a standard greeting.
The Origin of “Wie geht es dir”: A Look at the Meaning
The English question “How are you?” is quite direct, seeking an adjective to describe your current state—good, bad, happy, tired, etc. These simple responses usually suffice.
However, in German and several other languages, the equivalent of “How are you?” translates more closely to “How does it go?” similar to the English phrase “How’s it going?”.
This phrasing reflects a deeper philosophical idea related to the passage of life and time. In German, you also say “Zeit vergeht,” which literally means “time passes by” or “time walks past.” Therefore, asking “Wie geht es dir?” is essentially inquiring, “How is time passing for you?” or “How is your life progressing?”.
It’s less about your specific, immediate state and more about a broader inquiry into the course of your life. This might explain why Germans (and speakers of other languages with similar phrasing) often give more complex and thoughtful answers than just a quick “fine.”
Connect with the Flow of Life: “Lebenslauf”
This concept of life progressing or “running by” is beautifully encapsulated in the German word “Der Lebenslauf.” This word translates to “résumé” or “CV” in English, but its literal meaning is “life’s run” or “course of life.” It evokes a vivid image of your life as a journey, where you gather skills and experiences along the way.
If you are learning German for business purposes, you’ve likely encountered the term “Lebenslauf.” Perhaps learning German itself is a skill you plan to add to your own “Lebenslauf.”
Understanding the etymology of “Lebenslauf” and its connection to “Wie geht’s dir?” reveals the richness and interconnectedness of language. Starting with a simple question like “How are you?” opens a door to deeper cultural and linguistic understanding.
As you continue your German language journey, remember that each word and phrase is a piece of a larger puzzle. Starting with basic greetings like “How are you?” and expanding your vocabulary will gradually reveal the intricate and fascinating structure of the German language.
Continue exploring the Berlitz German language blog to discover more pieces of this linguistic puzzle and enrich your understanding of German!
