A1 Phrases
“How are you?” is one of the first phrases you’ll want in German, and one of the easiest to get slightly wrong. The words are simple: Wie geht’s? But Germans use it differently from English speakers, and the answer they expect is different too. In this guide you’ll learn how to say how are you in German formally and informally, how to pronounce it, casual and regional alternatives, ten natural ways to answer, and short dialogues you can copy.
Quick answer
The most common way to say how are you in German is Wie geht’s? (vee GAYTS), short for Wie geht es dir? (informal) or Wie geht es Ihnen? (formal). A typical answer is Gut, danke. Und dir? (Good, thanks. And you?). Unlike in English, Germans usually ask it only when they really want to know, not as a greeting to strangers.
This phrase is part of our guide to German phrases and greetings. If you need the greeting that usually comes before it, see Guten Tag.
What Does “Wie geht’s?” Mean?
Wie geht’s? literally means “How goes it?” It’s a contraction of Wie geht es? The full forms add who you’re asking about, in the dative:
| German | Literal | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Wie geht es dir? | How goes it to you? | informal: friends, family, kids |
| Wie geht es Ihnen? | How goes it to you? (formal) | formal: colleagues, strangers, older people |
| Wie geht es euch? | How goes it to you all? | a group of friends |
| Wie geht’s? | How’s it going? | casual, everyone you’d say du to |
That’s why the answer starts with mir (to me): Mir geht es gut (I’m fine, literally “To me it goes well”).
How to Pronounce It
- Wie = “vee” (German w sounds like English v, and ie like “ee”)
- geht’s = “gayts” (one syllable, long “ay” without a glide, sharp “ts” at the end)
So: vee GAYTS. In Wie geht es Ihnen? say “vee gayt ess EE-nen”.
When to Use It
Formal
Use Wie geht es Ihnen? with people you address as Sie: a colleague you don’t know well, a neighbor, your doctor, a client. It’s warm and polite.
Guten Morgen, Herr Schmidt! Wie geht es Ihnen?Good morning, Mr. Schmidt! How are you?
Informal
Use Wie geht’s? or Wie geht’s dir? with friends, classmates, family and anyone you call du. Not sure which to use? See our guide to formal and informal greetings in German greetings.
Regional
In Bavaria and Austria you’ll hear Wie schaut’s aus? (How’s it looking?) and Griaß di, wie geht’s?. In northern Germany, a simple Na? often does the job. Swiss German speakers say Wie gaht’s?.
It’s not a throwaway greeting
In the US or UK, “How are you?” is often just “hello”. In Germany, Wie geht’s? is a real question. Don’t ask a cashier or stranger, and expect an honest answer from friends, sometimes including the bad news. A quick Gut, danke is fine, but Germans won’t find it odd if you say Nicht so gut, ich bin erkältet (Not so good, I have a cold).
Alternatives
| Phrase | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|
| Wie geht es Ihnen? | How are you? | formal |
| Wie geht’s? | How’s it going? | informal |
| Na? / Na, alles gut? | Hey? / All good? | very casual |
| Alles klar? | All OK? | casual |
| Wie läuft’s? | How’s it going? | casual |
| Was geht? | What’s up? | slang, young people |
| Wie schaut’s aus? | How’s it looking? | casual, Bavaria/Austria |
| Wie geht es dir so? | How are things with you? | informal, warm |
Formality meter: Wie geht es Ihnen? (formal) → Wie geht’s dir? (friendly) → Alles klar? (casual) → Na? / Was geht? (very casual, friends only).
How to Respond
Here are ten natural answers, from great to not so great. Add danke and return the question: Und dir? (informal) or Und Ihnen? (formal).
| Answer | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Sehr gut, danke! | Very good, thanks! |
| Super! / Prima! | Great! |
| Alles bestens. | Everything’s great. |
| Gut, danke. | Good, thanks. |
| Mir geht’s gut. | I’m doing well. |
| Ganz gut. | Pretty good. |
| Es geht. / Geht so. | So-so. |
| Na ja … | Well… (not great) |
| Nicht so gut. | Not so good. |
| Schlecht. | Bad. |
„Wie geht’s dir?“ – „Ganz gut, danke. Und dir?“ – „Auch gut!““How are you?” – “Pretty good, thanks. And you?” – “Good too!”
A polite extra: Danke der Nachfrage (Thanks for asking). And if someone says they’re not well, a sympathetic Oh, das tut mir leid (Oh, I’m sorry to hear that) or Was ist los? (What’s wrong?) is natural.
Why “Es geht” is a great learner answer
Learners often freeze because they think they need a perfect sentence. Es geht (It’s okay) is short, honest and very German. Having two or three ready-made answers stored as chunks frees up attention for listening to the other person.
Example Dialogues
Two friends
Lena: Hey Tom! Wie geht’s?Lena: Hey Tom! How’s it going?
Tom: Super, danke! Ich habe heute frei. Und dir?Tom: Great, thanks! I have the day off. And you?
Lena: Geht so. Ich habe viel Arbeit.Lena: So-so. I have a lot of work.
At work (formal)
Frau Keller: Guten Morgen, Herr Ahmed. Wie geht es Ihnen?Ms Keller: Good morning, Mr. Ahmed. How are you?
Herr Ahmed: Danke, gut. Und Ihnen?Mr. Ahmed: Fine, thank you. And you?
Frau Keller: Auch gut, danke der Nachfrage.Ms Keller: Fine too, thanks for asking.
Meeting a friend who’s unwell
Sara: Na, alles gut?Sara: Hey, all good?
Jonas: Nicht so gut. Ich bin erkältet.Jonas: Not so good. I have a cold.
Sara: Oh, das tut mir leid. Gute Besserung!Sara: Oh, I’m sorry. Get well soon!
FAQs
How do you say how are you in German?
Wie geht’s? or Wie geht es dir? informally, and Wie geht es Ihnen? formally.
How do you respond to Wie geht’s?
Gut, danke. Und dir? (Good, thanks. And you?) Other options: Sehr gut, Es geht (so-so) or Nicht so gut (not so good).
Is Wie geht’s formal or informal?
Informal. With people you address as Sie, use Wie geht es Ihnen?
Do Germans say Wie geht’s to strangers?
Not usually. It’s a real question, so it’s used with people you know. With strangers, a simple Hallo or Guten Tag is enough.
What does Mir geht’s gut mean?
I’m doing well. Literally, “To me it goes well”, which is why mir (dative) is used.
Conclusion
To ask how are you in German, say Wie geht’s? or Wie geht es dir? to friends and Wie geht es Ihnen? to everyone you call Sie. Answer with Gut, danke. Und dir? or any of the ten replies above, and remember that Germans mean the question. When it’s time to leave, you’ll need the other half of the conversation: goodbye in German.
Sources and further reading: DWDS: gehen, Duden and the Goethe-Institut A1 course materials.
Keep learning → How to introduce yourself in German (with example dialogues)
