How to Say How Are You in German
How do you say how are you in German? Say 'Wie geht's?' (vee gates) casually or 'Wie geht es Ihnen?' formally. Pronunciation guide and how to answer.
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Quick answer
To say 'how are you?' in German, say 'Wie geht's?' (vee gates) casually, 'Wie geht es dir?' (vee gate es deer) to one friend, or the formal 'Wie geht es Ihnen?' (vee gate es EE-nen). It literally means 'how does it go?' A common reply is 'Gut, danke' (good, thanks).
Wie geht's?
/vee gates/ — German
How to Say How Are You in German
Asking “how are you?” is the natural follow-up to a greeting — and German phrases it as “how does it go?” rather than how you are. The form you pick signals how formal the relationship is. Pair this with how to say hello in German and how to say thank you in German for a complete conversation opener.
The Standard Phrase: Wie geht’s?
Wie geht’s? — pronounced vee gates — is the casual, everyday way to ask “how are you?”
It’s a contraction of Wie geht es dir? (“how does it go for you?”). The full forms add the appropriate “you”:
- Wie geht es dir? — to one person, informal
- Wie geht es euch? — to a group, informal
- Wie geht es Ihnen? — formal/polite
Copy the Phrase
The casual German phrase for “how are you?” is Wie geht’s? (vee gates).
Formal vs. Informal
| German | Pronunciation | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Wie geht’s? | vee gates | Casual contraction — friends, everyday |
| Wie geht es dir? | vee gate es deer | Informal (du) — one friend, family |
| Wie geht es euch? | vee gate es oykh | Informal plural — a group of friends |
| Wie geht es Ihnen? | vee gate es EE-nen | Formal (Sie) — strangers, work, elders |
The difference is which word for “you” you use: dir/euch (informal) versus Ihnen (formal). German takes this distinction seriously — use Ihnen with people you’d address as Sie.
Casual Alternatives
| German | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Na? | nah | ”So? / how’s it going?” (very casual) |
| Wie läuft’s? | vee loyfts | ”How’s it going?” (lit. “how does it run?”) |
| Alles gut? | AH-les goot | ”All good? / everything okay?” |
| Was geht? | vahs gate | ”What’s up?” (slangy, young) |
| Wie geht es so? | vee gate es zo | ”How are things?” |
A simple Na? is one of the most distinctly German casual openers — a single questioning sound that bundles “hi” and “how are you?” together.
How to Answer
| German | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Gut, danke | Good, thanks |
| Sehr gut | Very good |
| Ganz gut | Pretty good |
| Es geht | So-so / okay |
| Nicht so gut | Not so good |
| Schlecht | Bad |
| Alles gut | All good |
Then return the question:
- Und dir? — And you? (informal)
- Und Ihnen? — And you? (formal)
A Cultural Note on “Wie geht’s?”
Unlike the English “How are you?”, which is often just a greeting expecting “fine,” Germans tend to take Wie geht’s? more literally — especially with friends. Ask it, and you may get an honest answer about someone’s actual day. With strangers it’s still somewhat formulaic, but the cultural expectation of sincerity is stronger than in English. A neutral, honest Es geht (“so-so”) is a perfectly normal reply.
Pronunciation Tips
- Wie: the ‘w’ is a ‘v’ sound — “vee,” not “wee.”
- geht’s: hard ‘g’ as in “go”; the contracted “es” gives a final ‘s,’ so “gates.”
- Ihnen: “EE-nen,” with a long ‘ee’ and a clean ‘n.’ Capitalize it in writing — the formal Ihnen is always capitalized.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say how are you in German?
Casually, say 'Wie geht's?' (vee gates), a contraction of 'Wie geht es dir?' To a single friend it's 'Wie geht es dir?' (vee gate es deer); formally it's 'Wie geht es Ihnen?' (vee gate es EE-nen). It literally means 'how does it go?'
How do you pronounce Wie geht's?
It's pronounced 'vee gates.' 'Wie' = 'vee' (the 'w' is a 'v' sound). 'Geht's' = 'gates,' a contraction of 'geht es.' The 'g' is hard as in 'go.' Together it sounds almost like the English word 'gates' preceded by 'vee.'
What is the difference between Wie geht es dir and Wie geht es Ihnen?
It's formality. 'Wie geht es dir?' uses 'dir,' the informal 'you,' for friends, family and peers. 'Wie geht es Ihnen?' uses 'Ihnen,' the formal/polite 'you,' for strangers, elders, and professional settings. To a group of friends you'd say 'Wie geht es euch?'
What does Wie geht's literally mean?
'Wie geht's' literally means 'how does it go?' — 'wie' = how, 'geht' = goes, and 's' is the contracted 'es' (it). German asks how things are 'going' rather than how you 'are,' so the full form is 'Wie geht es dir?' = 'how does it go for you?'
How do you answer Wie geht's in German?
Common replies: 'Gut, danke' (good, thanks), 'Sehr gut' (very good), 'Es geht' (so-so / okay), 'Ganz gut' (pretty good), 'Nicht so gut' (not so good), or 'Schlecht' (bad). Then return the question with 'Und dir?' (and you? — informal) or 'Und Ihnen?' (formal).