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How to Say ‘How are you feeling after the operation?’ in German

Wie geht es Ihnen nach der Operation?

vee gayt es EE-nen nahkh dair oh-peh-raht-SYOHN

[vee gayt es EE-nen nahkh dair oh-peh-raht-SYOHN]

🇩🇪 In Germany: On the ward this is a real question, not small talk. Patients are expected to answer honestly, including about pain or nausea.

Phrase Breakdown

Wie geht es Ihnen

vee gayt es EE-nen

How are you (formal)

The standard polite way to ask how someone is.

Example

Wie geht es Ihnen heute?

How are you today?

Words in this phrase

Wie

[vee]

how

A question word used to ask about manner, method, or condition.

Example

Wie heißt du?

What is your name?

geht

[gayt]

goes / is going

Part of the phrase meaning 'how is it going'.

Example

Wie geht es dir heute am Abend?

How are you today in the evening?

[es]

A neutral pronoun used to refer to a thing previously mentioned.

Example

Es ist ein schöner Tag.

It is a beautiful day.

Ihnen

[EE-nen]

you (formal, dative)

The formal 'you' in the dative case, used in polite professional situations.

Example

Darf ich Ihnen eine Frage zur Kultur im Unternehmen stellen?

May I ask you a question about the culture in the company?

nach der Operation?

nahkh dair oh-peh-raht-SYOHN

after the operation?

A time phrase with 'nach' plus the dative. Stress -TION at the end.

Example

Nach der Operation bleibe ich im Bett.

After the operation I stay in bed.

Words in this phrase

nach

[nahkh]

After

Indicates a direction following motion or change.

Example

Gehen Sie nach Hause.

Go home.

der

[dair]

the

Feminine article in the dative case, used after 'in' for location.

Example

Das steht in der Zeitung.

That's in the newspaper.

Operation

[oh-peh-raht-SYOHN]

operation, surgery

A surgical procedure; feminine noun (die Operation).

Example

Die Operation hat zwei Stunden gedauert.

The operation took two hours.

Guides for German learners

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