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How to Say ‘How are you? (informal)’ in German

Wie geht's?

vee gayts

[vee gayts]

💬 Usage Tip: geht's is short for geht es, and this shortening is common in speech: Wie spät ist's? "what time is it?".

Phrase Breakdown

Wie

[vee]

how

Question word meaning 'how'.

Example

Ich frage: „Wie geht es dir?“, und das Wort „Wie“ startet die Frage.

I ask: “How are you?”, and the word “Wie” starts the question.

geht's

[gayts]

it's going / let's get going

A spoken contraction used to mean that the action is starting now.

Example

Los geht's, wir starten mit der ersten Aufnahme.

Here we go, we’re starting with the first recording.

Guides for German learners

Duolingo vs Pimsleur: Tapping on a Screen or Talking Out Loud?Duolingo vs Pimsleur: five minutes of tapping versus thirty minutes of speaking. What each is good at, what each costs, and which to pick for your goal.

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