How do you say "How are you?" in German?

"How are you?" in German is "Wie geht es dir?". This phrase is commonly used in Germany.

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How to Say ‘How are you?’ in German

Q: What does "Wie geht es dir?" mean in English?

"Wie geht es dir?" means "How are you?" in English. Usage tip: [dir] is the informal "you" here. For formal situations, swap it to [Ihnen]: [Wie geht es Ihnen?].

Wie geht es dir?

vee gayt ess deer

[vee gayt ess deer]

💬 Usage Tip: [dir] is the informal "you" here. For formal situations, swap it to [Ihnen]: [Wie geht es Ihnen?].

🇩🇪 In Germany: This is for people you address with [du]. With a new neighbour, older stranger, or someone in a formal setting, [Wie geht es Ihnen?] is safer.

Phrase Breakdown

Wie geht es

vee gayt ess

how is it going

A common fixed greeting phrase used to ask how someone is doing.

Example

Wie geht es Ihnen?

How are you?

Words in this phrase

Wie

[vee]

how

Question word used to ask about manner or condition.

Example

Wie geht es dir heute?

How are you today?

geht

[gayt]

goes / is going

From the verb used in the expression for asking how someone is doing.

Example

Wie geht es dir nach der Arbeit?

How are you after work?

[ess]

Pronoun used in the fixed phrase 'Wie geht es dir?'.

Example

Wie geht es dir heute Abend?

How are you this evening?

dir

[deer]

you

Informal dative form of 'du', used in expressions like asking how someone is.

Example

Wie geht es dir, Anna?

How are you, Anna?

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