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

Wie geht es Ihnen?

VEE gayt es EE-nen

[VEE gayt es EE-nen]

💬 Usage Tip: Ihnen is the polite form of dir, and it's always written with a capital I. Lowercase ihnen means "to them".

Phrase Breakdown

Wie geht es

VEE gayt es

How is it going

The start of 'How are you?'. 'Wie' sounds like 'vee' and 'geht' like 'gate'. Speakers often blend it into 'Wie geht's'.

Example

Wie geht es dir?

How are you? (informal)

Words in this phrase

Wie

[VEE]

how

In what way or manner.

Example

Wie geht es dir?

How are you?

geht

[gayt]

goes; is going

Used in es geht to talk about someone's condition.

Example

Uns geht es gut, danke, nach dem langen Tag.

We are doing well, thank you, after the long day.

[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

for you? (formal)

The formal dative 'you', used with strangers and adults you address as 'Sie'. Say 'EE-nen' with a long 'ee'.

Example

Danke, Ihnen!

Thank you! (formal)

Words in this phrase

Ihnen

[EE-nen]

you (formal, to you)

The formal dative form used when speaking politely to one person or more than one person.

Example

Ich zeige Ihnen ein anderes Zimmer.

I will show you another room.

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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