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

Wie geht's?

vee gayts

[vee gayts]

💬 Usage Tip: Literally "how goes it?", with es "it" shortened to 's. The polite version is Wie geht es Ihnen?.

🇩🇪 In Germany: Germans usually expect a real answer, not just a reflex reply. Save it for people you actually know.

Phrase Breakdown

Wie

[vee]

how

Question word asking for an amount.

Example

Wie viel trinken Sie am Tag?

How much do you drink per day?

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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