😊

How to Say ‘How are you?’ in German

Wie geht es Ihnen?

vee gayt es EE-nen

[vee gayt es EE-nen]

💬 Usage Tip: German puts the person in the Ihnen form here, not Sie. With a friend it becomes Wie geht es dir?, usually shortened to Wie geht's?.

🇩🇪 In Germany: This is a real question in Germany, not just a greeting. Expect an honest answer, like a sore back, and be ready to respond to it.

Phrase Breakdown

Wie geht es

vee gayt es

How are

Literally 'how goes it'. 'Wie' sounds like 'vee'.

Example

Wie geht es dir?

How are you? (informal)

Words in this phrase

Wie

[vee]

how

Question word meaning 'how'; useful when asking how you want your coffee beans prepared or selected.

Example

Wie möchten Sie den Kaffee?

How would you like the coffee?

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)

The dative form of the formal 'Sie'. Say EE-nen with a long 'i'.

Example

Danke, und Ihnen?

Thanks, and you?

Words in this phrase

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?

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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