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How to Say ‘How are you?’ in German

Wie geht's dir?

vee gayts deer

[vee gayts deer]

💬 Usage Tip: geht's is short for geht es, and dir is the du form. With someone you call Sie, it becomes Wie geht es Ihnen?.

🇩🇪 In Germany: Germans tend to take this as a real question and may give an honest answer, tiredness and all. Don't ask in passing unless you're ready to listen.

Phrase Breakdown

Wie

[vee]

how

Question word used to ask about amount or manner.

Example

Für wie viele Gäste reservieren Sie?

For how many guests are you reserving?

geht's

[gayts]

is it going

Short for 'geht es'; used in asking how someone is doing.

Example

Wie geht's Ihnen heute?

How are you today?

dir

[deer]

to you

Dative pronoun meaning 'to you' in informal singular form.

Example

Ich sende dir später die Adresse.

I will send you the address later.

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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