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How to Say ‘So, how are you?’ in German

Na, wie geht's dir?

nah vee gayts deer

[nah vee gayts deer]

🇩🇪 In Germany: Na is a relaxed opener among friends, neighbours and colleagues you know well. It sounds too casual for a stranger or your boss's boss.

Phrase Breakdown

Na, wie

nah vee

So, how

'Na' is a casual opener like 'so' or 'well'. Pronounce 'wie' like English 'vee'.

Example

Na, wie war's?

So, how was it?

Words in this phrase

[nah]

so? / what's up?

As a question on its own, a very casual greeting meaning 'how's it going?'.

Example

Na, alles klar?

So, everything good?

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 dir?

gayts deer

are you doing?

'geht's' is short for 'geht es' and sounds like 'gayts'. 'dir' means 'to you' (informal).

Example

Wie geht's dir heute?

How are you today?

Words in this phrase

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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