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Short answer

“how are you” in German is Wie geht es dir?

How to say how are you in German?

How to say how are you in German: the everyday phrase is 'Wie geht es dir?' (roughly pronounced 'vee gayt es deer'), and in casual chat you will almost always hear the short form 'Wie geht's?'. In formal situations, say 'Wie geht es Ihnen?' instead. Germans often answer briefly with 'Gut, danke' before asking the same question back. So learn both the du and Sie versions, and you can greet people naturally in any situation.

phraseWie geht's? / Wie geht es Ihnen? Updated November 5, 2026

Common pairings

Wie geht's dir?Wie geht es Ihnen?Mir geht es gut, danke.Und dir?Und Ihnen?

How to use it

  • Use 'Wie geht es dir?' and the short form 'Wie geht's?' with people you address as du – friends, family and people your own age.
  • Switch to 'Wie geht es Ihnen?' whenever you would use Sie: with strangers, in professional settings and with older people you do not know.
  • Germans usually expect a short, honest answer like 'Gut, danke.' You can return the question with 'Und dir?' (informal) or 'Und Ihnen?' (formal).

Examples

Wie geht's?
How's it going?
The shortened everyday form of 'Wie geht es dir?' – use it with friends and people you already call du.
Wie geht es Ihnen?
How are you? (formal)
The polite version for strangers, in shops, at work or with older people. Ihnen is the formal dative 'you'.
Mir geht's gut, und dir?
I'm doing well, and you?
A natural answer-and-return question. 'dir' is casual; use 'Ihnen' in the formal version.
Wie geht es dir heute?
How are you today?
Adding heute ('today') makes a normal greeting more personal; still informal with dir.

Common mistakes

WrongCorrectWhy
Wie geht es du? Wie geht es dir? After 'geht es', the person asked about takes the dative. 'dir' is the dative form of 'du'.
UnnaturalNaturalWhy
Wie geht es mit dir? Wie geht es dir? The standard phrase uses the dative alone, not 'mit dir'. Adding 'mit' is understandable but not how natives say it.

FAQ

  1. How to say how are you in German
    Use 'Wie geht es dir?' informally, shorten it to 'Wie geht's?' in everyday speech, or say 'Wie geht es Ihnen?' in formal situations.
  2. Is 'Wie geht's?' impolite?
    No, it is informal but not impolite. Use it with people you address as du; choose 'Wie geht es Ihnen?' for strangers and business contexts.
  3. How do you answer 'Wie geht es dir?' in German?
    You can say 'Gut, danke' (good, thanks) or 'Mir geht's gut' (I'm doing well). Ask back with 'Und dir?' or, formally, 'Und Ihnen?'.
  4. What is the difference between 'dir' and 'Ihnen'?
    'dir' is the informal dative of 'du', used with friends and family. 'Ihnen' is the formal dative of 'Sie', used with strangers and in professional situations.