How To Say How Are You in German

How to say how are you in German is one of those tiny phrases that does a lot of heavy lifting. In English, “How are you?” can be a real question, a polite greeting, or just social glue. German does the same thing, but with a little more structure and a bit more attitude about formality. Classic Germany.

For the broader learning path, visit our parent guide.

The main phrase you will hear in polite situations is Wie geht es Ihnen? If that looks a bit stiff, yes, it can be. That is normal. German likes clear boundaries, especially with strangers, teachers, customers, and anyone wearing a badge.

By the end of this guide, you will know how to ask “How are you?” in German politely, casually, and naturally, plus how to answer without sounding like a robot who just escaped from grammar class.

Table of Contents

The Main Ways To Say “How Are You?”

There is no single perfect phrase for every situation. German chooses based on formality, relationship, and sometimes region. That is the fun little trap.

German	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
Wie geht es Ihnen?	vee gayt ess EE-nen	How are you? (formal)	Wie geht es Ihnen? Ich hoffe, es geht Ihnen gut.	How are you? I hope you are well.	Use with strangers, older people, teachers, customers, and in polite settings.
Wie geht es dir?	vee gayt ess deer	How are you? (singular informal)	Wie geht es dir? Hast du heute Zeit?	How are you? Do you have time today?	Use with friends, family, and people you know well.
Wie geht’s?	vee gayts	How’s it going?	Wie geht’s? Lange nicht gesehen!	How’s it going? Long time no see!	Very common, casual, and short. The full form is Wie geht es?

Notice the little apostrophe in Wie geht’s? That is just a contraction of geht es. Germans love contractions almost as much as they love not making small talk too long.

What Each Part Means

The formal phrase is built very simply:

Pattern	Meaning	German Example	English Translation	Learner Note
Wie	How	Wie geht es Ihnen?	How are you?	Used at the start of the question.
geht es	is going / is it going	Wie geht es Ihnen?	How are you?	This is the core verb phrase. gehen means “to go,” but here it means “to be doing.”
Ihnen	to you (formal)	Wie geht es Ihnen?	How are you?	This is the formal “you” in the dative case. Do not use du here.
dir	to you (informal)	Wie geht es dir?	How are you?	Informal singular “you.”

Ihnen is capitalized because it is the formal pronoun. That capital letter is not decoration. German is serious about this kind of thing.

Wie geht es Ihnen? is polite and safe. If you are not sure whether to use du or Sie, choose Sie.

Useful Variations You Will Actually Hear

Here are the most practical versions, from formal to casual. The pronunciation help is simple on purpose. No need to frighten yourself with phonetic fireworks.

German	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
Wie geht es Ihnen?	vee gayt ess EE-nen	How are you? (formal)	Wie geht es Ihnen? Haben Sie einen Moment?	How are you? Do you have a moment?	Very standard in formal German.
Wie geht es dir?	vee gayt ess deer	How are you? (informal)	Wie geht es dir? Alles okay?	How are you? Is everything okay?	Good for one person you know well.
Wie geht’s?	vee gayts	How’s it going?	Wie geht’s? Schon lange nicht gesehen.	How’s it going? Haven’t seen you in ages.	Short, common, and friendly.
Na, wie geht’s?	nah vee gayts	Well, how’s it going?	Na, wie geht’s? Du siehst müde aus.	So, how’s it going? You look tired.	Na is a very German little opener. Casual and natural.
Alles gut?	AH-less goot	Everything good?	Alles gut? Du wirkst heute etwas still.	Everything okay? You seem a bit quiet today.	Very casual. Often used like “You okay?”
Alles klar?	AH-less klar	All clear? / Everything okay?	Alles klar? Dann bis später.	All good? Then see you later.	Can mean “Are you okay?” or “Got it?” depending on context.
Wie läuft’s?	vee lurfsts	How’s it going? / How’s it progressing?	Wie läuft’s? Läuft die Arbeit gut?	How’s it going? Is work going well?	Very common in conversation, especially about work or projects.
Was gibt’s Neues?	vass geepts NOY-es	What’s new?	Was gibt’s Neues? Erzähl mal!	What’s new? Tell me!	Not the same as “How are you,” but often used as a follow-up.
Wie steht’s?	vee shtayts	How’s it going? / How are things standing?	Wie steht’s? Mit dir alles gut?	How are things? Everything good with you?	Casual and a little old-school, but still understandable.
Wie geht es euch?	vee gayt ess oykh	How are you all? (informal plural)	Wie geht es euch? Habt ihr gut geschlafen?	How are you all? Did you sleep well?	Use with a group of people you know well.
Wie geht es Ihnen allen?	vee gayt ess EE-nen AH-len	How are you all? (formal plural)	Wie geht es Ihnen allen? Ich freue mich, Sie zu sehen.	How are you all? I’m glad to see you.	Useful in meetings, groups, or public speaking.

If you want to compare greetings and small talk in a bigger picture, it helps to also know how to say hello in German and a few basic questions in German. The phrases travel together like awkward little siblings.

How To Answer “How Are You?” In German

When someone asks you Wie geht es dir? or Wie geht es Ihnen?, the polite answer is usually short. Germans do not always expect a full emotional documentary.

German	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
Gut, danke.	goot DAHN-keh	Good, thanks.	Gut, danke. Und Ihnen?	Good, thanks. And you?	The safest answer. Short and polite.
Sehr gut.	zayr goot	Very good.	Sehr gut. Alles läuft super.	Very good. Everything is going great.	Positive and natural.
Ganz gut.	gahnts goot	Pretty good.	Ganz gut. Ich bin ein bisschen müde.	Pretty good. I’m a little tired.	Very common and realistic.
Es geht.	ess gayt	So-so. / It’s going.	Es geht. Nicht schlecht, nicht toll.	So-so. Not bad, not great.	Very useful when you are not amazing but also not falling apart.
Nicht schlecht.	nikht shleht	Not bad.	Nicht schlecht. Danke der Nachfrage.	Not bad. Thanks for asking.	Common, natural, slightly understated.
So lala.	zoh la-LAH	So-so / meh	So lala. Der Tag war lang.	So-so. The day was long.	Informal and honest.
Nicht so gut.	nikht zoh goot	Not so good.	Nicht so gut. Ich habe schlecht geschlafen.	Not so good. I slept badly.	Useful when you want to be honest without drama.
Super!	SOO-per	Great!	Super! Danke, alles passt.	Great! Thanks, everything fits.	Very common in casual German.
Prima!	PREE-mah	Great! Nice! Fine!	Prima! Und bei dir?	Great! And you?	Friendly, upbeat, and still widely understood.
Na ja.	nah yah	Well, you know…	Na ja. Es könnte besser sein.	Well… It could be better.	Hints that things are only okay.

A very useful reply pattern is:

Pattern	Meaning	German Example	English Translation	Learner Note
Gut, danke. Und Ihnen?	Good, thanks. And you?	Gut, danke. Und Ihnen?	Good, thanks. And you?	Polite and complete.
Gut, danke. Und dir?	Good, thanks. And you?	Gut, danke. Und dir?	Good, thanks. And you?	Informal version.
Ganz gut, danke.	Pretty good, thanks.	Ganz gut, danke.	Pretty good, thanks.	Simple and natural.

Polite Versus Casual: The Big Difference

The most important choice is between Sie and du. That is the formal/informal “you” system. English has basically one “you,” so this can feel a little dramatic at first. German, meanwhile, stays committed to the bit.

Type	German	Use It With	Learner Note
Formal singular/plural	Wie geht es Ihnen?	Strangers, customers, teachers, older people, professional settings	Safe default when unsure.
Informal singular	Wie geht es dir?	Friends, family, children, people who invited you to use du	Do not use with strangers unless the situation is very casual.
Informal plural	Wie geht es euch?	Two or more people you know well	Useful for groups of friends.
Formal plural	Wie geht es Ihnen allen?	A group in a polite setting	Good for meetings or presentations.

One tiny detail: Wie geht es Ihnen? literally uses a verb form that sounds like “How is it going to you?” English speakers often want to translate it word-for-word, but that leads to weird little sentence monsters. Better to learn it as a fixed phrase.

Common Follow-Up Questions

In real conversations, Wie geht es dir? is often just the opening move. The next question usually shows the conversation is actually happening, not just being performed.

German	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
Und dir?	oont deer	And you?	Gut, danke. Und dir?	Good, thanks. And you?	Very common after answering.
Und Ihnen?	oont EE-nen	And you? (formal)	Gut, danke. Und Ihnen?	Good, thanks. And you?	Formal and polite.
Und selbst?	oont zelst	And yourself?	Gut, danke. Und selbst?	Good, thanks. And yourself?	Polite but a little more elevated.
Was machst du so?	vass makhst doo zoh	What are you up to?	Was machst du so? Lange nicht gesprochen.	What are you up to? We haven’t spoken in a while.	Casual small talk.
Was gibt’s bei dir Neues?	vass geepts bye deer NOY-es	What’s new with you?	Was gibt’s bei dir Neues? Erzähle mal.	What’s new with you? Tell me.	Great for friendly chats.

If you want a more complete picture of question building, the companion guide on basic questions in German will help. German likes to reuse patterns instead of inventing five new ones just to be difficult. Very efficient. Slightly smug.

Pronunciation Tips That Matter

These little sound details make your German sound more natural right away:

Wie sounds like “vee,” not “why.”
geht has a long ay-like sound: “gayt.”
es is short and soft: “ess.”
Ihnen has a long first syllable: “EE-nen.”
dir sounds like “deer,” but shorter.
Wie geht’s? becomes one smooth chunk: “vee gayts.”
ch in words like nicht is the light hissy sound, not an English “k.”
r in standard German is often softer than English, especially in casual speech.

One thing to remember: German v often sounds like f, but that does not matter much in Wie geht es Ihnen? Still, pronunciation is a game of tiny details. That is the whole sport.

Mini Dialogue Examples

These are the kinds of exchanges you will actually hear in everyday life.

German	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
Guten Morgen! Wie geht es Ihnen?	GOO-ten MOR-gen vee gayt ess EE-nen	Good morning! How are you?	Guten Morgen! Wie geht es Ihnen? – Danke, gut.	Good morning! How are you? – Thanks, good.	Polite morning greeting.
Hallo! Wie geht’s?	HAH-loh vee gayts	Hello! How’s it going?	Hallo! Wie geht’s? – Ganz gut, und dir?	Hello! How’s it going? – Pretty good, and you?	Casual and friendly.
Na, alles gut?	nah AH-less goot	So, everything okay?	Na, alles gut? – Ja, danke!	So, everything okay? – Yes, thanks!	Common in friendly conversation.
Wie läuft’s bei der Arbeit?	vee lurfsts bye dehr AR-byt	How’s work going?	Wie läuft’s bei der Arbeit? – Es läuft ganz gut.	How’s work going? – It’s going pretty well.	Useful for jobs and projects.

For comparison, if you want to pair this with a friendly opening like say hello in German, the two topics fit together nicely. You greet first, then ask how the person is doing. Revolutionary behavior, honestly.

Useful Notes On Tone And Register

German phrase choice is not just about grammar. It is about social distance.

Wie geht es Ihnen? = polite, respectful, neutral.
Wie geht es dir? = friendly, familiar, direct.
Wie geht’s? = casual and very common.
Alles gut? = casual, often used like “You okay?”
Na, wie geht’s? = warm, familiar, conversational.
Wie läuft’s? = casual, often about work, study, or plans.

In shops, offices, and formal situations, Wie geht es Ihnen? is the safe choice. Among friends, Wie geht’s? or Alles gut? sounds more natural. If you use the wrong one, people will usually understand you just fine. German speakers are not waiting in the bushes to judge your pronouns. Usually.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

These are the mistakes English speakers make most often.

Wrong / Awkward	Better	Why
Wie bist du?	Wie geht es dir?	“How are you?” is usually not Wie bist du? in German.
Wie geht dir?	Wie geht es dir?	You need the full phrase geht es.
Wie geht’s Sie?	Wie geht es Ihnen?	Sie becomes Ihnen here.
Wie geht es du?	Wie geht es dir?	du changes to dir in this phrase.
Wie geht’s Ihnen?	Wie geht es Ihnen? or Wie geht’s?	Short form is casual. Mixed formal/informal can sound odd.
Ich bin gut. as the only answer	Gut, danke. or Mir geht es gut.	Ich bin gut sounds like “I am morally good” or “I’m okay as a person,” which is not the usual reply.

A more natural answer is Mir geht es gut — “I am doing well.” The mir here is a dative pronoun, but you do not need to wrestle it to the ground right now. Just remember the phrase as a whole.

Quick Practice

Try these out loud. Your mouth learns faster than your textbook does.

Say the formal question: Wie geht es Ihnen?
Say the informal singular question: Wie geht es dir?
Say the casual short form: Wie geht’s?
Answer politely: Gut, danke. Und Ihnen?
Answer casually: Ganz gut, danke. Und dir?
Answer honestly but simply: Es geht.
Ask a friend what is new: Was gibt’s bei dir Neues?
Ask a group politely: Wie geht es Ihnen allen?

Now swap the formality:

Change dir to Ihnen where needed.
Change du language to Sie language in polite settings.
Keep the full phrase geht es unless you are using the contraction geht’s.

Mini challenge: translate these into German.

How are you? (formal)
How are you? (informal)
How’s it going?
I’m doing well, thanks.
And you?

Suggested answers: Wie geht es Ihnen?, Wie geht es dir?, Wie geht’s?, Mir geht es gut, danke., Und Ihnen? or Und dir?

Regional And Usage Notes

In standard German across Germany, Wie geht es Ihnen? and Wie geht’s? are both normal. In Austria and Switzerland, the same standard forms are also understood and widely used. Some regions may favor slightly different greetings or small talk habits, but the core phrase is the same.

In spoken German, people often shorten things. So do not be surprised if you hear:

Wie geht’s?
Alles klar?
Na?
Alles gut?

Na? can be a greeting, a gentle opener, or a “well?” depending on tone. German does a lot with very little. Annoying? Sometimes. Efficient? Also yes.

If you want a boringly reliable dictionary check, Duden’s entry for gehen is a good place to confirm the verb and its many uses. Not glamorous, but dependable. Like a well-made umbrella.

Quick Reference Summary

Wie geht es Ihnen? = polite, formal “How are you?”
Wie geht es dir? = informal singular “How are you?”
Wie geht’s? = casual “How’s it going?”
Gut, danke. Und Ihnen/dir? = “Good, thanks. And you?”
Mir geht es gut. = “I’m doing well.”
Es geht. = “So-so.”
Alles gut? = “Everything okay?”
Was gibt’s Neues? = “What’s new?”

Yak Takeaway: If you are not sure, use Wie geht es Ihnen? for polite situations and Wie geht’s? for casual ones. German small talk may be brief, but the pronouns are serious business.