In German
Wie geht es dir?
Meaning: how are you
Formal or informal? “Wie geht es dir?” is informal (friends, family). “Wie geht es Ihnen?” is formal (strangers, bosses, older people).
Example sentences
Hallo,wiegehtesdir?
Hello, how are you?
WiegehtesIhnen,HerrSchmidt?
How are you, Mr Schmidt?
Danke,gut.Unddir?
Good, thanks. And you?
Grammar note
“Gehen” is irregular in the phrase “es geht”. “Dir” and “Ihnen” are dative forms, because the phrase is “es geht mir gut” (I'm well).
Common mistake
Don't say “Wie bist du?” to mean how are you. It means “what kind of person are you?”.
Quick check
Which question means “how are you?” to a friend?
More words on this topic
Keep learning German
Practise it in a lesson →Frequently asked questions
How do I reply to “Wie geht es dir?”
“Gut, danke. Und dir?” (Good, thanks. And you?) is the usual answer.
What is “Wie geht's?”
A shortened, casual form of “Wie geht es dir?”.