I’m reading some online discussion as to whether ‘wie geht es’ and ‘wie geht’s’ is simply another greeting, rather than volunteering specifics of how one actually feels. It concluded that if you know the person posing the question well you might consider offering more than ‘Danke, gut. Und Dir?’
Could you clarify expectation of usage?
Thanks.
Juliane Klingenberg Nery2018-02-21 at 10:25
Hello Karen,
I agree, many times, we just say “Hi, wie geht’s?” not expecting a detailed report on how the person is, especially if we don’t know the person well. And sometimes I even find myself saying “gut” when I am actually not feeling that good, super tired, or sick…
It depends a lot on the person who is asking and on the context. If I’m meeting a friend for coffee, I know he/she really wants to know and we have time to talk about it. A person behind the welcome desk of a fitness center who I have seen a couple of times might also ask “Wie geht’s?” but I know there is no real interest or time to talk. 🙂
Sometimes it’s also just an opening question which you can use to talk about what’s going on in your life. For example, I could answer “Ja, es geht mir gut. Wir sind gestern an einen See gefahren.” (We went to a lake yesterday.) And then the conversation develops from that.
Or, if someone asks you how you are knowing that you have spent some time at a hospital, that person will probably also really want to know.
Bis bald,
Juliane
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. AcceptRead More
Hi Juliane,
I’m reading some online discussion as to whether ‘wie geht es’ and ‘wie geht’s’ is simply another greeting, rather than volunteering specifics of how one actually feels. It concluded that if you know the person posing the question well you might consider offering more than ‘Danke, gut. Und Dir?’
Could you clarify expectation of usage?
Thanks.
Hello Karen,
I agree, many times, we just say “Hi, wie geht’s?” not expecting a detailed report on how the person is, especially if we don’t know the person well. And sometimes I even find myself saying “gut” when I am actually not feeling that good, super tired, or sick…
It depends a lot on the person who is asking and on the context. If I’m meeting a friend for coffee, I know he/she really wants to know and we have time to talk about it. A person behind the welcome desk of a fitness center who I have seen a couple of times might also ask “Wie geht’s?” but I know there is no real interest or time to talk. 🙂
Sometimes it’s also just an opening question which you can use to talk about what’s going on in your life. For example, I could answer “Ja, es geht mir gut. Wir sind gestern an einen See gefahren.” (We went to a lake yesterday.) And then the conversation develops from that.
Or, if someone asks you how you are knowing that you have spent some time at a hospital, that person will probably also really want to know.
Bis bald,
Juliane