Wéi geet et?
How Are You? Wéi Geet Et?
Wéi geet et? means How are you? The answer is Et geet mir gutt (I am fine), or just Gutt, merci.
How It Works
Asking
- Wéi geet et? – the general question, fine with anyone.
- Wéi geet et dir? – to a friend (du). In fast speech this is Wéi geet et der?
- Wéi geet et Iech? – to someone you say Dir to, or to several people. See Du or Dir.
- Wéi geet et dem Paul? – how is Paul?
Answering
- Et geet mir gutt. or Mir geet et gutt. – I am fine.
- Gutt, merci. An dir? / An Iech? – Fine, thanks. And you?
- Et geet. – So-so.
- Net esou gutt. – Not so well.
Why the dative?
The subject is et, and the person is an indirect object in the dative: mir, dir, him, hir, Iech. So the nominative pronouns ech, du and Dir never appear in this question or its answer.
Examples (6)
- Moien, wéi geet et?
Hi, how are you?
Word by Word: Hello, how goes it?
- Wéi geet et dir? – Et geet mir gutt, merci.
How are you? – I’m fine, thank you.
Word by Word: How goes it to-you? – It goes to-me well, thanks.
- Wéi geet et Iech, Madamm Weber?
How are you, Mrs Weber?
Word by Word: How goes it to-you, Madam Weber?
Iech is the polite dative you.
- Mir geet et gutt. An dir?
I’m fine. And you?
Word by Word: To-me goes it well. And to-you?
- Haut geet et mir net esou gutt.
I’m not feeling so well today.
Word by Word: Today goes it to-me not so well.
- Wéi geet et dem Paul?
How is Paul?
Word by Word: How goes it to-the Paul?
Names take an article, here the dative dem.
Common Mistakes
Answering with sinn, as in English.
Ech si gutt.Et geet mir gutt.Ech si gutt says that you are good, for example good at something or a good person. It does not say that you are feeling fine. Use Et geet mir gutt.
Using du instead of the dative dir.
Wéi geet et du?Wéi geet et dir?The person is in the dative in this question, so du becomes dir.
Using polite Dir instead of the dative Iech.
Wéi geet et Dir?Wéi geet et Iech?The polite subject pronoun is Dir, but its dative form is Iech.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before How Are You? Wéi geet et?, learn Hello and Goodbye: Moien and Äddi and How: Wéi.
Related Patterns
- mir / dir / him / hir (Dative)Dative Pronouns
The answer uses the dative pronouns mir, dir and Iech.
Level 2 - goenTo Go: Goen
Geet is the third-person form of goen (to go).
Level 1 - du or Dir?
Choose between dir and Iech the same way you choose between du and Dir.
Level 2 - et ass mer kalFeeling Cold or Sick: Et Ass Mer Kal
Et ass mer kal also uses et and a dative person to describe how someone feels.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Wéi geet et? in Bubblegum
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