10 Wie geht es dir/Ihnen?
Wie geht es dir/Ihnen?
- Wie geht es dir? – Gut, und dir?
- (informal) How are you? – Good, and you?
- Wie geht es Ihnen? – Gut, und Ihnen?
- (formal) How are you? – Good, and you?
- Gut! / Nicht gut!
Trick question: what is it that makes the first question informal and the second one formal? How can you tell?
Situation: You are late for a class on the other side of campus and are trying to get there as fast as possible, but you keep running into people you know. Since you don’t have time for lengthy conversations, exchange brief greetings and ‚how are you’s‘ with three different people from the class you know. Address them informally and use their first names when you greet them.
Aufgabe 1. Fill in the appropriate pronouns in the following conversations.
Conversation 1: Frau Kurzawa & Frau Müller
Frau Kurzawa: Guten Morgen Frau Müller, wie geht es _____?
Frau Müller: Es geht mir gut danke, und _____? Frau Kurzawa: Es geht mir auch gut.
Conversation 2: Abdul & Riko
Abdul: Hallo Riko, wie geht es ____?
Riko: Super! Und _____? Abdul: Mir geht’s gut.
Aufgabe 2. Wie geht es dir? Match the expressions on the left with their level of positivity. Note: 5 is most positive, 1 is least positive.
- Super! ____ 2. Nicht gut. ____ 3. Es geht. ____ 4. Sehr gut. ____ 5. Gut. ____
Aufgabe 3. Read the following scenarios and answer accordingly. Please use full sentences. Refer to the information above if needed.
- You see your friend on the bus and move over to sit next to them. When you ask how they are doing you would use…
- You asked a co-worked “Wie geht es Ihnen?” And they said “Gut, und Ihnen?” Assuming you are going really well, what would you say?
- You are having a phone conversation with a friend and ask how they are. Your friend is not doing well, so they are going to respond with …
- You run into your friend in the stairwell on your way to class. You quickly ask them how they are doing. Which phrase would you use?