German Phrase
Mir geht's heute nicht gut.
Meaning
Literally, 'It goes to me today not well.' In everyday German it means 'I’m not feeling well today.' The impersonal verb 'gehen' is used to talk about one’s health or mood.
When to use
Use this sentence when you want to tell a friend, colleague, or a doctor that you’re feeling under the weather today. It’s informal but perfectly acceptable in most spoken contexts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Mirgeht'sheutenichtgut
Mir (Dativ)
The dative pronoun 'mir' indicates the experiencer in the impersonal construction 'es geht mir...'.
geht's (geht es)
A contraction of 'geht es' where the verb 'gehen' is used impersonally to describe a state of being.
heute (Temporal adverb)
Places the statement in the present day; adverbs of time usually come after the verb.
nicht (Negation)
Negates the adjective that follows; placed before the adjective in German.
gut (Adjective)
Describes the quality of the state; here it means 'well' or 'fine'.
🗨In Conversation
Mir geht's heute nicht gut.
I’m not feeling well today.
Oh nein, soll ich dir etwas bringen?
Oh no, should I bring you something?
✕Common Mistakes
Mir geht nicht gut.
Missing the dummy subject 'es' (or its contraction) makes the sentence ungrammatical.
Ich bin nicht gut.
This means 'I am not good' (as a person), not 'I feel unwell'. Use 'Mir geht es nicht gut' instead.
Mir geht's heute nicht gutes.
The adjective 'gut' stays in its base form; it is not declined here.
↔Alternatives
Ich fühle mich heute nicht gut.
I don’t feel well today.
Heute geht es mir nicht gut.
Today I’m not feeling well.
Mir ist heute nicht gut.
I’m not well today.
Cultural Tip
German often uses the impersonal construction 'es geht mir …' to talk about health, mood, or general well‑being. It sounds more natural than the literal 'Ich bin nicht gut', which would be interpreted as 'I am not a good person' rather than 'I feel bad'. In formal settings you might hear 'Mir geht es nicht gut' without the contraction.