German Phrase
Wie geht's dir heute?
Meaning
A friendly, informal way to ask someone how they are feeling or doing today. It combines the standard ‘Wie geht es dir?’ with the time‑reference ‘heute’ to make the question more specific.
When to use
Use this phrase with friends, classmates, coworkers you know well, or anyone you would address with the informal ‘du’. It is not appropriate in formal situations or when speaking to strangers you would address with ‘Sie’.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Wiegeht'sdirheute?
Wie (question word)
‘Wie’ asks ‘how’ and introduces a question about manner or condition.
geht's (geht es)
‘geht's’ is the contracted form of ‘geht es’, where the verb ‘gehen’ is used idiomatically to mean ‘to be (well)’.
dir (dative pronoun)
‘dir’ is the dative form of ‘du’, required after the impersonal ‘es’ in ‘geht es dir’.
heute (adverb of time)
‘heute’ means ‘today’ and is placed at the end of the sentence for emphasis.
🗨In Conversation
Wie geht's dir heute?
How are you today?
Mir geht's gut, danke! Und dir?
I’m good, thanks! And you?
✕Common Mistakes
Wie geht du dir heute?
The verb ‘gehen’ must stay in third‑person singular; you cannot say ‘Wie geht du…’
Wie geht dir heute?
When using the contraction, the apostrophe replaces ‘es’; saying ‘Wie geht dir…’ drops the required ‘es’
Wie geht's Sie heute?
Mixing informal ‘dir’ with formal ‘Sie’ is a register error; use ‘Wie geht es Ihnen heute?’ for formal speech.
↔Alternatives
Wie geht es dir heute?
How are you today?
Wie fühlst du dich heute?
How do you feel today?
Wie geht's dir?
How are you?
Cultural Tip
In German everyday conversation, ‘Wie geht’s?’ is the go‑to greeting among peers. Adding ‘heute’ shows you’re interested in the person’s current state, not just a generic check‑in. In formal contexts you would say ‘Wie geht es Ihnen?’ and avoid the contraction ‘geht's’. Regional dialects may replace ‘Wie geht’s’ with ‘Wie geht’s dir denn?’ for extra friendliness.