German Phrase
Wie läuft's?
Meaning
A colloquial way to ask ‘How’s it going?’ or ‘How are things?’ It focuses on the current state of a person’s activities or mood rather than a strict health‑check.
When to use
Use it with friends, classmates, or colleagues you know well. It’s perfect for casual coffee breaks, after‑class chats, or online messaging. Avoid it in formal business meetings or when speaking to someone you’d address with ‘Sie’.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Wieläuft's
Wie (question word)
‘Wie’ asks for a manner or condition, similar to English ‘how’. It is used at the start of a question.
laufen (verb)
‘laufen’ means ‘to run/to go’. In this idiom it is used figuratively to mean ‘to be going/doing’. The verb is conjugated in 3rd‑person singular present: läuft.
’s = es (contraction)
The apostrophe‑s is a spoken contraction of the pronoun ‘es’. ‘Wie läuft’s?’ = ‘Wie läuft es?’
🗨In Conversation
Wie läuft's?
How's it going?
Ganz gut, danke! Und bei dir?
Pretty good, thanks! And you?
✕Common Mistakes
Wie läuft’S?
The contraction ‘’s’ is always lowercase because it stands for the pronoun ‘es’.
Wie läuft’s du?
The verb is already in 3rd‑person singular; adding ‘du’ creates a grammatical clash.
Wie läuft’s?
The phrase is informal; use ‘Wie geht es Ihnen?’ with strangers or in business contexts.
↔Alternatives
Wie geht's?
How are you?
Wie steht's?
How's it?
Wie läuft es?
How is it going?
Cultural Tip
‘Wie läuft's?’ is especially popular among younger Germans and in northern Germany. It carries a relaxed, friendly tone. In southern regions you’ll hear ‘Wie geht’s?’ more often. Remember that the apostrophe‑s is only spoken; in writing you can also spell it out as ‘Wie läuft es?’ for a slightly more formal feel.