Learn Dutch: Hoi, hoe gaat het?

In Dutch, you don't literally ask "how are you." Instead, you ask "how goes it?" using the verb gaan (to go) and the pronoun het (it). So, hoe gaat het? translates literally to "how goes it?".

Is Hoi a formal or informal way to say hello?

Hoi is informal, much like "hi" in English. You use it with friends, family, and people your own age. For a slightly more neutral or formal greeting, you can use Hallo or Goedemorgen (good morning).

Why does the verb gaat come before het?

In Dutch questions that start with a question word like hoe (how), the verb comes right after that question word, followed by the subject. This swaps the normal order, giving us hoe (how) + gaat (goes) + het (it).

How do I reply to hoe gaat het?

A very common and simple reply is Goed! (Good!). If you want to reply with a full sentence, you can say Het gaat goed (It is going well) or Met mij gaat het goed (With me it is going well).