Modern German Grammar: A Practical Guide, Second Edition

The answer would also use, or at least imply, gehen with the dative:

Wie geht es Ihnen? – (Mir geht’s) Gut, danke.

How are you? – Well, thank you.

To elaborate on this:

Mir geht es prima/recht gut/den Umständen entsprechend gut.

I feel great/quite well/well, under the circumstances.

Germans don’t tend towards understatement as much as Anglo-Saxons. Therefore

nicht schlecht literally implies ‘not ill’, etc., rather than ‘really quite well’.

If concerned that someone might look unwell, ask:

Fehlt dir etwas?/Was fehlt dir denn?

Is anything wrong/the matter?

110.3 Talking about health

Health is referred to as:

-e Gesundheit ‘health’

sich (= acc.) bester Gesundheit erfreuen ‘to be in the best of health’

bei bester Gesundheit sein ‘to be in the best of health’

gesund sein ‘to be healthy’

(a) Saying that someone/something is healthy

Er ist bei/Er erfreut sich bester Gesundheit.

He is in/enjoys the best of health.

Er ist gesund/kerngesund.

He is healthy/really healthy/fit as a fiddle.

Wandern an der frischen Luft soll besonders gesund sein.

Walking in the fresh air is supposed to be especially healthy.

(b) Wishing someone good health when he or she sneezes

Gesundheit!

Bless you! (lit. Good health!)

110.4 Healthy lifestyle

(a) Exercising and keeping fit

sich (= acc.) (körperlich und geistig) fit halten ‘to keep fit’ (physically and

mentally)

fit sein ‘to be fit’

Sport treiben ‘to play sport’

sich bewegen ‘to exercise’ (lit. ‘move oneself ’)

regelmäßig ‘regularly’

110

CONVEYING ATTITUDES/MENTAL STATES