Phrase in 30 Seconds
The quintessential German slang greeting used to ask 'What's up?' or 'How's it going?' among friends and peers.
- Means: A very casual way to say 'What's happening?' or 'How are you?'
- Used in: Casual meetups, texting {der|m} Freund, or greeting colleagues in creative fields.
- Don't confuse: Never use this with {der|m} Chef or in {die|f} Behörde (government office).
Explanation at your level:
Meaning
Informal greeting, asking what's happening or how someone is doing.
Cultural Background
In Berlin, 'Was geht ab?' is often shortened to a very fast 'Was geht?'. It's the standard greeting in the club scene and among the city's many artists. The phrase is deeply tied to the '90s and 2000s rap culture. Using it can sometimes give off a 'cool' or 'street' vibe, depending on your intonation. In multicultural urban areas, 'Was geht ab?' is often used alongside Turkish words like 'Lan' or 'Vallah'. In modern tech hubs like Munich or Hamburg, 'Was geht ab?' is becoming more common in offices, signaling a shift away from traditional German hierarchy.
The Head Nod
When saying 'Was geht ab?', native speakers often give a quick upward head nod. It completes the 'cool' vibe.
The 'Sie' Trap
Never use this if you are addressing someone as 'Sie'. It's a grammatical and social mismatch.
The Head Nod
When saying 'Was geht ab?', native speakers often give a quick upward head nod. It completes the 'cool' vibe.
The 'Sie' Trap
Never use this if you are addressing someone as 'Sie'. It's a grammatical and social mismatch.
Response is Optional
You don't have to answer the question literally. A simple 'Na?' or 'Was geht?' back is often enough.
Regionality
While understood everywhere, it's most at home in big cities like Berlin, Hamburg, or Cologne.
Test Yourself
Which situation is appropriate for 'Was geht ab?'
You are meeting your new boss for the first time.
Formal situations require formal greetings like 'Guten Tag'.
Complete the slang greeting.
Hey Leute, was ____ ab?
The fixed phrase is 'Was geht ab?'.
Choose the most natural response.
Person A: 'Was geht ab, Alter?' Person B: '________'
Slang greetings usually get slang/casual responses.
Match the phrase to the context.
1. Was geht ab? | 2. Wie geht es Ihnen? | 3. Was geht hier ab?
Context determines which version of 'going' or 'happening' you use.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Formality Scale
Practice Bank
5 exercisesYou are meeting your new boss for the first time.
Formal situations require formal greetings like 'Guten Tag'.
Hey Leute, was ____ ab?
The fixed phrase is 'Was geht ab?'.
Person A: 'Was geht ab, Alter?' Person B: '________'
Slang greetings usually get slang/casual responses.
1. Was geht ab? | 2. Wie geht es Ihnen? | 3. Was geht hier ab?
Context determines which version of 'going' or 'happening' you use.
🎉 Score: /5
Frequently Asked Questions
12 questionsOnly if used in the wrong context (formal). Among friends, it's very friendly.
Depends on your relationship! If you have a very casual, 'cool' relationship, yes. Otherwise, stick to 'Wie geht's?'.
The most common answer is 'Nicht viel, bei dir?' or simply 'Alles gut, und bei dir?'.
Mostly, but people who grew up in the 90s (now in their 40s) still use it frequently.
'Was geht?' is just a shorter version. They are 100% interchangeable.
Only in a very casual email to a close friend. Never in business.
Literally yes, but here it's part of the verb 'abgehen', which means 'to happen'.
It's universal, but urban centers in the North and West use it slightly more than rural Bavaria.
Yes! 'Was geht ab, Leute?' is a perfect way to greet a group of friends.
No. The formal equivalent would be 'Wie geht es Ihnen?' or 'Was gibt es Neues?'.
It can, depending on your accent and who you are with, but generally, it's just standard casual German now.
Yes, 'Was geht hier ab?' can mean 'What's going on here?' if something weird is happening.
Related Phrases
Was läuft?
similarWhat's running? / What's up?
Was geht?
synonymWhat's up?
Alles klar?
similarEverything clear? / You okay?
Wie läuft's?
similarHow's it running?
Was gibt's Neues?
similarWhat's new?
Was ist los?
contrastWhat's wrong? / What's happening?
Where to Use It
Meeting a friend at a cafe
Lukas: Hey Sarah, was geht ab?
Sarah: Nicht viel, bin nur ein bisschen müde. Und bei dir?
Texting a group chat
Marco: Was geht ab heute Abend? Gehen wir feiern?
Julia: Ja, bin dabei!
Walking into a party
Jan: Was geht ab, Leute! Die Party ist ja schon voll im Gange!
Host: Hey Jan! Schön, dass du da bist!
Seeing a crowd on the street
Passant: Entschuldigung, wissen Sie, was hier abgeht?
Polizist: Nur ein kleiner Umzug, keine Sorge.
Gaming with friends online
Gamer1: Was geht ab, Jungs? Starten wir eine Runde?
Gamer2: Klar, bin eingeloggt.
Greeting a younger sibling
Bruder: Na Kleiner, was geht ab in der Schule?
Kind: Nichts Besonderes, Mathe war doof.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of an 'ABba' concert: 'What's going on AT the ABba concert?' -> Was geht AB?
Visual Association
Imagine a rocket taking off (going 'ab' into the sky) and someone pointing at it asking 'What's going on there?'.
Rhyme
Was geht ab? / Alles auf Trab! (Everything is on the move!)
Story
You walk into a cool underground club in Berlin. The music is loud, and everyone is wearing sunglasses. You see your friend and instead of a boring 'Hello,' you say 'Was geht ab?'. He nods, and the night begins.
In Other Languages
It is exactly like 'What's up?' in English or '¿Qué pasa?' in Spanish. It's a universal 'cool' greeting that asks about the state of things without expecting a medical report.
Word Web
Challenge
Next time you text a German-speaking friend, start with 'Was geht ab?' instead of 'Hallo'. See if they respond with 'Nicht viel' or 'Was geht?'.
Review this phrase whenever you see a scene in a movie where two young people meet.
Pronunciation
Short 'a', like in 'bus'.
Long 'e', like the 'a' in 'gate' but without the 'i' sound at the end.
Short 'a', the 'b' sounds like a 'p' at the end of a word (Auslautverhärtung).
Formality Spectrum
Wie geht es Ihnen heute? (Greeting someone)
Wie geht's dir? (Greeting someone)
Was geht ab? (Greeting someone)
Was geht, Digga? (Greeting someone)
A 20th-century development, likely a calque of the English 'What's going on?' or 'What's up?'. The verb 'abgehen' originally meant to depart or to deviate, but in the 1980s/90s, it took on the meaning of 'to happen' or 'to be exciting' in youth slang.
Fun Fact
The German rap group 'Die Fantastischen Vier' has a famous song titled 'Was geht', which helped popularize the phrase across the country.
Cultural Notes
In Berlin, 'Was geht ab?' is often shortened to a very fast 'Was geht?'. It's the standard greeting in the club scene and among the city's many artists.
“Was geht, Keule? (What's up, bro? - Berlin slang)”
The phrase is deeply tied to the '90s and 2000s rap culture. Using it can sometimes give off a 'cool' or 'street' vibe, depending on your intonation.
“Was geht ab in der Hood?”
In multicultural urban areas, 'Was geht ab?' is often used alongside Turkish words like 'Lan' or 'Vallah'.
“Was geht ab, Vallah, ich hab dich vermisst!”
In modern tech hubs like Munich or Hamburg, 'Was geht ab?' is becoming more common in offices, signaling a shift away from traditional German hierarchy.
“Was geht ab im neuen Projekt?”
Conversation Starters
You see a friend you haven't talked to in a week.
You walk into a room where your friends are looking at something on a phone.
You want to start a conversation in a group chat about tonight.
You see a huge crowd in the city center.
Common Mistakes
Was geht ab? (to a 70-year-old stranger)
Guten Tag, wie geht es Ihnen?
L1 Interference
Was geht auf?
Was geht ab?
L1 Interference
Was geht ab? (expecting a 10-minute health report)
Was geht ab? (expecting 'Nicht viel' or 'Alles gut')
L1 Interference
Wie geht ab?
Was geht ab?
L1 Interference
In Other Languages
What's up?
English 'What's up' is slightly more versatile in professional-casual settings than 'Was geht ab'.
¿Qué pasa?
Spanish speakers use '¿Qué pasa?' much more frequently with family than Germans use 'Was geht ab?'.
Quoi de neuf?
French 'Quoi de neuf' is slightly more focused on 'news' than the general 'vibe' of 'Was geht ab'.
最近どう？ (Saikin dō?)
Japanese lacks the 'action' verb (going/happening) found in the German phrase.
شو الأخبار؟ (Shū al-akhbār?)
Arabic focuses on 'news' (akhbar), similar to the French version.
怎么了？ (Zěnme le?)
In Chinese, this often implies something might be wrong, whereas 'Was geht ab?' is usually positive or neutral.
무슨 일이야? (Museun iriya?)
Often used when seeing something specific happening, rather than a general greeting.
E aí?
Portuguese is even shorter and more versatile.
Spotted in the Real World
“Was geht, was geht, was geht ab?”
The chorus of one of Germany's most famous hip-hop tracks.
“Was geht ab, Chantal?”
The main character, a fake teacher, speaks to his students in their own slang.
“Was geht ab, Moritz?”
Two teenage friends greeting each other in their bedroom.
“Was geht ab, meine aktiven Freunde!”
The standard intro for one of Germany's biggest streamers.
“Was geht ab, Kai?”
Two friends sitting in a car, typical stoner-movie dialogue.
Easily Confused
Learners think it's a neutral 'What's up?'.
'Was ist los?' often sounds like 'What's the matter?' or 'What's wrong?'. Use 'Was geht ab?' for a friendly hello.
Learners use this formal-ish structure in very slangy settings.
'Wie geht es dir?' is perfectly fine but can sound a bit 'textbook' in a club. Use 'Was geht?' to sound more native.
Frequently Asked Questions (12)
Only if used in the wrong context (formal). Among friends, it's very friendly.
usage contextsDepends on your relationship! If you have a very casual, 'cool' relationship, yes. Otherwise, stick to 'Wie geht's?'.
cultural usageThe most common answer is 'Nicht viel, bei dir?' or simply 'Alles gut, und bei dir?'.
practical tipsMostly, but people who grew up in the 90s (now in their 40s) still use it frequently.
cultural usage'Was geht?' is just a shorter version. They are 100% interchangeable.
grammar mechanicsOnly in a very casual email to a close friend. Never in business.
usage contextsLiterally yes, but here it's part of the verb 'abgehen', which means 'to happen'.
grammar mechanicsIt's universal, but urban centers in the North and West use it slightly more than rural Bavaria.
cultural usageYes! 'Was geht ab, Leute?' is a perfect way to greet a group of friends.
practical tipsNo. The formal equivalent would be 'Wie geht es Ihnen?' or 'Was gibt es Neues?'.
comparisonsIt can, depending on your accent and who you are with, but generally, it's just standard casual German now.
cultural usageYes, 'Was geht hier ab?' can mean 'What's going on here?' if something weird is happening.
usage contexts
