Significado
Informal greeting, asking what's happening or how someone is doing.
Contexto cultural
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.
Significado
Informal greeting, asking what's happening or how someone is doing.
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.
Teste-se
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.
🎉 Pontuação: /4
Recursos visuais
Formality Scale
Banco de exercicios
4 exerciciosYou 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.
🎉 Pontuação: /4
Perguntas frequentes
12 perguntasOnly 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.
Frases relacionadas
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?
