A1 Expression Informal

Kako gre?

How is it going?

Phrase in 30 Seconds

The essential informal Slovenian greeting to ask friends and peers how their life is moving along.

  • Means: 'How is it going?' or 'How are things?'
  • Used in: Casual encounters, texts, and starting coffee dates.
  • Don't confuse: With 'Kako ste?', which is for formal situations.
Person walking 🏃 + Question mark ❓ = Friendly check-in 👋

Explanation at your level:

This is a basic greeting. 'Kako' means 'how' and 'gre' means 'goes'. You use it with friends to say hello and ask how they are. It is very short and easy to remember. You can answer with 'Dobro' (Good) or 'V redu' (Okay).
At this level, you should know that 'Kako gre?' is informal. Use it with people you know well. You can also add 'kaj' to say 'Kako gre kaj?'. This makes you sound more like a native speaker. It's used for general life or specific tasks like school or work.
Intermediate learners should distinguish between 'Kako gre?' and 'Kako si?'. While 'Kako si?' focuses on the person's internal state, 'Kako gre?' is about the general flow of their life. You should also be able to use the past tense 'Kako je šlo?' to ask about an event that just finished, like an exam or a date.
Upper-intermediate mastery involves understanding the dative pronouns used with this phrase. 'Kako ti gre?' (informal) vs 'Kako vam gre?' (formal/plural). You should also recognize the subtle cultural 'jamranje' (complaining) that often follows this question and be able to respond with nuanced phrases like 'Nekako gre' or 'Ne morem se pritoževati'.
At an advanced level, you analyze 'Kako gre?' as an impersonal construction where the verb 'iti' functions as a pro-verb for existence and progress. You should understand its role in discourse marking—how it can be used to pivot conversations or soften a request. You are also expected to master regional variations and the socio-linguistic implications of using such an informal greeting in borderline formal contexts.
Near-native mastery involves a deep cognitive understanding of the 'Life as Motion' metaphor inherent in the phrase. You can manipulate the phrase for ironic or sarcastic effect (e.g., asking 'Kako gre?' in a disastrous situation). You understand the historical etymology linking it to broader Slavic and Germanic linguistic shifts and can navigate the most subtle registers of Slovenian social hierarchy through your choice of greeting.

Significado

An informal way to ask how someone is doing.

🌍

Contexto cultural

Slovenians value modesty. When asked 'Kako gre?', a very positive answer like 'Odlično!' (Excellent!) might be met with slight suspicion or seen as bragging. 'V redu' (Okay) is the safe, standard choice. In the capital, 'Kako gre?' is the start of a 'kofetkanje' ritual. It's not just a greeting; it's an invitation to sit down for at least 30 minutes. In villages, 'Kako gre?' might be followed by a very detailed report on the weather, the crops, or the neighbors. People have more time for a 'proper' answer. In modern startups in Slovenia, 'Kako gre?' is used to replace the formal 'Kako ste?' to create a 'Silicon Valley' vibe, but this is still rare in traditional industries.

🎯

The 'Kaj' Trick

Add 'kaj' at the end ('Kako gre kaj?') to sound 10x more like a native speaker. It adds a friendly, casual 'softness' to the question.

⚠️

Don't be too positive

If you answer 'Odlično!' every time, people might think you're being sarcastic or fake. 'V redu' is the most authentic answer.

Significado

An informal way to ask how someone is doing.

🎯

The 'Kaj' Trick

Add 'kaj' at the end ('Kako gre kaj?') to sound 10x more like a native speaker. It adds a friendly, casual 'softness' to the question.

⚠️

Don't be too positive

If you answer 'Odlično!' every time, people might think you're being sarcastic or fake. 'V redu' is the most authentic answer.

💬

The Shrug

A slight shoulder shrug while saying 'Gre' is the universal Slovenian sign for 'Life is life, I'm managing'.

Teste-se

Choose the correct informal greeting for a friend you just met at a cafe.

______, Marko! Kako gre?

✓ Correto! ✗ Quase. Resposta certa: b

'Živijo' is the standard informal 'Hi' that matches the informal 'Kako gre?'.

Fill in the missing word to ask how things are going with a project.

Kako gre ______ projektom?

✓ Correto! ✗ Quase. Resposta certa: a

The preposition 'z' (with) is used with 'Kako gre' to ask about progress on a task.

Match the response to the question 'Kako gre?'.

Question: Kako gre? Response: ______.

✓ Correto! ✗ Quase. Resposta certa: b

'Kar gre' (It just goes) is a very common, idiomatic Slovenian response.

Complete the dialogue between two students.

A: Hej! Kako gre v šoli? B: ______.

✓ Correto! ✗ Quase. Resposta certa: a

Option A is the only one that actually answers 'how' it is going.

🎉 Pontuação: /4

Recursos visuais

Responses to 'Kako gre?'

😊

Positive

  • • Super!
  • • Zelo dobro
  • • Odlično
😐

Neutral

  • • V redu
  • • Kar gre
  • • Tako-tako
😟

Negative

  • • Slabo
  • • Grozno
  • • Ne sprašuj

Perguntas frequentes

10 perguntas

Only if used with someone you should be formal with (like a boss or an elderly person). With friends, it's perfectly polite.

You can say 'Bolj slabo' (Rather badly) or 'Ne sprašuj' (Don't ask).

'Kako si?' is 'How are you?' (personal). 'Kako gre?' is 'How's it going?' (general situation).

Only in a very casual email to a friend. For business, use 'Upam, da ste v redu'.

No, the 'it' is built into the verb 'gre'. Saying 'Kako ono gre?' is incorrect.

Always 'gre' for the greeting. 'Gresta' is for two people literally walking somewhere.

It literally means 'It just goes'. It's the most common neutral response.

Yes, it's impersonal, so it works for one person or a whole group.

Yes, 'Kaj dogaja?' or 'Kva dogaja?' are very popular among youth.

It's a filler word that makes the question sound less direct and more conversational.

Frases relacionadas

🔗

Kako si?

similar

How are you?

🔄

Kaj dogaja?

synonym

What's happening?

🔗

Kako ste?

specialized form

How are you? (Formal)

🔗

Vse v redu?

similar

Everything okay?

🔗

Kaj je novega?

builds on

What's new?

Onde usar

☕

Meeting a friend for coffee

Ana: Živijo, Borut! Kako gre?

Borut: Hej! Kar gre, hvala. Pa tebi?

informal
📱

Texting a classmate

Maja: Hej, kako gre z domačo nalogo?

Jan: Težko je, ampak gre.

informal
🏘️

Running into a neighbor

Sosed: Dober dan! Kako gre?

Ti: Dober dan! V redu, hvala. Lep dan želim!

neutral
💪

At the gym

Trener: Kako gre? Še pet ponovitev!

Ti: Grem... se trudim!

informal
🏢

In a casual office

Sodelavec: Živijo! Kako gre danes?

Ti: Malo je gužva, ampak bo.

informal
❤️

On a dating app

Uporabnik1: Hej! Kako gre tvoj teden?

Uporabnik2: Zelo pestro! Kaj pa tvoj?

informal

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of a 'COCOa' drink that 'GOes' (Kako gre) down smoothly when you meet a friend for coffee.

Visual Association

Imagine a small green frog (the Slovenian 'močerad' or just a friendly frog) walking along a path. As it passes you, it tips its hat and asks 'Kako gre?'. The path represents the 'going' of life.

Rhyme

Kako gre? / Vse se smeje! (How's it going? / Everything is smiling!)

Story

You are sitting in a sun-drenched cafe in Prešeren Square, Ljubljana. Your friend Luka walks up, slides into the chair, and says 'Kako gre?'. You look at your coffee, look at the castle on the hill, and realize that in Slovenia, life 'goes' best when it's shared over a drink.

Word Web

itidobroslabokakokajv redutako-takoživljenje

Desafio

Today, send a text to a friend or language partner saying only: 'Živijo! Kako gre?'. See how they respond and try to use one of the 'jamranje' responses like 'Kar gre'.

In Other Languages

Spanish high

¿Cómo va?

Spanish often adds 'todo' (¿Cómo va todo?), while Slovenian often adds 'kaj' (Kako gre kaj?).

French high

Comment ça va?

French can shorten it to just 'Ça va?', but Slovenian rarely says just 'Gre?' as a question (though it works as an answer).

German high

Wie geht's?

German uses the contraction 'geht's' (geht es), while Slovenian 'gre' is a single word with no clitic 'it'.

Japanese low

調子はどう？ (Choushi wa dou?)

Japanese is highly dependent on social hierarchy; 'Kako gre?' is too blunt for many Japanese social contexts.

Arabic moderate

كيف الحال؟ (Kayfa al-hal?)

Arabic doesn't use a verb of motion like 'go' in this specific greeting.

Chinese moderate

怎么样？ (Zěnmeyàng?)

Chinese lacks the 'movement' metaphor of the Slavic/Germanic 'going'.

Korean partial

어떻게 지내요? (Eotteoke jinaeyo?)

The Korean version is slightly more formal/polite than the punchy Slovenian 'Kako gre?'.

Portuguese high

Como vai?

In Brazil, 'Tudo bem?' is more common, whereas in Slovenia 'Kako gre?' is a top-tier choice.

Easily Confused

Kako gre? vs Kako greš?

Learners think it means 'How are you doing?'

This actually means 'How are you traveling?' (e.g., by car). Never use the 'š' ending for a greeting.

Kako gre? vs Kam greš?

Sounds similar to 'Kako gre?'.

'Kam' means 'Where'. This asks 'Where are you going?'.

Perguntas frequentes (10)

Only if used with someone you should be formal with (like a boss or an elderly person). With friends, it's perfectly polite.

You can say 'Bolj slabo' (Rather badly) or 'Ne sprašuj' (Don't ask).

'Kako si?' is 'How are you?' (personal). 'Kako gre?' is 'How's it going?' (general situation).

Only in a very casual email to a friend. For business, use 'Upam, da ste v redu'.

No, the 'it' is built into the verb 'gre'. Saying 'Kako ono gre?' is incorrect.

Always 'gre' for the greeting. 'Gresta' is for two people literally walking somewhere.

It literally means 'It just goes'. It's the most common neutral response.

Yes, it's impersonal, so it works for one person or a whole group.

Yes, 'Kaj dogaja?' or 'Kva dogaja?' are very popular among youth.

It's a filler word that makes the question sound less direct and more conversational.

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