het = it gaat = goes (gaan = to go) "How goes it with you?"

I'll try to answer you question. In learning language you need to think pragmatic, First, you have to make separated logic for the use of EXPRESSION and COMMON GRAMMAR. Second, everything is WEIRD when we compare one language to another. So do not compare one language to another, that would be confusing. Third, translation is not about translating word by word of a sentence. It's the matter of the WHOLE CONTEXT of a sentence. Back to your question, I need you to translate this example in English: "How do you do?" The meaning of the sentence above is exactly the same: "How are you?" But if we translate it word by word, it also doesn't make any sense.. *The key to master the expressions is, absorb the whole sentence and relate it to the CONTEXT where it's spoken. Additional: For the same meaning in Dutch expression for "how are you?" are gonna be: Hoe gaat het met jou? Hoe is het met jou? Hoe is het?