Greetings in German
Greetings are the foundation of any conversation in German. Whether you're meeting someone for the first time or saying goodbye to a friend, knowing the right greeting for each situation is essential for everyday communication.
Basic Greetings
| German | English | Pronunciation | When to Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hallo | Hello | HAL-loh | Casual, any time |
| Guten Morgen | Good morning | GOO-ten MOR-gen | Until 10-11 AM |
| Guten Tag | Good day | GOO-ten TAHK | 11 AM - 6 PM |
| Guten Abend | Good evening | GOO-ten AH-bent | After 6 PM |
| Gute Nacht | Good night | GOO-teh NAKHT | Before bed |
Formal vs. Informal Greetings
Formal Greetings (Sie)
| German | English | Pronunciation | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guten Morgen | Good morning | GOO-ten MOR-gen | Business, elderly, strangers |
| Guten Tag | Good day | GOO-ten TAHK | Most common formal greeting |
| Guten Abend | Good evening | GOO-ten AH-bent | Evening meetings, events |
| Auf Wiedersehen | Goodbye | owf VEE-der-zayn | Formal farewell |
Guten Tag! Wie geht es Ihnen?
"Good day! How are you? (formal)"
Informal Greetings (Du)
| German | English | Pronunciation | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hallo | Hello | HAL-loh | Friends, family, young people |
| Hi | Hi | hee | Very casual, like English |
| Moin | Hello | moyn | Northern Germany |
| Servus | Hello/Goodbye | ZER-voos | Bavaria, Austria |
| Tschüss | Bye | chüss | Casual goodbye |
Hallo! Wie geht's?
"Hello! How are you? (informal)"
Regional Variations
Northern Germany
-
Moin: Used any time of day, very casual
-
Moin Moin: More enthusiastic version
-
Tschüss: Common casual goodbye
Southern Germany/Austria
-
Servus: Hello and goodbye
-
Grüß Gott: Traditional greeting (literally 'God greets')
-
Pfiat di: Goodbye (very regional)
Switzerland
-
Grüezi: Swiss German hello
-
Chuchichäschtli: Not a greeting, but famous Swiss German word!
Asking "How Are You?"
Formal
| German | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Wie geht es Ihnen? | How are you? | vee gayt es EE-nen |
| Wie befinden Sie sich? | How are you feeling? | vee beh-FIN-den zee zikh |
Wie geht es Ihnen?
Informal
| German | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Wie geht's? | How are you? | vee gayts |
| Wie geht es dir? | How are you? | vee gayt es deer |
| Was machst du? | What are you doing? | vas makhst doo |
Wie geht's?
Responses to "How Are You?"
Positive Responses
| German | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Gut, danke | Good, thanks | goot, DAN-keh |
| Sehr gut | Very good | zayr goot |
| Prima | Great | PREE-mah |
| Bestens | Excellent | BES-tens |
Gut, danke. Und Ihnen?
Neutral/Negative Responses
| German | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Geht so | So-so | gayt zoh |
| Nicht so gut | Not so good | nikht zoh goot |
| Müde | Tired | MÜ-deh |
| Gestresst | Stressed | geh-SHRESST |
Geht so. Und dir?
Farewells
Formal Farewells
| German | English | Pronunciation | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auf Wiedersehen | Goodbye | owf VEE-der-zayn | Most common formal |
| Auf Wiederhören | Goodbye (phone) | owf VEE-der-hö-ren | Telephone only |
| Einen schönen Tag | Have a nice day | EYE-nen SHÖN-en tahk | Polite wish |
Auf Wiedersehen
Informal Farewells
| German | English | Pronunciation | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tschüss | Bye | chüss | Most common casual |
| Ciao | Ciao | chow | Borrowed from Italian |
| Bis bald | See you soon | bis balt | When meeting again soon |
| Bis später | See you later | bis SHPÄ-ter | Later today |
| Bis morgen | See you tomorrow | bis MOR-gen | Tomorrow |
Tschüss
Bis bald
Time-Specific Greetings
Morning (6 AM - 11 AM)
- Guten Morgen - Good morning
- Schönen guten Morgen - Beautiful good morning (more formal)
Guten Morgen! Haben Sie gut geschlafen? (Good morning! Did you sleep well?)
Afternoon (11 AM - 6 PM)
- Guten Tag - Good day
- Schönen Tag - Nice day (as greeting or farewell)
Guten Tag! Schönes Wetter heute. (Good day! Nice weather today.)
Evening (6 PM - 10 PM)
- Guten Abend - Good evening
- Schönen Abend - Nice evening
Guten Abend! Wie war Ihr Tag? (Good evening! How was your day?)
Night (10 PM onwards)
- Gute Nacht - Good night (only when going to bed)
Gute Nacht! Schlafen Sie gut. (Good night! Sleep well.)
Introducing Yourself
Formal Introductions
| German | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Mein Name ist... | My name is... | myne NAH-meh ist |
| Ich heiße... | I am called... | ikh HYE-seh |
| Darf ich mich vorstellen? | May I introduce myself? | darf ikh mikh FOR-shtel-len |
Guten Tag! Mein Name ist Schmidt. (Good day! My name is Schmidt.)
Informal Introductions
| German | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Ich bin... | I am... | ikh bin |
| Hallo, ich heiße... | Hello, I'm called... | HAL-loh, ikh HYE-seh |
Hallo! Ich bin Maria. (Hello! I am Maria.)
Meeting Someone New
Formal Meeting
| German | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen | Pleased to meet you | froyt mikh, zee KEN-nen-tsoo-ler-nen |
| Schön, Sie kennenzulernen | Nice to meet you | shön, zee KEN-nen-tsoo-ler-nen |
Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen! (Pleased to meet you!) (formal)
Informal Meeting
| German | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Freut mich | Pleased to meet you | froyt mikh |
| Nett, dich kennenzulernen | Nice to meet you | net, dikh KEN-nen-tsoo-ler-nen |
Freut mich! (Pleased to meet you!) (informal)
Common Greeting Patterns
Standard Conversation Flow
- Greeting: "Guten Tag!"
- How are you?: "Wie geht es Ihnen?"
- Response: "Gut, danke. Und Ihnen?"
- Reply: "Auch gut, danke."
Complete Formal Conversation
- Person A: Guten Tag! Wie geht es Ihnen?
- Person B: Gut, danke. Und Ihnen?
- Person A: Auch gut, danke.
- Person B: Schön. Auf Wiedersehen!
- Person A: Auf Wiedersehen!
Phone Greetings
Answering the Phone
| German | English | Pronunciation | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hallo? | Hello? | HAL-loh | Casual |
| Schmidt am Apparat | Schmidt speaking | shmit am ap-pa-RAHT | Formal |
| Guten Tag, hier ist... | Good day, this is... | GOO-ten tahk, heer ist | Business |
Hallo? Schmidt am Apparat. (Hello? Schmidt speaking.)
Ending Phone Calls
| German | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Auf Wiederhören | Goodbye (phone) | owf VEE-der-hö-ren |
| Tschüss | Bye | chüss |
| Einen schönen Tag noch | Have a nice day | EYE-nen SHÖN-en tahk nokh |
Auf Wiederhören
Tips for Using German Greetings
Key Rules
- Time matters: Use appropriate greetings for the time of day
- Formality level: Match the other person's level of formality
- Regional awareness: Some greetings are region-specific
- Eye contact: Maintain eye contact when greeting in German culture
Memory Tricks
- Guten + time: Guten Morgen, Guten Tag, Guten Abend
- Goodbye confusion: "Gute Nacht" is only for bedtime, not general evening goodbye
- Phone special: "Auf Wiederhören" is only for phone calls
- Casual = short: Hallo, Hi, Tschüss are all short and casual
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Don't use "Gute Nacht" as a general goodbye
- Don't mix formal and informal in the same conversation
- Remember that "Servus" works for both hello and goodbye
- "Auf Wiedersehen" is quite formal - use "Tschüss" with friends
Cultural Notes
- Germans often shake hands when greeting
- Close friends may hug or kiss on the cheek
- In business settings, wait for the other person to suggest using "Du"
- Regional greetings show local knowledge and friendliness
Daily Practice
Try using these greetings throughout your day:
- Morning: Greet family with "Guten Morgen"
- Afternoon: Practice "Guten Tag" with shopkeepers
- Evening: Use "Guten Abend" at dinner
- Night: End with "Gute Nacht" before bed