Greetings (Begrüßungen)
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Hallo! | Hello! | informal, anytime |
| Hi! | Hi! | very informal |
| Guten Morgen! | Good morning! | until about 10–11 am |
| Guten Tag! | Good day / Good afternoon! | during the day |
| Guten Abend! | Good evening! | from about 6 pm |
| Servus! | Hi! / Bye! | informal (Austrian/Bavarian) |
| Grüß Gott! | Hello! (lit. "Greet God") | formal in southern Germany/Austria |
| Guten Morgen, Frau/Herr ___! | Good morning, Ms/Mr ___! | formal |
Farewells (Verabschiedungen)
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Auf Wiedersehen! | Goodbye! (formal) |
| Tschüss! / Tschau! | Bye! (informal) |
| Bis bald! | See you soon! |
| Bis später! | See you later! |
| Bis morgen! | See you tomorrow! |
| Gute Nacht! | Good night! |
| Schönen Tag noch! | Have a nice day! |
| Schönes Wochenende! | Have a nice weekend! |
Asking "How are you?"
| German | English | Register |
|---|---|---|
| Wie geht es Ihnen? | How are you? | formal |
| Wie geht es dir? / Wie geht's? | How are you? | informal |
Possible answers:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Danke, gut! / Sehr gut! | Fine, thanks! / Very well! |
| Es geht. | OK / So-so. |
| Nicht so gut. | Not so good. |
| Danke der Nachfrage! | Thanks for asking! |
Essential polite phrases
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Bitte. | Please. / You're welcome. |
| Danke (schön/sehr)! | Thank you (very much)! |
| Entschuldigung! | Excuse me! / Sorry! |
| Es tut mir leid. | I'm sorry. |
| Kein Problem. | No problem. |
| Ja / Nein | Yes / No |
| Ich verstehe nicht. | I don't understand. |
| Sprechen Sie Englisch? | Do you speak English? (formal) |
| Wie bitte? | Pardon? / Could you repeat that? |
Introducing yourself
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Wie heißt du? | What's your name? (informal) |
| Ich heiße ___. / Mein Name ist ___. | My name is ___. |
| Wie alt bist du? | How old are you? |
| Ich bin ___ Jahre alt. | I am ___ years old. |
| Woher kommst du? | Where are you from? |
| Ich komme aus ___. | I come from ___. |
| Wo wohnst du? | Where do you live? |
| Ich wohne in ___. | I live in ___. |
Real world: meeting someone at school or work
Every German school day begins with greetings: „Guten Morgen, Frau Müller!" (teacher, formal) and „Hallo! Wie geht's?" (friends, informal). In offices, „Guten Tag!" is the standard opener. Getting the register right (formal vs. informal) makes a big impression from the very first moment.
Real world: German customer service
In shops and service situations, staff open with „Guten Tag! Wie kann ich Ihnen helfen?" (Good day! How can I help you?). You answer „Danke, gut" to „Wie geht es Ihnen?" or end the interaction with „Auf Wiedersehen! Schönen Tag noch!" — these phrases are used in every German shop, bank, and doctor's surgery.
Real world: text messages and social media
Informal German uses short forms constantly: „Hey, alles gut?" „Tschüss, bis morgen!" „Danke schön für alles!" „Bitte!" — on WhatsApp, Instagram, and in SMS between German-speaking teens, these short greetings and polite responses appear hundreds of times a day.
The word du (you, informal) vs. Sie (you, formal) determines which greeting form to use. With teachers, strangers, and older people → Sie (Wie geht es Ihnen?). With classmates and friends → du (Wie geht es dir?). Getting this right is one of the most important social skills in German.
Practice Problems
How do you say 'Good morning' in German?
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What is the formal goodbye?
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How do you say 'Excuse me' in German?
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Translate: My name is Anna. I am 12 years old.