Saying hello
Which greeting you use depends on the time of day and on how well you know the person.
| German | When | English |
|---|---|---|
| Guten Morgen! | in the morning, until about 10 or 11 | Good morning! |
| Guten Tag! | during the day, polite | Hello! / Good day! |
| Guten Abend! | from about 6 pm | Good evening! |
| Hallo! | any time, friendly | Hi! / Hello! |
| Gute Nacht! | when someone goes to bed | Good night! |
You will also hear regional greetings: Moin! in the north, Grüß Gott! or Servus! in the south.
Saying goodbye
| German | When | English |
|---|---|---|
| Auf Wiedersehen! | polite | Goodbye! |
| Tschüss! | friendly, very common | Bye! |
| Bis morgen! | you'll meet again tomorrow | See you tomorrow! |
| Auf Wiederhören! | on the phone, polite | Goodbye! (literally: until we hear again) |
du or Sie?
German has two words for "you":
- Sie (always with a capital S) is polite. Use it with people you don't know, at offices like the Bürgeramt, with your landlord, and with older people.
- du is informal. Use it with friends, family, children, and with colleagues who offer it.
Many workplaces use du, but wait until someone offers it: „Wir sagen hier alle du." (We all say du here.) If you're not sure, use Sie. Nobody is offended by Sie.
How are you?
| Formal (Sie) | Informal (du) |
|---|---|
| Wie geht es Ihnen? | Wie geht's? / Wie geht es dir? |
| Danke, gut. Und Ihnen? | Gut, danke. Und dir? |
Answers: Sehr gut! (very good) · Gut. (good) · Es geht. (so-so) · Nicht so gut. (not so good)
In Germany, "Wie geht's?" is often a real question. A short honest answer is normal.
Polite words
- bitte: please (also "you're welcome")
- danke / danke schön: thank you
- Entschuldigung!: Excuse me! / Sorry!