Knowing German greetings is one of the first steps beginners must know to show respect and make a good first impression.
The use of greetings in German creates a positive impression while communicating. Understanding the use of German greetings depends on the situation.
There are different greetings for morning, day and night. Learn common greetings and their right use to greet people confidently.
How to Greet Someone in German
Understanding of the situation is crucial for the correct usage of greeting someone in German. The table shows the most widely used German greetings along with their meaning. You will also learn their formality and location where they are frequently used.
| Greetings | English Meaning | Formality | Commonly Used In |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hallo | Hello | Informal | Germany, Austria, Switzerland |
| Hi | Hi | Informal | German-speaking countries |
| Hey | Hey | Informal | German-speaking countries |
| Guten Morgen | Good Morning | Formal & Informal | Germany, Austria, Switzerland |
| Guten Tag | Good afternoonAustria or / Good day | Formal | Germany, Austria, Switzerland |
| Guten Abend | Good Evening | Formal & Semi-formal | Germany, Austria, Switzerland |
| Grüß dich | Hello | Informal | Austria & Southern Germany |
| Grüezi | Hello | Formal & Informal | Switzerland |
Hallo / Hi / Hey
The most common greeting in German is hallo/hi/hey. They are used in daily conversation. ‘Hallo’ is the safest option. You can use it with your formal and informal situations. ‘Hi’ and ‘hey’ are borrowed from English and are used in a casual way. Here are a few examples.
Examples
- Hallo, Anna! – Hello, Anna!
- Hi, wie geht’s? – Hi, how are you?
- Hey, lange nicht gesehen! – Hey, long time no see!
- Hallo zusammen! – Hello, everyone!
- Hi, bist du bereit? – Hi, are you ready?
- Hey, schön dich zu sehen! – Hey, nice to see you!
Grüß dich — Hello (Austria and Switzerland)
‘Grüß dich’ is pronounced as ‘Grooss dikh’. The meaning of this word is hello. Its use is an informal situation with friends, neighbours, family friends, and relatives.
The use of this greeting is mostly in Austria and Southern Germany, especially in Bavaria. It is not appropriate to use this German greeting with strangers or with formal colleagues.
So in case you are planning a trip to Austria, or Bavaria, be sure to use the greeting ‘Grüß dich’ in your daily conversation.
Examples
- A: Grüß dich, Anna!
B: Hallo, Paul!
Translation:
A: Hello, Anna!
B: Hello, Paul! - Grüß dich! Wie geht’s?
Translation: Hello! How are you? - Grüß dich, schön dich zu sehen.
Translation: Hello, nice to see you. - Grüß dich! Komm doch rein.
Translation: Hi! Come on in. - Grüß dich! Was machst du heute?
Translation: Hello! What are you doing today?
Grüezi — Hello (Switzerland)
‘Grüezi’ is a German greeting that is widely used in Switzerland. It is pronounced as “GRUEH-tsee” (approximately “Groo-eh-tsee”). Its meaning is ‘hello’.
The best part is that its use is for both formal and informal ways. Beginners won’t get confused when to use what. Here are a few examples.
Examples
- Grüezi! Wie geht’s Ihnen?
Translation: Hello! How are you? (formal) - Grüezi, Frau Meier.
Translation: Hello, Mrs Meier. - Grüezi, Peter!
Translation: Hello, Peter! - Grüezi! Schön, Sie kennenzulernen.
Translation: Hello! Nice to meet you. - Grüezi! Willkommen in Zürich.
Translation: Hello! Welcome to Zurich.
Guten Morgen—Good morning
‘Guten Morgen’ is almost the most important German greeting that is commonly used every now and then. The meaning of ‘Guten Morgen’ is ‘good morning’ and is pronounced as GOO-ten MOR-gen. Beginners can use ‘Guten Morgen’ for formal and informal scenarios. Below are a few examples.
Examples
- A: Guten Morgen, Frau Müller!
B: Guten Morgen!
Translation:
A: Good morning, Mrs Müller!
B: Good morning! - Guten Morgen! Was machst du?
Translation: Good morning! What are you doing? - Guten Morgen, Herr Schmidt.
Translation: Good morning, Mr Schmidt.
Guten Tag—Good afternoon
‘Guten Tag’ is a German greeting which is considered ‘good day’. It is pronounced as GOO-ten TAHK. Basically its usage is from late morning until early evening. The appropriate time of use of ‘Guten Tag’ is during the day. Here are a few examples.
Example
A: Guten Tag, Herr Weber.
B: Guten Tag!
Translation:
A: Good afternoon, Mr Weber.
B: Good afternoon!
Tag — A (good) day
‘Tag’ is a short version for good afternoon. But it is used for informal or semi-formal situations. But I would personally recommend using Guten Tag. Since you are a beginner and you are not fully aware of your formal and informal relations with native German speakers.
‘Tag’ sounds trendy, and try to use it with your very close friend initially. Here are a few examples provided below.
Examples
- Tag, Anna!
Translation: Hi, Anna! - Tag! Wie geht’s?
Translation: Hi! How are you? - A: Tag, Herr Müller.
B: Tag!
Translation:
A: Good day, Mr Müller.
B: Good day! - Tag! Lange nicht gesehen!
Translation: Hi! Long time no see!
Guten Abend—Good evening
‘Guten Abend’ is for ‘good evening’ and is a frequently used greeting in German, and usually we say it as GOO-ten AH-bent. Its use is after 6pm in the evening and is suitable for both formal and informal cases. Follow these examples provided below.
Example
A: Guten Abend, Frau Becker. (Good evening, Mrs Becker).
B: Guten Abend! Good evening.
Gute Nacht—Good night
The correct usage of ‘Gute Nacht’ depends on being in bed before going to bed or leaving late at night. Normally its use is at night when you spend time with your friends and family.
Example
Gute Nacht! Schlaf gut.
Translation: Good night! Sleep well.
Wie geht’s? — How’s it going?
Wie geht’s? Which means, how’s it going? It is pronounced as ‘VEE-gates’. It is the most common German greeting to ask someone how it’s going and to start a conversation with it. It is not used for formal situations. In a formal situation, say, ‘Wie geht es Ihnen?’
Was ist los? — What’s new?
Was ist los? refers to What’s New? / What’s Up?. It is pronounced as vas ist lohs? Mostly it is used for informal situations with friends and family.
Alles klar? — Everything okay?
The meaning of the German greeting Alles klar? Is Everything Okay?. The pronunciation of it is AH-les klar? The reply should be Ja, alles klar! (Yes, everything’s alright).
Na? — Well?
‘Na’ means ‘well’ in English and sounds like ‘nah’. It is suitable to use only for informal scenarios with friends, family, and classmates.
Understanding Formal and Informal German Greetings
A deep understanding of German greetings, along with whom you are talking to, is a must. Formal German greetings are applied to strangers, older people, teachers, customers, or colleagues in professional settings.
On the other hand, informal greetings go with `friends, family members, classmates, and children. With them, when you become their informal friend, they themselves shift from ‘Sie’ to ‘du’.
| Situation | Formal Greeting (Sie) | Informal Greeting (du) |
|---|---|---|
| Meeting a customer | Guten Tag! | Hallo! |
| Greeting a teacher | Guten Morgen! | Hallo! (only if invited) |
| Speaking to a colleague | Guten Tag! | Hi! / Hallo! |
| Greeting a close friend | — | Hallo! / Hey! / Na? |
| Meeting a neighbour | Guten Tag! | Hallo! |
| Visiting family | — | Hallo! / Hi! |
| Talking to a stranger | Guten Tag! | Not recommended |
Examples
- Workplace:
Guten Tag, Frau Müller. Wie geht es Ihnen?
Good afternoon, Mrs Müller. How are you? - School:
Guten Morgen, Herr Becker!
Good morning, Mr Becker!
Common Formal Greetings and Farewells in German
Common German etiquette includes formal greetings and farewells. Their usage is in workplaces, business meetings, schools, hotels, shops, and when speaking to strangers or older people. There is a table below.
| German Phrase | English Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Guten Morgen | Good morning |
| Guten Tag | Good afternoon / Good day |
| Guten Abend | Good evening |
| Auf Wiedersehen | Goodbye |
| Bis morgen | See you tomorrow |
| Einen schönen Tag noch! | Have a nice day! |
Common Informal Greetings and Farewells in German
Learn these informal greetings and farewells in German.
| German Phrase | English Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Hallo | Hello. |
| Hi. | Hi. |
| Hey, | Hey, |
| Na? | Hey! / What’s up? |
| Tschüss | Bye. |
| Bis bald | See you soon. |
| Bis später | See you later. |
Regional German Greetings You Should Know
Understanding of regional German greetings is crucial for beginners.
| Region | Greetings, | English Meaning | Cultural Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Germany | Moin | Hello. | A casual greeting used throughout the day, especially in northern Germany. |
| Southern Germany & Austria | Servus | Hello/Bye | An informal greeting and farewell used with friends and acquaintances. |
| Austria | Grüß Gott. | Hello (literally, “May God greet you”) | A polite and traditional greeting commonly used in Austria and parts of Bavaria. |
| Switzerland | Grüezi | Hello. | A respectful greeting used in both formal and informal situations in German-speaking Switzerland. |
| Southern Germany & Austria | Grüß dich. | Hello. | An informal greeting used with friends, family, and people you know well. |
Moin!
‘Moin’, meaning ‘hello’, is widely used in the northern part of Germany. Such as in cities like Hamburg, Bremen, Kiel, and the East Frisian region. Many people get confused about ‘moin’ and ‘morning’.
The pronunciation of moin is moyn. Here are a few examples to practise in your everyday conversation.
Servus
‘Servus’ (pronunciation: SAIR-voos), meaning ‘hello’, is used in southern Germany, such as Bavaria, and Austria. The unique feature of this German word is that it can be used as a greeting and a farewell. Mostly the use of this word is in informal cases.
It is strongly associated with the culture and traditions of Bavaria and Austria, where locals use it naturally in daily life.
Habediehre
‘Habediehre’ means ‘hello’ (a Bavarian greeting). The word comes from the expression “Habe die Ehre”, which literally means “I have the honour”.
Most of you hear this word in villages, local markets, traditional festivals, and casual conversations. This sounds like HAH-be-dee-EH-reh.
Grüß Gott.
‘Grüß Gott’ also refers to ‘Hello’ (widely used in Bavaria and Austria). Somehow its literal meaning is ‘May God bless you.’
Native German speakers use this German greeting as hello, and it is suitable for both informal and formal cases. The pronunciation of this word is GRUESS GOT (the ‘ß’ sounds like ‘ss’).
Example
A: Grüß Gott, Frau Müller.
B: Grüß Gott!
Translation:
A: Hello, Mrs Müller.
B: Hello!
Salü
This is a version of ‘hello’ or ‘hi’ basically used in places such as Switzerland and with close colleagues. The pronunciation of this word is sah-LUU.
Tagchen
“Tagchen” is also one of the synonyms of “tag” and is usually used in a cheerful and informal situation. The pronunciation of this word is TAHK-khen.
Examples
A: Tagchen! Bis später.
B: Bis später!
Translation:
A: Hi! See you later.
B: See you later.
Was geht?
Was geht? literally means “What’s going on?” but it is commonly used like the English expression “What’s up?” It is a highly informal German greeting.
In reply you must say ‘Nicht viel’ (Not much), ‘Alles gut’ (Everything’s good), or ‘Nicht viel, und bei dir?” (Not much, and you?). The pronunciation of this word is VAY-gayt?
Example
A: Was geht?
B: Nicht viel. Und bei dir?
Translation:
A: What’s up?
B: Not much. And you?
German Greeting Customs and Etiquette
You should learn German greeting customs and etiquette to use in your daily conversations in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. They are huge fans of politeness, punctuality and respectful communication.
Greeting with a Handshake in Germany
A handshake is applied in the case of business meetings, interviews, introductions, or meeting someone for the first time. This greeting is accompanied by direct eye contact and a firm handshake, not too strong.
These are minor gestures, but Germans do notice them. Here are a few etiquette tips that a visitor must know.
- Offer a firm but gentle handshake when meeting someone formally.
- Say Guten Tag or Guten Morgen instead of Hallo when meeting someone formally.
- Wait until the other person suggests using ‘du’ before switching from ‘Sie’ in conversation.
Understanding Hugs and Cheek Kisses in German Culture
Here comes a crucial aspect of understanding hugs and kisses. If wrongly applied, that can lead to a negative impression of yours. Personal space plays an important role. So you need to understand the situation and then offer a hug or a kiss.
Conclusion
Greetings in German are challenging for beginners. Study the right situation and expressions, then react and offer your greetings accordingly.
To learn German greetings in a structured manner, you can explore German courses from La Forêt Education, especially for beginners; go for GOETHE A1 and GOETHE A2 and start speaking German with confidence.
