Knowing basic German greetings is important if you live, vacation or work in Germany. As with most cultures, German distinguishes between formal greetings and those you use with friends and family. This article will show you how to say hello in German in almost any way.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Formal Greetings in German
Step 1. Get to know your audience
Say these phrases when you greet business associates or people you don't know very well. Most of the greetings are related to time.
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Guten Morgen! -- Good morning!
- Usually used until noon. In some areas of Germany, it is only spoken until 10 am.
- Schoolchildren usually say "Guten Morgen, Frau/Herr [teacher's last name]." -- such as "Good Morning, Mr(s) [teacher's last name]".
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Guten Tag! -- Good afternoon!
This phrase is usually spoken in the hours between noon and 6 pm
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Guten Abend. -- Good night.
This greeting is usually used after 6 pm
- As you write, note that all nouns in German are capitalized.
Step 2. Choose polite language
Often times in English, asking a question is a polite way of saying, "Hello!" It's no different in German.
- Wie geht es Ihnen? -- How are you? (formal)
- Geht es Ihnen gut? -- Are you okay?
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Sehr erfreut. -- Nice to meet you.
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In response: Gut, danke. -- I am fine, thank you.
Es geht mir sehr gut. -- I'm so good
Ziemlich gut. -- I'm kind of good.
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- If you are asked this kind of question, it is customary to respond with, Und Ihnen? -- 'And you? (formal)
Step 3. Understand the appropriate physical greeting
In every culture or region, there are different standards of greeting, whether it's bowing, hugging, or shaking hands. Germany is a bit different compared to other European countries.
- People in Germany usually prefer to greet those who are not family members using a handshake instead of a kiss on the cheek which is common in most of Europe. However, a kiss on the cheek is still a common greeting in many German-speaking countries.
- The rules regarding the number of kisses given and knowing when and who to cum differ from place to place. When you meet someone for the first time, you usually just need to shake hands. Then pay attention to how other people interact. You will soon find out the pattern.
Method 2 of 3: Informal Greetings
Step 1. Use casual phrases when greeting family and friends
Some of the following greetings are used in many parts of Germany.
- Hello! does not need to be translated and is most commonly used.
- Morgen, Tag, and ' n Abend are short forms of the greetings related to time which have been discussed previously.
- Sei gegrüßt. -- Greetings. (greets one person)
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Seid gegrüßt. -- Greetings. (greeting to more than one person)
- Grüß Dich can be translated to "Greetings to you" in Indonesian. You can only use this greeting if you really know the person.
- is sometimes written as ss and is pronounced this way.
Step 2. Ask questions
To ask how someone is doing, there are several options:
- Wie geht es dir? -- "How are you?" (informal)
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Wie geht's? -- "How are you?"
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In response: Ice geht mir gut. -- I'm fine.
"> Nicht schlecht. -- Not bad.
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- To ask back: Und dir? -- And you? (informal)
Method 3 of 3: Regional Difference
Step 1. Identify regional phrases
Germany has a rich and varied history and, as a result, uses different phrases and figures of speech in different regions.
- Moin Moin! or Moin! just another way of saying "Hello!" in Northern Germany, Hamburg, East Frisia and nearby areas. It is considered an all day greeting for everyone.
- Grüß Gott translates as "May God greet you," and is considered a way of greeting in southern Germany, Bavaria.
- Servus! is another greeting you'll only hear in southern Germany, translatable as "hello."
