Greetings in German

A1 - Lesson 1 | Begrüßungen | Greetings | German for beginners

Greeting in German is a polite and respectful way to acknowledge their presence and to establish a connection with them. It is a common social custom in German-speaking countries, and not using a greeting can be considered rude or impolite.

Greeting someone in German can also help to create a positive and friendly atmosphere, whether it’s in a personal or professional setting. It is a way to show respect, interest, and politeness, and it can also be a way to initiate a conversation or to ask for help.

Greetings in German

Let ‘s learn some greetings in German:

German Greetings English Translation
Hallo Hello
Guten Morgen Good morning
Guten Tag Good day
Guten Abend Good evening
Gute Nacht Good night

Greetings phrases in German

You can use some greetings phrases with ypur friends and workmates:

German Phrases English Translation
Gute Nacht Hello
Wie geht es Ihnen? Good morning
Wie geht es dir? Good day
Mir geht es gut, danke Good evening
Und Ihnen? Good night
Und dir? How are you? (formal)
Es freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen How are you? (informal)
Es freut mich, dich kennenzulernen I’m doing well, thank you
Auf Wiedersehen And you? (formal)
Tschüss And you? (informal)
Es freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen Nice to meet you (formal)
Es freut mich, dich kennenzulernen Nice to meet you (informal)
Auf Wiedersehen Goodbye (formal)
Tschüss Bye (informal)
Bis später See you later
Bis bald See you soon
Bis dann See you then
Schönen Tag noch Have a nice day
Schönen Abend noch Have a nice evening
Schönes Wochenende Have a nice weekend
A1 – Lesson 1 | Begrüßungen | Greetings | German for beginners

Formal and informal greetings in German

Sure you can use either formal or informal greetings in German :

German Sentences English Translation
Guten Tag, es freut mich Sie kennenzulernen. Hello, how are you? (formal)
Guten Abend, und Ihnen? Good morning, how are you? (informal)
Gute Nacht, schlaf gut. Good day, nice to meet you. (formal)
Wie geht es dir heute? Good evening, and you? (formal)
Mir geht es gut, danke. Und dir? Good night, sleep well.
Es ist schön, Sie wiederzusehen. How are you doing today? (informal)
Es freut mich, dich kennenzulernen. I’m doing well, thanks. And you? (informal)
Auf Wiedersehen, bis zum nächsten Mal. It’s nice to see you again. (formal)
Tschüss, wir sehen uns später. Nice to meet you. (informal)
Bis bald, wir treffen uns nächste Woche wieder. Goodbye, see you next time. (formal)
Schönen Tag noch, bis bald. Bye, see you later. (informal)
Schönen Abend noch, schlaf gut. See you soon, we’ll meet again next week.
Schönes Wochenende, genieß es. Have a nice day, see you soon.
Herzlich willkommen in Deutschland! Have a nice evening, sleep well.
Schönes Wochenende, genieß es. Have a nice weekend, enjoy it.
Herzlich willkommen in Deutschland! Welcome to Germany!
Frohe Weihnachten und ein gutes neues Jahr! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Alles Gute zum Geburtstag! Happy birthday!
Viel Glück und Erfolg! Good luck and success!

Overall, using greetings in German is an important part of the culture and can help to facilitate social interactions and build relationships.