Table of Contents
Everyday Greetings in German
In this chapter you learn the most common German phrases to say hello and goodbye in everyday situations. You will see when to use which expression, and how formal or informal they are. At this stage, focus on memorizing whole phrases, not on grammar.
Formal and informal: du and Sie
In German you usually speak differently with friends and family than with strangers or in official situations. This affects greetings and farewells.
Use informal greetings with people you call “du”, for example friends, children, close colleagues, classmates. Use formal greetings with people you call “Sie”, for example teachers, officials, people in shops, older strangers.
Important rule:
Use informal greetings with du, and formal greetings with Sie.
You will learn more about “du” and “Sie” in other chapters. Here, simply remember which greetings sound friendly and casual and which sound polite and neutral.
Neutral and formal greetings
These greetings are safe in almost every situation, especially with people you do not know well, in shops, offices, or at work.
Guten Tag
“Guten Tag” literally means “good day” and is the standard polite greeting.
You can use it:
- Late morning
- Afternoon
- Early evening, especially in more formal contexts
Example mini-dialogue:
- Person A: Guten Tag.
- Person B: Guten Tag.
Guten Morgen
“Guten Morgen” means “good morning”.
Use it:
- From when people get up
- Until around 11:00 or 12:00
Example:
- Customer: Guten Morgen.
- Shop assistant: Guten Morgen, kann ich Ihnen helfen?
Guten Abend
“Guten Abend” means “good evening”.
Use it:
- From early evening
- When it is already dark
- In polite or formal situations
Example:
- Guest: Guten Abend.
- Waiter: Guten Abend, haben Sie reserviert?
Wie geht es Ihnen?
“Wie geht es Ihnen?” means “How are you?” in a polite, formal way. Use it with “Sie”.
Typical exchange:
- Person A: Guten Tag, Herr Müller. Wie geht es Ihnen?
- Person B: Guten Tag. Danke, gut. Und Ihnen?
A short polite answer:
“Danke, gut. Und Ihnen?”
“Thank you, (I am) fine. And you?”
Important formula (formal):
Wie geht es Ihnen?
Answer: Danke, gut. Und Ihnen?
Informal greetings
Use these with friends, family, classmates, and people you call “du”.
Hallo
“Hallo” means “hello” and is very common.
Time of day:
- Any time
Formality:
- Informal, but still neutral and friendly
Example:
- Friend A: Hallo, Lisa!
- Friend B: Hallo, Tom!
Hi
“Hi” is borrowed from English and sounds casual and modern.
Use it:
- With friends
- In relaxed situations
- Often among younger people
Example:
- Student A: Hi!
- Student B: Hi! Alles gut?
Guten Morgen, Guten Abend (informal use)
You can also use “Guten Morgen” and “Guten Abend” informally, for example with family or colleagues you know well. The words are the same, the tone of voice makes them sound more relaxed.
Example:
- Roommate A: Guten Morgen!
- Roommate B: Morgen!
You will often hear short forms like “Morgen!” in informal speech, but for now focus on the full forms.
Asking “How are you?” informally
With “du” you use different phrases to ask how someone is.
Wie geht es dir?
“Wie geht es dir?” means “How are you?” in an informal way.
Example:
- Person A: Hallo, Anna. Wie geht es dir?
- Person B: Danke, gut. Und dir?
Alternative short forms in spoken German are “Wie geht’s?” or “Wie geht’s dir?”, but first learn “Wie geht es dir?”.
Important formula (informal):
Wie geht es dir?
Answer: Danke, gut. Und dir?
Possible short answers
At A1 level, simple answers are enough:
- “Gut, danke.” = Good, thanks.
- “Nicht so gut.” = Not so good.
- “Es geht.” = So-so / It is okay.
You can combine them:
- “Mir geht es gut, danke.” = I am fine, thank you.
- “Mir geht es nicht so gut.” = I am not so well.
You will learn the grammar of “mir” and “es” in later chapters, so you can treat these as ready-made phrases for now.
Saying goodbye: neutral and formal
Now look at common farewells.
Auf Wiedersehen
“Auf Wiedersehen” is the standard polite way to say “goodbye”.
Use it:
- In shops and restaurants
- In offices
- With people you call “Sie”
Example:
- Customer: Auf Wiedersehen.
- Shop assistant: Auf Wiedersehen.
Auf Wiederhören
“Auf Wiederhören” is used only on the phone. It means “goodbye” in a telephone call.
Example:
- Caller: Vielen Dank. Auf Wiederhören.
- Employee: Gern geschehen. Auf Wiederhören.
Einen schönen Tag noch
This phrase means “Have a nice day (still)” and you often hear it when leaving a shop or office.
Example:
- Cashier: Auf Wiedersehen. Einen schönen Tag noch.
- Customer: Danke, Ihnen auch.
Here you see a polite reply:
“Danke, Ihnen auch.” = “Thank you, you too.”
You can change “Tag” to other times:
- “Einen schönen Abend noch.” = Have a nice evening.
Informal goodbyes
With friends and family, you usually use shorter and more relaxed words.
Tschüss
“Tschüss” is very common and friendly. It is not formal, but you can still hear it in some shops or among colleagues if the atmosphere is relaxed.
Example:
- Friend A: Tschüss, bis morgen!
- Friend B: Tschüss!
Ciao
“Ciao” comes from Italian, but is very common in German. It sounds casual.
Example:
- Student A: Ciao!
- Student B: Ciao, bis später!
Bis bald, bis später, bis morgen
These expressions all mean “See you …” and give a sense of future meeting.
- “Bis bald.” = See you soon.
- “Bis später.” = See you later (the same day).
- “Bis morgen.” = See you tomorrow.
- “Bis gleich.” = See you in a moment / soon (very soon, same place or nearby).
You can combine them with “Tschüss” or “Ciao”:
- “Tschüss, bis morgen.”
- “Ciao, bis später.”
Useful formulas:
Tschüss.
Ciao.
Bis bald. / Bis später. / Bis morgen. / Bis gleich.
Time-based farewells: Guten Abend, gute Nacht
There are also farewells that use “gut”.
Guten Abend as a farewell
“Guten Abend” can be a greeting or a farewell. As you leave in the evening you might say:
- “Guten Abend, Frau Müller. Bis morgen.”
if you meet her in the evening.
But more often in everyday “goodbye” situations people just say “Tschüss” or “Schönen Abend noch.”
Gute Nacht
“Gute Nacht” means “good night” and is used when someone is going to bed or when you will not see each other again that night.
Use it:
- In the late evening or night
- At home, in a hotel, among friends or family
Example:
- Person A: Gute Nacht.
- Person B: Gute Nacht, schlaf gut.
“Schlaf gut” means “sleep well” and is informal.
Small greeting and farewell dialogues
Here are short model dialogues that you can practice and repeat. They combine greetings, “How are you?”, and goodbyes. Focus on pronunciation and rhythm.
Formal situation
Reception, office, shop.
- A: Guten Tag.
- B: Guten Tag. Wie geht es Ihnen?
- A: Danke, gut. Und Ihnen?
- B: Auch gut, danke.
- A: Auf Wiedersehen.
- B: Auf Wiedersehen. Einen schönen Tag noch.
- A: Danke, Ihnen auch.
Informal situation
Friends at school or work.
- A: Hallo, Ben! Wie geht es dir?
- B: Hi, Lisa! Danke, gut. Und dir?
- A: Es geht. Viel Arbeit.
- B: Okay. Bis später!
- A: Tschüss, bis später!
Phone call
- A: Guten Tag, hier Müller.
- B: Guten Tag, Frau Müller.
… (conversation) … - A: Vielen Dank. Auf Wiederhören.
- B: Auf Wiederhören.
Cultural notes for greetings and farewells
In German-speaking countries, people usually greet when they enter small shops, waiting rooms, or an elevator, especially in smaller towns. A simple “Guten Tag” or “Hallo” is polite. When you leave, “Auf Wiedersehen” or “Tschüss” is expected.
Eye contact and a clear greeting are important. A small smile is usual, but the language can sound more direct than in English. This is normal and not rude.
Summary: choosing the right phrase
At A1 level, use these simple rules:
Very important:
Formal, polite:
- Guten Morgen / Guten Tag / Guten Abend
- Wie geht es Ihnen? – Danke, gut. Und Ihnen?
- Auf Wiedersehen.
- Auf Wiederhören. (phone)
Informal, friendly: - Hallo / Hi
- Wie geht es dir? – Danke, gut. Und dir?
- Tschüss / Ciao
- Bis bald / Bis später / Bis morgen / Bis gleich
- Gute Nacht. (when someone goes to sleep)
Practice them until they feel automatic. Then you will feel more confident starting and ending conversations in German.
Vocabulary list
| German | English | Notes / Use |
|---|---|---|
| Guten Morgen | Good morning | Formal or neutral, until around noon |
| Guten Tag | Good day / Hello | Standard formal greeting |
| Guten Abend | Good evening | Formal or neutral in the evening |
| Hallo | Hello | Informal, all day |
| Hi | Hi | Very informal, borrowed from English |
| Wie geht es Ihnen? | How are you? (formal) | With “Sie” |
| Wie geht es dir? | How are you? (informal) | With “du” |
| Wie geht’s? | How’s it going? | Short, informal |
| Danke, gut. Und Ihnen? | Fine, thank you. And you? (formal) | Polite answer |
| Danke, gut. Und dir? | Fine, thank you. And you? (informal) | Informal answer |
| Gut, danke. | Good, thanks | Short answer |
| Nicht so gut. | Not so good | Short answer |
| Es geht. | So-so / It is okay | Neutral answer |
| Auf Wiedersehen | Goodbye | Standard formal farewell |
| Auf Wiederhören | Goodbye (on the phone) | Only for phone calls |
| Tschüss | Bye | Informal, very common |
| Ciao | Bye | Very informal, from Italian |
| Bis bald | See you soon | Informal |
| Bis später | See you later | Same day, informal |
| Bis morgen | See you tomorrow | Informal or neutral |
| Bis gleich | See you in a moment | Very soon, informal |
| Einen schönen Tag noch | Have a nice day (rest of it) | Often in shops, semi-formal |
| Einen schönen Abend noch | Have a nice evening | Often in shops or work |
| Gute Nacht | Good night | When going to bed |
| Schlaf gut | Sleep well | Informal, often with Gute Nacht |
| Mir geht es gut. | I am fine | Neutral statement |
| Mir geht es nicht so gut. | I am not so well | Neutral statement |
| Ihnen | to you (formal, dative) | In “Wie geht es Ihnen?” |
| dir | to you (informal, dative) | In “Wie geht es dir?” |