German Greetings and Goodbyes

Find out the meaning of Guten Tag, wie geht's and other common German greetings and conversation phrases.

When learning a new language, greetings are a must and usually among the first lessons imparted. Should you plan on learning only basic German phrases and words, make sure to include German greetings and goodbyes as they can open the door to many other conversations and interactions.

Common German Greetings

Editors from the Essay Help On Time drew attention that greeting someone in mother tongue sets a good standard for the conversation to follow, so make sure to learn the following common German greetings by heart. Use the pronunciation guide in brackets when saying the phrases out loud. Note that the regional Grüß Gott! can be used at all times of the day. Mahlzeit is used in offices and other public places around lunch time. There is no English equivalent but the translation below sums up what the greeting means.

• Hallo – hello [hullo]


• Guten Morgen! – good morning [gootan moahgan]


• Guten Tag! – good day [gootan tahk]


• Guten Abend! – good evening [gootan ah-bent]


• Gute Nacht! – good night [gootah nukht]


• Grüß Gott! – greetings to God (in southern Germany, Austria) [gruiz gott]


• Grüß dich! – greetings to you [gruiz deekh]


• Mahlzeit! – enjoy your lunch [muhllzyte]


• Prost! – cheers (when drinking) [prohst]

Sometimes you will hear abbreviated (lazy) versions of the greetings with “guten”, in which the same is omitted or half swallowed. Thus, guten Morgen becomes a breezy Morgen!; guten Tag a quick Tag! (more informal); and guten Abend simply ‘n Abend!

As the Conversation Progresses

Learn the following basic German conversation phrases below to progress beyond the initial greeting. Note that though Germans will indicate if they are not too well, any answer to wie geht’s should end up in a long description about one’s general well-being.

• Wie geht’s? – how are you? (informal) [vee gehtz]


• Wie geht’s dir? – how are you? (informal) [vee gehtz deeah]


• Wie geht’s Ihnen? how are you? (formal) [vee gehtz eehnahn]


• gut/sehr gut – fine/very well (in response to wie geht’s) [gooht/zeah goot]


• nicht schlecht – not bad [nikht shlakht]


• Gut, und dir? – fine, and you [gooht oont deah]


• Gut, und Ihnen? – fine, and you (formal) [gooht oont eehnahn]


• Lange nicht gesehen! – Haven’t seen you in a while! [lungah neekht gazehn]

German Goodbyes

Saying good-bye in German when in Germany or conversing with a native speaker ends the conversation on a good note, indicating that you are eager to make the extra effort. Note that the informal tschüss is very common in many situations – when leaving a shop, in the office, among friends and in other situations. Though a bit hard to pronounce because of the umlaut, the extra effort is well worth it.

• Auf Wiedersehen! – good-bye (more formal) [ouf veedahzeahn]


• Auf Wiederhören! – good-bye (on the phone) [ouf veedahhoahn]


• Tschüss! – good-bye (informal) [tshuiz]


• Ade! – bye (southern German variant of tschüss) [ahdeh]


• Bis dann! – later, literally: so long [biz dunn]


• Bis später! – see you later [biz shpatah]


• Bis bald! – see you soon [biz bult]


• Bis morgen! – see you tomorrow (literally: until tomorrow) [biz moahgan]


• Bis Samstag! – see you Saturday (literally: until Saturday) [biz samztak]


• Mach’s gut! – take care [makhz gooht]

Miscellaneous Helpful Conversational German Phrases

In most cultures, knowing the words for “thank you” and “please” will go a long way. Entschuldigung is also another useful word to learn from the group of phrases below. It can be used as an apology (sorry) but also as a way to catch someone’s attention, as in Entschuldigung! Where’s the closest post office? If someone wishes you Gesundheit! after you sneeze, you should respond with danke.

• Entschuldigung! – excuse me [antshooldigoonk]


• Guten Appetit! [gootan appeteeht]


• Alles Gute! – all the best [ahllahz gootah]


• Viel Glück! – best of luck [feel gluik]


• Tut mir leid. – I’m sorry [tooht meah lyte]


• danke – thanks/thank you [dunkah]


• bitte – please/you’re welcome [bittah]


• Gesundheit! – bless you (when someone sneezes; literally: health) [gahzoondhyte]

Just a few simple German greetings, good-byes and conversational phrases will go a long way when communicating with colleagues, relatives, friends or strangers in Germany. Make sure to practice your pronunciation and do not hesitate to ask the native speakers you meet for corrections.

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