Overview
This lesson introduces basic German greetings for beginners, including both formal and informal expressions, and explains their usage and pronunciation.
Common German Greetings
- "Hallo" is the most commonly used informal greeting in Germany, pronounced "hallo" not "hello".
- "Hi" is also informally used by some people.
- "Guten Tag" (Good day) is commonly used in formal situations and appropriate any time of day.
- Always maintain eye contact and use a firm handshake when greeting someone formally.
Time-specific Greetings
- "Guten Morgen" is used to say good morning.
- "Guten Abend" means good evening and can be used late into the evening.
- "Gute Nacht" is said before going to bed.
Regional Greetings
- "Grüß Gott" originates from Austria and is also used in Bavaria; pronounced with a double 's' and an umlaut 'ü'.
- "Grüzi" (formal) and "Grüß dich" (informal) are singular greetings, used with corresponding pronouns for different levels of formality.
- "Servus" comes from Switzerland, means both hello and bye, and is used in Southern Germany.
Common Farewells
- "Tschüss" is an informal way to say goodbye, spoken all over Germany; can also appear as "Tschüss" with double 's'.
- "Ciao," borrowed from Italian, is informally used in Germany and other European countries.
- "Auf Wiedersehen" is a formal goodbye used throughout Germany.
- "Auf Wiederhören" is used on the phone as you cannot see the person.
- "Bis bald" means see you soon and is used among friends.
- "Bis später" is an alternative to "Bis bald", meaning see you later. "Bis dann" can also be used for the same purpose.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Hallo — informal hello
- Guten Tag — formal good day
- Guten Morgen — good morning
- Guten Abend — good evening
- Gute Nacht — good night
- Grüß Gott — regional hello (Austria/Bavaria)
- Grüzi/Grüß dich — regional greetings, singular informal/formal
- Servus — regional hello/goodbye (South Germany, Switzerland)
- Tschüss — informal goodbye
- Ciao — informal goodbye (borrowed from Italian)
- Auf Wiedersehen — formal goodbye (in person)
- Auf Wiederhören — formal goodbye (on the phone)
- Bis bald/Bis später — see you soon/later
Action Items / Next Steps
- Rewatch the video and repeat the greetings to practice pronunciation.
- Download and complete the free worksheet on greetings from Patreon.
- Watch the "25 Words for Absolute Beginners" video (link in description) for more vocabulary.