Lesson 1: Greetings in German

Start your German journey by learning how to greet others in daily conversations.

👋 Common German Greetings

Mastering greetings is the first step in any language journey. Below are the most commonly used greetings in German:

  • Hallo – Hello (informal, general)
  • Guten Morgen – Good morning
  • Guten Tag – Good day / Good afternoon
  • Guten Abend – Good evening
  • Gute Nacht – Good night
  • Wie geht’s? – How are you? (informal)
  • Wie geht es Ihnen? – How are you? (formal)
  • Servus – Hello/Bye (Southern Germany, Austria)
  • Grüß Gott – God greet you (Southern Germany)

🙋 Saying Goodbye

Just as important as greeting someone is knowing how to say farewell:

  • Auf Wiedersehen – Goodbye (formal)
  • Tschüss – Bye (informal)
  • Bis bald – See you soon
  • Bis später – See you later

💡 Quick Grammar Tips

  • “Guten” is used before masculine words (e.g., "Tag", "Morgen").
  • “Wie geht's?” literally means "How goes it?"
  • Use formal speech with strangers or in professional settings.

📘 Example Conversations

Person A: Good morning! How are you?
Guten Morgen! Wie geht’s?

Person B: Good morning! I’m good, thank you. And you?
Guten Morgen! Mir geht’s gut, danke. Und dir?

Person A: Hello! Bye!
Hallo! Tschüss!

Person B: See you soon!
Bis bald!

💭 Did You Know?

  • 🤝 In formal situations, Germans often greet with a handshake and say “Guten Tag” (Good day)
  • 🗺️ In southern Germany (especially Bavaria) and Austria, people often greet each other with “Servus” (Hi/Bye) or “Grüß Gott” (literally “Greet God”)
    ✨ These are regional greetings — friendly and traditional!
  • 😊 Saying “Tschüss” (Bye) with a smile is normal — it’s friendly and casual!
  • 🇩🇪 German greetings can change depending on the time of day — like “Guten Morgen” (Good morning) or “Guten Abend” (Good evening) .
  • 🎯 Tip: Practice saying these out loud! Pronunciation matters in German 😄
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