German Greetings

German greetings divide into formal and informal. Each entry below notes when it is used, and the du and Sie rule behind the split is explained at the end.

Updated 2026-09-20

Formal greetings, for strangers and work

Guten Tag

GOO-ten tahk

Good day, hello

The safe default with anyone you do not know

Guten Morgen

GOO-ten MOR-gen

Good morning

Until about 11am

Guten Abend

GOO-ten AH-bent

Good evening

From about 6pm

Wie geht es Ihnen?

vee gayt es EE-nen

How are you?

The formal how are you, capital I in Ihnen

Auf Wiedersehen

owf VEE-der-zayn

Goodbye

Leaving a shop, an office, a formal meeting

Herzlich willkommen

HERTS-likh vil-KOM-en

Welcome

Informal greetings, for friends and family

Hallo

HA-lo

Hello

Works almost everywhere, at any hour

Borrowed from English, common with younger speakers

Wie geht's?

vee gayts

How's it going?

Short for Wie geht es dir

Grüß dich

grooss dikh

Hi there

Warm and informal, mostly southern

Tschüss

chuuss

Bye

The everyday goodbye

Bis später

bis SHPAY-ter

See you later

Bis bald

bis balt

See you soon

Mach's gut

makhs goot

Take care

Said to someone leaving

Gute Nacht

GOO-teh nakht

Good night

Only when someone is going to bed, never as a hello

Regional greetings you will actually hear

Servus

ZER-voos

Hi, or bye

Bavaria and Austria, works coming and going

Moin

moyn

Northern Germany, correct at any hour despite sounding like morning

Grüß Gott

grooss got

Hello

Southern Germany and Austria, polite rather than religious

The du and Sie rule

German has two words for you. Sie is for strangers, officials, shopkeepers and anyone older you have not been invited to be casual with. Du is for friends, family, children and colleagues who have offered it.

The greeting follows the pronoun. Wie geht es Ihnen goes with Sie, Wie geht's goes with du.

When you are unsure, use Sie and Guten Tag. Germans switch you down to du when they are ready, and nobody is offended by being addressed too politely.

How to reply

Gut, danke. Und dir?

goot DAN-kuh, oont deer

Fine, thanks. And you? (informal)

Danke, gut. Und Ihnen?

DAN-kuh goot, oont EE-nen

Fine, thank you. And you? (formal)

Es geht.

es gayt

So-so, getting by

A very German answer

Nicht so gut.

nikht zo goot

Not so good

Alles klar?

AL-les klar

All good? (as a greeting)

The reply is the same two words

Alles gut.

AL-les goot

All good

Freut mich.

froyt mikh

Nice to meet you

Short for Es freut mich

Which greeting at which hour

Guten Morgen runs until about ten or eleven. Guten Tag covers the rest of the day until early evening. Guten Abend starts around six. Gute Nacht is not a greeting at all: it is what you say when someone is going to bed.

Around midday in an office or canteen you will hear Mahlzeit, literally mealtime, used as hello, goodbye and enjoy your lunch at once. Hallo works at any hour with anyone you would say du to.

Guten Morgen, Frau Weber.Good morning, Mrs Weber.
Mahlzeit.Hello, around lunchtime.
Gute Nacht, schlaf gut.Good night, sleep well.

Introducing yourself

Ich heiße Anna. ikh HY-suh: My name is Anna.
Ich bin Tom. ikh bin: I am Tom.
Wie heißt du? vee hyst doo: What is your name? (informal)
Wie heißen Sie? vee HY-sen zee: What is your name? (formal)
Woher kommst du? vo-HAIR komst doo: Where are you from? (informal)
Ich komme aus Irland. ikh KOM-muh ows: I am from Ireland.
Schön, Sie kennenzulernen. shurn zee KEN-nen-tsoo-lair-nen: Pleased to meet you (formal)

More ways to say goodbye

Auf Wiederhören

owf VEE-der-hur-ren

Goodbye, on the phone only

Hearing again, not seeing again

Bis morgen

bis MOR-gen

See you tomorrow

Bis dann

bis dan

See you then

Schönen Tag noch

SHUR-nen tahk nokh

Have a nice day

What the cashier says

Schönes Wochenende

SHUR-nes VOKH-en-en-duh

Have a nice weekend

Ciao

chow

Bye, informal

Common all over Germany

Wir sehen uns

veer ZAY-en oons

See you around

More regional greetings

Grüezi

GRUU-et-see

Hello, Switzerland

Formal or not, it is the Swiss default

Na?

nah

Hi, how are you? Berlin and the north

One syllable, rising tone; answer with Na

Pfiat di

PFEE-at dee

Bye, Bavaria and Austria

From behüte dich, God keep you

Ade

ah-DAY

Bye, the south-west

Related to adieu

Baba

BA-ba

Bye, Vienna

Casual

Opening and signing an email

A formal email opens with Sehr geehrte Frau Müller or Sehr geehrter Herr Schmidt, and with Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren when you do not know the name. It closes with Mit freundlichen Grüßen, often shortened to MfG.

Between people who know each other it is Liebe Anna or Lieber Tom, or simply Hallo Anna, and the sign-off is Viele Grüße or Liebe Grüße, which becomes LG in a hurry. Never mix the two registers in one message.

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,Dear Sir or Madam,
Mit freundlichen GrüßenKind regards (formal)
Liebe Grüße, AnnaBest wishes, Anna (informal)

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