Learning how to greet someone in German is essential when visiting German-speaking countries or engaging with German speakers. Whether you’re in a formal business meeting or casually chatting with friends, knowing the right greeting can help set the tone for your conversation. German greetings vary depending on the time of day, the formality, and region.
Here are 25 essential German greetings, ranging from formal to casual, to help you say “hello” in any situation.
Hello in German Formal Greetings
Guten Tag (goo-ten tahk) – Good day
Guten Morgen (goo-ten mor-gen) – Good morning
Guten Abend (goo-ten ah-bent) – Good evening
Grüß Gott (gruess got) – Greetings (Used in Southern Germany and Austria)
Herzlich Willkommen (herts-likh vil-kom-men) – Warm welcome
Wie geht es Ihnen? (veegeht es ee-nen) – How are you? (formal)
Schön, Sie zu sehen (shurn zee tsu zay-en) – Nice to see you
Gute Nacht (goo-te nahkt) – Good night
Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen (froy-t mikh zee ke-nen-tsu-layr-nen) – Pleased to meet you
Ich wünsche Ihnen einen schönen Tag (ikh vuen-she ee-nen eye-nen shur-nun tahk) – I wish you a nice day
Hello in German Casual Greetings
Hallo (hah-loh) – Hello
Hi (hie) – Hi
Wie geht’s? (vee gates) – How’s it going?
Na? (nah) – What’s up? (very informal)
Hey (hey) – Hey
Servus (ser-voos) – Hi/Bye (Used in Southern Germany and Austria)
Moin (moyn) – Hello (Used in Northern Germany)
Alles klar? (ah-les klahr) – All good?
Tag (tahk) – Shortened form of Guten Tag (informal)
Was geht ab? (vahs geht up) – What’s happening?
Hello in German Regional Greetings
Grüß dich (gruess deekh) – Hello (informal, used in Southern Germany and Austria)
Grüezi (grü-eht-zee) – Hello (Used in Switzerland)
Hoi (hoy) – Hi (Used in Switzerland)
Habediehre (hah-bee-dee-reh) – Greetings (Bavarian, informal)
Tach (tahkh) – Hi (Used in Western Germany)
Conclusion
Mastering these 25 essential German greetings will help you navigate both casual and formal conversations, making it easier to connect with German speakers. Whether you’re in a professional setting or just meeting someone on the street, knowing the proper greeting based on the time of day or regional differences will help you sound more natural and polite. From the more formal “Guten Tag” to the casual “Moin,” these phrases will make your interactions smoother and more enjoyable in German-speaking environments.