Kilo Lingo
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CEFR A1

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Test yourself (23 questions)

German Greetings: Hallo, Guten Tag, Tschüss and Survival Phrases

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 2 October 2026

You can hold a first German conversation before you have learnt a single verb ending. Greetings and courtesies are fixed phrases in every language: nobody builds good morning from parts, and you need not build the German either. Learn the dozen below as whole things to say.

The whole set on one screen

Say thisIt meansUse it
helloanyone, any time
good morninguntil mid-morning
good daypolite, daytime
good eveningfrom about 6 pm
good nightbedtime, late goodbye
byefriends, shops, family
goodbyeformal, or just polite
see you laterfriends, colleagues
thank youalways
please / you're welcomealways
sorry / excuse mealways
I don't understandwhen lost

Hello, in the order you will need it

is the safe default. It works at any hour, with friends or shop staff, and nobody frowns at it.

is the polite daytime hello, for offices, doctors, strangers and anyone you would call by surname. and are the same idea tied to the clock. Germans often shorten the first to in speech, and sometimes the last to .

is the odd one out. It is not a hello at all: you say it when someone is going to bed, or you are, or when you part late at night.

Goodbye: casual or polite

is the everyday bye, heard in every shop and flat. is the full, slightly formal goodbye, literally until we see each other again. With an official, an older stranger or someone senior, choose . With most other people, is fine.

For a friendlier farewell, add (see you later) or (see you soon).

Danke, Bitte and Entschuldigung

is thank you. is the busiest word in the list: it is please when you ask for something, and you're welcome when someone thanks you. Shop staff also use it when handing you your change.

covers both a real apology and a polite excuse me before you squeeze past someone or ask a question.

Du or Sie: the one real choice

German has two words for you, and your greeting questions change with them.

SituationUseAsk their name
Friend, child, family ?
Stranger, official ?

always has a capital S when it means you, to tell it apart from (she, they). Your own name needs no choice: Anna is the same to everyone.

Names and "how are you?"

... means my name is ..., literally I am called. Put your name after it: Anna. The matching question is ? or, politely, ?

Asking how someone is also splits by formality:

QuestionWho to askReply
's?friendsGut,
?people you call Gut,

's? is a squashed ?. One cultural note: in Germany this is more often a real question than in English, so expect a real answer rather than the automatic fine that English trains you to give.

When you are lost

means I don't understand. It is the most useful sentence in a beginner's pocket, because it tells the other person to slow down instead of leaving them guessing. and (yes and no) complete the survival kit.

Regional greetings

Hallo works everywhere, but you will hear local ones. You do not need to say them; do recognise them.

GreetingWhereMeaning
Moinnorthern Germanyhello, any time
ServusBavaria, Austriacasual hello and bye
Grüß southern Germany, Austriapolite hello
GrüeziGerman-speaking Switzerlandpolite hello

Moin is not just "morning": in the north it works all day. A visitor who says in any of these places is understood perfectly and forgiven at once.

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
as a hello is only for parting, late or at bedtime
to a stranger in an office is relaxed and can sound too casual
? to a stranger ?strangers get
for thanks is only sorry or excuse me

Also: is not "good day, mate"; it is a sincere, slightly formal hello.

What to do next

  1. Say and aloud five times each.
  2. Practise ... with your own name.
  3. Decide for each person you know: or ?

Practise: test yourself

Matching

0/5

Match each German greeting to when you use it. Read the English, then tap the German.

Matching

0/6

Match each German phrase to its meaning. These are the goodbyes and the courtesies.

Pick the right one

0/6

Pick the right phrase for each situation. Read the meaning, then tap the German.

  1. It is the morning. How do you say 'good morning'?

  2. You are going to bed. What do you say to the family?

  3. Which goodbye is the more formal one?

  4. You want to say 'thank you'.

  5. Someone says 'Danke'. What do you reply to mean 'you're welcome'?

  6. You bump into someone and want to say sorry.

Pick the right one

0/6

Names and small talk. Read the meaning, then tap the German.

  1. You want to tell someone your name.

  2. You want to ask a friend their name.

  3. You want to ask a stranger their name, politely.

  4. You want to ask a friend 'How are you?'

  5. A friend asks how you are and you are fine. What do you say?

  6. You do not understand what someone is saying. What do you say?

German · Free printables

Practice worksheets and infographics

Practice worksheets with answer keys built in, plus infographic and listicle formats. Open any one to view, print or save.

Infographics

  1. Key points infographic
  2. The whole set on one screen
  3. Du or Sie: the one real choice
  4. Names and "how are you?"
  5. Regional greetings
  6. Mistakes English speakers make

Other formats

  1. Listicle

Frequently asked questions

How do you say hello in German?
Hallo is the safe all-rounder: it works with friends, shopkeepers and colleagues, at any hour. Guten Tag is more formal and is the polite choice for strangers in the daytime. Guten Morgen covers the morning and Guten Abend the evening, from about six o'clock. In Germany, walking into a small shop or a waiting room and saying nothing is noticed, so say something.
What is the difference between Tschüss and Auf Wiedersehen?
Auf Wiedersehen is the standard, slightly formal goodbye, literally 'until we see each other again'. Tschüss is the relaxed everyday goodbye, fine with friends, family and most shop staff. With a boss, an official or an older stranger, Auf Wiedersehen is the safer choice. Bis später and Bis bald are friendly 'see you later' and 'see you soon'.
What is the difference between du and Sie?
Both mean 'you'. Du is for friends, family, children and, these days, most people your own age in casual settings. Sie, always with a capital letter, is the polite form for strangers, officials, shop staff and anyone you would call Mr or Mrs. Sie also takes its own verb form. If you are unsure, use Sie: nobody is offended by too much politeness.
Does Bitte mean please or you're welcome?
Both, and a little more. Bitte is please when you ask for something, and you're welcome when someone says Danke. It is also what a shop assistant says when handing you something, and Wie bitte? asks someone to repeat themselves. One word, four jobs, and the context nearly always makes the job obvious.
Why do Germans say Guten Tag instead of Hallo?
They say both. Hallo is everyday and informal; Guten Tag is a little more formal and fits first meetings, offices, doctors and shops. Younger people lean on Hallo more than they used to. Learners are never wrong to use Hallo, but Guten Tag signals that you know where you are, which is a good trade for two extra syllables.