Frasa
SituationsGet the app (opens the App Store in a new tab)

German · Meeting people · Beginner

How to say hello and goodbye in German

Say “Guten Morgen” until about ten or eleven, then “Guten Tag”; “Hallo” is more casual. Greet shop staff when you walk in. For goodbye, “Tschüss” is everyday and “Auf Wiedersehen” more formal; on the phone it’s “Auf Wiederhören”. Answer “Einen schönen Tag noch” with “Danke, gleichfalls”.

Try it · about two minutes

Through the day you greet shopkeepers, neighbours and colleagues, and say goodbye the right way.

Sound on: the baker, neighbour and colleagues speaks German. You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.

The conversation

  1. Baker, neighbour and colleagues

    Der Nächste, bitte.

    Next, please.

    You

    Guten Morgen. Zwei Brötchen, bitte.

    Good morning. Two rolls, please.

  2. Baker, neighbour and colleagues

    Einen schönen Tag noch!

    Have a nice day.

    You

    Danke, Ihnen auch. Tschüss.

    Thanks, you too. Bye.

  3. Baker, neighbour and colleagues

    Hallo, wie geht es Ihnen?

    Hello, how are you?

    You

    Gut, danke. Und Ihnen?

    Fine, thanks. And you?

  4. You walk into the office. Your team is already at their desks.

    You

    Guten Morgen zusammen!

    Good morning, everyone.

  5. Baker, neighbour and colleagues

    Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen.

    Nice to meet you.

    You

    Freut mich auch.

    Nice to meet you too.

  6. Baker, neighbour and colleagues

    Schönen Feierabend!

    Have a nice evening off.

    You

    Danke, dir auch. Bis morgen!

    Thanks, you too. See you tomorrow.

Key phrases

  • Hallo, wie geht es Ihnen?

    Hello, how are you?

  • Gut, danke. Und Ihnen?

    Fine, thanks. And you?

  • Ganz gut, danke.

    Not bad, thanks.

  • Guten Morgen zusammen!

    Good morning, everyone.

  • Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen.

    Nice to meet you.

  • Schön, Sie wiederzusehen.

    Nice to see you again.

  • Wir haben uns lange nicht gesehen. Wie geht es Ihnen?

    Long time no see. How have you been?

  • Einen schönen Tag noch!

    Have a nice day.

  • Es war sehr schön, Sie kennenzulernen.

    It was lovely to meet you.

  • Danke, auf Wiederhören.

    Thank you, goodbye (on the phone).

Good to know in Germany

Hello through the day

  1. 1

    Guten Morgen until about ten or eleven.

  2. 2

    Guten Tag from late morning. Hallo is more casual, and fine with people you know.

  3. 3

    Guten Abend from about six in the evening.

Tschüss or Auf Wiedersehen

Everyday

Tschüss!

Bye.

Formal

Auf Wiedersehen!

Goodbye.

Tschüss is the everyday goodbye, fine in shops and with neighbours. Auf Wiedersehen is more formal: use it with officials and older people.

Regional hellos

In the north you’ll hear Moin at any time of day. In Bavaria and the south, Grüß Gott and Servus are common. Guten Tag works everywhere.

More situations in German

All situations in German

Keep these phrases in Frasa

Frasa is an iPhone app for the conversations in front of you. Save phrases like these, rehearse them out loud, and they come back until they stick.

AI-generated. May be inaccurate.