Greetings and goodbyes

Right now: saying hello

ShortcutEven if you read nothing else on this page: the pair Hallo and Tschüss works in almost every situation. The rest is fine-tuning.

In this section we only say hello. Asking how someone is and saying goodbye come further down, in their own sections — don’t mix them up.

• Hallo Hello Any hour · anywhere · never rude
• Guten Morgen Good morning Morning · until about 11:00
• Guten Tag Good day Daytime · formal
• Guten Abend Good evening Evening · from about 18:00
• Gute Nacht Good night Going to bed — NOT a greeting

If you’re unsure, say Hallo. Guten Morgen at the wrong hour raises an eyebrow; Hallo never does.

Which greeting at which time

The day is a circle. Four slices, four greetings. The marker sits on the current time — and next to it is what you should say right now. Don’t memorise the rule, look at the clock.

The borders aren’t sharp; nobody checks their watch. Gute Nacht, though, is not a greeting like the other three: you say it when leaving and when going to bed — just like English “good night”.

Right now: du or Sie

English dropped its informal “thou” centuries ago, so this split is new to you. The wrong choice sounds either too familiar or too distant — and both get noticed.

These days, tech companies, international offices and gyms increasingly use du from day one. In traditional institutions, though, Sie is still the standard.

Right now: saying your name

All three are correct and everyday. The difference is the tone.

• Ich heiße Elif. My name is Elif. Most common · works everywhere
• Ich bin Elif. I’m Elif. Shortest · most relaxed
• Mein Name ist Elif Kaya. My name is Elif Kaya. Formal · full name

heißen is irregular: its stem ends in -ß, so the du form gets only a single -t: ich heiße · du heißt · er heißt · wir heißen. There is no du heißst.

• Ich komme aus der Türkei. — I come from Turkey.
• Ich wohne in Berlin. — I live in Berlin.
• Ich spreche Türkisch und ein bisschen Deutsch. — I speak Turkish and a little German.
• Ich bin Lehrerin. — I’m a teacher. (no article with jobs)

Right now: asking how someone is

In German this question is not empty politeness the way “how are you?” often is in English — a real answer is expected. Say something, even if it’s short, and then ask back.

• Wie geht’s? How are you? Informal · most common
• Wie geht es Ihnen? How are you? (formal) Formal

• Gut, danke. Und dir? Fine, thanks. And you? The most common answer
• Sehr gut, danke! Very well, thanks! Cheerful
• Es geht. So-so. Neutral
• Nicht so gut. Not so good. Honest

Don’t forget to ask back: Und dir? in casual talk, Und Ihnen? in formal talk. Not asking back sounds cold.

Right now: the moment you meet

Once both names have been said, you round off the introduction with one of these. Most of the time a single short phrase is enough.

• Freut mich! Nice to meet you. Shortest · most common
• Sehr angenehm. Pleased to meet you. Formal
• Schön, dich kennenzulernen. Nice to meet you. Friendly

Freut mich! is really a shortened Es freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen. In everyday speech you hardly hear the long version; the short one is preferred.

Right now: saying goodbye

Same logic as greetings: one works everywhere, the rest depend on the situation.

• Tschüss! Bye! Informal · most common
• Auf Wiedersehen! Goodbye. Formal · face to face
• Auf Wiederhören! Goodbye. (on the phone) ONLY on the PHONE
• Bis später! See you later. If you’ll meet again the same day
• Bis morgen! See you tomorrow. Work · school
• Schönen Tag noch! Have a nice day! When leaving · used a lot

Bis means “until” and is very productive in goodbyes. You can build your own: Bis Montag (see you Monday), Bis nächste Woche (see you next week).

Regional greetings

Don’t be surprised when you hear these. You don’t have to answer in kind — Hallo is the right reply in every region.

• Servus Hi · bye Bavaria · Austria · both hello and goodbye
• Grüß Gott Hello Southern Germany · Austria · formal
• Moin Hi Northern Germany · any time of day
• Grüezi Hello Switzerland

Some of these greetings have religious roots. Grüß Gott, for example, comes from Grüß dich Gott, “God greet you, God bless you”, but today it is a completely standard courtesy.

Right now: greeting in writing

The spoken Hallo often isn’t enough in writing. Salutation and closing are chosen as a pair: if you open formally, you close formally.

The most common letter mistake: the male salutation has an -r (Sehr geehrter Herr), the female one doesn’t (Sehr geehrte Frau).

Four real dialogues

1 · Morning, at work — formal

2 · With a friend on the street — informal

3 · At the checkout — in Germany the cashier greets first

4 · On the phone — in Germany the person who picks up says their SURNAME

Traps

Frequently asked questions

In Germany a greeting is expected in more places than you may be used to: you say it when walking into a small shop, a doctor’s waiting room, even an elevator. Not greeting stands out.

• Is saying Hallo rude? No. It is used in the supermarket and in the office alike. What is rude is not greeting at all.
• Do I have to greet at the checkout? Not required, but expected. Starting without a greeting comes across as cold.
• Can I say Tschüss in formal places? Largely yes today. In a very formal institution Auf Wiedersehen is safer.
• If the other person says du, can I say du too? Yes, it is mutual. The offer usually comes from the older or higher-ranking person.
• What do I do when I hear Servus? Say Hallo. Nobody expects you to imitate a regional greeting.

Shaking hands with a greeting is common in business and formal settings; among friends it isn’t expected. If a hand is offered, shake it — you don’t have to be the one to start.