German Greetings

The most common German greetings and goodbyes are “Hallo.” (Hello.), “Wie geht es dir?” (How are you?), “Schön, dich kennenzulernen.” (Nice to meet you.), “Bitte.” (Please.) and “Auf Wiedersehen.” (Goodbye.). Below are all 35, grouped by situation, each with its English meaning. Tap any one to hear it.

35 phrases · 5 situations · #1–35 of 333 · Updated

Saying hello

Hello for any time of day, and good night for the end of it.

  1. #1 Hallo. Hello.
  2. #2 Guten Morgen. Good morning.
  3. #3 Guten Tag. Good afternoon.
  4. #4 Guten Abend. Good evening.
  5. #5 Gute Nacht. Good night.
  6. #25 Willkommen. Welcome.

Asking how someone is

How are you is part of hello. Answer short, then ask back.

  1. #9 Wie geht es dir? How are you?
  2. #10 Mir geht es gut, danke. I'm fine, thank you.
  3. #11 Und du? And you?
  4. #28 Lange nicht gesehen. Long time no see.
  5. #29 Wie war es so? How have you been?
  6. #30 Mir geht es gut. I've been well.
  7. #31 Schön, dich zu sehen. Good to see you.

Meeting someone new

Give your name, ask theirs, and say you are glad to meet them.

  1. #12 Schön, dich kennenzulernen. Nice to meet you.
  2. #13 Wie heißt du? What's your name?
  3. #14 Ich heiße Anna. My name is Anna.
  4. #26 Freut mich. How do you do?
  5. #27 Freut mich, dich kennenzulernen. Pleased to meet you.

Polite words

Please, thank you, sorry: the short words that keep any conversation friendly.

  1. #15 Bitte. Please.
  2. #16 Danke. Thank you.
  3. #17 Vielen Dank. Thank you very much.
  4. #18 Gern geschehen. You're welcome.
  5. #19 Entschuldigung. Excuse me.
  6. #20 Es tut mir leid. I'm sorry.
  7. #21 Kein Problem. No problem.
  8. #22 Ja, natürlich. Yes, of course.
  9. #35 Prost! Cheers!

Saying goodbye

From a quick see you later to have a safe trip.

  1. #6 Auf Wiedersehen. Goodbye.
  2. #7 Bis später. See you later.
  3. #8 Bis morgen. See you tomorrow.
  4. #23 Schönen Tag noch. Have a nice day.
  5. #24 Pass auf dich auf. Take care.
  6. #32 Bis bald. See you soon.
  7. #33 Schlaf gut. Sleep well.
  8. #34 Gute Reise. Have a safe trip.

Know them. Then say them without freezing.

333 Sentences takes you through these one at a time: hear it, build it, fill the gap, say it and compare with the native voice.

Practice in app No card. First 3 sentences free.

Questions about German greetings and goodbyes

What are the most common German greetings and goodbyes?

The most common German greetings and goodbyes are “Hallo.” (Hello.), “Wie geht es dir?” (How are you?), “Schön, dich kennenzulernen.” (Nice to meet you.), “Bitte.” (Please.) and “Auf Wiedersehen.” (Goodbye.). All 35 are on this page, grouped by situation.

How do I learn to say these German phrases?

Practice in the app, one at a time: hear it, build it from its words, fill the gap, then say it and compare with the native audio.

Are these German phrases free?

Yes. Every sentence on this page and its audio is free to read and hear. In the app the first 3 sentences are free; one payment opens the rest.

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