🎯 Today's Learning Goals / Lernziele
- Greet people appropriately at any time of day using Guten Morgen, Guten Tag, and Guten Abend
- Choose correctly between du (informal) and Sie (formal) in any social situation
- Use regional greetings like Moin, Grüß Gott, Servus, and Grüezi in context
- Say goodbye formally (Auf Wiedersehen), informally (Tschüss), and on the phone (Auf Wiederhören)
- Ask how someone is and respond honestly using the full range from Sehr gut to Schlecht
- Deploy survival phrases: Entschuldigung, Ich verstehe nicht, Wie bitte?, and the multi-purpose bitte
📚 Grammar & Rules / Grammatik
1. Du vs. Sie — The Two 'Yous'
German has two words for 'you': du (informal) and Sie (formal, always capitalised).
English has one word for 'you.' German has two, and choosing between them is a genuine social decision. Use du with friends, family, children, fellow students, close colleagues, animals, and God. Use Sie with strangers, adults you have just met, shop staff, officials, most colleagues, anyone older, and anyone in authority. The golden rule for beginners: when in doubt, use Sie. Being too formal is a very small mistake; being too informal with a stranger or elder is a real social error.
| HEADER | PATTERN | EXAMPLE |
|---|---|---|
| du | Informal, familiar | friends, family, children, students, close colleagues |
| Sie | Formal, polite — always capitalised | strangers, officials, older people, shop staff, most colleagues |
Wie geht es dir?
— How are you? (informal)
💡 dir = to you (informal dative)
Wie geht es Ihnen?
— How are you? (formal)
💡 Ihnen is always capitalised
Wir können uns duzen.
— We can use 'du' with each other.
💡 The older/senior person offers this
Sag doch du zu mir.
— Just say du to me.
💡 Once offered, du is permanent
⚠️ Common Mistake: Using du with a stranger, an older person, or an official is a real social error. Let the German offer du first — they will, and it is a small friendly moment when they do.
💡 Study Tip: Two useful verbs: duzen = to address someone as du; siezen = to address someone as Sie. 'Wir duzen uns' = We use du with each other.
2. Greetings Follow the Clock
Use Guten Morgen (until ~11:00), Guten Tag (~11:00-18:00), Guten Abend (after ~18:00). Hallo works any time.
The boundaries are soft — nobody will correct you for an hour either side. Casual short forms drop 'Guten': just 'Morgen!' or 'Tag!' Gute Nacht is NOT a greeting — it means 'sleep well' and is only said when someone is going to bed. At 10 p.m. you still say Guten Abend to greet someone.
Guten Morgen!
— Good morning!
💡 Used until about 11:00
Guten Tag!
— Good day / Hello!
💡 Standard neutral greeting ~11:00-18:00
Guten Abend!
— Good evening!
💡 After about 18:00
Hallo!
— Hello / Hi!
💡 Informal but very widely used, any time
⚠️ Common Mistake: Gute Nacht is NOT a greeting. Never use it to greet someone at 10 p.m. — use Guten Abend. Gute Nacht is only for bedtime.
💡 Study Tip: Notice: Guten Morgen, Guten Tag, Guten Abend all use the masculine accusative 'Guten'. But Gute Nacht uses 'Gute' because Nacht is feminine.
3. Regional Greetings
German-speaking regions have distinctive local greetings that mark you as an insider.
Moin (or Moin moin) is used in northern Germany at any hour — not just mornings. Grüß Gott is standard in Bavaria and Austria (literally 'greet God' but not religious in practice). Servus is used in Bavaria and Austria as both hello AND goodbye (informal). Grüezi is the formal Swiss hello. Hallöchen is a cutesy diminutive of Hallo used anywhere.
Moin!
— Hello! (North Germany)
💡 Used at any hour, not just morning
Grüß Gott!
— Hello! (Bavaria & Austria)
💡 Completely standard there
Servus!
— Hello / Goodbye! (South)
💡 Works as both greeting and farewell
Grüezi!
— Hello! (Switzerland)
💡 Formal Swiss greeting
⚠️ Common Mistake: Saying Moin moin twice is considered chatty in Hamburg. One Moin is the cool, understated version.
💡 Study Tip: If you are studying for the Goethe exam, stick with standard greetings. But knowing regional variants helps you understand native speakers.
4. Farewells — In Person, On the Phone, and Casually
Auf Wiedersehen (in person, formal), Auf Wiederhören (on the phone), Tschüss (informal everyday).
Wiedersehen = 'see again' — so you use it when you can see the person. Wiederhören = 'hear again' — so you use it on the phone. Same logic, different sense. Tschüss is the everyday informal farewell, extremely common. Bis + time word creates easy farewells: Bis bald (soon), Bis später (later), Bis morgen (tomorrow), Bis dann (then).
Auf Wiedersehen!
— Goodbye! (formal, in person)
💡 wieder = again, sehen = to see
Auf Wiederhören!
— Goodbye! (on the phone)
💡 hören = to hear
Tschüss!
— Bye! (informal)
💡 Extremely common everyday farewell
Schönen Tag noch!
— Have a nice day!
💡 Neutral and warm
⚠️ Common Mistake: Using Auf Wiedersehen on the phone — it should be Auf Wiederhören since you are hearing, not seeing.
💡 Study Tip: The universal reply to any good wish (Schönen Tag noch, Schönes Wochenende, etc.) is 'Danke, gleichfalls!' — Thanks, likewise! It works every time.
5. How Are You? — The Full Exchange
Ask with Wie geht es Ihnen? (formal) or Wie geht es dir? / Wie geht's? (informal). Always return the question.
In English, 'How are you?' is a greeting, not a question. In German, Wie geht es Ihnen? is often a real question. If you say 'Es geht' or 'Nicht so gut,' expect a follow-up: 'Warum? Was ist los?' Germans consider automatic cheerfulness slightly dishonest — so feel free to be truthful. The response scale runs from Sehr gut / Prima (great) through Gut (good), Es geht / Ganz gut (so-so), Nicht so gut (not so good), to Schlecht (bad). Always return the question: Und Ihnen? (formal) or Und dir? (informal).
Wie geht es Ihnen? — Danke, gut. Und Ihnen?
— How are you? — Thanks, good. And you? (formal)
Wie geht's? — Es geht. Und dir?
— How's it going? — So-so. And you? (informal)
Nicht so gut.
— Not so good.
💡 Honest answer — Germans expect follow-up
Alles klar? — Ja, alles klar!
— Everything okay? — Yes, all good!
💡 Very casual
⚠️ Common Mistake: Not returning the question. After answering, always ask back with 'Und Ihnen?' or 'Und dir?'
💡 Study Tip: Na? is a very casual greeting in north Germany. The expected reply is simply Na! — the whole exchange is just one syllable each.
6. Bitte — The Swiss Army Knife of German
Bitte means please, you're welcome, here you go, and (as Bitte?) pardon.
This one word covers four distinct English expressions: 1) 'Einen Kaffee, bitte' = A coffee, please. 2) 'Danke!' — 'Bitte!' = Thanks! — You're welcome! 3) Handing something over: 'Bitte schön!' = Here you go! 4) As a question: 'Bitte?' = Pardon? / Sorry, what? When in doubt, say bitte. It is almost always appropriate.
Einen Kaffee, bitte.
— A coffee, please.
💡 bitte = please
Danke! — Bitte!
— Thanks! — You're welcome!
💡 bitte = you're welcome
Bitte schön!
— Here you go!
💡 When handing something over
Bitte?
— Pardon? / Sorry, what?
💡 Rising intonation = pardon
⚠️ Common Mistake: Forgetting that bitte does quadruple duty. Don't only use it for 'please'.
💡 Study Tip: When in doubt, say bitte. It is almost always appropriate and makes you sound polite.
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📖 Core Vocabulary / Wortschatz (45 Words)
Click 🔊 to hear correct German pronunciation. Nouns are marked with articles: der (masculine) die (feminine) das (neuter).
| Audio | German | English | Type | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guten Morgen | Good morning | phrase |
Guten Morgen! Wie geht es Ihnen? (Good morning! How are you?)
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| Guten Tag | Good day / Hello | phrase |
Guten Tag, Frau Müller! (Good day, Mrs Müller!)
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| Guten Abend | Good evening | phrase |
Guten Abend! Willkommen im Restaurant. (Good evening! Welcome to the restaurant.)
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| Gute Nacht | Good night (bedtime only) | phrase |
Gute Nacht, schlaf gut! (Good night, sleep well!)
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| Hallo | Hello / Hi | interjection |
Hallo! Schön, dich zu sehen. (Hello! Nice to see you.)
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| Moin | Hello (North Germany) | interjection |
Moin! Alles klar? (Hello! Everything okay?)
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| Grüß Gott | Hello (Bavaria/Austria) | phrase |
Grüß Gott! Was darf es sein? (Hello! What can I get you?)
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| Servus | Hello / Goodbye (South) | interjection |
Servus, wie geht's? (Hello, how's it going?)
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| Grüezi | Hello (Switzerland, formal) | interjection |
Grüezi, Herr Meier. (Hello, Mr Meier.)
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| Auf Wiedersehen | Goodbye (formal) | phrase |
Auf Wiedersehen, Herr Doktor! (Goodbye, Doctor!)
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| Auf Wiederhören | Goodbye (on the phone) | phrase |
Vielen Dank. Auf Wiederhören! (Many thanks. Goodbye!)
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| Tschüss | Bye (informal) | interjection |
Tschüss, bis morgen! (Bye, see you tomorrow!)
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| Tschau / Ciao | Bye (informal) | interjection |
Tschau, mach's gut! (Bye, take care!)
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| Bis bald | See you soon | phrase |
Ich muss los. Bis bald! (I have to go. See you soon!)
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| Bis später | See you later | phrase |
Bis später! Wir treffen uns um drei. (See you later! We'll meet at three.)
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| Bis morgen | See you tomorrow | phrase |
Gute Arbeit heute. Bis morgen! (Good work today. See you tomorrow!)
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| Bis dann | See you then | phrase |
Okay, Freitag um acht. Bis dann! (Okay, Friday at eight. See you then!)
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| Schönen Tag noch | Have a nice day | phrase |
Danke für Ihren Besuch. Schönen Tag noch! (Thank you for your visit. Have a nice day!)
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| Schönes Wochenende | Have a good weekend | phrase |
Schönes Wochenende! — Danke, gleichfalls! (Have a good weekend! — Thanks, likewise!)
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| Mach's gut | Take care (informal) | phrase |
Tschüss, mach's gut! (Bye, take care!)
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| Danke, gleichfalls | Thanks, likewise | phrase |
Schönen Abend! — Danke, gleichfalls! (Nice evening! — Thanks, likewise!)
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| Freut mich | Pleased to meet you | phrase |
Mein Name ist Klein. Freut mich! (My name is Klein. Pleased to meet you!)
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| Wie geht es Ihnen? | How are you? (formal) | phrase |
Guten Tag! Wie geht es Ihnen? (Good day! How are you?)
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| Wie geht es dir? | How are you? (informal) | phrase |
Hallo! Wie geht es dir? (Hello! How are you?)
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| Wie geht's? | How's it going? (casual) | phrase |
Hey! Wie geht's? (Hey! How's it going?)
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| Gut, danke | Good, thanks | phrase |
Wie geht's? — Gut, danke. (How's it going? — Good, thanks.)
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| Sehr gut | Very good | phrase |
Mir geht es sehr gut! (I am doing very well!)
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| Es geht | So-so / Okay | phrase |
Wie geht's? — Es geht. (How's it going? — So-so.)
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| Nicht so gut | Not so good | phrase |
Mir geht es nicht so gut. (I am not doing so well.)
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| Schlecht | Bad | adjective |
Mir geht es schlecht. (I am doing badly.)
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| Entschuldigung | Excuse me / Sorry | noun (f.) |
Entschuldigung, wo ist der Bahnhof? (Excuse me, where is the train station?)
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| Es tut mir leid | I am sorry | phrase |
Es tut mir leid, das wusste ich nicht. (I am sorry, I did not know that.)
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| bitte | please / you're welcome / here you go | particle |
Einen Kaffee, bitte. (A coffee, please.)
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| danke | thank you | particle |
Danke schön! (Thank you very much!)
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| Vielen Dank | Many thanks | phrase |
Vielen Dank für Ihre Hilfe! (Many thanks for your help!)
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| Gern geschehen | You're welcome | phrase |
Danke! — Gern geschehen! (Thanks! — You're welcome!)
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| Kein Problem | No problem | phrase |
Kein Problem, das mache ich gern. (No problem, I am happy to do that.)
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| Ich verstehe nicht | I do not understand | phrase |
Entschuldigung, ich verstehe nicht. (Sorry, I do not understand.)
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| Ich weiß nicht | I do not know | phrase |
Ich weiß nicht, wo das ist. (I do not know where that is.)
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| Wie bitte? | Pardon? / Sorry, what? | phrase |
Wie bitte? Können Sie das wiederholen? (Pardon? Can you repeat that?)
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| Was bedeutet das? | What does that mean? | phrase |
Was bedeutet 'Entschuldigung'? (What does 'Entschuldigung' mean?)
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| Wie sagt man ... auf Deutsch? | How do you say ... in German? | phrase |
Wie sagt man 'thank you' auf Deutsch? (How do you say 'thank you' in German?)
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| Sprechen Sie Englisch? | Do you speak English? | phrase |
Entschuldigung, sprechen Sie Englisch? (Excuse me, do you speak English?)
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| Ich spreche nur ein bisschen Deutsch | I only speak a little German | phrase |
Ich spreche nur ein bisschen Deutsch. (I only speak a little German.)
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| Können Sie bitte langsamer sprechen? | Can you speak more slowly, please? | phrase |
Können Sie bitte langsamer sprechen? (Can you speak more slowly, please?)
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💬 Key Conversational Phrases / Redemittel
Guten Morgen / Guten Tag / Guten Abend
Good morning / Good day / Good evening · Standard greetings matched to time of day
Wie geht es Ihnen? — Danke, gut. Und Ihnen?
How are you? — Thanks, good. And you? · Formal how-are-you exchange
Wie geht's? — Gut, und dir?
How's it going? — Good, and you? · Informal how-are-you exchange
Freut mich! / Freut mich auch!
Pleased to meet you! / Pleased to meet you too! · When introduced to someone new
Auf Wiedersehen! / Auf Wiederhören!
Goodbye! (in person / on the phone) · Formal farewell — choose based on seeing vs. hearing
Tschüss! / Mach's gut! / Bis bald!
Bye! / Take care! / See you soon! · Informal farewells for everyday use
Schönen Tag noch! — Danke, gleichfalls!
Have a nice day! — Thanks, likewise! · Ending an interaction warmly
Entschuldigung, können Sie das bitte wiederholen?
Excuse me, can you repeat that, please? · When you did not catch what was said
Ich verstehe nicht. Können Sie bitte langsamer sprechen?
I don't understand. Can you speak more slowly, please? · Survival phrase when speech is too fast
Wir können uns duzen.
We can use 'du' with each other. · Offering to switch from Sie to du
🗣️ Practical Dialogue / Dialog
Situation: Auf der Konferenz und auf dem Campus (At the Conference & On Campus)
Frau Klein:
Guten Tag. Mein Name ist Klein, Anna Klein.
Good day. My name is Klein, Anna Klein.
Herr Özdemir:
Guten Tag, Frau Klein. Özdemir. Freut mich.
Good day, Ms Klein. Özdemir. Pleased to meet you.
Frau Klein:
Freut mich auch. Wie geht es Ihnen?
Pleased to meet you too. How are you?
Herr Özdemir:
Danke, sehr gut. Und Ihnen?
Thank you, very good. And you?
Frau Klein:
Auch gut, danke.
Also good, thanks.
(Narrator):
(Später...)
(Later...)
Herr Özdemir:
Es war schön, Sie kennenzulernen. Auf Wiedersehen!
It was nice to meet you. Goodbye!
Frau Klein:
Auf Wiedersehen, Herr Özdemir. Schönen Tag noch!
Goodbye, Mr Özdemir. Have a nice day!
Herr Özdemir:
Danke, gleichfalls!
Thanks, likewise!
(Narrator):
--- Szene B: Auf dem Campus ---
--- Scene B: On Campus ---
Lena:
Hey Jonas! Wie geht's?
Hey Jonas! How's it going?
Jonas:
Hallo Lena! Gut, und dir?
Hi Lena! Good, and you?
Lena:
Es geht. Ich bin müde.
So-so. I'm tired.
Jonas:
Warum? Was ist los?
Why? What's up?
Lena:
Ich habe morgen eine Prüfung.
I have an exam tomorrow.
Jonas:
Oh je. Viel Glück!
Oh dear. Good luck!
Lena:
Danke! Ich muss jetzt lernen. Tschüss!
Thanks! I have to study now. Bye!
Jonas:
Tschüss, mach's gut! Bis bald!
Bye, take care! See you soon!