Saying “hello” in German is pretty straightforward: Hallo is just one letter off from its English cousin and often one of the first German words people encounter. But when you’re learning how to speak German, you’ll find there are many more ways to greet someone.
A lot of these German greetings are tied to different situations or even specific regions. We’ve put together a helpful list of some of the most common Begrüßungen (be-greuh-soong-en) or “greetings,” so you can start conversations in German with confidence.
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Formal ways to say ‘hello’ in German
When speaking in professional situations or showing respect, you may be wondering, “How do you say ‘hello’ in German?” Hallo is a pretty neutral greeting that can be used in professional and formal settings, as well as casual situations. In German, hallo is pronounced “hah-loh.” But, there are plenty of other ways to say “hello” in German for these more formal situations.
Guten Tag (Good day.)
Guten Tag is the most common formal greeting. It’s used in non-casual work conversations or other situations where you want to show a professional or respectful distance. As such, this greeting is often used together with the German pronoun Sie. This formal version of “you” adds to the professional nature of this greeting. For example, you might say:
- Guten Tag. Es freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen. (Good day. It’s a pleasure to meet you.)
Other versions of Guten Tag
While you can say Guten Tag at any time of the day, other versions exist for use at different times of day. Check out this list of common variations and phrases that often accompany the Guten Tag greeting:
- Guten Morgen. = Good morning.
- Guten Abend. = Good evening.
- Guten Tag. Wie geht es Ihnen? = Good day. How are you?
The last phrase on the list can be situational—it’s not as common to ask strangers “How are you?” in German as it is in American English. But, it’s something you might hear when going to the doctor or when your boss/professor greets you to check in.
Formal German greeting pronunciations
Below you’ll find how to pronounce the formal German greetings, so you know just what to say in any professional situation.
| German Greeting | Pronunciation | English |
| Guten Tag. | goo-ten tuhg | Good day. |
| Guten Morgen. | goo-ten morr-ghen | Good morning. |
| Guten Abend. | goo-ten uh-bendh | Good evening. |
Casual ways to say ‘hello’ in German
When you’re more familiar with a person or in a casual work setting, it may be appropriate to loosen up a little with your greetings. The greetings listed here help you to come across less stiff in everyday conversation.
Hi and Hey
These two words will be familiar to you if you speak English. They are often used instead of “hello” in the German language and are well-established, casual greetings.
Tach, Morgen, and Abend (day, mornin’, and evenin’)
As the casual cousins of the more formal greetings, Tach, Morgen, and Abend can be used with people you are familiar with or in casual workspaces.
Tach is a greeting in many parts of Germany. It’s the word Tag (day) with the “g” at the end replaced by the German ch sound—a sort of hissing at the back of your throat. It’s common to do this with German words ending with a “g” in casual language. What is special about this example is that Tag, without the pronunciation change, is not used as a greeting.
Morgen and Abend are simply the words for “morning” and “evening” respectively. To use these as greetings is the same as saying “mornin’” or “evenin’” in English.
Hallöchen! (little ‘hello’)
As a more humorous casual greeting alternative, you can use hallöchen. The German -chen ending on words indicates that it is a small, cutesy version of the original word. So hallöchen describes a small, cute hallo.
Slang ways to say ‘hello’ in German
When meeting close friends on the street, it’s common to use slang words to greet each other in a very casual way. A few of the most common ones are listed here.
Yo!
This one-syllable expression is applied the same as it is in English. Rarely, it may also be written as Jo. It’s often used together with the name of the greeted person or the word Bruder (broo-der; “brother,” used the same as “bro”) or its shortened version Brudi (broo-dy).
Was geht? (What’s up?)
This phrase literally translates to “What’s going?” and is the German version of “What’s up?” You can also say was läuft? (What’s running?) instead.
Na?
Na (Nuh) is a pretty special word. It’s often used in conjunction with other greetings and is another way of inquiring about the other person’s well-being and what’s going on with them. For example, you can say Hey! Na? or Na? Was geht?, but you can also just use it on its own to quickly inquire about someone’s work when entering a room.
Regional versions of ‘hello’ in German
With how many people speak German across different countries, it’s no wonder that there are regional differences between greetings. Here are some of the most common local varieties:
Servus (hello/goodbye)
This word is a widely used greeting in Bavaria and parts of Austria. It can mean both “hello” and “goodbye,” and you’ll encounter it if you’re ever celebrating Oktoberfest in Germany. The word itself is of Latin origin and means “(your) servant.” It’s used in both casual and formal situations.
Moin or Moin moin
This is a traditional greeting in many parts of northern Germany and even parts of southern Denmark. Sometimes said twice in a row as Moin moin, it’s a greeting that can be used at any time of day and in casual conversation. The term comes from the East Friesian word moi, which means “beautiful” or “pleasant.” You’ll also find this phrase on many souvenirs sold on the German coast.
Grüß Gott (Greet God) and Grüß Dich (You be greeted)
These are two common South German greetings. Grüß Gott (“Greet God” or “God be greeted”) is often used in Bavaria as a casual greeting, while Grüß Dich (“Greet you,” or “You be greeted”) is used in other parts of southern Germany.
Grüezi (the Swiss way of saying ‘hello’)
Grüezi is the common greeting in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. It is derived from the phrase Gott grüez-i, Swiss German for Gott Grüß Euch (May God greet You.)
Saying ‘welcome’ in German
Similar to English, German has a word for when you welcome someone somewhere. Willkommen (Vill-khomm-en) as a word is pretty similar to English. But in German, you often say herzlich willkommen (heartily welcome) instead of just willkommen. On the chalk signs outside cafés and bakeries, you’ll often see a drawn heart followed by -lich willkommen.
Say ‘hello’ to learning German with Rosetta Stone
Knowing your way around different social situations, from the professionalism of the office to meeting friends at a party, is a key skill when it comes to language learning. German greetings are heavily dependent on the time of day, situation, and even the region you’re in.
With Rosetta Stone, you have seemingly endless expert resources at your disposal to help you master the pronunciation and usage of the German language. So you’ll know just what to say when someone asks you Was geht?
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