How to Greet in Germany

Knowing the basic greetings in German is very important if you are living, vacationing, or working in Germany. Similar to most cultures around the world, Germans make a clear distinction between formal and informal greetings. This guide will show you almost all the ways to greet in Germany.

Identify the person you are addressing. Use these greetings when addressing businesses or individuals you are not familiar with. Most greetings are related to the time of day.

• "Guten Morgen!" - Good Morning!
  • Typically used until just before noon. In some parts of Germany, it is only used until 10 AM.
• "Guten Tag!" - Good Day!
  • This is used from midday until around 6 PM.
• "Guten Abend." - Good Evening.
  • This greeting is commonly used after 6 PM.
• When writing a letter, remember that “all nouns in German must be capitalized.”

Learn the appropriate physical gestures for greetings. Greeting customs can differ greatly depending on the culture or region, whether it’s bowing, hugging, or shaking hands. In Germany, there are slight differences compared to other European countries.

• Germans typically prefer handshakes when greeting someone outside of their family, as opposed to cheek kissing, which is more common in many European countries. However, cheek kissing is still a normal greeting in German-speaking countries.
• The number of kisses, as well as where and with whom they are exchanged, can vary depending on the location. If you’re meeting someone for the first time, a handshake is usually enough. You can also observe how the other person greets you and follow their lead.

Use everyday phrases to greet family and friends. The following expressions are common across most places in Germany.

• "Hallo!" – This is simply ‘Hello,’ and it’s the most widely used greeting.
• "Morgen," "Tag," and "'n Abend" are shortened versions of the time-based greetings mentioned earlier.
• "Sei gegrüßt." - Let me introduce... (introducing one person).
• "Seid gegrüßt." - Let me introduce... (introducing multiple people).
  • "Grüß Dich" translates to “Hi” or “Hello,” used when you’re very familiar with the person you’re greeting.
  • "ß" is sometimes pronounced like “s” as in the word “sigh.”

Asking Questions. There are several ways to ask about someone’s health, similar to how it's done in Vietnamese.

• "Wie geht es dir?" - How are you? (informal).
• "Wie geht's?" - How’s it going?
  • Response: "Es geht mir gut." -- I’m doing well.
    
    "Nicht schlecht." -- Not bad.
• Ask back: "Und dir?" -- And you? (informal).

Get accustomed to the local dialects. Germany has a rich history, which means that different regions have their own ways of using language.

• "Moin Moin!" or simply "Moin!" is a common greeting in northern Germany, particularly in Hamburg, East Frisia, and surrounding areas. It can be used at any time of the day, for anyone.
• "Grüß Gott" translates to “God bless you,” and is commonly used as a greeting in southern Germany, especially in Bavaria.
• "Servus!" is another greeting unique to southern Germany, which also means “hello.”

• "Hallo" is now considered a semi-formal greeting. While it’s still used among friends, you’ll also hear it in shops, clinics, and restaurants.