Information
Nico, a young Spanish man, arrives at the airport in Germany. As he is taking a look around, he listens to a language course on headphones, with greetings in German. Then Emma comes up and starts talking to him.
Greetings
Here you will learn:
- how to greet other people
- to ask people how they're doing
- to say how you feel
- to distinguish between formal and informal greetings
Grammar
Informal forms of address
Hey, Lena! – Hallo, Opa!
Hallo, Sarah! – Hi, Tom!
- The informal form of address is used within the family, among friends and acquaintances, and often also among colleagues.
- Friends, acquaintances and family members are addressed by their first name.
- Children usually call their parents Mama and Papa, and their grandparents Oma and Opa.
Formal forms of address
Guten Tag, Frau Kamp! – Guten Tag!
Guten Morgen, Herr Müller! – Guten Morgen, Frau Schneider!
- The formal address is used with unfamiliar adults, in business situations, with officials, or when shopping.
- Men are addressed formally as Herr followed by their surname, women as Frau followed by their surname.
- If you are unsure whether to be formal or informal, use the formal address.
| Greetings | Explaining |
|---|---|
| Guten Morgen! | Greeting in the morning until approximately 11 o'clock. |
| Guten Tag! | Greeting during the day, approximately between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. |
| Guten Abend! | Greeting in the evening from approximately 6 p.m. onwards. |
Grammatical terms in German:
informell: Informal language is used when talking to family and friends.
formell: Formal language is used in formal situations.
Vocabulary
| Words | Explaining |
|---|---|
| auch | also |
| das Beispiel, die Beispiele | example |
| danke alternativ: danke schön / danke sehr |
thanks (abbreviated form of “thank you”) |
| Es geht mir gut. | I'm doing well. |
| Es ist 09:00 Uhr. | It is 9 o'clock. |
| Frau hier nur Singular, ohne Artikel |
Ms/Mrs |
| die Frau, die Frauen | woman |
| gut besser, am besten |
well;good |
| Guten Abend. | Good evening. |
| Guten Morgen. | Good morning. |
| GUten Tag. | Hello. Good day. |
| Hallo | Hello! |
| Herr hier nur Singular, ohne Artikel |
Mr |
| Hey! aus dem Englischen |
Hey! |
| Hi! aus dem Englischen |
Hi! |
| der Mann, die Mäanner | man |
| nicht | not |
| nicht so gut | not so gut |
| oder | or |
| schone schöner, am schönsten |
nice; beautiful; pretty |
| sehr gut | very well; very good |
| super | super; great |
| Uhr in Uhrzeiten: nur Singular |
o'clock |
| und | and |
| Und dir? | How about you? (informal) |
| Und Ihnen? | How about you? (formal) |
| Wie geht es dir? Varianten: Wie geht’s? / Wie geht’s dir? |
How are you? (informal) |
| Wie geht es Ihnen? | How are you? (formal) |
Culture and society
Greetings in German
Formal:
Guten Tag
This is the most important formal greeting in German. You can use it throughout the day.
Depending on the time of day, you can also use:
Guten Morgen – until about 11 a.m.
Guten Abend – as of about 6 p.m.
When you greet another person, you offer your hand for a handshake and look them in the eye in a friendly way.
Informal:
Hallo!
This is how you greet friends, acquaintances and young people. You can also just smile, offer a handshake, or nod to them.
Some people, especially young women, hug or give each other a kiss on the cheek.
Everyday language:
Hi!
Tach!
Hey!
There are lots of different options in everyday language.
Na?
You can say this to people you know well and see on a regular basis. It more or less means: “Hello, everything ok with you?” or “Hello, what's up?” The easiest way to respond is to ask the same question back: “Na?“
Regional variations
In some regions there are particular greetings, such as:
Servus! – especially in Bavaria and Austria, informal
Grüß Gott! – Southern Germany and Austria
Grüezi! – Switzerland
Moin! – Northern Germany
Script
AUDIOKURS:
Frau: Guten Morgen, Herr Müller, wie geht es Ihnen?
Mann: Guten Morgen, Frau Schneider. Danke, gut! Und Ihnen?
Frau: Guten Morgen, Herr Müller, wie geht es Ihnen?
Mann: Guten Morgen, Frau Schneider. Danke, gut! Und Ihnen?
Mann: Guten Tag, Frau Kamp.
Frau: Guten Tag! Wie geht es Ihnen?
Mann: Sehr gut, danke. Und Ihnen?
Mann: Hey, Lena! Na, wie geht's?
Frau: Hallo, Opa!
Mann: Hallo, Sarah. Wie geht's dir?
Frau: Hi, Tom! Super, danke.Und dir?
EMMA:
Oh, schön!
NICO:
Hm?
EMMA:
Die Tasche ist schön!
NICO:
Entschuldigung? Schön?
EMMA:
Ja, die Tasche!
LISA:
Emma, komm jetzt! Entschuldigung!
NICO:
Adalbert-Stifter-Straße …
