Greetings in German: 17 Useful Ways to Greet Someone in German

Did you know that there are over 95 million people worldwide that claim German as their mother tongue? It’s true! In fact, German is actually considered an official language in six countries—Germany, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Lichtenstein. Although it may be a little overwhelming to learn, with some practice and help, it is possible to spark a conversation with one of the millions of German speakers around the world. But, to start, it’s important to learn how to greet people in German!

Every conversation starts with a greeting, so don’t be afraid to jump in and start applying what you’ve learned after reading this guide. With that being said, if you’ve ever asked yourself, “How do you greet someone in German?” you’ve come to the right place.

How to Greet Someone in German

Luckily, there are several different ways you can greet people in German—some of which are easier than you might think! Learning different options for both informal and formal greetings in German can help you prepare for any situation. To help you make the most of your efforts, download Tandem and practice your greetings with a speaker today. In the meantime, you can use the following list as a helpful guide to German greetings.

1. Hallo / Hi / Hey — Hello / Hi / Hey

This is one of the easiest ways to greet someone in German, because it’s also used as an English greeting! You can say hi, hey, or the German version of hello—hallo to strike up a conversation with anyone. It can be used as both an informal and a formal greeting in German or casually on its own when you’re passing by someone on the street.

2. Moin — Hello (Northern Germany)

If you’re heading up to Northern Germany, you’ll need to switch out hallo with the German greeting of moin. It’s used in the same contexts as hello but is more common in the geographical areas around Northern Germany as well as areas of the Netherlands, Denmark, and Northern Poland.

3. Servus — Hello (Southern Germany)

When you head to Southern Germany for a visit, you’ll need to switch up your German greetings and say “servus” if you want to say hello. This is primarily used in Bavaria, but it’s also commonly heard in Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, and even Romania amongst German speakers.

4. Grüß Gott — Hello (Southern Germany and Austria)

Another option to say hello in Southern Germany and Austria is with the phrase “Grüß Gott.” It’s a shortened form of the literal translation “God bless you,” and is still used as a German greeting amongst friends or neighbors.

5. Grüß dich — Hello (Austria and Switzerland)

In Austria and Switzerland, the phrase “God bless you” is shortened a bit differently. Instead of Grüß Gott, they say Grüß dich. The unshortened phrase of this is Grüß dich Gott.

6. Grüezi — Hello (Switzerland)

Finally, the last way to say hello in German (for this list at least) is by saying Grüezi. This is mainly used throughout Switzerland, but again can be used as either an informal or formal greeting in German.

7. Guten Morgen — Good morning

If you want to wish someone a good morning in German, all you need to do is say “Guten Morgen.” This can be used as a way to start a conversation or simply in passing.

8. Guten Tag — Good afternoon

As the day progresses, you can switch morgen for tag and say “Guten Tag.” Again, this can be used either to strike up a conversation with someone or as an alternative to saying hello.

9. Tag — (Good) day

To shorten Guten Tag even more, drop the Guten and just say “Tag.” This is an informal greeting that is often used amongst friends.

10. Guten Abend — Good evening

As the sun starts to go down, you can greet someone by saying "Guten Abend." This is a polite and formal way to say hello during the evening hours.

11. Gute Nacht — Good night

Before saying goodbye or when someone is about to go to bed, you can say "Gute Nacht" to wish them a good night. It is a common phrase used to express well wishes before sleeping.

12. Wie geht’s? — How’s it going?

To ask someone how they are doing, you can use the phrase "Wie geht's?" It’s a commonly used greeting to ask about someone's general well-being or current situation. It’s more of an informal greeting in German.

13. Wie geht es dir? — How are you? (informal)

If you want to ask someone how they are doing in a more personal and informal way, you can say "Wie geht es dir?" This is a friendly greeting commonly used among friends and acquaintances.

14. Wie geht es Ihnen? — How are you (formal)

When addressing someone in a formal setting or showing respect, you can use "Wie geht es Ihnen?" to ask how they are doing. This phrase is suitable for conversations with strangers, older people, or individuals in professional settings. It’s one of the more formal greetings in German.

15. Was ist los? — What’s new?

If you want to know what's happening or what's new in someone's life, you can use the phrase "Was ist los?" It’s a fairly casual way to inquire about recent events or updates.

16. Alles klar? — Everything okay?

To check if everything is fine or if someone needs assistance, you can say "Alles klar?" It's a commonly used expression to ask if everything is okay and if any help is required.

17. Na? — Well?

Finally, for a simple and informal greeting, you can say "Na?" This can either initiate a conversation or be used to ask how someone is doing. It's a versatile phrase that can be used in various contexts to express a casual and friendly approach.

Birthday Greetings in German

If you want to know how to greet people in German when it’s their birthday, consider some of the following birthday greetings in German:

• Alles Gute zum Geburtstag — Happy Birthday!

• Alles Liebe zum Geburtstag — Happy Birthday!

• Herzlichen Glückwunsch — Congratulations

Christmas Greetings in German

There are also some great Christmas greetings in German that you can use around the holidays! Some of the most common include the following:

• Frohe/fröhliche Weilhnachten — Happy Christmas!

• Frohe Festtage — Happy Holidays!

• Herzliche Weihnachtsgrüße — Best Christmas greetings!

When learning how to greet people in German, the best way to practice is to talk to a native speaker! Luckily, with Tandem, you can do just that from anywhere in the world. Tandem is a personalized language learning experience that allows you to match with native German speakers and continue perfecting your use of greetings in German. Tandem works to help our members foster a deeper understanding of language while improving fluency and building long-lasting friendships. All you need to do is sign up, match with a native speaker of your target language, and start communicating. Sign up for Tandem and start practicing your use of German greetings today.