10 Hilarious Ways To Say Hello in German: Common German Greetings

In northern Germany and southern towns, greetings vary.

Standard German Greetings

"Guten Tag" and "Guten Abend"

In the morning, Germans say "Guten Morgen" as a standard and slightly formal greeting , which simply means "Good Morning."

As the day progresses, you can greet people with "Guten Tag", which literally means "Good Day." It is also used to say "good afternoon' and works in both casual and formal situations.

Then, as the evening sets in, the greeting switches to "Guten Abend,'' or "Good Evening." To say "Good night,'' you can say "Gute Nacht.''

Friendly and Informal: "Hallo" and "Hi"

Switch gears to more relaxed and informal situations, and you'll hear "Hallo" (Hello) and even the English-borrowed "Hi." These greetings are the go-to in more casual conversations.

The Classic "Wie geht es dir'' and "Wie geht es Ihnen?"

“Wie geht's dir?” is informal for friends. Use “Wie geht es Ihnen?” for authority figures.

Alles Klar?

© pixabay

Regional German Greetings

Here's a list of greetings you'll hear in certain regions:

Moin (Moin)

Germany's history as a loose federation means many regional variations.

“Moin Moin!” is mainly used in northern areas like Hamburg and East Frisia. For someone who does not come from North Germany, this phrase might be confusing since it derives from “Morgen” but can be used at any time of the day.

Some people even double it and say “Moin Moin”. Younger people also use “Moinsen” in the north.

Grüß Gott

"Grüß Gott" is from southern Germany; invoking God, this way of greeting in German can sound old-fashioned to those in the north, but is still heard in Bavaria, as well as Austria, to say “hello”.

Tach, Guude, Gemorje, Juten Morjen

The word “Tach” is used in Northern Germany and in North Rhine-Westphalia. “Guude”, which is a shortened version of “Guten”, you can hear in Hesse and Northern Rhineland-Palatinate. In the area, the greeting can also be used as a farewell.

By the way, in Hesse, instead of “Guten Morgen” you will most likely hear “Gemorje”. And in Berlin and Brandenburg, where the dialect often changes “g” into “j”, people often say “Juten Morgen” or “Juten Morjen”.

How to say Hello in German with non-German Words

Here are some popular greetings in different regions that are not German in origin:

Hallo

This is used often and is great for any situation. “Hi!” is also used in Germany, but just like using it in English, try to use it among people you’re already familiar with.

Ciao

You’ll not only hear this in Italy, but in various areas across Europe now too. It’s used as a greeting and as a goodbye, especially in the larger, more metropolitan cities. In German we’d write it “Tschau” and it’s a not only a way of saying “Hello” but can also be used for saying “Goodbye”.

Servus

The word “servus” is related to the word “servant” and basically means “at your service”. It's not really used in this sense anymore nowadays, but you’ll definitely hear it in Bavaria and Austria.

Grüezi

In the German-speaking part of Switzerland, the most common greeting is “Grüezi/Griezi” (from “Grüß Sie”) or “Grüessech” (Grüße Euch).

This translates to "God greets you", but for a phrase with less of a religious connotation, you can also use "Grüß dich."

Family members and close friends use “Hoi”, which was originally a shout used by shepherds to drive their cattle. “Sali”, coming from a Latin phrase, just as the French word “Salut”, is also used.

How to Say Goodbye in German

Like “Hallo” and “Guten Tag,” you can always use “Auf Wiedersehen” (Goodbye) and “Tschau” or “Tschüs/Tschüss” (Bye) as we write it. However, like for the greetings, there exist several regional phrases for how to say “Goodbye”.

Let’s start in Bavaria and Austria. Instead of saying “Auf Wiedersehen”, in Bavaria it is more common to say “Auf Wiederschau’n” (“schauen” is another word for “sehen” which means “to see”).

You will also hear, especially in Austria, “Ba-Ba” (it might derive from the English “Bye-bye”). Other farewells in Bavarian are “Pfia God“, “Pfiat di God” or “Pfiat eahna” (formal) and “Pfiat di/eich“ (familiar).

More Ways to Say Goodbye

There are plenty more rather silly goodbyes.

There are two theories as to where the word “Tschüs” derives from. The one considered to be proven is the fact that “Tschüs” developed from the old Low German (spoken mainly in Northern Germany and the northeastern part of the Netherlands) word “Atschüs”, which was still in use until the 1940s.

According to the first theory, “Atschüs” comes from the Wallon word “adjus” which means “to God”. The second theory assumes that “Atschüs” goes back to the Spanish word “Adíos” which also means “to God”.

On the phone, use “Auf Wiederhören” with unfamiliar people.

• “Bis morgen /bald / später!” – See you tomorrow / soon / later!
• “Bis dann!” – See you!
• “Wir hören uns!” – Talk to you!
• “Mach’s gut!” – Take care!
• “Schönen Tag / Abend (noch)!” – Have a good day / evening!
• “Schönes Wochenende!” – Have a nice weekend!
• “Viel Spaß!” – Have fun!
• “Gute Reise!” – Have a good trip!
• “Pass auf dich auf” - Take care!
• “Bleib gesund” – Stay healthy!

Nonverbal Greetings in German

If you meet someone for the very first time the most common greeting is a handshake, whereas if you meet close friends you may hug them or give them a cheek kiss.

In times of Covid-19, alternative forms of saying “Hi” and “Bye” have come along. You might see people touching each other with their elbows or even with their feet. Fist bumps are also used among the younger population (anyone below the mental age of 50).

Others like to give “air kisses” or pretend to hug each other while hugging themselves. There are also many people who do none of these things and simply say “Hallo” and/or just nod.

German Greetings in Action

Easy German, whose interview videos - and only those - I can warmly recommend, has a lovely video on the matter of how to say hello in German.

How to Say “Thank you” in German

In all German-speaking countries you can use “danke schön” or just “Danke”.

Those of you who find “Danke” too simple and would like to put more emotions in their vocabulary can also say “Herzlichen Dank” (the word “herzlichen” comes from the German word “Herz” which means “heart”). Beside this expression, you will also hear “Vielen Dank”, “Danke vielmals”* or “Vielen herzlichen Dank”.

Interesting Facts

How to Respond to Danke