Language/German/Vocabulary/Greetings-and-Goodbyes

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German → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Greetings and Introduction → Greetings and Goodbyes

Introduction

In this lesson, we will learn how to greet and say goodbye to people in German. Greetings and goodbyes are essential in any language, as they help establish and maintain social connections. By learning the proper German greetings and goodbyes, you will be able to interact with native speakers in a polite and friendly manner. Whether you are traveling to a German-speaking country or simply want to communicate with German speakers, these phrases will come in handy. Let's get started!

Greetings

Basic Greetings

Let's begin with some basic greetings that you can use in various situations:

• Hallo! (Hello!)
• Guten Morgen! (Good morning!)
• Guten Tag! (Good day!/Good afternoon!)
• Guten Abend! (Good evening!)

These greetings are appropriate for different times of the day. "Hallo" is a casual and universal greeting, while "Guten Morgen," "Guten Tag," and "Guten Abend" are more formal and commonly used in professional settings. It's important to note that Germans tend to shake hands when greeting each other, so be prepared for a firm handshake when meeting someone for the first time.

Informal Greetings

When greeting friends, family, or people of your age group, you can use these informal greetings:

• Servus! (Hi!/Bye!) - Commonly used in Bavaria and Austria.
• Moin! (Hi!/Bye!) - Commonly used in Northern Germany.
• Hi! (Hi!/Bye!)

These informal greetings are perfect for casual situations and among friends. "Servus" is a regional greeting commonly used in Bavaria and Austria, while "Moin" is a common greeting in Northern Germany. "Hi" is a loanword from English and is widely understood by Germans.

Formal Greetings

When greeting someone in a formal setting or a person of higher social status, it is appropriate to use these formal greetings:

• Guten Tag! (Good day!/Good afternoon!)
• Grüß Gott! (Hello!/Greetings!)
• Guten Abend! (Good evening!)

These formal greetings are suitable for professional or respectful situations. "Grüß Gott" is a traditional greeting used in Bavaria and parts of Austria. It literally means "Greet God" and is a way of showing respect and politeness.

Greetings on the Phone

When answering the phone or making a call in German, you can use the following greetings:

• Hallo! (Hello!)
• Guten Tag! (Good day!/Good afternoon!)
• Ja, bitte? (Yes, please?)

These phone greetings are similar to the basic greetings we discussed earlier. "Ja, bitte?" literally means "Yes, please?" and is a polite way of answering the phone.

Goodbyes

Basic Goodbyes

Just like greetings, goodbyes can vary depending on the situation. Here are some basic ways to say goodbye in German:

• Tschüss! (Bye!/Goodbye!)
• Auf Wiedersehen! (Goodbye!/Until we meet again!)
• Bis später! (See you later!)
• Bis bald! (See you soon!)

These basic goodbyes can be used in most situations. "Tschüss" is a casual and common way to say goodbye, while "Auf Wiedersehen" is more formal and polite. "Bis später" and "Bis bald" are used when you expect to see the person again soon.

Informal Goodbyes

When saying goodbye to friends or people of your age group, you can use these informal goodbyes:

• Tschau! (Bye!/Bye-bye!)
• Mach's gut! (Take care!)

These informal goodbyes are perfect for casual situations. "Tschau" is a common and casual way to say goodbye, while "Mach's gut" literally means "Make it good" and is a way of wishing someone well.

Formal Goodbyes

When saying goodbye in a formal setting or to someone of higher social status, it is appropriate to use these formal goodbyes:

• Auf Wiedersehen! (Goodbye!/Until we meet again!)
• Auf Wiederhören! (Goodbye!/Until we hear from each other!)

These formal goodbyes are suitable for professional or respectful situations. "Auf Wiederhören" is specifically used when ending a phone conversation and translates to "Until we hear from each other."

Practice Sentences

Now let's practice some greetings and goodbyes with example sentences:

German	Pronunciation	English
Hallo!	Ha-lo!	Hello!
Guten Morgen!	Goo-ten Mor-gen!	Good morning!
Guten Tag!	Goo-ten Tahg!	Good day!/Good afternoon!
Guten Abend!	Goo-ten Ah-bent!	Good evening!
Servus!	Sehr-voos!	Hi!/Bye!
Moin!	Moin!	Hi!/Bye!
Hi!	Hi!	Hi!/Bye!
Guten Tag!	Goo-ten Tahg!	Good day!/Good afternoon!
Grüß Gott!	Groos Got!	Hello!/Greetings!
Guten Abend!	Goo-ten Ah-bent!	Good evening!
Hallo!	Ha-lo!	Hello!
Guten Tag!	Goo-ten Tahg!	Good day!/Good afternoon!
Ja, bitte?	Ya, bit-te?	Yes, please?
Tschüss!	Choos!	Bye!/Goodbye!
Auf Wiedersehen!	Auf Vee-der-zay-en!	Goodbye!/Until we meet again!
Bis später!	Bis shpay-ter!	See you later!
Bis bald!	Bis bahlt!	See you soon!
Tschau!	Chau!	Bye!/Bye-bye!
Mach's gut!	Mahks goot!	Take care!
Auf Wiedersehen!	Auf Vee-der-zay-en!	Goodbye!/Until we meet again!
Auf Wiederhören!	Auf Vee-der-huh-ren!	Goodbye!/Until we hear from each other!

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have learned how to greet and say goodbye to people in German. By practicing these greetings and goodbyes, you will be able to communicate more effectively and build connections with German speakers. Remember to adjust your greetings based on the level of formality and the situation. Keep practicing and soon you will feel comfortable using these phrases in real-life situations. Viel Glück (Good luck)!

Table of Contents - German Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Basic Sentence Structures

• Subject and Verb
• Noun and Gender

  ---

Greetings and Introduction

• Greetings and Goodbyes
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Definite and Indefinite Articles

• Gender and Articles
• Plural Forms
• Cases: Nominative and Accusative

  ---

Numbers, Dates and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Days of the Week and Months
• Telling Time

  ---

Verbs and Conjugation

• Verb Forms
• Present Tense
• Separable Verbs

  ---

Family and Friends

• Family Members
• Talking About Your Friends

  ---

Prepositions

• Using Prepositions
• Two-Way Prepositions

  ---

Food and Drinks

• Food and Meals
• Drinks and Beverages

  ---

Germany and German-Speaking Countries

• Geography and Landmarks
• Cuisine and Traditions

  ---

Pronouns and Possessives

• Personal Pronouns
• Possessive Pronouns

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Booking a Trip
• Public Transportation

  ---

Modal Verbs

• Expressing Abilities
• Talking About Obligations

  ---

Shopping and Clothes

• Shopping for Clothes
• Buying Groceries

  ---

Music and Entertainment

• Popular Musicians and Genres
• Movies, TV and Literature

  ---

Adjectives

• Descriptive Adjectives
• Comparative and Superlative Forms

  ---

Health and Body

• Talking About Health
• Body Parts

  ---

Time and Temporal Prepositions

• Using Time Expressions
• Temporal Prepositions

Sources

• Formal and informal German greetings and farewells (+ cultural ...
• Greetings and essentials + audio | Learn German
• Hello in German: 22 Friendly and Useful German Greetings ...

Other Lessons

• Food
• Days of the Week
• Booking a Trip
• Body
• Animal Sounds
• Maps
• Buying Groceries
• Public Transportation
• How to Say Hello and Greetings
• Tongue twisters

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