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German Greetings and Introductions
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Every German greeting you actually need, when to use du and Sie, and how to introduce yourself — with pronunciation and examples.
The greetings that cover most situations
German has one greeting for every hour of the day: Hallo (hello). It works with friends, shopkeepers and strangers alike. The time-based greetings are warmer and more standard in the south: Guten Morgen (good morning), Guten Tag (good day — used from late morning) and Guten Abend (good evening). Note that Gute Nacht means good night only as a farewell — you never greet someone arriving with it.
Introducing yourself
To say your name, use Ich heiße… (I am called…) or Ich bin… (I am…). Both are natural: Ich heiße Anna and Ich bin Anna both introduce Anna. To ask someone's name, say Wie heißt du? (informal) or Wie heißen Sie? (formal). To say where you are from: Ich komme aus Indien (I come from India).
Du vs Sie — the register choice
German has two words for "you": du for friends, family, children, fellow students and increasingly colleagues, and Sie (always capitalised) for strangers, officials, and anyone you want to show distance to. The rule of thumb: wait for the older or higher-ranking person to offer du. Using Sie too long is merely stiff; using du too early can offend.
Saying goodbye and thank you
The everyday goodbye is Tschüss (informal) or Auf Wiedersehen (formal, literally "until seeing again"). In the south you will hear Servus and in the north Moin — both can mean hello and goodbye. Danke is thanks; Danke schön adds warmth. The reply to thanks is Bitte — which also means "please" and "here you are".
| Greeting | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Hallo | hello — any time, any register |
| Guten Morgen | good morning — until about 11 |
| Guten Tag | good day — late morning to afternoon |
| Guten Abend | good evening — after about 6 pm |
| Tschüss | bye — informal |
| Auf Wiedersehen | goodbye — formal |
| Danke / Bitte | thanks / please, you're welcome |