About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will learn how to greet people and say goodbye in German in a natural and confident way.
By the end, you will be able to:
- greet people depending on the time of day
- respond to greetings naturally
- say goodbye in different situations
- understand when to be formal or informal
- hold a simple real-life interaction
How to Study (IMPORTANT)
- Read
- Say it out loud
- Repeat 3 times
👉 Don’t just read — speak
👉 That’s how you improve fast
1. Greetings (Begrüßungen)
| German | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Hallo | ha-lo | Hello |
| Hi | hai | Hi (very informal) |
| Guten Morgen | goo-ten mor-gen | Good morning |
| Guten Tag | goo-ten tahk | Hello (daytime) |
| Guten Abend | goo-ten ah-bent | Good evening |
| Grüß Gott | grooss gott | Hello (South Germany/Austria) |
| Grüezi | gru-et-si | Hello (Switzerland) |
Say This Out Loud
Hallo!
Guten Morgen!
Guten Tag!
Guten Abend!
👉 Repeat 3 times
👉 Then say it faster
2. Responding to Greetings
When someone greets you, you can answer simply:
| German | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Hallo! | ha-lo | Hello! |
| Guten Tag! | goo-ten tahk | Hello! |
| Danke, gut | dan-ke goot | I’m good, thanks |
| Auch gut, danke | owkh goot dan-ke | Also good, thanks |
Mini Practice
Say this:
👉 Hallo!
👉 Guten Tag!
Now answer:
👉 Danke, gut!
3. Saying Goodbye (Abschied nehmen)
| German | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Tschüss | chooss | Bye |
| Ciao | chow | Bye (informal) |
| Bis später | bis shpai-ter | See you later |
| Bis bald | bis balt | See you soon |
| Bis morgen | bis mor-gen | See you tomorrow |
| Auf Wiedersehen | owf vee-der-zay-en | Goodbye (formal) |
| Auf Wiederhören | owf vee-der-hur-en | Goodbye (phone) |
Say This Out Loud
Tschüss!
Bis später!
Auf Wiedersehen!
👉 Repeat slowly → then faster
4. Politeness (Höflichkeit)
| German | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Bitte | bit-te | Please / You’re welcome |
| Danke | dan-ke | Thank you |
| Vielen Dank | fee-len dank | Thank you very much |
| Entschuldigung | ent-shool-dee-goong | Excuse me / Sorry |
Quick Practice
Say:
Danke
Bitte
Entschuldigung
5. Formal vs Informal
Informal (du)
Use with:
- friends
- family
- people you know
Examples:
- Hallo!
- Tschüss!
Formal (Sie)
Use with:
- strangers
- work situations
- official contexts
Examples:
- Guten Tag!
- Auf Wiedersehen!
⚠️ “Sie” is always capitalized
6. Culture Tip
✔ Germans always greet when entering a place
✔ Not greeting = rude
✔ Formal greetings are very common
👉 If unsure, use “Guten Tag” (safe choice)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Hallo → “hello”
✔ ha-lo
❌ Guten Tag → “tag”
✔ tahk
❌ Tschüss → “tchus”
✔ chooss
👉 German pronunciation is clearer and sharper
7. Real Conversations
🔹 Informal
A: Hallo!
B: Hallo!
A: Wie geht’s?
B: Gut, danke!
A: Bis später!
B: Tschüss!