German Language · A1–A2

German Greetings and Goodbyes: The Complete Beginner’s Guide

Begrüßungen und Verabschiedungen — Speak politely, naturally, and confidently.

How do you greet a teacher, a colleague, a friend, or a stranger in German? And what should you say when you leave? The answer depends on the situation, the relationship, the time of day, and sometimes the region.

In this guide, you will learn common greetings and farewells in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland—with formal and informal expressions, examples, pronunciation help, and practical dialogues.

By the end, you will be able to:

Choose a greeting for formal and informal situations.
Say hello and goodbye at different times of day.
Recognize common expressions from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Use greetings in conversations, emails, and introductions.
Avoid common beginner mistakes and practise with exercises.

Start with these four essentials:

Guten Tag! — Auf Wiedersehen!

Good day! — Goodbye! (formal or polite)

Hallo! — Tschüss!

Hello! — Bye! (usually informal)

These expressions will work in many everyday situations. As you learn more, you can choose greetings that fit the region and relationship.

1. Greetings and Goodbyes: The Basics

In German, greetings are called Begrüßungen and farewells are called Verabschiedungen. A greeting starts an interaction; a farewell closes it.

Begrüßung

Hallo! Guten Morgen! Grüezi!

Hello! Good morning! Hello! (Swiss)

Use these when you meet or address someone.

Verabschiedung

Tschüss! Auf Wiedersehen! Uf Wiederluege!

Bye! Goodbye! Goodbye! (Swiss German)

Use these when you leave or end a conversation.

One important distinction: German greetings do not all have a single English equivalent. Some are tied to a time of day, some signal familiarity or politeness, and some are strongly associated with a region.

2. Formal Greetings and Farewells

Use formal expressions when speaking to someone you do not know well, in professional situations, with customers, or when showing respect. Formal German usually uses Sie (you, formal) and the person's title or surname when appropriate.

German	Meaning / use	Typical context
Guten Morgen!	Good morning!	Morning; polite and widely used
Guten Tag!	Good day! / Hello!	Polite, neutral daytime greeting
Guten Abend!	Good evening!	Evening; polite greeting
Auf Wiedersehen!	Goodbye!	Polite farewell; especially face-to-face
Auf Wiederhören!	Goodbye! (on the phone)	Polite telephone farewell
Wie geht es Ihnen?	How are you?	Formal; uses Ihnen
Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen.	Nice to meet you.	Formal first meeting

Formal examples

Guten Tag, Frau Müller. Wie geht es Ihnen?

Good day, Ms. Müller. How are you?

Sehr gut, danke. Und Ihnen?

Very well, thank you. And you?

Auf Wiedersehen, Herr Schneider.

Goodbye, Mr. Schneider.

Politeness tip: In formal settings, a greeting followed by a surname—such as Guten Morgen, Frau Weber—sounds courteous and natural. Whether to use a title or surname depends on the context and the person's preference.

3. Informal Greetings and Farewells

Use informal expressions with friends, family, classmates, and people who have invited you to use du. These are also common in relaxed everyday interactions, but regional habits vary.

German	Meaning	Typical use
Hallo!	Hello!	Friendly, common, broadly understood
Hi!	Hi!	Casual; common among younger speakers too
Hey!	Hey!	Casual; often among friends
Na?	Hey / So, how's it going?	Very informal; depends on tone and context
Wie geht's?	How are you?	Informal contraction of Wie geht es?
Tschüss!	Bye!	Common informal farewell
Bis bald!	See you soon!	When you expect to meet again
Bis später!	See you later!	Later the same day or soon
Mach's gut!	Take care!	Friendly farewell
Bis dann!	See you then!	Casual farewell

Informal examples

Hey, Lena! Wie geht's?

Hey, Lena! How are you?

Gut, danke! Und dir?

Good, thanks! And you?

Auch gut. Bis später!

Good too. See you later!

Remember: Wie geht es Ihnen? is formal. Wie geht's? or Wie geht es dir? is informal. The difference is not just the greeting—it is also the pronoun and verb form.

4. Greetings by Time of Day

These expressions are widely used, but the exact time when people switch from one greeting to another can vary by person and region.

Expression	Meaning	When to use it
Guten Morgen!	Good morning!	Morning; often until late morning
Guten Tag!	Good day! / Hello!	Daytime; a safe polite greeting
Guten Abend!	Good evening!	Evening; when greeting someone
Gute Nacht!	Good night!	When going to bed or leaving late at night—not usually as a first greeting

Guten Abend vs. Gute Nacht: Use Guten Abend to greet someone in the evening. Use Gute Nacht when saying goodbye at night, especially when someone is going to sleep.

5. Germany, Austria, and Switzerland

German is spoken across several countries, and greetings can sound different from one region to another. The expressions below are useful to recognize; not every expression is used by every speaker in that country.

Germany

Expression	Meaning	Regional note
Hallo!	Hello!	Widely used across Germany
Guten Tag!	Good day! / Hello!	Polite, broadly understood
Moin!	Hello!	Common in northern Germany; can be used throughout the day, not only in the morning
Grüß dich!	Hello! (informal, singular)	Especially common in southern German-speaking areas
Grüß Gott!	Hello! (polite/regional)	Common in southern Germany, especially Bavaria; also used in Austria
Tschüss!	Bye!	Common informal farewell
Servus!	Hello! / Bye!	Used in parts of southern Germany; can be both greeting and farewell

Austria

Expression	Meaning	Regional / register note
Grüß Gott!	Hello!	Very common polite or neutral greeting in many parts of Austria
Grüß dich!	Hello! (informal, singular)	Friendly, informal
Servus!	Hello! / Bye!	Common informal greeting and farewell
Guten Morgen!	Good morning!	Widely understood
Auf Wiedersehen!	Goodbye!	Polite farewell
Pfiat di!	Bye! (informal, singular)	Regional/Bavarian-Austrian dialect expression; familiar and not suitable for every formal situation

Switzerland

Expression	Meaning	Regional / register note
Grüezi!	Hello!	Common polite or neutral greeting in Swiss German-speaking areas; often used when addressing one person
Grüezi mitenand!	Hello, everyone!	Greeting a group; common in Swiss German-speaking contexts
Hoi!	Hi!	Informal greeting, widely used in many parts of Switzerland
Guete Morge!	Good morning!	Swiss German form; pronunciation and spelling vary by dialect
Guete Tag!	Good day!	Swiss German greeting form
Uf Wiederluege!	Goodbye! / See you again!	Swiss German farewell; dialect spelling varies
Adieu!	Goodbye!	Used in Switzerland; can sound neutral or informal depending on region and context

Swiss German note: Swiss German is a group of Alemannic dialects, not one uniform written dialect. Forms such as Grüezi, Hoi, and Uf Wiederluege are commonly seen, but spelling and pronunciation can differ across cantons and speakers. In standard written German in Switzerland, ss is used instead of ß (for example, Gruss rather than Gruß); dialect greetings follow their own conventions.

Safe in Germany

Guten Tag / Hallo

Use Guten Tag for a polite greeting and Hallo for a friendly, broadly understood greeting.

Safe in Austria

Grüß Gott / Hallo

Servus is a natural informal option in many settings.

Safe in Switzerland

Grüezi / Hoi

Grüezi is a polite choice; Hoi is informal.

6. Pronunciation and Useful Notes

These simple pronunciation hints are approximate. They are intended to help beginners get started, not to replace listening to native speakers.

Expression	Approximate pronunciation	Tip
Guten Morgen	GOO-ten MOR-gen	Keep the g in Morgen clear
Guten Tag	GOO-ten tahk	The final g often sounds like a voiceless k
Auf Wiedersehen	owf VEE-der-zayn	Stress Wie in Wieder
Tschüss	choos	The ü is not exactly the English “oo”; round your lips and say “ee”
Grüezi	GROO-eh-tsee (approx.)	The exact sound varies; listen to Swiss speakers
Servus	ZEHR-voos (approx.)	Regional pronunciation varies

Useful responses

Danke, gut. — Thanks, well.
Sehr gut, danke. — Very well, thank you.
Es geht. — I'm okay / so-so.
Nicht schlecht. — Not bad.
Und dir? — And you? (informal)
Und Ihnen? — And you? (formal)

7. Everyday Dialogues

Dialogue 1 — Meeting a teacher (formal)

Student: Guten Morgen, Frau Keller!

Good morning, Ms. Keller!

Teacher: Guten Morgen! Wie geht es Ihnen?

Good morning! How are you?

Student: Gut, danke. Und Ihnen?

Well, thank you. And you?

Teacher: Auch gut, danke.

Well too, thank you.

Dialogue 2 — Meeting a friend (informal)

Anna: Hi, Ben! Wie geht's?

Hi, Ben! How are you?

Ben: Super, danke! Und dir?

Great, thanks! And you?

Anna: Auch gut. Bis später!

Good too. See you later!

Ben: Tschüss!

Bye!

Dialogue 3 — In Austria

Person A: Servus! Wie geht's?

Hi! How are you?

Person B: Gut, danke. Und dir?

Good, thanks. And you?

Person A: Passt, danke. Servus!

All good, thanks. Bye!

Dialogue 4 — In Switzerland

Person A: Grüezi!

Hello!

Person B: Grüezi. Wie gaht's?

Hello. How are you? (Swiss German)

Person A: Guet, merci. Uf Wiederluege!

Good, thanks. Goodbye! (Swiss German)

Swiss German dialogue spellings vary by dialect. These examples illustrate common forms rather than a single standardized written dialect.

8. Greetings and Closings in Emails

In German emails, the greeting and closing depend on whether you know the recipient and how formal the message is.

Opening	Closing	Use
Sehr geehrte Frau Müller,	Mit freundlichen Grüßen	Formal; recipient known
Sehr geehrter Herr Schneider,	Mit freundlichen Grüßen	Formal; recipient known
Guten Tag,	Freundliche Grüße	Polite; name may be unknown or tone less formal
Hallo Anna,	Viele Grüße	Friendly, familiar
Hi Max,	Liebe Grüße	Informal; someone you know

Writing tip: In a standard German formal email, the greeting is followed by a comma, and the first word of the next sentence usually begins lowercase unless it is a noun or another word that must be capitalized. The closing formula Mit freundlichen Grüßen is usually written without a comma after it.

Formal email example

Sehr geehrte Frau Müller,

vielen Dank für Ihre Nachricht.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Hanna Weber

Informal email example

Hallo Anna,

wie geht's dir? Hast du am Samstag Zeit?

Liebe Grüße
Hanna

9. Common Mistakes

Common mistake	Better choice	Why?
Using Gute Nacht! to greet someone in the evening	Guten Abend!	Gute Nacht is mainly a nighttime farewell, often before sleep.
Using Wie geht es Ihnen? with a friend	Wie geht's? / Wie geht es dir?	Friends usually use informal du.
Using Auf Wiederhören when leaving a face-to-face meeting	Auf Wiedersehen	Auf Wiederhören is used when ending a phone call.
Assuming Servus is used everywhere in German-speaking countries	Choose a broadly understood greeting, or use a regional one when appropriate	Greetings vary by region and social context.
Assuming every greeting has one exact English translation	Learn the expression's context and register	Some greetings can mean hello or goodbye depending on the situation.

10. Quick Reference

Formal hello

Guten Tag! / Guten Morgen!

Grüezi! (Switzerland)

Grüß Gott! (Austria / southern Germany)

Informal hello

Hallo! / Hi! / Hey!

Servus! (regional)

Hoi! (Switzerland)

Formal goodbye

Auf Wiedersehen!

Auf Wiederhören! (phone)

Informal goodbye

Tschüss! / Bis bald!

Servus! / Adieu! (regional)

Keep these distinctions in mind:

Guten Abend = greeting someone in the evening.
Gute Nacht = saying goodnight, often before sleep.
Wie geht es Ihnen? = formal.
Wie geht es dir? = informal.
Auf Wiederhören = telephone farewell.
Regional expressions are valuable to recognize, but you do not need to use every one as a beginner.

11. Exercises

Choose the expression that best fits the situation. More than one answer may be possible in real life; these exercises ask for the most suitable choice based on the context provided.

Exercise A — Formal or informal?

You greet your German teacher politely in the morning: Hallo / Guten Morgen.
You say goodbye to a friend: Auf Wiedersehen / Tschüss.
You ask a customer how they are: Wie geht es Ihnen? / Wie geht's?
You greet your close friend: Guten Tag, Herr Schmidt / Hey, Max!
You end a phone call politely: Auf Wiederhören / Gute Nacht.

Exercise B — Choose the best expression

You meet someone at 8:00 in the morning: ________.
You greet someone at 7:00 in the evening: ________.
Your friend is going to bed: ________.
You are leaving a colleague after a meeting: ________.
You are greeting a group politely in German-speaking Switzerland: ________.

Exercise C — Match the expression to its meaning

Bis bald
Mach's gut
Grüß Gott
Auf Wiederhören
Hoi

a. Hello (informal, Switzerland) · b. See you soon · c. Take care · d. Goodbye on the phone · e. Hello (regional/polite, Austria and southern Germany)

Exercise D — Complete the dialogue

Choose suitable expressions to fill in the blanks.

Formal:

________, Frau Meier! (Good morning)
Wie geht es ________? (you, formal)
________, Herr Meier! (Goodbye)

Informal:

________, Tom! Wie geht's? (Hi)
Gut, danke. Und ________? (you, informal)
Bis ________! (See you later)

Exercise E — Translate into German

Good day, Mr. Fischer.
How are you? (informal)
Good evening!
Goodbye! (formal)
See you soon!
Hello! (polite greeting in Switzerland)
Hi! (informal greeting in Austria, commonly used regionally)
Good night!

12. Answer Key

Show answers for Exercise A

Guten Morgen
Tschüss
Wie geht es Ihnen?
Hey, Max!
Auf Wiederhören

Show answers for Exercise B

Guten Morgen!
Guten Abend!
Gute Nacht!
Auf Wiedersehen! (or a suitable context-appropriate farewell)
Grüezi mitenand!

Show answers for Exercise C

b — See you soon
c — Take care
e — Hello (regional/polite)
d — Goodbye on the phone
a — Hello (informal, Switzerland)

Show answers for Exercise D

Formal: Guten Morgen; Ihnen; Auf Wiedersehen.

Informal: Hi; dir; später.

Show answers for Exercise E

Guten Tag, Herr Fischer.
Wie geht es dir? / Wie geht's?
Guten Abend!
Auf Wiedersehen!
Bis bald!
Grüezi!
Servus! (regional and informal)
Gute Nacht!

Other appropriate expressions may be possible depending on the situation and region.

13. Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common German greeting?

Hallo is a widely used everyday greeting. Guten Tag is a useful polite greeting, especially in daytime and more formal situations.

Is “Hallo” formal or informal?

Hallo is friendly and broadly understood. It is often informal or neutral, but its suitability depends on the context. In a formal first interaction, Guten Tag is a safer choice.

What is the difference between “Guten Abend” and “Gute Nacht”?

Guten Abend is used to greet someone in the evening. Gute Nacht is used when saying goodbye at night, especially when someone is going to sleep.

What is the difference between “Auf Wiedersehen” and “Auf Wiederhören”?

Auf Wiedersehen is a general polite farewell, especially face-to-face. Auf Wiederhören is used when ending a phone call.

What do people say in Austria?

Grüß Gott and Servus are common in many Austrian contexts. Servus can be used as both hello and goodbye, while Grüß Gott is a common polite or neutral greeting.

What do people say in Switzerland?

In German-speaking Switzerland, Grüezi is a common polite or neutral greeting, Hoi is informal, and Uf Wiederluege is a common Swiss German farewell. Expressions and spellings vary by region.

Can I use “Tschüss” in Austria and Switzerland?

It is understood in many places, but regional farewell habits differ. You may also hear Servus in Austria and southern Germany, or Adieu and dialect forms in Switzerland.

Start Speaking German with Confidence

Greetings are often the first words you use in a conversation. Practise them aloud, pay attention to the situation, and gradually add regional expressions as you become more confident.

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