Top German Phrases

German is a popular language for people looking to travel and work in central Europe. There are a few differences amongst German spoken in different countries. However, it will be easy to learn and get to understand the nuances between different dialects. Start by learning these top German phrases and discover how to make the most of your German language skills. From pronunciation tips to pronouns in German there is much to be explored.

German Phrases:

Greetings in German

There are many greetings in German than can be used throughout the day. There also some differences between regions and on the formality level. Ways to greet people in German include: Guten Morgen – Good morning, Guten Tag – Good afternoon, Guten Abend – Good evening, Gute Nacht – Good night. And more informally: Hallo or Guten Tag – Hello. You could also ask people you meet by saying ‘How are you?’ such as Wie gehts? and Wie geht es dir?

Introduction in German

If you are looking to introduce yourself you could be saying Ich heiße… – My name is, and to ask someone’s name you can say Wie heißt du?, or Wie heißen Sie?, which is the form way to put this question.

Would you like to know where someone comes from? You could ask them Woher kommst du? – informally, or Woher kommen Sie? a formal way to ask. To these questions, you could reply Ich komme aus … – I’m from …

Goodbye in German

Ways to say goodbye in German include Tschüss, Tschö or Tschau/Ciao – Goodbye, and Auf Wiedersehen – the formal way to say Goodbye.

Shopping / Eating out

If you are out eating or shopping you might find the following German phrases useful: Wie viel kostet das? – How much is this?; Bitte – Please; Entschuldigung! or Verzeihung! – Excuse me; Danke/Tausend Dank – Thank you / A thousand thanks; Wo ist die Toilette? – Where’s the toilet/bathroom?

Or you might be asking/saying for something specific: Kellner – Waiter; Ein Bier – A beer; Eine cola – A coke; Prost! – Cheers / Good health! (when celebrating).

And if you don’t understand something in German…

If you have difficulty understanding what people say to you in Gerrman, you could say Ich verstehe nicht – I don’t understand; Können Sie bitte langsamer sprechen? – Please speak more slowly. In case you are struggling you can ask Sprechen Sie Englisch? – Do you speak English? (in a formal way). Alternative you can try to practice your german skills by saying Wie sagt man … auf Deutsch? – How do you say … in German?

Learning German – Next Steps

If you are learning German you know how important the correct pronunciation is. You can hear the recordings of German phrases here. Start practising and improve your German languages skills. Do not forget to check all the guides for German here.

Are you interested in learning German? You can start by joining our group classes. Learn German from complete beginners to proficiency. Alternative you can join our conversation German classes – practice your speaking skills. Develop your German language skills with qualified German tutors. We offer online courses. across the UK, private classes and in German language holidays.