How to Say Hello in German

From casual Hallo to formal Guten Tag, German has a greeting for every situation. Choosing the right German greeting depends on the time of day, region, and how well you know the person. Let's explore the most common ways to say hello in German.

Formal Greetings 🤝

In formal situations, Germans typically use time-specific greetings:

• Guten Morgen - Good morning (until around 11 AM)
• Guten Tag - Good day (used throughout the day)
• Guten Abend - Good evening (after 6 PM)

In business contexts, always start with formal greetings until invited to be more casual.

Casual Greetings 👋

For informal situations, Germans have several friendly options:

• Hallo - The universal casual greeting
• Hallöchen - A cute, very informal version of Hallo
• Hi - Increasingly common among younger Germans

Regional Variations 🗺️

German-speaking regions have their own unique greetings:

• Grüß Gott - Common in Bavaria and Austria
• Servus - Popular in southern Germany and Austria
• Moin - Common in northern Germany (can be used any time of day!)
• Grüezi - Swiss German greeting

Youth Language 🔥

Young Germans often use more casual, trendy expressions. Here are some popular greetings you might hear from younger people:

• Was geht - What's up (literally "what goes")
• Was gibt's - What's up (literally "what's there")
• Alles klar - All good/okay
• Na - Hey (very casual, often combined: Na du)
• Digga - Bro/dude (from northern Germany, now used everywhere)

These expressions are very informal - save them for friends and people your age!

Saying Goodbye 👋

Don't forget about saying goodbye! The most common ways are:

• Auf Wiedersehen - Formal goodbye
• Tschüss - Casual goodbye
• Bis später - See you later