How to say hello in German: 13 ways to greet someone

In German, "hello" is Hallo: informal and safe in almost any situation. For a more formal greeting, especially with someone you don't know well, use Guten Tag ("good day"). Time-of-day options like Guten Morgen ("good morning") and Guten Abend ("good evening"), plus regional greetings like Moin (north) and Servus (south and Austria), round out the picture.

Once you know a handful of these, you can adjust your tone to fit the room instead of sounding like you memorized a phrasebook. That's the kind of real-world flexibility Lingoda's live German classes are built around: you're not just learning words, you're learning when to use them.

Below, we'll walk through the greetings you'll actually hear in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, how to tell someone how you're doing, and how to say goodbye when you're done.

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Formal greetings in German

If you're not sure how well you know someone, formal is always the safer starting point.

German	English	How to say it	When to use it
Guten Tag	Good day	GOO-ten tahk	All-purpose formal greeting, used from late morning to early evening
Guten Morgen	Good morning	GOO-ten MOR-gen	Before midday, formal or casual
Guten Abend	Good evening	GOO-ten AH-bent	From early evening onward
Sehr erfreut	Delighted / nice to meet you	zair air-FROYT	Meeting someone for the first time

Germans also shorten these in casual formal settings:you'll hear just Morgen! or Tag! on their own, especially among coworkers who see each other daily.

Informal and casual greetings in German

Once you're on a first-name basis with someone, you've got more room to relax.

German	English	How to say it	When to use it
Hallo	Hello	HAH-loh	Friends, family, and honestly, almost everyone
Hi / Hey	Hi / Hey	same as English	Young people, casual settings
Na?	Hey, how's it going?	nah	Very casual — mostly northern Germany
Was ist los?	What's up?	vahs ist lohs	Friends only; tone matters, it can also mean "what's wrong?"
Alles klar?	All good?	AH-les klar	Casual check-in, popular with younger speakers

Na? is one of those words that doesn't translate cleanly. It can mean "hey," "how's it going," and "fine, thanks" all at once, depending on how it's said.

Regional greetings in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland

Northern Germany: Moin

Moin (and its doubled-up cousin, Moin Moin) is common around Hamburg and the north. Some trace its roots to Morgen ("morning"), though others link it to the Low German word for "good." Either way, it works any time of day.

Southern Germany and Austria: Servus and Grüß Gott

Servus is a casual, friendly greeting used in Bavaria and Austria. Handy to know, it works for both hello and goodbye. Grüß Gott, more formal, is a shortened version of an older phrase invoking a blessing, but functions simply as "hello" in these regions today.

Switzerland: Grüezi

In German-speaking Switzerland, Grüezi is the standard hello. For a group, you'll hear Grüezi miteinand instead.

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Formal or informal: Sie or du?

Before you greet someone, it helps to know whether you're on Sie (formal "you") or du (informal "you") terms. It changes which greeting fits.

As a rule of thumb: use Sie with strangers, people older than you, and anyone in a position of authority. Use du with friends, family, and people around your own age in casual settings. If you're not sure, Sie is the safer default. Most people will tell you if they'd rather switch to du.

How to ask "how are you" in German

Once you've said hello, Wie geht's? ("how's it going?") is the natural follow-up with people you know well. With someone you'd address formally, use Wie geht es Ihnen? instead.

Germans tend to answer more literally than English speakers do. A simple Danke, gut ("thanks, good") works most of the time, but you'll also hear Es geht—closer to "so-so" or "could be worse" than a flat "okay"—when things aren't especially great, and people generally mean it.

Greeting someone without words

A handshake is the standard greeting with someone you don't know well. Close friends might hug; cheek kisses are far less common in Germany than in some other European countries. When in doubt, a firm handshake and eye contact will always read as polite.

How to say goodbye in German

Hello and goodbye tend to travel together, so here's how to wrap up a conversation:

German	English	When to use it
Auf Wiedersehen	Goodbye	Formal
Tschüss	Bye	Informal, most common
Bis später	See you later	Informal, when you'll see them again soon

FAQs

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How to say hello in German, beyond the basics

Knowing how to say hello in German will get you through the door, but real conversations move fast once the greeting's done. That's where most self-study hits a wall; you can memorize Guten Tag and Wie geht's?, but knowing how to actually respond when someone answers you back takes practice with a real person.

Lingoda's live German classes are built around exactly that: small groups, certified teachers, and real conversation from day one, not just another list to memorize.

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