Basics

Hello.
Guten Tag. (GOO-ten tahk) better: Hallo

Hello. (In Austria and the south of Germany only)
Grüß Gott! (gruus got) (formal, literally: "God may greet you", originally from Grüß Dich Gott!)

Hello. (In Austria and Bavaria only)
Servus! (SEHR-voos) (to a friend / informal but polite)

Hello. (coastline in the north of Germany only, to 12 o'clock)
Moin, Moin! (moin moin)

Hello. (coastline in the north of Germany only, after 12 o'clock)
Moin! (moin)

Hello. (informal)
Hallo. (hah-LOH)

How are you?
Wie geht's? (vee gayts?) used as a real question, not a form of greeting."

Fine, thank you.
Danke, gut. (DAN-keh, goot)

What is your name?
Wie heißt du? / Wie heißen Sie? (vee highst doo? / vee HIGH-sen zee?)

My name is ______.
Ich heiße ______. (ikh HIGH-seh) Nice to meet you.: Nett, Sie kennen zu lernen. ("net zee KEN-en tsoo LER-nen")

Nice to meet you. ("informal")
Sehr angenehm. (zayr AHN-geh-naym)

Please.
Bitte. (BIT-tuh)

Thank you.
Danke sehr. (DAN-keh zayr)

Thanks.
Danke. (DAN-keh)

You're welcome.
Bitte sehr! (BIT-teh zayr)

Yes.
Ja. (yah)

No.
Nein. (nine)

Excuse me. (getting attention)
Entschuldigen Sie. (ent-SHUL-di-gen zee)

Excuse me. (begging pardon)
Entschuldigung. (ent-SHUL-di-goong)

I'm sorry.
Es tut mir leid. (es toot meer light)

Goodbye
Auf Wiedersehen. (owf VEE-der-zay-en)

Goodbye (informal)
Tschüß. (chuuss)

Goodbye (In Austria and Bavaria only)
Servus! (ZEHR-voos) (to a friend / informal but polite)

I can't speak German well.
Ich kann nicht [so gut] deutsch sprechen. (ikh kahn nikht [zo goot] doytsh shprekhen)

Do you speak English?
Sprichst du / Sprechen Sie englisch? (shprikhst doo / shprekhen zee ENG-lish?)

Is there someone here who speaks English?
Gibt es hier jemanden, der Englisch spricht? (gibt ez heer yeh-MAHNT-en dare ENG-lish shprikht?)

Help!
Hilfe! (HILL-fuh!)

Good morning.
Guten Morgen. (GOO-ten MOR-gen)

Good evening.
Guten Abend. (GOO-ten AH-bent)

Good night.
Schönen Abend noch. (Shur-nen AH-bent nokh)

Good night (to sleep)
Gute Nacht. (GOO-tuh nakht)

I don't understand.
Ich verstehe das nicht. (ikh fur-SHTAY-uh dahs nikht)

Where is the toilet, please?
Wo ist die Toilette, bitte? (voh ist dee twah-LET-uh, BIT-tuh?)

_________

Go to top | Go to TOC | This article uses material from: -1-