Learning Objectives:

When you have finished this lesson you can:

• Greet formally and informally

• Greet at different times of the day

• Introduce yourself and others

• Say goodbye

"Hallo" is the most common regard in Austria and Germany. You can use “hallo” both to greet someone and greet again.

Austrians and Germans usually say "Hallo" and give hand the first time they meet. A greeting is almost always followed by a handshake. Sometimes, Austrians and Germans give a hug to people they know well.

On the next page you will learn some greetings for more formal situations. You should use those greetings when you meet someone for the first time. You can always give hands while giving courtesy to someone.

The most common, slightly formal greeting:

In the morning you say:

In the evening you say:

When you go to bed you say

German has a formal and an informal version of the word "you".

informal = “du” + first name

formal = “Sie” (courtesy form) + “Herr”/”Frau” + surname

Normally, you use "Sie" for every adult person you don't know and you are not relative with. If you use the courtesy form “Sie” you also use the surname of the person with “Herr” for men or “Frau” for women, e.g. “Herr Miller” or “Frau Krüger”. Notice that the courtesy form is always capitalized.

The only exception are younger adults like students - they address each other with the informal "du" and their first names.

If you are more familiar with a person you can use "du" (in German it is described with the verb "duzen") but both have to agree with this.

If you don't know which one is the right form of address just use "Sie". That's very polite and your opposite will signal you if you can already change to "du".

After a greeting, you can use the following phrase to start the conversation

As answer to this question you can use:

When presenting yourself, use the term “ich bin” (I am) oder “ich heiße” (literally: “I’m called”, meaning “My name is”).

“Sein” (to be) and “heißen” (to be called)

Now you can already understand a poem of the German poet Irina Rauthmann:

“Ich bin ihr.

Ihr seid ich.

Wir sind du.

Du bist wir.“

When you are going to introduce others you can use the same two verbs – “sein” or “heißen”:

To ask someone’s name use the word “wie” (how) like in “Wie geht’s dir?” (How are you?)

Try to compare with the way you say your own name. Note that the verb “heißen” is used in both cases.

“Auf Wiedersehen” (formal) can be used in all situations when you leave each other.

“Tschüss” can be used in more informal situations.

There are several ways to say goodbye in Austria and Germany:

• Auf Wiedersehen (Goodbye)

• Tschüss (Bye bye)

• Einen schönen Tag noch (Have a nice day, Lit: A nice day still)

• Mach’s gut (informal - take care, Lit: Make it well)

• Bis bald (See you, Lit. Until soon))

• Bis dann (See you, Lit. Until then)

• Bis morgen (See you tomorrow, Lit. Until tomorrow)

• Schönes Wochenende (Nice weekend)
  
  

Austrians and Germans give hand (most formal way), give each other a hug (more familiar) or wave when they say goodbye.

This is a less common way to say goodbye:

You can answer:

A very informal way:

You can answer:

Source: http://www.atlas-alltagssprache.de/runde-2/f01/

There are many regionals differences in the way to greet someone and to say good bye.But no worry: the words you've learned until now you can use everywhere in Austria and Germany - and you'll be understood.

For example, on the coasts in Germany the inhabitants say "Moin, Moin" for "hello", in the south of Germany and in Austria they greet with "Grüß Gott". Other words for "Bye bye" are "Tschöö" in the region around Cologne, "Ade" in the southwest of Germany and "Ba-Ba" in Austria.

From the middle to the south of Germany and in whole Austria, you can use one word for "Hello" and "Bye bye": simply "Servus".