How to say good afternoon in German. German greetings and farewells, or Alles klar, mein Herr? Regional greetings in Germany

We all sooner or later met such situations when you met a German and then you meet him again and don’t know what to say. These elementary words are important in Everyday life in Germany and especially for people who have recently begun to get acquainted with German
I hope that through this article you will learn about the different forms of greetings and farewells in the German language and German culture.
We will consider the following situations and where and what kind of greeting and farewell is appropriate.

My advice to you about learning German: To get you off to a good start, THIS (click here) German course for beginners is for you. It lists all practical topics German, and more importantly, it has cool audios, which helped me a lot to learn German.

So, the main areas of application of this article:
-family

-friends

-colleagues

-familiar

- couples

The basic backbone of greetings in German looks something like this:
Guten Morgen! (good morning and pronounced "gutn morgen") good morning in Germany is considered from dawn to lunch (until about 10:30) Guten Tag!(good afternoon, it sounds “gutn tag”) they speak already from 10:30 and until about 17:00-18:00 Guten Abend!(good evening, it sounds “gutn abend”) from 18:00 to dark approximately 21:00-22:00. All these greetings are very appropriate to use if you don’t know people well and you don’t relate to them. An important exception to this situation is: Gute Nacht- this is not a greeting at night, but a wish for "good night" (when people go to bed). These three greetings apply everywhere and by everyone. At any German speakers the country will understand you and it will be appropriate in any situation. There is one more small change to these greetings. These greetings are simply abbreviated in relation to friends and acquaintances (to whom you refer). It sounds like this: Morgen(good morning), Tag(Good afternoon), Abend(Good evening). This is how Germans greet each other in central, western and eastern Germany in cities such as Munster, Hannover, Dresden, Berlin, Rostock, Cologne and Mainz.

Grüss Gott(sounds like “gruce goth”) in a literal translation into Russian: “may God bless you” or “God's blessing”, as well as “God's greeting”. This greeting is most often used in cities such as Munich, Stuttgart, Würzburg . In general, in the southern lands of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, this greeting is very common and is considered a tradition. You can use it at any time of the day. Mostly for people you already know.

A" Grüss Dich” (read: gryus dih - “Greetings to you”) can be heard everywhere in Germany. Most often, this German greeting is used for friends or long-term acquaintances with whom communication takes place in You.

Servus(sevus) is a typical Bavarian greeting and is also often used in Austria. If we already generalize this, then in those regions that are closer to the Alps. The word Sevus is used both for greeting and farewell.
Servus very often they say to those people to to whom you are treated and with whom we are not acquainted. The history of this greeting goes back to the time of the Romans and in Latin, the word servus means "servant" or "servant". Since the Romans at one time climbed right up to England, and Germany was under Rome for a long time, but for some reason this word took root only in Bavaria and Austria. Rumor has it that there were many more population at that time and there, then it took root.

Hallo!(hallo). The most common greeting in Germany. It is used both for YOU and for You. You can easily say Hallo to your boss at work. English an analogue of this greeting Hello (hello, they don’t use it in Germany, but this is me as an example)

Moin! / Moin Moin(sounds like “ mine“) this word comes from the northern countries and is often used in the northern lands and cities of Germany (Kiel, hamburg, Lübeck, Flensburg, Rostock. You can use this word to friends, acquaintances and sometimes to strangers (most often it sounds in relation to strangers, not respectfully). Any time of day is appropriate for this word. And if you really want to show your good mood, then say this word twice: Moin-moin!

Mahlzeit!(pronounced "malzeit") my experience of living in Germany shows that this greeting is pronounced at the dinner word and very often at meals. Very often they say it to colleagues, but for example, I would not say this to the boss

Hi/Hey!(Hai / Hey) used among young people and at any time
Na? /Na du?!(Sounds like Na? And the second option Na du?) is also an interesting word and has two meanings: 1) greeting. 2) Q: How are you? This word is used to friends or well-known people.

Since you have already read about the greeting, it’s a sin for you not to learn about farewells in German:

aufWiedersehen(aufvidasein) is one of the most common and everywhere appropriate farewells in the German language. From translation into Russian " auf Wiedersehen' means goodbye.

auf Wiederhoren (aufvidahören- literally means let's hear) this farewell is used when talking on phone. When you have finished the phone call and are about to say goodbye and say auf Wiederhören (assuming you are on the phone next time)

tschuss(Chus) is also a very common word that is used everywhere and will be understood everywhere. The origin of this word is French and Spanish"Bye". Since there was no Internet before and people passed words from mouth to mouth, it turned out to be a damaged phone. In this way, the farewell tschüss took on its present form. The word is used to familiar people and in most cases means this word " Bye". For example, at a business meeting, I would not use this word, but to colleagues at work it is already possible.

Tschau(chao) This farewell takes its roots from Switzerland, and they, respectively, from Italy. This is rather not a formal farewell, so it is better to use it with acquaintances or friends.

Bis spater(bis spat) means see you soon. It is used everywhere in Germany. And the meaning of this word is also interesting - this word is used for people whom they will still see today.

Bisbald(bis bald) means see you soon. But this farewell is already used when you don’t know when you will meet. Tomorrow or the day after. Voobshem it is not defined. Distributed throughout Germany.

If you have ideas for writing an important article, write your idea in the comments and I will contact you

If you still want to hear how these words sound in German, then this video is at your service:

After studying the material in this lesson, you will be able to:

say hello
start a conversation with a stranger
introduce yourself
ask the name of the interlocutor

Pronunciation lesson (click) - for those who for some reason have not yet studied it. Now there is the most up-to-date information about German sounds.

Learn words and expressions for dialogue

wie in and: as	(see example below)
heissen X a yiseng be called, be called	Wie heissen Sie? What is your name?
Sie zi: you (form of politeness)	Heissen Sie Martin? Is your name Martin?
Entschuldigen Sie! entsh at ldigan Sorry!	Entschuldigen Sie! Sind Sie Rolf? Sorry! Are you Rolf?
sind zint (usually not translated)	Sind Sie Walter Scholz? Are you Walter Scholz?
Herr N. hare Mr N.	Sind Sie Herr Kunze? Are you Mr Kunze?
Frau N. fr a at Mrs N.	Sind Sie Frau Müller? Are you Mrs Muller?
ja ya: Yes	Heißen Sie Fischer?-Ja. Your name is Fisher? -Yes.
nein nein No	Sind Sie Herr Schmidt?-Nein. Are you Mr. Schmidt? - No.
ich uh I	Ich heisse Alexej. My name is Alexey.
bin bin (usually not translated)	Ich bin Wladimir Petrow. I am Vladimir Petrov.
gut gu:t good, kind	(see example below).
der Tag dea ta :k day	Guten Tag! Good afternoon! Hello!
der Morgen dea m about* rgen* morning	Guten Morgen, Frau Stein! Good morning Mrs. Stein!
der Abend dea a: bant evening	Guten Abend, Paul! Good evening Paul!
der Freund dea freint friend	Sind Sie Freunde? You are friends?

Pay attention to the form and use of words

Sie- 3rd person personal pronoun plural, used as a form of politeness (always written with capital letter). Yes, yes, you heard right polite you In German it's 3rd person!
sind- 3rd person plural of linking verb sein"be".
ja used in the affirmative answer to a question without an interrogative word.
nein used in the negative answer to a question without an interrogative word.
ich- personal pronoun of the 1st person singular.
bin- 1st person singular from linking verb sein"be".
der- the article (functional word), which stands before the noun and determines its gender, number and case. Article der is indicative of masculine nouns.

Memorize nouns with the article!

Remember the basic ways of word formation

compounding (connection of two or more roots)
formation of derivative words with the help of suffixes and prefixes
root vowel alternation
substantiation (using parts of speech as nouns)

Practice reading single words

a - a		uh
Tag	t a: to	Herr	hare
ja	ya:	der	dea
Abend	a: bow	u-y
au-ay		gut	gu:t
Frau	fr a at	entschuldigen	entsh at ldigan
i, ie-and		ei-ai
bin	bin	nein	nein
sind	zint	heissen	X a yiseng
ich	uh	eu-oh
Sie	zi:	Freund	front
wie	in and:	Neumann	n about* yman*

Wie heissen Sie?

(play)media/sound/de/popov/01-1.mp3(/play)

W.	Entschuldigen Sie! Sorry! Sind Sie Herr Smirnow? Are you Mr Smirnov?	entsh at icegen zee:! zint zi: har smirnoff?
S.	Ja, ich bin Smirnow. Yes, I'm Smirnov.	ya:, ihy bin smirnoff
W.	Guten Tag, Herr Smirnow! Hello Mr Smirnov! Ich heisse Fred Neumann. My name is Fred Neumann.	G at:* ten ta:k, her smirnoff!* uh x a ise fret neumann.
S.	Guten Tag, Herr Neumann! Hello Mr Neumann!	gu: ten ta: k, har neuman!

Grammar explanations

In German, unlike Russian, the place of the predicate (verb) in the sentence is strictly fixed, namely:
a) in simple declarative sentence verb costs In second place, the tone drops towards the end of the sentence:

c) in an interrogative sentence without a question word verb costs at the first place, the tone rises towards the end of the sentence:

The words ja and nein do not affect the word order in a sentence.
Remember personal pronouns and their corresponding linking verb forms sein"to be", "to be":

1st person singular

3rd person plural

Sie sind

Unlike the Russian language, the linking verb in German is always present in the sentence. Compare:

Are you Mr Bergman? Sind Sie Herr Bergmann?
Remember that the official address for a man named Lenz is Herr Lenz, and to a woman - Frau Lenz. Appeal Genosse"comrade" is used only when talking with members of the socialist and workers' parties. When referring to young people and tourists, the word is often used Freund.

Word order in a German sentence

Each exercise of both this and all subsequent lessons should be performed first with visual support, that is, looking at an example, and then without visual support. You can check yourself by the key.

1. You are looking for Mr. Mayer. Ask an appropriate question. How would you answer in the place of Mr. Mayer?

2. You are looking for Mrs. Berg. Ask an appropriate question. How would you answer if you were not Mrs. Berg, but Liszt?

3. They ask you what your name is. Answer the question. Ask the interlocutor about the same.

After arriving in Germany, I quickly realized something. Young Germans never use the greetings I learned in school.

the only person who told me Guten Abend, was an ice-cream salesman who looked like my grandfather. I quickly realized that hallo is the best informal greeting in Germany, and Tschuss– more typical goodbye than super formal Auf Wiedersehen.

Having learned these words, I stuck to them. When you first start learning a language, you repeat the same words all the time. And that's perfectly normal for a beginner. But after a while you get tired of your own meager vocabulary. If you are looking for options for greetings ( Grüsse) and goodbyes ( Abschiedsgrüsse), here are some new features for you.

Even if you have just started learning German, it can be helpful for you to learn all the options so that when someone greets you with a friendly "Alles klar?", do not look at him in complete bewilderment (as I did several times until I understood what it means), but confidently answer Gut, danke!.

9 Ways to Say Hello

hallo

As mentioned above, this is the most common German greeting. It is easy to pronounce and suitable for almost any situation.

It turns out that the Germans say so too! Feel free to use Hi communicating with young interlocutors in an informal setting.

Guten Morgen / Guten Abend / Guten Tag

Literally translated "Good morning/evening/afternoon". Although it can be assumed that Guten Abend means "Good night", it sounds more old-fashioned to the Germans and closer to the wish of a good evening. Maybe you should save this expression for formal situations or when talking to people who are much older than you. When talking to someone you can call "sir" or "madam" Guten Tag may be an appropriate greeting.

Wie geht es dir? / Wie geht es Ihnen?

This is how you say "How are you?" in German. Use dir when talking to someone younger than you or someone you know well. Ihnen is a suitable formal greeting for a stranger, especially an older one, and those in power. In many English-speaking countries it is customary to say "How are you?" anyone, including waitresses and vendors. However, in Germany it is not so common, so it is better to use this greeting with people you know.

Wie geht's?

Similarly Wie geht es dir, but more versatile. It essentially translates to "How are you?" ( Geht's- abbreviated form geht es, so Wie geht's? literally means "How does it go?"). Ideal for co-workers and friends, but not likely to be cool with a new boss or an overly harsh professor.

Was ist los?

This greeting can be somewhat confusing. In colloquial speech, it means the same as Wie geht's: How are you? How are you? How is it? Again, it will fit perfectly into a conversation with young people in an informal conversation. However, about "Was ist los?" you need to remember what it means and "What's wrong?", especially if you add "denn". "Was ist denn los?" usually means "What happened", "What's the matter?", and "Was ist hier los?" can be used in the same sense. But don't worry: in a conversation, you will most likely be able to feel the difference in intonation and context in questions.

Alles klar?

Similar to Was ist los, Alles klar literally translates to "Is everything okay?", but is often used as an informal greeting among young people. In this context, it means in general the same as the English "What's up?".

Grüß Gött / Grüß dich / Grüß Sie / Grüezi

I have included these expressions in a list for those who may be in Austria, Switzerland or southern Germany where these greetings are used. Phrase Grüss Gott in northern Germany can surprise any of your interlocutors. Literally means "God greets you" and seems like an old-fashioned way of saying "Hi!" to someone not from southern Germany. However, you can definitely hear such greetings in places like Bavaria and Austria. Therefore, it is good to know them in case of visiting these places. But remember: Grüss dich you can talk to people with whom you communicated in an informal setting, and to everyone else - Grüss Sie.

Servus

This is also a "southern" greeting, which can also be used as a "Goodbye." Like Grüss dich, you can hear Servus in Bavaria and Austria, as well as in Central and Eastern Europe. Servus in Latin means "servant" and goes back to a shortened version of the Latin phrase "at your service."

13 Ways to Say Goodbye

Tschüss, Tschüssi

German equivalent of "Bye". Tschuss is a nice, informal way to say goodbye in almost any situation.

Ciao

In my experience, Ciao is extremely common in Berlin, where you can hear it probably as often as Tschuss. Obviously, it comes from Italian, where it means both hello and bye, but in many European countries people tend to use Ciao as a way to say goodbye.

Auf Wiedersehen

As mentioned above, this is a rather old-fashioned and definitely atypical German farewell. Perhaps appropriate in official circumstances. Think of it as "Goodbye!". Too formal for friends or colleagues, right?

Gute Nacht

Not as formal as Gute Morgen/Abend. This is the German version of Good Night.

Bis bald / Auf bald

Equivalent to See you soon. Nice, informal way to say "Bye!" friends.

Bis dann / Bis spater

Both phrases mean "See you." Exactly like Bisbald, this is a great option to say "Bye!" friends and informal acquaintances.

Wir sehen uns

Another good way to say "See you soon!". If you add "dann", Wir sehen uns dann, it would mean "See you then" (there), which might be a good way to say "Bye!" after planning something with someone.

Bis zum nachsten Mal

It means "See you next time". It's a way of saying "see you soon" and can be an appropriate way to say goodbye to someone you see regularly. For example, with a classmate or colleague.

Wir sprechen uns bald / Wir sprechen uns später

It literally means "We'll talk soon" or "We'll talk later". Equivalent to the English "Talk to you later". A good way to end a phone conversation.

Auf Wiederhoren

It's essentially "We'll talk later," another good way to say "Bye!" by phone.

Schönen Tag (noch) / Schönes Wochenende

These are good ways to say "Bye!" almost anyone. Schönen Tag noch("noch" is optional, you may hear people say just Schönen Tag) means "Good afternoon", and Schönes Wochenende- "Good weekend". You can often hear salespeople using these phrases. If a friend says it, you can answer "Dir auch!" (And you).

Viel Spas!

It means "I want to have fun!" and can be used in many contexts. For example, when parting with friends going to a party, traveling, etc.

Gute Fahrt! / Gute Reise!

It means "Have a nice trip!". Good way to say "Bye!" someone who goes on vacation or any trip.

So, you have just comprehended the basic colloquial phrases. What's next? If you are looking for a fun and entertaining way to continue beyond "Hello!" and “Bye!”, you should go with one of our teachers.

Hallo and Tschüs or Guten Tag and Auf Weidersehen - I also learned the order! Why else bother with other forms of greetings and farewells? Well, well ... There are actually a lot more of them in the German language. And if you are not going to use them, then you still have to understand the interlocutor.

Let's start with regional forms. You learn, you learn German, and then you come to the south of Germany and in the very first bakery you blink your eyes at the words of the saleswoman.

Grüß Cott! she says smiling. "Gott? And what does God have to do with it, you think. And this, it turns out, is a form of greeting. Literally translated as "Greet God!" By the way, North Germans are not familiar with this phrase, so it is better not to train on them. They usually respond to this with: "I'm not going that far today", or "definitely if I meet him."

"Grüß dich" - this is a more understandable form - "greeting you" - is also used mainly by southerners, but the previous one is much more common.

Other regions of Germany are characterized by other greetings: the above-mentioned northerners greet with a short word - Moin.

Servus! - serves both as a greeting among some German peoples - the Swabians and native Bavarians, and as a farewell for the latter.

And those who live in the German state of Hesse can greet you with the word Gude!

I found in one magazine just such a map, which shows in which regions of Germany - what kind of greeting. Please note that even the usual Guten Tag is less common in certain regions. How is it!!!

Hallo (like Tschüss) by the way - it is appropriate to use it in any situation - both in the city administration and in addressing the elderly, and even to the boss.

And many Germans also like to shorten their habitual Guten Morgen, Guten Abend, Guten Tag dropping the adjective. All mothers in the garden greet each other in the morning by chanting the word Morgen - mooooogheeeeen !!! Well, right, why say an extra word if you don’t know whether the interlocutor had a good morning or, as usual, so-so ...

And some - on the contrary - discard the second part of the above combinations and greet only the adjective: Guten!!!

Also, "hello in German" sometimes sounds like this: Hey! or Hoi! , and sometimes even two-letter: Jo! or Na!

There is also a decent bunch of special German greetings - used among sailors, among foresters, among fishermen and far in the mountainous regions.

And at noon, when all the Germans march together for lunch, you will hear the word - Mahlzeit! - the literal translation of which is "meal". But this word is also a greeting!

The usual greeting in German - Hallo - is also often transformed. Either in a diminutive form: Hallöchen, or almost in a song: Hallihallohallöle. Or in a whole verse: Hallo, wie geht's, wie steht's?— Hi, how are you doing?

And some more greetings:

Hallo alle! - Hello!

Gruß euch, alle miteinander! - Welcome all!

Guten abend allerseits! - Good evening everyone!

Seien Sie gegrüßt! - We greet you!

Sei tausendmal gegrüßt! - A thousand greetings to you!

How to say hello in German

Sometimes you need this very “hello” not just to say, but to convey to someone. This is how the Germans do it:

Grüß bitte Sofia von mir! Say hello to Sofia for me!

Bestell ihm viele Grüße von mir! "Give him my regards!"

Ich soll dich herzlich von Erik grüßen. “Give you my heartfelt regards from Klaus!”

Er lässt dich herzlich grüßen. - He says hello!

Übermitteln Sie allen Mitarbeitern meine herzlichen Grüße! Give my heartfelt regards to all the staff.

Forms of farewell in German

The main form of farewell is Tschüs - for now. History claims that this form was adopted from the Spaniards and comes from the Spanish form - "adios" - literally "go with God!" The Dutch transformed this word into "atjüs", and then the North Germans heard this word from their neighbors and began to use it too, remaking it into "atschüs".

But other Germans - the Swabians - liked the French adieu more and, having thrown back a couple of letters, they began to say goodbye with the short word ade! - and continue to do so - in particular and in!

The Italian "chao" - also did not go unnoticed. Only at first they again remade it in their own way - ciao! It is mainly used by Swiss Germans, but also in the regions on the border with this country - it is also very popular. And even in Munich you can hear it!

And the Germans say goodbye like this:

Bismorgen! - Till tomorrow!

Mach's gut! - Be healthy!

Schönen Feierabend! Have a nice time after work!

Schones Wochenende! - Have a nice weekend!

Man sieht sich. - See you!

Auf Wiedersehen! - Goodbye!

And the phrase "see you soon" is very fond of the Germans, and in different variations:

Bisgleich! Bisbald! Bisdann! Bis spater!

And finally, let me remind YOU that when greeting the Germans, be sure to stretch out your hand and shake it strongly - whether it be a man or a woman. And when you say goodbye - if you have already chosen Tschüs from the proposed options - pronounce it in a singsong voice. Because this is probably the most musical German word and the Germans do not pronounce it, but sing it. So I wish you all the best and Ttttttsssssssccccchhhhhhüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüssssssssssssssssssssssss !!!

Study of foreign languages starts with basic things like hello and goodbye. German is a very diverse language, so there are many ways to say hello and goodbye.

In addition, almost every region of Germany has its own unique words of greeting and farewell. Often these words are interesting history and non-standard rules of use. If you want to travel freely in Germany, then it is better to learn these standard etiquette phrases in advance.

In this lesson, we will introduce you to the basic expressions that are used in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Learning to say hello in German in an informal situation

hallo. This is one of the most popular German greetings, an analogue of the Russian "hello". Unlike the Russian version, Hallo is used not only in informal, but also in official settings.

This is how you can greet teachers, work colleagues and even bosses if you have developed friendly relations.

Hallochen. In German, you can form new greetings based on already familiar expressions and words. For example, Hallöchen. This word is formed from Hallo (hello) + chen (diminutive suffix). In Russian, this translates as "hello."

halli hallo. It sounds rather unusual and is an informal way of greeting among close friends.

Please note that in a friendly meeting, it is customary among German youth to hug, and sometimes even kiss.

What else do Germans say when they say hello

In addition to the greeting expressions and phrases themselves, Germans often ask non-binding questions, such as “how are you” or “how are you feeling.” Here are the most common questions:

wie geht’ s? It is short for wie geht es dir/Ihnen (how are you/are you doing). A very common expression that is often used in conjunction with friendly greetings such as "Hallo" or "Hi".

wie Steht’ s? Literally, the expression translates as "as it costs." Nonsense huh? This is because the phrase is a parody of the expression wie geht's, which literally means "how it goes", i.e. "how are you". Very often wie steht's is used together with wie geht's in the same greeting, for example "Hallo, wie geht's, wie steht's?"

Wohin des Wegs? This is not really a greeting, but rather a related question that can often be heard during a conversation between two acquaintances in Germany. It translates roughly as “where are you going” or “where are you going.”

How to say hello in Germany at work and during official meetings

Guten Morgen. This is one of the most familiar expressions to Russians, which translates as "Good morning." Mornings in Germany start from 6:00 to 12:00.

Guten Tag. "Good afternoon" is one of the main formal greetings of the German language. Used from 12:00 to 18:00.

Guten Abend. Another greeting based on the time of day. In Russian, it translates as "Good evening" and is used from 18:00 to 00:00.

All other hours up to 6:00 are considered night. There is also a phrase for this time of day - Gute Nacht. As you might guess, it means "Good night" and in fact is not a greeting, but a farewell.

There are also abbreviated versions of formal greetings in German, such as Morgen, Tag, ‘n Abend. They are often used as a response to full greetings.

Mahlzeit. A popular greeting among good friends with a very interesting story. It was formed from the expression "Gesegnete Mahlzeit", which is essentially a blessing before eating. Later, in the 19th century, the phrase was shortened to Mahlzeit, and even later it was used as a greeting in the middle of the day.

Please note that Mahlzeit is not commonly used in business and among office workers.

Regional greetings in Germany

The German language consists of a large number of mutually incomprehensible dialects. Even native speakers have difficulty meeting people from other regions. Not surprisingly, almost every dialect has its own unique greetings.

Grüss Gott. Approximate translation of "Greetings with God". The greeting came from a Protestant background and is used today in the southern regions of Germany and Austria.

Grü ezi/ grü ezi miteinand. The Swiss version of the greeting translates as "hello."

Servus. "Greetings" in Austrian.

Moin. Greetings in the north of Germany. Sometimes a double version of Moin moin is used.

The word Moin vaguely resembles the standard German Morgen, but, in fact, this similarity is accidental and both greetings coexist perfectly together.

Gude. A common greeting in Hesse.

Joh/oh. An informal greeting in the Rheingau.

Professional greetings in Germany

In Germany, there are a large number of special greetings that are common only among people of a specific occupation.

horrido- hunters and travelers.

Gluck Auf- miners.

Gut Pfad- scouts.

Gut Wehr- firefighters.

Obsolete German Pivettes

Like any other language, German has a lot of obsolete greetings that can only be used in an ironic context.

Habe die Ahre. Something like "I have the honor." In the past, it was used to invite you to dance.

salve. The greeting that came from Latin and was popular up until the 19th century.

Borrowed greetings in German

Often, when communicating with friends in Germany, you can hear greetings that came into German from other languages.

Hi. This greeting came to German from English and is also translated as "hello". Thanks to the ubiquitous fashion English language, Hi, firmly entrenched among young people.

Salu/Salut. French version of a friendly greeting.

“Goodbye” or how to say goodbye in German in a formal setting

Auf Wiedersehen. Standard and official farewell. The Russian translation is "goodbye".

Note that when talking on the phone, Germans never say "Auf Wiedersehen" because they cannot see the interlocutor. Instead, the special form "Auf Wiederhören!" is used, which literally translates to "until the hearing".

How to say goodbye to friends in Germany

Tschüss. Among friends, an informal farewell, "bye" is more common. Saying goodbye with the help of this word can also be in the business sphere, if you have a good relationship with your colleagues.

It's hard to believe, but the word tschüss comes from the French farewell adieu. The French adieu is derived from the Latin expression ad deum. In Belgium, the phrase was pronounced adjuus. It is from this variant that the German farewell atschüs is later formed. It is believed that the Huguenots who fled to Germany from France brought it with them.

Tschü ssikowski. Derived from the word Tschüss and became popular after the release of the series Die Zwei. The suffix "owski" gives the word a funny Slavic sound.

Tschü ssie. The female version of farewell. It translates roughly as "poki".

Mach’ s gut. A complete version of mach es gut. An informal farewell, an analogue of the Russian “come on” or “be there”.

Bis Dann- "see you later".

Regional farewells in German

Auf Wiederschauen. Austrian version of auf Wiedersehen. The phrase is derived from the verb schauen - "to look".

Adieu. Bye in Switzerland. Did you notice that the word sounds in French? This is the French language. The fact is that Switzerland has a fairly strong influence French and many words made their way into Swiss German from French.

Borrowed goodbyes

Ciao. As you might guess, ciao came from Italian and is an informal way to say goodbye to a familiar person. Compare, "chao" in Russian.

More German practice with Christfoff

If you want to learn how to communicate in German, sign up for first free lesson in our online center. The session will be led by one of our professional tutors from Germany– Christoph Deininger and Eliane Roth. They will be happy to answer all your questions related to the German language and German culture, as well as help you create the optimal class schedule.