Contents
How are you in German respectfully?
How are you in German in formal situations – If you want to ask “How are you” in German in a formal context, when you don’t know the other person, you can ask ” Wie geht es Ihnen ?”. To be more specific, you can add ” Wie geht es Ihnen heute Abend ” (How are you tonight) for example or use a number of different variations, depending on the context.
English | German | IPA | Pronunciation |
How are you doing? | Wie geht es dir? | Vee geht as dear | |
How are you (to a stranger) | Wie geht es Ihnen? | Vee geht as een-en | |
How are you feeling? | Wie fühlst du dich? | Vee fülst do dich | |
How are you doing today? | Wie geht es dir heute? | Vee geht as dear hoiteh | |
How have you been? | Wie ist es dir ergangen? | Vee isst as dear er-gung-en | |
How is work going? | Wie läuft es auf der Arbeit? | Vee loift es ouf der Ar-bite | |
What’s new? | Was gibt es Neues? | Vuss geebt as Noies | |
How are you? (plural) | Wie geht es euch? | Vee geht as oich | |
What have you been up to? (plural) | Was habt ihr so gemacht? | Vuss hubt eer zo gehmacht |
How do you greet a German?
German Culture – Greetings Nina Evason, 2017
Greetings generally differ in formality depending on whether a German knows the other person well or not. The most common greeting is a handshake with eye contact. Men usually greet women first and wait for them to extend their hand. Close friends may hug to greet and younger people may kiss one another on the cheek. ” Guten Tag ” (Good day) or ” Hallo ” (Hello) are the most common verbal greetings used in Germany. In the South, some people may say ” Grüß Gott ” (literally translating as ‘Greet God’). In formal situations, one should address another person with their title and last name, ” Herr ” (Mr.) for men and ” Frau ” (Mrs.) for women. It is polite to continue to use formal titles until the person invites you to move on to a first-name basis.
Get a downloadable PDF that you can share, print and read. Guaranteed secure : German Culture – Greetings
Can I say ich bin gut?
Mir geht es gut. – The most direct way to answer Wie geht es dir/Ihnen? What you’re doing here is replicating the sentence structure of the question and turning it into an answer.
- Wie geht es dir/Ihnen? → Mir geht es gut.
- How are you? → I’m good.
Careful! Do not say Ich bin gut, Even though it is a direct translation of I’m good, it has an entirely different meaning to Mir geht es gut, Ich bin gut implies that you’re good (at something) rather than that you’re feeling good. This is a common mistake many English speakers make, and it’s important that you avoid it. Always say Mir geht es gut,
How do you respond to a German greeting?
How to Respond to “Wie geht’s” – You can respond to “Wie geht’s” with just a few words or you can tell your conversation partner all about your day. It is common and even expected to follow up any answer with “und dir/Ihnen?” (what about you?) or with “und selbst?” (and yourself?).
- Be prepared to listen to the other person actually tell you about themselves for a minute or two.
- The shorter your answer, the more you are letting the person you’re speaking with know that you’re not up for a chat.
- If you’re not looking to divulge much, you can respond simply “Gut.
- Und dir?”, which will quickly end that part of the conversation.
See below for some options for responding to Wie gehts.
German | English |
Alles gut. | Everything is good. |
Alles klar | Everything is alright |
Super | Great |
Gut | Good |
Ok | Okay |
Nicht so gut | Not so good |
So lala | So so |
Schlecht | Bad |
Frag lieber nicht | Don’t even ask. |
Read next: 5 Common Ways of Saying Good Afternoon in German
Is Grüß dich formal?
Grüß dich – Literally ‘greet you’, this is a fairly universal, informal way of greeting people who are either on friendly terms with you, but usually not quite your friends or at least not close friends, and who are open to being your friends. It is also common among middle aged people and might be experiencing a slow faze out so it is not as common as it once was.
How do you say hello in the Netherlands?
Dutch Culture – Greetings Chara Scroope, 2017
The common greeting in the Netherlands is a handshake along with a nod of the head. This form of address is usually short. Among friends and family, it is common to greet one another by kissing on alternating cheeks three times. Take both your hands out of your pockets if you shake someone’s hand. It is rude to leave the left hand in your pocket while you shake with the right. The way people address one another depends on the context and social relationship. Typically, people refer to each other by their calling name ( roepnaam ) or first given name (see for more information). When meeting someone in a casual setting, it is common for people to say “Hoi” (‘Hi’) or “Hoe gaat het?” (‘How are you?’) Meanwhile in formal settings, the most common greeting is “Hoe gaat het met u?” (‘How are you?’). Greetings in the form of questions such as “Hoe gaat het?” (‘How are you?’) or “Alles goed?” (‘Is everything alright?’) are usually only asked if the person genuinely wishes to know the answer. Other common phrases when greeting someone is “Goedemorgen” (‘Good morning’), “Goedendag” (‘Good day’), “Goedenmiddag” (‘Good afternoon’) and “Goedenavond” (‘Good evening).
Get a downloadable PDF that you can share, print and read. Guaranteed secure : Dutch Culture – Greetings
What is the most formal German greeting?
1. What’s the difference between greeting a friend versus a colleague or professional acquaintance in German? – In general, it is best to stick with a formal greeting like “Guten Tag” when talking to a professional acquaintance, whereas with friends you can use informal greetings like “Na?” or “Hallo!”.
- Another very important thing to keep in mind is the difference between the casual “du” and the formal “Sie”.
- This distinction makes or breaks the difference between the casual “Grüß dich!” and the formal “Grüß Sie!”.
- It is, however, quite common for German workplaces to revert to a more casual way of speaking once you have built a relationship.
A good way of figuring out which greeting to use is to pay attention to the way a particular person greets you and respond in kind.
How do you respond to Guten Morgen?
Hallo! Meeting and greeting in German – Collins Dictionary Language Blog Creating a good first impression is important, so you’ll want to say hello to people properly. It’s not just about what you say, though, it’s making sure you know the correct etiquette when meeting people.
- German people are quite formal when initially introduced, shaking hands upon meeting and parting.
- Friends and relatives will often greet each other with a kiss on the cheek.
- Just as in English, there are several ways to say hello in German.
- You can simply use the informal Hallo ( hi ) on its own.
- You can also use Guten Morgen ( good morning ), Guten Tag ( good afternoon ) or Guten Abend ( good evening ).
You would only use Gute Nacht ( good night ) at bedtime. In Bavaria and Austria, a popular greeting is Grüß Gott which literally means God’s greetings, German people can be addressed by either Herr or Frau and their surname; note that Fräulein is no longer commonly used.
- If you meet people with titles such as Herr Professor Doktor or Frau Doktor, it is polite to use their full title.
- When leaving, the general form is Auf Wiedersehen ( goodbye ), although Tschüss can be used to mean bye, and Auf Wiederschauen is also used in the South.
- Informally, you will probably want to say something like Bis später! See you later!, Bis morgen! See you tomorrow! or Bis Montag! See you on Monday! Of course, when you’re introduced to someone, you need to know how to reply.
Very often people just reply with the same thing that has been said to them. Guten Morgen, Franz! – Guten Morgen, Helmut! Good morning, Franz! – Good morning, Helmut! If you want to express your pleasure at having met someone, you can say: Schön Sie kennenzulernen.
Nice to have met you. More informally, you might say: Freut mich. Pleased to meet you. You may well want to be a bit more effusive with friends, especially if it’s been a while since you’ve seen them. Es war richtig schön, dich wiederzusehen! It was really lovely to see you again! Wir haben uns lange nicht gesehen.
We haven’t seen each other for ages. Now you’ve overcome the first hurdle, come back for the next blog post to help you continue with the conversation! : Hallo! Meeting and greeting in German – Collins Dictionary Language Blog
Is Ich heiße formal?
Mein Name ist, – My name is, – The best way to start a small talk in German is often to ask about the well-being or the name. But how do you say what is your in German? You can ask: “Ich bin,” Or “Mein Name ist,” In German. The rules for addressing people in German tend to be stricter than many other cultures. Learning the following common rules will prevent you from being rude. Ich heiße, I am called, https://res.cloudinary.com/magiclingua/video/upload/v1588862835/Audio%20SEO/Edited%20-%20What%20is%20your%20name%20in%20German/Ich_hei%C3%9Fe_._22.m4a In German there are three particularly frequently used forms of introducing oneself. One of these is “Ich heiße, “, which means “I am called.” You use it when you want to introduce yourself briefly and talk to a person in a dialogue.
Informal Informal One person Multiple persons
Used By Friends Young people Family Situations at school, at a party, meeting friends of friends Ich heiße Frau, I am called Mrs. https://res.cloudinary.com/magiclingua/video/upload/v1588862877/Audio%20SEO/Edited%20-%20What%20is%20your%20name%20in%20German/Frau-Herr-Divided/Ich_hei%C3%9Fe_Frau-_Herr_21_just_frau.m4a The form “Ich heiße Frau,” is used as a formal form to introduce yourself as a woman.
Formal Formal One person Multiple persons
Used By Friends Young people Elderly People Boss / Colleagues Situations at school, at a work party, at work https://res.cloudinary.com/magiclingua/video/upload/v1588862838/Audio%20SEO/Edited%20-%20What%20is%20your%20name%20in%20German/Wir_sind._20.m4a “Wir sind.” can be used to introduce a group of people or even different people. For example, “Wir sind die Klasse 8A.” It is used in an informal context.
Informal Informal Multiple persons One person
Used By Friends Young people Family Situations at school, at a party, at home Wir sind Frau und Herr, We are Mrs. und Mr. https://res.cloudinary.com/magiclingua/video/upload/v1588862878/Audio%20SEO/Edited%20-%20What%20is%20your%20name%20in%20German/Frau-Herr-Divided/Wir_sind_Frau-_Herr_19_frau_und_herr.m4a “Wir sind Frau und Herr,” is used when, for example, two people check into a hotel, but only one person wants to introduce several people.
Formal Formal Multiple persons One person
Used By Elderly people Teacher Colleagues Situations at work, at a party, at a hotel Mein Name ist, My name is, https://res.cloudinary.com/magiclingua/video/upload/v1588862835/Audio%20SEO/Edited%20-%20What%20is%20your%20name%20in%20German/Mein_Name_ist._18.m4a “Mein Name ist,” is often used when you speak in front of a group of people and want to introduce yourself with your first name. An example is ” “Hallo zusammen. Mein Name ist,”.
Informal Informal One person Multiple persons
Used By Friends Young people Family/Parents Situations at school, at a party, at a sports club Mein Name ist Frau, My name is Mrs. https://res.cloudinary.com/magiclingua/video/upload/v1588862878/Audio%20SEO/Edited%20-%20What%20is%20your%20name%20in%20German/Frau-Herr-Divided/Mein_Name_ist_Frau-_Mein_Name_ist_Herr_17_just_frau.m4a “Mein Name ist Frau.” is used when you speak in front of a group of people and want to introduce yourself as a woman with your surname.
Formal Formal Multiple persons One person
Used By Teacher Elderly people Colleagues Situations at school, at work, at hotel Wir heißen, We are called, https://res.cloudinary.com/magiclingua/video/upload/v1588862838/Audio%20SEO/Edited%20-%20What%20is%20your%20name%20in%20German/Wir_hei%C3%9Fen_._16.m4a “Wir heißen,” is used when a person wants to introduce several people. After “Wir heißen,” follow the the first names of the persons.
Informal Informal Multiple persons One person
Used By Friends Young people Family Situations at school, at a party, at home Unsere Namen sind Frau und Herr, We are called Mrs. and Mr. https://res.cloudinary.com/magiclingua/video/upload/v1588862836/Audio%20SEO/Edited%20-%20What%20is%20your%20name%20in%20German/Unsere_Namen_sind_Frau_und_Herr_15.m4a The presentation “Unsere Namen sind Frau und Herr.” is used in a formal context. After the “Frau (Mrs.)” and “Herr (Mr.)” follow the last names of the persons to be named.
Formal Formal Multiple persons One person
Used By Friends Eldery people Colleagues Situations at work, at a party, at hotel/official guest-list Wir heißen Frau/Herr, We are Mrs./Mr. https://res.cloudinary.com/magiclingua/video/upload/v1588862838/Audio%20SEO/Edited%20-%20What%20is%20your%20name%20in%20German/Wir_hei%C3%9Fen_Frau-_Herr_14.m4a The formal self-presentation “Wir heißen Frau/Herr,” is used to introduce different names of persons in a group.
Formal Formal Multiple persons One person
Used By Friends Elderly people Boss / Colleagues Situations at school, at a party, at a work meeting Unsere Namen sind, We are called, https://res.cloudinary.com/magiclingua/video/upload/v1588862836/Audio%20SEO/Edited%20-%20What%20is%20your%20name%20in%20German/Unsere_Namen_sind_13.m4a The self-presentation “Unsere Namen sind,” is used and different names of persons of a group are introduced into each other. One example would be: “Unsere Namen sind Marie und Max.”
Informal Informal Multiple persons One person
Used By Friends Young people Family Situations at work, at a party, holding a presentation https://res.cloudinary.com/magiclingua/video/upload/v1588862835/Audio%20SEO/Edited%20-%20What%20is%20your%20name%20in%20German/Ich_bin_._12.m4a If you want to introduce yourself simply, you can just say “Ich bin.” and your name. You can also add your last name.
Informal Informal One person Multiple persons
Used By Friends Young people Family Situations at school, at a party, at home Ich bin Frau, I am Mrs. https://res.cloudinary.com/magiclingua/video/upload/v1588862877/Audio%20SEO/Edited%20-%20What%20is%20your%20name%20in%20German/Frau-Herr-Divided/Ich_bin_Frau_Herr_._11_just_frau.m4a If you want to introduce yourself formally as a woman, you can say “Ich bin Frau,” and your last name.
Formal Formal One person Multiple persons
Situations at school, at a formal party, at work
What do Germans say instead of Umm?
The Most Common German Filler Words And How To Use Them It’s a new year and there’s lots of motivation to finally learn something new. What sounds wonderfully exciting at the beginning, however, can quickly turn intimidating when the time comes to actually do it.
- This holds true for learning languages, too.
- You would like to take what you’ve learned and apply it to conversation, but then live in fear that you’ll make a mistake.
- The good thing is, the German language provides the perfect antidote for such moments: German filler words.
- Filler words are an inherent part of language.
German filler words such as ähm (“um”), genau (“exactly”) or sozusagen (“so to speak”) are the sort of verbal pauses that you use more or less unconsciously. The one problem with filler words is that they often have a bad reputation, and that’s not only the case for German! Used properly, however, filler words are a useful tool, and they can help you to sort yourself out or express your feelings in a language.
How do Germans say nice to meet you?
What is this? Es freut mich Sie kennenzulernen. is a popular expression that means ‘it is nice to meet you’.
How do Germans say sorry?
A simple sorry – It happens all the time: We bump into a stranger on the street or accidentally brush someone’s hand reaching for the sugar at the same time. A simple sorry is enough to acknowledge the mistake. In German, you can say ” Entschuldigung ” or use the more informal abbreviation “‘ Tschuldigung “.
How do you respond to Danke?
How to respond when someone says thanks in German – Just as with German grammar, the response you give depends on whether the situation is formal or casual, and also the form of ‘thank you’ used. But don’t think too hard. It’s really simple, because all you have to do is determine what phrase was used and then use the appropriate response.
And what are the appropriate responses? When someone says danke, the standard response is bitte, This normally means ‘please’, but within the context of responding to a ‘thank you’, it means ‘you’re welcome’. If instead they say danke schön, then you should reply by saying bitte schön, But if they on the other hand say danke sehr, you should likewise say bitte sehr,
All these mean ‘you’re welcome’. But what would you say if someone used a formal ‘thank you?’
How do you reply to Danke schön?
Bitte schön (‘you’re very welcome’): If someone says, ‘Danke schön,’ you would automatically respond, ‘Bitte schön.’ It’s saying, ‘You’re very welcome,’ responding to their level of thanks in kind.
Do Germans say yay?
German Interjections to Express Joy – Let’s start with one of the most pleasant emotions: joy. In English you can express joy by saying “Hooray!”, “Yay!”, or if you’re feeling traditional, “Yippee!” German also has several words for “hooray”: Hurra (pronounced with a light breath in), Jippi and Juhu,
Do Germans actually say guten Tag?
3. Guten Tag – “Hello” or “Good day” – Time to put your tie on! Guten Tag is how you keep things formal. If you want to say ‘hello’ in German to a stranger or maybe to someone you respect, this is the best choice for you. Although guten Tag can also mean ‘good afternoon’, German people actually use it all day long.
Guten Morgen – “Good morning” – can only be used before midday; Guten Tag – “Good day” – the recommendation is from midday until dusk (around 6 pm), but can be used all day; Guten Abend – “Good evening” – can only be used from dusk to bedtime.
In Germany, efficiency rules, so greetings are often shortened to just one word. Here are the shortened greetings:
Morgen! Tag! Abend!
Can Tschuss mean hello?
How To Say Hello With Flair – German also has a tendency to dandify its Hellos and Goodbyes. Hallo can become Hallöchen ( -chen denoting the, so a kind of little hello ), and Tschüss (bye) often becomes Tschüssi, Both these salutations commonly leave the mouths of beefy German men with a beguilingly fluffy, upward intonation.
How do you greet someone in German in a formal way?
1. What’s the difference between greeting a friend versus a colleague or professional acquaintance in German? – In general, it is best to stick with a formal greeting like “Guten Tag” when talking to a professional acquaintance, whereas with friends you can use informal greetings like “Na?” or “Hallo!”.
Another very important thing to keep in mind is the difference between the casual “du” and the formal “Sie”. This distinction makes or breaks the difference between the casual “Grüß dich!” and the formal “Grüß Sie!”. It is, however, quite common for German workplaces to revert to a more casual way of speaking once you have built a relationship.
A good way of figuring out which greeting to use is to pay attention to the way a particular person greets you and respond in kind.
What is the polite form of you in German?
You in German | Rosetta Stone® Learn how to say “you” and other common German words using the award-winning app. Start 3-Day Free Trial If you want to say “you” in German, you would generally use ” du ” (informal singular), ” Sie ” (formal singular or plural—capitalised in both cases), or “ihr” (informal plural).
But German has even more forms of the word “you”, including: dich, dir, euch, and Inhen, Contextually, each is extremely important. If German pronouns seem a little overwhelming, don’t be too concerned. The rules for their use are pretty clear-cut. Once you understand the grammar behind it all, you’ll start to use the correct one fairly naturally.
A little trickier are the German words for “the.” Believe it or not, there are 16 of them, all starting with a d and all made up of just three letters. Much like the words for “you,” however, once you get in the habit of using them, using them correctly doesn’t take much forethought.
- Plus, because German and English are otherwise so similar to one another, there aren’t many more major road bumps, as you’d find when studying less closely-related languages like French or Japanese.
- Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion® methodology teaches you the language, not just the words.
- What makes it effective is that we prepare you to use your new language in the real world.
So it’s not just about the features, but what you’re able to do because of them. With practise, you’ll be ready to handle situations with confidence.
How do you start a formal conversation in German?
Certain sentences and phrases can help you start a conversation. These include greetings like hallo (hello) or guten Tag (good day), questions like Wie geht’s? (How are you?), Wie heißt du? (What’s your name?), Wie findest du? (How do you like?) or Kannst du mir helfen? (Can you help me).