So, you’ve decided to learn German. It might have been a tough decision because it is not the easiest language to learn. No matter if you’ve decided to master the German language to use it in your career’s development or just communicate with your German-speaking friends, you will need to know the numerous ways of greetings. You will be surprised by the options this language gives you. We’ll start with the most common ones and move to less popular ones. Note that sometimes your choice of the greeting type will depend on the geographical area. Let us begin.
Hallo
Naturally, we will begin with “Hello” which translates as “Hallo”. It is an easy greeting that you can use anytime and anywhere with the people you already know. It is worth mentioning that it is mostly used informally but you are welcome to use it at work as well.
Guten Tag
The literal translation of the phrase is “Good day!” You can use it in any situation, it will always be appropriate. However, as you might have guessed, the phrase can transform depending on the daytime. If it is morning, you will say “Guten Morgen”, and if it is evening, you will say “Guten Abend”. It’s as easy as that.
Alles klar
Many Germans use this phrase as a greeting even though it has nothing to do with forms of greetings at first sight. It translates as “everything is clear”. What a strange statement, you might think. Nonetheless, it is usually used to fill in a pause. In the form of a question – “Alles Klar?” – the expression can be translated as “Is everything clear?”. We can compare it to the English version of “What’s up?”. The phrase is especially popular among youngsters.
Was ist los?
It would be logical to continue this greetings selection with the German version of “What’s up?”. Even though it is commonly used in the form of a greeting, you should be careful as the expression might also imply “What’s the matter?”. In this case, the person who asks this question might suggest that something strange or serious happened.
Grüß Gott!
The next option is “God bless you!” As you can guess, it is not very popular among young people. To reply to this greeting, you might just repeat it. It is a very polite and formal way to say hello. It is very popular in Bavaria and Austria in particular.
Servus
Another form of greeting is widespread in the southeastern part of Germany. The word’s roots are Latin and it translates as “servant”. Conveniently enough, you can use it to say goodbye as well.
As you can see, there are many forms of greetings that are applicable in any situation – formal and informal. Choose the one that you like the most and use it during conversations with your friends and business partners. Whenever you experience any difficulties with translation in or from German, do not hesitate to contact our company. We hire the most experienced translators to make sure our clients get exactly what they need. Even though there might be different obstacles on your way to mastering the language, like conjugations and object pronouns, our experts are always here to give you valuable tips. We cooperate with native speakers from around the world. No matter how challenging the translation can be, we will match your order with a suitable translator. Entrust us with the art of making the most accurate and appealing translation and you will not regret it.