Common German Phrases for Everyday Conversations

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You do not need a long grammar lesson before your first German conversation. Start with a handful of phrases you can use to greet someone, ask a question or order a coffee.

I've always found it useful to speak from day one. Learning whole phrases gives you something practical to say while you build up your vocabulary and grammar.

German grammar has details that take time to learn, but you can use the expressions below as complete chunks. Pick the ones that match the situations you are likely to encounter first.

German distinguishes between formal Sie and familiar du. The section near the top gives you a practical starting point, although real usage varies by region, setting and speaker.

15 Must-Know Basic German Phrases

If you only take 15 German phrases away from this article, make it these. They'll carry you through a surprising number of everyday situations:

• Hallo – “Hello”
• Guten Tag – “Good day” (the safe, polite greeting for daytime)
• Ich heiße… – “My name is…”
• Wie geht es Ihnen? – “How are you?” (formal)
• Bitte – “Please” (and also “you're welcome”, more on that below)
• Danke – “Thank you”
• Entschuldigung – “Excuse me” / “Sorry”
• Ja / Nein – “Yes / No”
• Sprechen Sie Englisch? – “Do you speak English?”
• Ich verstehe nicht – “I don't understand”
• Können Sie das wiederholen? – “Can you repeat that?”
• Wie viel kostet das? – “How much does that cost?”
• Wo ist die Toilette? – “Where is the toilet?”
• Können Sie mir helfen? – “Can you help me?”
• Tschüss – “Bye”

Get comfortable with those and you've already got a foothold. Now let's build it out.

Sie or du? Choosing the Right German “You”

The one thing an English speaker has to wrap their head around early is that German has two words for “you”:

• Sie – the formal “you”. It is always capitalised when used this way.
• du – the familiar “you”, often used with friends, family and children.

There is no single rule that covers every interaction. As a useful starting point, use Sie in a formal setting or when you are unsure, then follow the other person's lead. Many workplaces, brands and casual settings use du. Someone may suggest a switch with Wir können uns duzen (“we can use du with each other”).

You'll see this play out in the phrases below. “How are you?” has two versions:

• Wie geht es Ihnen? – “How are you?” (formal)
• Wie geht's? – “How are you?” (casual contraction of Wie geht es?)

Where the distinction matters, the formal version appears first.

German Greetings and Starting Conversations

• Hallo – “Hello”
• Guten Morgen – “Good morning”
• Guten Tag – “Good day” / “Hello” (daytime)
• Guten Abend – “Good evening”
• Hi – “Hi” (casual, and yes, Germans say it too)
• Wie geht es Ihnen? – “How are you?” (formal)
• Wie geht's? – “How are you?” (informal)
• Gut, danke – “Good, thanks”
• Sehr gut – “Very good”
• Es geht – “So-so” / “I'm OK” (literally “it goes”)
• Und Ihnen? / Und dir? – “And you?” (formal / informal)
• Willkommen – “Welcome”

Related learning: if you want a whole toolkit of openers, we've got a full guide to breaking the ice in German conversation.

Saying Goodbye in German

• Tschüss – “Bye” (a common informal goodbye)
• Auf Wiedersehen – “Goodbye” (formal, literally “until we see each other again”)
• Bis bald – “See you soon”
• Bis später – “See you later”
• Bis morgen – “See you tomorrow”
• Schönen Tag noch! – “Have a nice day!”
• Gute Nacht – “Good night”

Tschüss is common in informal situations, while Auf Wiedersehen suits a more formal goodbye.

Polite Phrases in German

• Bitte – “Please”
• Danke – “Thank you”
• Danke schön – “Thank you very much”
• Vielen Dank – “Many thanks”
• Gern geschehen – “You're welcome” (literally “gladly done”)
• Entschuldigung – “Excuse me” / “Sorry”
• Es tut mir leid – “I'm sorry” (a sincere apology, heavier than Entschuldigung)
• Kein Problem – “No problem”

Bitte does triple duty in German. It means “please”, but it's also the standard reply to “thank you” (“you're welcome”), and it's what you say when handing something over (“here you go”). Learn it well and you'll reach for it constantly.

Introducing Yourself and Making Small Talk

• Ich heiße… – “My name is…” (literally “I am called…”)
• Mein Name ist… – “My name is…” (a touch more formal)
• Wie heißen Sie? / Wie heißt du? – “What's your name?” (formal / informal)
• Freut mich – “Nice to meet you” (literally “it pleases me”)
• Woher kommen Sie? / Woher kommst du? – “Where are you from?” (formal / informal)
• Ich komme aus… – “I'm from…”
• Ich wohne in… – “I live in…”
• Ich lerne Deutsch – “I'm learning German”
• Sprechen Sie Englisch? – “Do you speak English?”
• Ich spreche nur ein bisschen Deutsch – “I only speak a little German”
• Können Sie langsamer sprechen? – “Can you speak more slowly?”
• Ich verstehe nicht – “I don't understand”

Ich lerne Deutsch tells the other person that you are learning. If you need a slower reply, ask directly with Können Sie langsamer sprechen?

Common Questions in German

• Wie viel kostet das? – “How much does that cost?”
• Wie spät ist es? – “What time is it?”
• Wo ist…? – “Where is…?”
• Was ist das? – “What is that?”
• Wann? – “When?”
• Warum? – “Why?”
• Wer ist das? – “Who is that?”
• Haben Sie…? – “Do you have…?”
• Können Sie mir helfen? – “Can you help me?”
• Was bedeutet das? – “What does that mean?”

These question words (wo, was, wann, warum, wer, wie) help you build many everyday questions.

Asking for Directions and Getting Around

• Wo ist…? – “Where is…?”
• Wie komme ich zum Bahnhof? – “How do I get to the train station?”
• Wie komme ich zur Innenstadt? – “How do I get to the city centre?”
• Links – “Left”
• Rechts – “Right”
• Geradeaus – “Straight ahead”
• Ich habe mich verlaufen – “I'm lost” (on foot)
• Eine Fahrkarte nach…, bitte – “A ticket to…, please”
• Fährt dieser Zug nach…? – “Does this train go to…?”
• Wo ist die nächste Haltestelle? – “Where is the nearest stop?”

A useful pair to know: der Bahnhof is the train station and die Haltestelle is a bus or tram stop. And if someone gives you a rapid-fire set of directions, don't be shy about following up with Können Sie das wiederholen? (“Can you repeat that?”).

Eating and Drinking in German

• Ein Tisch für zwei, bitte – “A table for two, please”
• Die Speisekarte, bitte – “The menu, please”
• Ich hätte gern… – “I would like…” (the polite way to order)
• Ich möchte… – “I would like…”
• Was empfehlen Sie? – “What do you recommend?”
• Ein Bier, bitte – “A beer, please”
• Ein Glas Wasser, bitte – “A glass of water, please”
• Ich bin Vegetarier / Vegetarierin – “I'm vegetarian” (male / female speaker)
• Ich bin allergisch gegen… – “I'm allergic to…”
• Guten Appetit! – “Enjoy your meal!”
• Prost! – “Cheers!”
• Lecker! – “Delicious!”
• Die Rechnung, bitte – “The bill, please”
• Zahlen, bitte – “I'd like to pay” (a more casual way to ask for the bill)

If you want to check how you can pay before ordering, ask Nehmen Sie Karte? (“Do you take cards?”).

Shopping Phrases in German

• Was kostet das? – “How much is this?”
• Das ist zu teuer – “That's too expensive”
• Ich schaue mich nur um – “I'm just looking around”
• Haben Sie das in einer anderen Größe? – “Do you have this in another size?”
• Kann ich mit Karte bezahlen? – “Can I pay by card?”
• Nehmen Sie Karte? – “Do you take card?”
• Ich suche… – “I'm looking for…”
• Ein Geschenk – “A gift”

Emergency and Survival Phrases in German

• Hilfe! – “Help!”
• Rufen Sie die Polizei! – “Call the police!”
• Rufen Sie einen Krankenwagen! – “Call an ambulance!”
• Ich brauche einen Arzt – “I need a doctor”
• Wo ist das Krankenhaus? – “Where is the hospital?”
• Wo ist die Apotheke? – “Where is the pharmacy?”
• Ich fühle mich nicht gut – “I don't feel well”
• Ich habe meinen Pass verloren – “I've lost my passport”

These phrases are worth saving on your phone as well as practising aloud. In an emergency, contact the local emergency services rather than relying on a phrase list alone.

German Signs You'll See Everywhere

These aren't phrases you'll say so much as words you'll read, on doors, stations, and shopfronts all over the German-speaking world. Knowing them on sight saves a surprising amount of confusion:

• Eingang – “Entrance”
• Ausgang – “Exit”
• Notausgang – “Emergency exit”
• Geöffnet – “Open”
• Geschlossen – “Closed”
• Drücken – “Push”
• Ziehen – “Pull”
• Damen – “Ladies” (toilets)
• Herren – “Gentlemen” (toilets)
• Kein Zutritt – “No entry”

Regional German Greetings

Standard German is widely understood across German-speaking regions, but local greetings vary. Here are a few forms you may hear:

• Moin (or Moin moin) – “Hi” in the north, especially around Hamburg and Bremen, used at any time of day despite sounding like “morning”
• Grüß Gott – “Hello” in Bavaria and Austria (literally “may God greet you”)
• Servus – a friendly “hi” or “bye” in Bavaria and Austria
• Grüezi – “Hello” in German-speaking Switzerland
• Baba – a casual “bye” in Austria
• Pfiat di – “take care” / “bye” in Bavaria and Austria

You don't need to learn all of these to be understood, but recognising them means you won't be thrown when a shopkeeper in Munich greets you with Grüß Gott instead of the Guten Tag your textbook promised.

German Slang and Filler Words

These small, casual words can help you follow informal conversation. Listen to how people around you use them before trying the stronger ones yourself:

• Na? – an all-purpose “Hey, how's it going?” (a whole greeting in one syllable)
• Alles klar? – “All good?” / “Everything OK?”
• Genau – “Exactly” / “Right”
• Ach so! – “Oh, I see!” (the sound of a penny dropping)
• Quatsch! – “Nonsense!” / “No way!”
• Krass – “Intense” / “Wow” (can be good or bad)
• Geil – “Cool” / “Awesome” (very informal and potentially crude in other contexts)
• Doch – “Yes it is!” (a brilliant little word for contradicting a negative; if someone says “you don't speak German” you can fire back Doch!)
• Es ist mir Wurst – “I don't care” / “It's all the same to me” (literally “it's sausage to me”)
• Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof – “I don't understand a thing” (literally “I only understand train station”)

If you want more informal language, read our guide to everyday German slang. You can also learn from these German memes.

Use Your German Phrases

You do not need to memorise every entry at once. Choose a few phrases for one likely situation, practise them aloud, then use them in a conversation. Du schaffst das means “you can do this”.

Next, you could learn to count in German, review German colours, or put some German adjectives to work. Our GermanPod101 review takes a closer look at the course.

When you are ready for structured speaking practice, learn more about the Fluent in 3 Months Bootcamp.

For now, pick three phrases and say them aloud. Viel Erfolg!