Lesson 1 of 8 · Level A1 · 10 min
Hello! Greetings and introducing yourself
Germans greet each other a lot, at work, in shops and on the phone. Start with these and you can open any conversation.
du or Sie?
German has two words for “you”. Use Sie (always with a capital S) with adults you don’t know, at work with your boss, and in interviews and letters. Use du with friends, family, children and colleagues who offer it. If you’re not sure, use Sie.
When a colleague says “Wir können uns duzen” (we can say du to each other), switch to du. It’s friendly, not rude.
Greetings
Tap the headphones to hear each one.
- HalloHello
- Guten MorgenGood morning
- Guten TagHello / Good day (polite)
- Guten AbendGood evening
- TschüssBye (informal)
- Auf WiedersehenGoodbye (polite)
- DankeThank you
- BittePlease / You’re welcome
- EntschuldigungExcuse me / Sorry
- Ja / NeinYes / No
About you
Tap the headphones to hear each one.
- Ich heiße Tendai.My name is Tendai.
- Wie heißen Sie?What is your name? (polite)
- Wie heißt du?What is your name? (informal)
- Ich komme aus Simbabwe.I come from Zimbabwe.
- Ich wohne in Harare.I live in Harare.
- Freut mich.Nice to meet you.
- Wie geht es Ihnen?How are you? (polite)
- Mir geht es gut, danke.I’m fine, thank you.
Quiz
1. You meet the manager of a company for an interview. Which do you say?
2. What does “Ich komme aus Simbabwe” mean?
3. Someone says “Danke!”. What is a natural reply?
4. Which goodbye is polite?
5. How do you say “Nice to meet you”?