Everyday language
To prepare you for a life in Germany, it's important to know the "everyday language". Here you can find the most common phrases.
Hello and Goodbye
| German | English |
| Guten Morgen | Good morning |
| Guten Tag | Good day |
| Guten Abend | Good evening |
| Auf Wiedersehen | Goodbye |
| Hallo, Tschau, Tschüss | Bye (informal) |
| Gute Nacht | Good night (when you´re going to bed) |
| Mahlzeit | It´s a greeting used at lunchtime (mostly between colleagues) |
"Du" and "Sie"
In Germany we have 2 types of "you". When you're with your friends or family you use the informal version called "Du" to speak to someone. If you meet your employer or a foreign person you use "Sie" instead of "Du" to be polite and respectful.
"Please" and "Thank You" / "Bitte" and "Danke"
We usually use "Bitte" when we're asking for something like: Can you please give me the pen? (Können Sie mir bitte den Stift geben?) The word is a sign of kindness and politeness. We also use it as an answer to "thank you" like "Bitte schön" ("you're welcome").
"Danke schön" is usually your answer if you get what you asked for.