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Lesson 2

Choosing Appropriate Greetings and Farewells

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Welcome to your second lesson! In our first session, we explored the building blocks of German pronunciation. Today, we will use those sounds to learn some of the most fundamental and useful phrases in any language: how to greet people and say goodbye.

Your A1 exam will test your ability to interact in everyday situations, and choosing the right level of formality is a crucial part of that. This lesson focuses on distinguishing between formal and informal contexts so you can select the appropriate German greetings and farewells with confidence.

The Importance of Formality: du vs. Sie

Before we learn the words themselves, we need to understand a core concept of German social interaction: formality. Unlike modern English, which uses "you" for everyone, German has two distinct words for "you":

  • du is the informal "you," used for family, close friends, children, and pets.
  • Sie is the formal "you," used for strangers, people in authority (like police officers or officials), colleagues you don't know well, and generally in business or customer service settings. Note that the formal Sie is always capitalized.

Knowing when to use du or Sie is key to being polite and making a good impression. The following resource provides a clear breakdown of when to use each form.

Section 1-1: Greetings, Introductions, and Farewells – German 101

This reading will give you a solid understanding of the formal/informal distinction.

In the text, find the section titled Du vs. Sie. Read the explanation and focus on the table that lists the situations for using Sie and du. This table is your guide to choosing the right level of formality.

As a beginner, a safe and simple rule is: when in doubt, use Sie. It is always better to be too formal than too informal. People will then invite you to use du if they feel it's appropriate by saying something like, "Wir können du sagen" (We can say du).

Greetings for Every Occasion

Now, let's learn the actual greetings. The best way to start is by hearing them spoken. The following video provides clear examples of the most common greetings. As you watch, try to connect the sounds you hear to the pronunciation rules from our last lesson (e.g., the guten sound, the tag sound).

GERMAN LESSON 1: Learn German for Beginners - German Greetings 🤗

This short video by "Learn German with Anja" clearly demonstrates the pronunciation of key greetings.

Watch the first part of the video covering time-of-day greetings like Guten Morgen. Then, continue with the section on informal greetings like Hallo.

To summarize and organize what you just heard:

Formal Greetings
These are polite, safe to use with anyone, and often depend on the time of day.

  • Guten Morgen! (Good morning!) - Used until about 11 a.m.
  • Guten Tag! (Good day!) - The general-purpose greeting used throughout the day.
  • Guten Abend! (Good evening!) - Used from about 6 p.m. onwards.

Informal Greetings
These are for friends, family, and people your own age in casual settings.

  • Hallo! (Hello!) - This is the most common, all-purpose informal greeting, equivalent to "hello" or "hi" in English.
  • Hi! - Borrowed from English, this is also common among younger people.

Some greetings, like Grüß Gott, are common in specific regions like Southern Germany and Austria, but for your A1 exam, focusing on the standard forms above is your best strategy.

Saying Goodbye

Just like with greetings, there are formal and informal ways to say goodbye. The video you watched earlier also covers the most important farewells.

GERMAN LESSON 1: Learn German for Beginners - German Greetings 🤗

Let's return to the same video to learn the farewells.

Watch the section from "how do you say goodbye" to the end of the main explanation. Pay attention to the difference between Auf Wiedersehen and Tschüss.

Here's a breakdown of what you need to know:

  • Auf Wiedersehen! (Goodbye!) - This is the standard formal farewell. It literally means "until we see again." You will use this in stores, offices, and with people you address as Sie. Notice the pronunciation of w as [v] that we learned in the last lesson.

  • Tschüss! (Bye!) - This is the standard informal farewell. It's friendly and common among people who use du. Try to produce the sch sound correctly here.

  • Bis bald! / Bis später! (See you soon! / See you later!) - These are also common, informal ways to say goodbye to friends.

A special case you will encounter is saying goodbye on the phone. Since you cannot "see" the other person, Germans say Auf Wiederhören! ("until we hear again").

Test Your Understanding

Let's quickly check your understanding. For each situation below, decide whether you would use a formal or informal greeting/farewell. Think about which specific phrase would be most appropriate.

  1. You walk into a bakery in the morning.
  2. You meet your close friend Thomas for coffee.
  3. You have a 7 p.m. appointment with your new boss, Frau Schmidt.
  4. You are leaving the conversation with Frau Schmidt.
  5. You are saying goodbye to your friend Thomas.

Think about your answers:

  1. Formal, time-specific: Guten Morgen.
  2. Informal: Hallo, Thomas! or just Hallo!.
  3. Formal, time-specific: Guten Abend, Frau Schmidt.
  4. Formal: Auf Wiedersehen.
  5. Informal: Tschüss! or Bis später!.

This type of situational choice is exactly what you'll need for your exam.

Key Takeaways

  • The distinction between formal (Sie) and informal (du) address is fundamental in German. When in doubt, always use Sie.
  • Your choice of greeting depends on formality and time of day. Use Guten Morgen/Tag/Abend for formal situations.
  • Hallo is the universal informal greeting.
  • Your choice of farewell depends on formality. Use Auf Wiedersehen in formal contexts and Tschüss in informal ones.

You now have the essential phrases to begin and end a simple conversation. In our next lesson, we will fill in the middle part by learning how to introduce yourself, stating your name, where you come from, and where you live.