The everyday way to say hello in German is Hallo (HA-lo), which works with almost anyone. In formal settings, such as an office, a doctor's surgery or a phone call to a company, Guten Tag (good day) is safer. Friends also say Hi or Hey. In Austria and Bavaria you will hear Grüß Gott and Servus; in Switzerland, Grüezi.
- Everyday
- Hallo
- Formal
- Guten Tag
- Between friends
- Hi, Hey, Na?
- Austria and Bavaria
- Grüß Gott, Servus
- Switzerland
- Grüezi
- Level
- A1
Is Hallo formal or informal?
Hallo sits in the middle. You can say it to a friend, a neighbour, a cashier or a colleague you call Sie, and nobody will blink. It only sounds too casual in settings that are formal on purpose: a job interview, a meeting with someone much older, a letter to an official. There, Guten Tag is the greeting to reach for.
| German | Register | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Hallo | Neutral | Almost anyone, any time of day |
| Guten Tag | Polite | Strangers, offices, shops, phone calls to businesses |
| Guten Morgen | Neutral | Until late morning |
| Guten Abend | Polite | From about six in the evening |
| Hi / Hey | Casual | Friends, younger people, messages |
| Na? | Very casual | People you know well; it means roughly "well, how's things?" |
| Hallo zusammen | Neutral | A whole group at once |
| Grüß Gott | Polite | Austria and Bavaria |
| Servus | Casual | Austria and Bavaria, between people who know each other |
| Grüezi | Polite | German-speaking Switzerland |
| Moin | Casual | Northern Germany, all day |
In Contos stories, Hallo is the greeting between flatmates. Ayşe comes home with coffee and bread rolls and can hardly wait to talk about the new housemate:
Hallo Lena! Ich bin so aufgeregt!How do you greet someone by name?
Add the name straight after the greeting. With friends you use the first name; with someone you call Sie, use Herr (Mr) or Frau (Ms, Mrs) and the surname. Frau is the normal polite title for every adult woman, married or not. Fräulein is old-fashioned and best avoided.
Hallo Mehmet! Lange nicht gesehen!
Hi Mehmet! Long time no see!
Guten Tag, Frau Becker.
Good afternoon, Ms Becker.
Sie. A safe greeting for a teacher, a landlord or a client.
Hallo zusammen, schön, dass ihr da seid!
Hi everyone, great that you're here!
To a group of friends (ihr).
Na, alles klar?
Hey, all good?
Very casual, to someone you know.
An uncle walking into a café shows the polite pattern, with a question straight after it:
Guten Tag, Emma. Wo ist der Schlüssel zur Kasse?How do you say hello on the phone or in an email?
On a landline, many Germans pick up by saying their surname, sometimes followed by hallo: Becker? or Becker, hallo? On a mobile, a plain Hallo? or Ja? is common. When you are the caller, say who you are straight away.
Hallo, hier ist Sam.
Hi, it's Sam.
To a friend.
Guten Tag, hier spricht Sam Taylor.
Hello, this is Sam Taylor speaking.
To a company or an office.
When the line goes quiet, Hallo? turns into a question. A man calling a stranger in a B1 story tries it twice:
Hallo? Sind Sie noch da?Emails have their own openings. Hallo Anna, is friendly; Liebe Anna, (Dear Anna) is warm; Sehr geehrte Frau Becker, is the formal start for a stranger or an official letter. Hallo Frau Becker, sits between the two and is now common at work.
Do Austrians and Swiss say hello differently?
Yes, and the regional words are part of daily life, not folklore. Standard Hallo and Guten Tag are understood everywhere, so you can always fall back on them.
- Grüß Gott (literally "may God greet you") is the polite hello across Austria and Bavaria. It is a normal greeting, not a religious statement.
- Servus is the friendly hello in the same region, and it doubles as goodbye.
- Grüezi is how you greet a stranger in German-speaking Switzerland. Friends there say Hoi or Salü.
- Moin belongs to Hamburg and the north coast, and works at any hour.
For the morning-only greetings, see how to say good morning in German. To ask how someone is after saying hello, see how to say "How are you?" in German.
Meet Ayşe, Lena and Jonas in a free A1 German story, and tap any word you don't know.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you pronounce Hallo?
"HA-lo", with a short a as in "hat" and the stress on the first syllable. It sounds close to the English "hollow" said quickly, not like "hello".
Is it rude to say Hallo to a stranger?
No. Hallo is fine in shops, cafés and on the street. In very formal situations, or with someone much older, Guten Tag sounds more respectful.
What does Na? mean as a greeting?
Na? is a casual opener between people who know each other, a bit like "Well?" or "Hey, how's it going?". The usual answer is another Na? or a quick Gut, und dir?
Do people say hello when they walk into a shop in Germany?
In small shops, bakeries and waiting rooms, yes. A short Hallo or Guten Tag as you come in is normal, and Tschüss or Auf Wiedersehen as you leave.
What is Hallöchen?
A playful, chatty form of Hallo, a bit like "hello there". You'll hear it between friends and colleagues; it would sound odd in a formal meeting.