Common German Phrases and Words for your Travels
You are planning your next trip to Germany and want to know the most important German phrases and words? Or you want to impress your colleague or family with your German skills? Here you will learn the German basics such as how to say hello or goodbye in German, but also the German numbers, the difference between formal and informal speech, and other important German basics. Watch the video first, listen to the correct German pronunciation with the audio recordings, and then don't miss out on doing some speaking exercises to practice German for free.
You are planning your next trip to Germany and want to know the most important German phrases and words? Or you want to impress your colleague or family with your German skills? Here you will learn the German basics such as how to say hello or goodbye in German, but also the German numbers, the difference between formal and informal speech, and other important German basics. Watch the video first, listen to the correct German pronunciation with the audio recordings, and then don't miss out on doing some speaking exercises to practice German for free.
Basic German For Travelers
You plan to go to Germany and want to learn a few basics? If you meet somebody, you can just say “Hallo”. A more casual way, to greet friends or rather young people, is to use “Hi”. And if you want to get more advanced use for good morning - "Guten Morgen", for afternoon "Guten Tag" or for the evening "Guten Abend". If you want to ask a stranger something, you can start a conversation with “Entschuldigung”, which is the same as “Excuse me” in English. In an informal situation you could just use the English word “Sorry”. To ask somebody for his well-being you’d say “Wie geht’s?”, literally, ‘how is it going?’, the short form of “Wie geht es?”. The important thing to know here is: in Germany it’s not used as a way of greeting. The rather common answer however is “Gut”. Or “Gut, und dir?” which means “Good, and you?” To introduce yourself you can say “Ich bin ...” followed by your name, e.g. “Ich bin Christopher”. To say where you are from you’d say “Ich bin aus ...” followed by the name of your country. It literally means “I’m from”. For example: "Ich bin aus Spanien." For a bit more advanced students, you can also say “Ich komme aus Spanien” which means “I’m coming from Spain”. If you want to ask where something is, you would say “Wo ist ...” followed by what you are looking for. For example “Wo ist die U-Bahn” - where is the metro? Or “Entschldigung, wo ist die Toilette” - “Excuse me, where is the toilet?” If you don’t understand the other person you can say “Ich verstehe nicht” - I don’t understand. Or try asking “Sprichst du Spanish”? - Do you speak Spanish? Now let’s look at some few basic words that you absolutely need to know: "Ja" - yes. "Nein" - No. "Danke" - Thanks. "Bitte" - Please. Pretty basic, right? It doesn’t also hurt to know a few numbers to be able to order drinks or tickets or something."Eins" - one. "Zwei" - two. "Drei" - three. To order something you’d say: "Ich nehme" … or "Ich hätte gerne..", followed by what you want. So ordering a soup you’d say “Ich nehme die Suppe.” or “Ich hätte gerne die Suppe”. If you want to pay, just ask “Kann ich zahlen?” which literally means “Can I pay?” And whenever you end a conversation you want to say some sort of ‘good-bye’. The most common thing to say is “Tschüss”. The super formal way would be “Auf Wiedersehen” which literally means “until we see again”, used no matter if you actually intend to see the person again.
German Phrases for Travelers
Travel Phrases In German
Imagine you are standing at the airport in Germany. Do you have any idea how to greet the staff there? Have a look at the examples and find out what kind of greeting suits you.
The greeting "Hallo" is the simplest and most common informal greeting in the German language area. You can use it everywhere and address everyone very shortly. You can also just smile, raise your hand to greet them or wave to them.
- InformalInformal
- One personMultiple persons
Good
at the airport, at the train station, at a cafe
The greeting "Guten Tag" is the most common formal greeting in the German language area. You can use it all day. It is used in more formal situations, e.g. when you are talking to your boss.
- FormalFormal
- One personMultiple persons
Good
Happy
at the airport, at the train station, at the hotel
The farewell "Tschüss!" is the simplest and most common greeting in the German language area. Sometimes it is written with the "ß" - Tschüß! - which has the same sound as "ss". You can use it when saying goodbye to friends or colleagues. Possible variations are "Tschü!" or "Tschüssi!".
- InformalInformal
- One personMultiple persons
Good
Friendly
at the airport, at the train station, at a club
The farewell "Auf Wiedersehen!" is the most common formal greeting in the German language area. "Auf" is a preposition in this case. "Wieder" means again and "sehen" means to see. In summary, "Auf Wiedersehen" literally means - "See you again".
- FormalFormal
- One personMultiple persons
Good
Friendly
at the airport, at the train station, at a cafe
Most important words in German
Imagine you want to express your agreement or you want to contact someone. Not so easy, is it? In this section you will learn the most important words in German. The simplest form of 'Excuse me' is for example "Entschuldigung". It is also possible to say simply "Sorry!". To say “Thank you” you can use “Danke”.
This is the easiest way to say thank you. Although it is considered quite informal, it is suitable for most situations, whether informal or formal. It is not impolite to use it even with people you know less well. It can be reinforced by "vielen" (Vielen Dank) which means thank you very much.
- InformalInformal
- One personMultiple persons
Good
Thankful
at the airport, at the bus station, at a bar
You want to say thank you formally? The "Ihnen" makes it clear that your statement is formal. You use it when you're at a business dinner or talking to a stranger in a hotel.
- FormalFormal
- One personMultiple persons
Good
Thankful
at the airport, at the bus station, in the office
"Bitte" is a very multifaceted word and it is essential to know. It is one of the very first words you will probably learn when you start learning German. In addition to "You are welcome", its common meanings are "Please!", "Excuse me!" and "Can I help you?". The meaning changes depending on the context of the conversation.
- InformalInformal
- One personMultiple persons
Helping
Thankful
at the airport, at the train station, at a restaurant
Bittesehr is a formal word and it is essential to know. In addition to "you are very welcome", common meanings are "please", "excuse me" and "can I help you?" in the formal way. The meaning changes depending on the context of the conversation.
- FormalFormal
- One personMultiple persons
Helping
Thankful
at the airport, at the train station, at a restaurant
When you learn a new language, one of the first things you learn is certainly how to say "yes" and "no". The most common way to say "yes" in German is simply to say "ja" (YAH). Just like in other languages, there are many other words and expressions you can learn in German to signal agreement or acceptance.
- InformalInformal
- One personMultiple persons
Agreeing
Thankful
at the airport, at the train station, at a bar
When you learn a new language, one of the first things you learn is certainly how to say "yes" and "no". You want to express yourself very formally? The most common way is to say "ja bitte". Just like in other languages, there are many other words and expressions you can learn in German to signal agreement or acceptance.
- FormalFormal
- One personMultiple persons
Agreeing
Thankful
at the airport, at the train station, at a bar
The easiest way to say no is to say "nein". There are even more polite ways, but for the beginning, this word should make it easier to get started in the German language.
- InformalInformal
- One personMultiple persons
Disagreeing
Angry
at the airport, at the train station, at a bar
You don't want to say just no, you want to express yourself in a more chosen way, but you still don't agree with one thing. Then you can use: It's not possible. - Das ist nicht möglich.
- FormalFormal
- One personMultiple persons
Disagreeing
Angry
at the airport, at the train station, at a bar
“Vielleicht” is used when you want to think again whether they really want to be part of something. So maybe you can use it if you don't want to say yes or no, or even with the two words together.
- InformalInformal
- One personMultiple persons
Not sure
Uncertain
at the bus stop, at the train station, at a restaurant
You are not sure and you want to express "this could be" very formally? Then, you can simply say "Das könnte sein”. It's a more formal answer than just that maybe.
- FormalFormal
- One personMultiple persons
Not sure
Uncertain
in the office, at the train station, at a restaurant
The formal expression "Entschuldigung!" is the quickest term to excuse yourself. You can use the expression anywhere to ask someone or to excuse yourself. “Entschuldigung, wo ist der Bahnhof?” - "Excuse me, where is the station?"
- FormalFormal
- One personMultiple persons
Sorry
at the airport, at the bus station, at a restaurant
The informal expression "Sorry" is a simple and common term especially in between young people. You can use the expression anywhere and just smile nicely or raise both hands when apologizing. When you are in a bar and run into someone you would just simply say: “Sorry!” and move on.
- InformalInformal
- One personMultiple persons
Sorry
at the airport, at the bus station, at a restaurant
The first three numbers in German are “eins”, “zwei” and “drei”. If you pronounce them, you can also show the number with your fingers. One is the index finger. Two is the index and middle finger and three is the thumb, index and middle finger.
- InformalInformal
- One personMultiple persons
Good
at the ticket counter, at the bus station, in a bar
Most important phrases for travel
You are planning your trip to Germany and want to learn the most important German sentences? Besides "The bill please", you should be able to ask for directions in German. You can also read about how to present yourself.
Sprichst du ...? You can use it if you want to ask someone for help informally. And first you want to ask if he or she speaks a language.
- InformalInformal
- One personMultiple persons
Asking
Curious
at the ticket counter, at the bus station, at a bar
Sprechen Sie ...? You can use it if you want to ask someone for help. And first you want to ask if he or she speaks a language. The "Sie" is the polite form of address.
- FormalFormal
- One personMultiple persons
Asking
Curious
at the ticket counter, at the bus station, at a bar
"Ich verstehe nicht" can be used to say that unfortunately you don't understand the other person. It can help you to get the other person to speak English with you. Most people in Germany also speak English.
- InformalInformal
- One personMultiple persons
Uncertain
at the ticket counter, at the bus station, at a bar
"Ich verstehe Sie nicht" is a formal way of saying you don't understand the other person. It can help you to get the other person to speak English with you. But it can also be used to show that you do not understand something.
- FormalFormal
- One personMultiple persons
Uncertain
at the ticket counter, at the bus station, at a bar
"Ich brauche Hilfe", is the long and informal way to ask for help. If you need it fast, just tell "Hilfe" loud and clear.
- InformalInformal
- One personMultiple persons
Helpless
at the ticket counter, at the bus station, at a bar
"Ich brauche Ihre Hilfe." Is the long and very formal way to ask for help and support.
- FormalFormal
- One personMultiple persons
Helpless
at the ticket counter, at the bus station, at a bar
You are looking for a place and want to ask in German. Then, you can simply ask for your destination with these two words and the respective German word. "Wo ist ...?" means "Where is ...?". Important places are: Bahnhof (Train Station), Flughafen (Airport), Bus (Bus), Taxi (Taxi), Polizei (Police).
- InformalInformal
- One personMultiple persons
Helpless
at the airport counter, at the bus station, at a bar
You want to ask for a place in German. Then, you can simply ask for your destination with these words. "Wo geht es zum...?" means "Where is the ...?"
- FormalFormal
- One personMultiple persons
Helpless
Asking
at the airport counter, at the bus station, at a bar
You want to ask the price? Then, you can just say “Wie viel kostet …? But don't worry. Most of the time you can find prices in all supermarkets, shops and restaurants.
- FormalFormal
- One personMultiple persons
Excited
at the airport counter, at the bus station, at a market
You want to order something politely in German. Then, you can just say "Ich hätte gern ....". This will help you to strike the right note in a fancy restaurant.
- FormalFormal
- One personMultiple persons
Excited
at the airport counter, at the bus station, at a bar
You want to order something very quick in German. Then, you can just say "Ich nehme ....". This will help you to strike the right note in a normal restaurant or bar.
- InformalInformal
- One personMultiple persons
Excited
Happy
at the airport counter, at the bus station, at a bar
You want to ask about the bill? That's easy. Just say: “Kann ich zahlen.” In Germany, even friends often pay their own bill. You can invite the other one nutritiously, but that's not a must. The waiter then asks: zusammen (together) or getrennt (separately).
- InformalInformal
- One personMultiple persons
Friendly
at the restaurant, at a bar
You want to politely ask for the bill? Just say: Die Rechnung, bitte. In Germany, even friends or the boss often pay their own bill. You can invite the other one nutritiously, but that's not a must. The waiter then asks: zusammen (together) or getrennt (separately).
- FormalFormal
- One personMultiple persons
Friendly
at the restaurant, at a bar
If you want to introduce yourself simply, you can just say "Ich bin...." and your name. You can also add your last name. In most parts of Germany, the first name is said at first and then the surname is said. In the south of Germany, however, it can also happen that the surname is said at first and then the first name is said.
- InformalInformal
- One personMultiple persons
Welcoming
Friendly
at the airport, at the train station
If you want to introduce yourself formally as a woman, you can say "Ich bin Frau ...." and your last name. As a man you use "Herr". This is often used by teachers in the first lesson. "Frau" is used for women and "Herr" for men.
- FormalFormal
- One personMultiple persons
Welcoming
Friendly
at the airport counter, at the bus station, at a work meeting
To tell someone where you come from, you can start with the personal pronoun "Ich" then, use the regular verb "komme" and then, use the preposition "aus" to introduce the country you come from. Examples are: England, Spanien, Italien, Japan, Singapur, or Australien. Ich komme aus Deutschland.
- InformalInformal
- One personMultiple persons
Happy
Friendly
at the airport, at the train station, in a restaurant
This is the short version of "How are you?" and it is used to greet friends, relatives, and younger people. Other situations are talks with the neighbors: "Frau Müller, wie geht's?" or if at work if the "du" was discouraged for some reason: "Hallo. Wie geht's?” The short version is: "Wie geht's?" In this case, the "wie" means “how”, "geht" comes from "gehen", which means to go or to walk, and the "s" comes from "es", which means it.
- InformalInformal
- One personMultiple persons
Happy
Friendly
at the airport, at the train station, in a restaurant
This is the informal, singular version of answering "Wie geht's?" and it is used to greet friends, relatives, and younger people. Other situations are the talks with neighbors, or if at work, if the "du" was discouraged for some reason. If you are very good you can say: “super” or “sehr gut”.
- InformalInformal
- One personMultiple persons
Happy
Friendly
at the airport, at the train station, in a bar
Practice German Dialogues
When you are chatting informally at the train station
This is an informal dialogue using "Hi!" and "Hallo?! Wie geht es dir?!" that takes place at the train station.
Check in at the airport
Below you will find a dialogue that takes place at the ticket counter of a bus station. It will give you an understanding of the use of “Danke!” and “Bitte!” and many helpful phrases.
Asking for help
Below you will find a dialogue that takes place in the city center, and will give you an understanding of the use of “Entschuldigung” and “vielleicht”.
Having small talk
Two people meet, have a formal conversation and introduce themselves. Then, one of them asks for help.
Free e-book: 10 most important conversations in German
You have just learned the most important German phrases and words for traveling. Do you want to use the right vocabulary, perfect sentences and correct grammar in your next conversation? Creating your own German dialogue scripts with our "shower hack" method will help you to make more progress with your German every day with just little effort! Download the dialogue templates and the instructions how to easily integrate a bit of practice in your busy daily life.
E-Book with Customisable Dialogues
10 Most Important Conversations in German
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