Here are some basic German phrases which you can use in everyday conversation, as well as some common words you will see on signs.
| ja | yes |
| nein | no |
| vielleicht | maybe |
| bitte | please |
| danke | thanks |
| danke schön | thanks very much |
| vielen Dank | thanks very much |
The following are some polite ways you can reply to someone who thanks you:
| bitte schön | you're welcome |
| gern geschehen | you're welcome |
| keine Ursache | don’t mention it |
| nicht der Rede wert | not at all |
Saying hello and goodbye
Here are some different ways to greet people:
| hi | hi (informal) |
| hallo | hello |
| guten Morgen | good morning (used before noon) |
| guten Tag | good afternoon (used between noon and 6pm) |
| guten Abend | good evening (used after 6pm) |
The following expressions, on the other hand, are some different things you can say when saying goodbye:
| tschüß | bye |
| machs gut! | take care! (informal) |
| auf Wiedersehen | goodbye |
| gute Nacht | goodnight |
| bis dann! | see you! |
| bis gleich! | see you soon! |
| bis bald! | see you soon! |
| bis später! | see you later! |
| einen schönen Tag noch! | have a nice day! |
| schönes Wochenende! | have a good weekend! |
Getting someone's attention and apologising
| entschuldigen Sie bitte | excuse me (can be used to get someone’s attention, to get past someone, or to apologise) |
| Entschuldigung | sorry |
If someone apologises to you, you can reply using one of the following expressions:
| kein Problem | no problem |
| das macht nichts or macht nichts | that's OK |
| machen Sie sich keine Sorgen | don't worry about it |
| German phrase guide | |
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Emergencies → |
Making yourself understood
| sprechen Sie Deutsch? | do you speak German? |
| ich spreche kein Deutsch | I don't speak German |
| mein Deutsch ist nicht sehr gut | my German isn't very good |
| ich spreche nur ein kleines bisschen Deutsch | I only speak very little German |
| ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch | I speak a little German |
| können Sie bitte etwas langsamer sprechen? | could you please speak more slowly? |
| können Sie das bitte aufschreiben? | could you please write it down? |
| könnten Sie das bitte wiederholen? | could you please repeat that? |
| ich verstehe | I understand |
| ich verstehe nicht | I don't understand |
Other basic phrases
| ich weiß | I know |
| ich weiß nicht | I don't know |
| entschuldigen Sie bitte, wo ist die Toilette? | excuse me, where's the toilet? |
Things you might see
| Eingang | Entrance |
| Ausgang | Exit |
| Notausgang | Emergency exit |
| Drücken | Push |
| Ziehen | Pull |
| Toiletten | Toilets |
| WC | WC |
| Herren | Gentlemen |
| Damen | Ladies |
| Frei | Vacant |
| Besetzt | Engaged |
| Außer Betrieb | Out of order |
| Rauchen verboten | No smoking |
| Privat | Private |
| Kein Zutritt | No entry |
| German phrase guide | |
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| Page 1 of 7 | |
← Contents |
Emergencies → |
Sound is available for all the German phrases on this page — simply click on any phrase to hear it.