🇩🇪 German
Essential German phrases
The 30 phrases you'll use first — with pronunciation, the formal and informal versions, and what they really mean.
| English | German | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Hallo | HAH-loh |
| Goodbye | Auf Wiedersehen | owf VEE-der-zay-en |
| Thank you | Danke | DAHN-keh |
| Please | Bitte | BIT-teh |
| Sorry | Entschuldigung | ent-SHOOL-dee-goong |
| Excuse me | Entschuldigen Sie | ent-SHOOL-dee-gen zee |
| Yes | Ja | yah |
| No | Nein | nine |
| Good morning | Guten Morgen | GOO-ten MOR-gen |
| Good evening | Guten Abend | GOO-ten AH-bent |
| Good night | Gute Nacht | GOO-teh nahkht |
| How are you? | Wie geht's? | vee gayts |
| My name is… | Ich heiße … | ikh HY-seh |
| Nice to meet you | Freut mich | froyt mikh |
| I love you | Ich liebe dich | ikh LEE-beh dikh |
| I miss you | Ich vermisse dich | ikh fer-MIS-eh dikh |
| Happy birthday | Alles Gute zum Geburtstag | AH-les GOO-teh tsoom geh-BOORTS-tahk |
| Cheers | Prost | prohst |
| Enjoy your meal | Guten Appetit | GOO-ten ah-peh-TEET |
| Welcome | Willkommen | vil-KOM-en |
| Congratulations | Herzlichen Glückwunsch | HAIRTS-likh-en GLEWK-voonsh |
| Happy New Year | Frohes neues Jahr | FROH-es NOY-es yahr |
| I don't understand | Ich verstehe nicht | ikh fer-SHTAY-eh nikht |
| Do you speak English? | Sprechen Sie Englisch? | SHPREKH-en zee ENG-lish |
| How much is it? | Wie viel kostet das? | vee feel KOS-tet dahs |
| Where is the toilet? | Wo ist die Toilette? | voh ist dee toy-LET-teh |
| Help! | Hilfe! | HIL-feh |
| Beautiful | schön | shurn |
| Friend | Freund / Freundin | froynt / FROYN-din |
| See you later | Bis später | bis SHPAY-ter |
Next: the most common German words · how to learn German by reading