German Greetings & Goodbyes Vocabulary
This set covers how German handles greetings, farewells, and the small talk around them, including der Gruß, das Wiedersehen, and gratulieren. One thing that trips up English speakers right away: German splits "goodbye" into two words depending on context. Auf Wiedersehen is for saying goodbye face to face, while auf Wiederhören is only for the phone, a distinction English doesn't bother making.
Learn these 25 words
Spaced-repetition flashcards, straight in your browser. No sign-up, no install — the same review ladder Anki uses, on the words above.
All 25 words
plural: die Antworten
answer
Er gibt leider keine Antwort. — He unfortunately gives no answer.
plural: die Einladungen
invitation
Danke für die Einladung! — Thank you for the invitation!
- erklärenA1
to explain
Kannst du mir das erklären? — Can you explain that to me?
plural: die Glückwünsche
congratulation
Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag. — Happy birthday congratulations.
congratulate
Ich gratuliere dir! — I congratulate you!
- halloA1
hello
Hallo Inge! Wie geht’s? — Hello Inge! How are you?
goodbye (phone)
Wir müssen jetzt Schluss machen. Also auf Wiederhören! — We have to stop now. Goodbye! (on the phone)
goodbye (in person)
Auf Wiedersehen! — Goodbye! (in person)
welcome
Herzlich willkommen! — Welcome!
plural: die Tipps
tip/hint
Kannst du mir einen guten Tipp geben? — Can you give me a good tip?
- tschüsA2
goodbye
Tschüs, bis morgen! — Goodbye, see you tomorrow!
agree on
Können wir einen Termin vereinbaren? — Can we agree on an appointment?
imagine, introduce
Wir wollen uns kennenlernen. Können Sie sich bitte vorstellen? — We want to get to know each other. Can you please introduce yourself?
plural: die Abschiede
goodbye, farewell
Der Abschied von meinen Freunden fiel mir schwer. — Saying goodbye to my friends was hard for me.
- begrüßenB1
greet, welcome
Der Gastgeber begrüßt seine Gäste. — The host greets his guests.
- duzenB1
use informal address
Wollen wir Du zueinander sagen? Ja, wir können uns gern duzen. — Should we use informal address with each other? Yes, we can use 'du' if you like.
likewise, also
Ich wünsche Ihnen ein schönes Wochenende. – Danke, ebenfalls. — I wish you a nice weekend. – Thanks, likewise.
- ebensoB1
in the same way
Schöne Feiertage. – Danke, ebenso. — Happy holidays. – Thanks, same to you.
likewise, same to you
Schöne Feiertage! – Danke, gleichfalls. — Happy holidays! – Thanks, likewise.
plural: die Grüße
greeting
Schönen Gruß an Ihren Mann. — Kind regards to your husband.
- grüßenB1
greet
Wer war die Frau, die du eben gegrüßt hast? — Who was the woman you just greeted?
from each other
Wir haben lange nichts voneinander gehört. — We haven't heard from each other in a long time.
plural: die Handschläge
a handshake
Sie austauschten einen Handschlag. — They exchanged a handshake.
plural: die Schmatze
smootch / smack
Sie gab ihm einen Schmatz zum Abschied. — She gave him a smootch as a goodbye.
plural: die Verbeugungen
a bow
Mit einer tiefen Verbeugung grüßte er das Publikum. — With a deep bow he greeted the audience.
How to learn this set
Several words here share the root Gruß: der Gruß itself, grüßen, and begrüßen, so learning one gives you a head start on the others. Notice the pattern with ebenfalls, ebenso, and gleichfalls too; all three translate as "likewise," but ebenfalls is the safest all-purpose choice when someone wishes you a good day and you want to say it right back. Drill der Gruß against das Wiedersehen and das Wiederhören together since mixing up genders on these three is a common beginner error. For duzen, practice it as a full verb (ich duze, wir duzen uns) rather than just memorizing it as a translation of "informal," since that's how you'll actually use it when asking someone if you can use du with them.
More Communication & Media word packs
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Abschied and Wiedersehen?
Abschied is the act of parting or saying farewell, the moment itself. Wiedersehen looks forward to meeting again, which is why auf Wiedersehen literally means 'until we see each other again' rather than just 'goodbye'.
Is tschüs formal or informal?
Tschüs is informal only. Use it with friends, family, or people you'd address with du, and stick to auf Wiedersehen with strangers, older people, or anyone you'd address with Sie.
What's the difference between Wiedersehen and Wiederhören?
Wiedersehen is for goodbyes in person, since sehen means to see. Wiederhören is specifically for phone calls, since hören means to hear, so Germans say auf Wiederhören when hanging up.
Other popular word packs
Free to start · no credit card
Words fade fast — spaced reviews make them stick.
Based on Dr. Hermann Ebbinghaus · memory science, proven since 1885