Basic German phrases to master before your first trip

If you are thinking about travelling soon and want to brush up on your German skills, here are some helpful language phrases and tips to help you on your adventures. 

General Notes on the German Language

German, often stereotyped as a harsh, aggressive, or guttural language, is also one of the most expressive languages, featuring fun words like Schadenfreude (pleasure from others’ misfortune) and Wanderlust (the urge to travel). After English, German is the second-most spoken Germanic language and the most spoken native language within the European Union. It is spoken in Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland, as well as parts of Italy, Luxembourg, Belgium, and Namibia.

However, while High German (Hochdeutsch) is generally spoken in these regions, various dialects and German variations prevail. For instance, Swiss German (Schweizerdeutsch) in Switzerland often leaves High German speakers unable to follow even a simple conversation. Due to Germany’s historically fragmented nature (consisting of 35 principalities and four free cities before 1871), there are around 16 main dialects in Germany with over 200 local variations. But fear not — unless you are somewhere extremely rural, most people speak High German and can tone down their dialects when needed.

Umlauts and Special Letters

Like Spanish and French, German has grammatical gender, but it also includes a neutral gender. Der, die, das are the three definite articles (“the”) in German, corresponding to masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns, respectively.

While there is no universal rule, you can use these patterns to help you guess noun genders:

• Der → Masculine (Maskulin): Mostly male people and professions, days, months, and seasons, and many nouns ending in -er, -en, -ig (e.g., der Computer (computer), der Garten (garden), der König (king)).
• Die → Feminine (Feminin): Mostly female people and professions, German rivers, and many nouns ending in -e, -heit, -keit, -ung (e.g., die Blume (flower), die Gerechtigkeit (justice), die Zeitung (newspaper)).
• Das → Neuter (Neutrum): Most diminutives, scientific and technical words, and most words starting with Ge- (e.g., das Gesicht (face)).

Like Spanish and French, German makes use of accents – so-called “Umlaute”: ß (Eszett or scharfes S): Represents a sharp “s” sound and is used after long vowels or diphthongs, as in Straße (street) and Fuß (foot).

Umlauts (Ä, Ö, Ü): These modify vowel pronunciation and sometimes alter word meanings:

• Ä: Sounds like the “e” in bet or the “a” in air (e.g., Äpfel (apples)).
• Ö: Similar to the “i” in bird or the “u” in burn (e.g., Öl (oil)).
• Ü: A unique sound, like “ee” in see but with lips rounded (e.g., Über (over/about)).

Formal and Informal German

Germans differentiate how they address others based on familiarity and formality.

• Du is used in casual, friendly settings (e.g., with friends, family, or peers).
• Sie is the formal version, used with strangers, elders, or in business settings. When in doubt, start with Sie—it’s safer and shows respect. If the other person prefers du, they’ll let you know. However, most young people will be more than comfortable with du.

Conjugation

Conjugation, just like in French and Spanish, is also used in German and it basically means that verbs change based on the speaker or the subject of a sentence.

Example: Reisen (to travel)

• Ich reise = I travel
• Du reist = You travel
• Er/Sie reist = He/She travels
• Wir reisen = We travel
• Ihr reist = You (plural) travel
• Sie reisen = They travel

Basic German Phrases

Day-to-Day

• Hello – Hallo
• Goodbye – Auf Wiedersehen
• Please – Bitte
• You’re welcome – Bitteschön / Gern geschehen
• Thank you – Dankeschön / Danke
• Yes – Ja
• No – Nein
• My name is… – Ich heiße…
• Sorry/excuse me – Entschuldigung
• Do you speak English? – Sprichst du Englisch? / Sprechen Sie Englisch?
• I don’t understand – Ich verstehe dich nicht / Ich verstehe Sie nicht / Ich verstehe es nicht
• Where is the bathroom? – Wo ist das WC?

Greetings

• How are you? – Wie geht’s?
• I am well – Mir geht es gut.
• Good morning – Guten Morgen
• Good evening – Guten Abend
• Good night – Gute Nacht

Travel & Directions

• Where is…? – Wo ist…?
• How much is…? – Wie viel kostet…?
• Restaurant – Restaurant
• Beach – Strand
• Hotel – Hotel
• Museum – Museum
• Left – Links
• Right – Rechts

Ordering Food

• I would like to order – Ich würde gerne bestellen.
• Can I please have…? – Kann ich bitte … haben?
• It’s very good – Es ist sehr gut.
• Delicious – Köstlich.
• Can I have a coffee, please? – Kann ich bitte einen Kaffee haben?
• Vegetarian/Vegan – Vegetarisch/Vegan
• Hot – Heiß
• Cold – Kalt
• Spicy – Scharf
• Mild – Mild
• How spicy is this? – Wie scharf ist es?
• Can I have the bill, please? – Kann ich bitte bezahlen?
• I would like to pay – Ich würde gerne bezahlen.

German slang

• Alter – “Dude!” (expresses surprise or frustration)
• Bock haben – “To be in the mood for something” (Ich hab Bock auf Eis – I feel like having ice cream.)
• Tschüss/Ciao/Tschö – Casual goodbyes
• Na? – Casual “How are you?”
• Krass – “Crazy” or “Unbelievable” (positive or negative)
• Jemandem die Daumen drücken – “Fingers crossed” (literally, “squeezing someone’s thumbs”)
• Das ist mir Wurst – “I don’t care” (literally, “That’s sausage to me”)
• Ich glaub’ ich spinne – “I think I’m going crazy” (literally, “I believe I spider”)

Austrian slang

1. Servus/Grias di! – Informal greeting
2. Baba – Casual goodbye
3. Passt scho! – “It’s fine” or “No worries”
4. Jause – A small meal, usually bread with toppings
5. Schaun ma mal – “We’ll see” (used as a vague response)

With these basics, you’re well on your way to navigating German conversations!