Saying hello
German picks its greeting by the time of day. Guten Morgen is the morning greeting, Guten Tag covers the whole middle of the day and is the safe, neutral choice with strangers, and Guten Abend takes over in the evening. Gute Nacht is NOT a greeting at all — it is what you say to someone going to bed.
| greeting | when |
|---|---|
| Guten Morgen | until about 11 |
| Guten Tag | the rest of the day |
| Guten Abend | from about 18:00 |
| Gute Nacht | only on the way to bed |
Hallo is the everyday informal greeting and works at any hour. Herzlich willkommen welcomes someone who has arrived.
| Hello! I am Anna. | Hallo! Ich bin Anna. |
Saying goodbye
Auf Wiedersehen is the formal farewell — literally "until seeing again". Tschüss is its informal partner, and it is what you will hear most.
The bis farewells name when you expect to meet again: bis bald (soon), bis später (later today), bis morgen (tomorrow).
| Bye! See you tomorrow! | Tschüss! Bis morgen! |
Note the case: Guten Morgen and Guten Tag carry an -en ending because they are leftovers of a longer accusative wish (Ich wünsche Ihnen einen guten Tag). Gute Nacht has no -n. Learn them as fixed units.
