Schönen Abend! – Danke, gleichfalls!

Have a nice evening! – Thanks, same to you!

Breakdown of Schönen Abend! – Danke, gleichfalls!

• der Abend: the evening
• schön: nice
• danke: thanks
• gleichfalls: likewise

Questions & Answers about Schönen Abend! – Danke, gleichfalls!

Why does it say schön-en (with -en) and not something like schön-er?

Because Abend is masculine and (in this wish) it’s in the accusative case: it’s short for Ich wünsche dir/Ihnen einen schönen Abend. Masculine accusative requires the adjective ending -en, so you get (einen) schönen Abend. The same ending appears with or without the article here.

Where did the article go? Why is it not Einen schönen Abend!?

German often drops the article in set wishes. Both are fine: Schönen Abend! and Einen schönen Abend! The shorter version sounds a bit snappier and is extremely common in everyday speech. You’ll see the same pattern in formulas like Schönen Tag!, Schönes Wochenende!, Gute Besserung!

Why is Schönen capitalized?

It’s capitalized only because it’s the first word of the sentence. Adjectives are normally lower-case in German. If it were mid-sentence, you’d write schönen Abend. The noun Abend is always capitalized because all German nouns are.

Could I say Schöner Abend! instead?

Not as a farewell wish. Schöner Abend would be nominative (e.g., “A nice evening” as a description: Ein schöner Abend.) The wish needs the accusative object (what you’re wishing), so it’s (einen) schönen Abend!

Is Schönen Abend! the same as Guten Abend!?

No. Guten Abend! is a greeting when you meet someone in the evening (“Good evening”). Schönen Abend! is a parting wish when you leave (“Have a nice evening”). Arriving at 7 p.m.: Guten Abend! Leaving at 7:30 p.m.: Schönen Abend!

What does the noch add in Schönen Abend noch!?

Noch means “(for) the rest (of).” Schönen Abend noch! = “Enjoy the rest of your evening!” It’s very common from shop staff or in quick goodbyes. Without noch is perfectly fine and slightly more neutral.

Is Danke, gleichfalls! polite enough in formal situations?

Yes—neutral and polite. You can make it more formal by saying Vielen Dank, Ihnen ebenfalls. Informal alternatives include Danke, dir auch! or just Gleichfalls!

What’s the difference between gleichfalls, ebenfalls, auch, and ebenso here?

All can reciprocate the wish:

• gleichfalls = “likewise” (very common, neutral)
• ebenfalls = “as well” (slightly more formal)
• auch needs a pronoun: dir/Ihnen auch
• ebenso = “likewise” (a bit bookish but fine) Examples: Danke, gleichfalls! / Vielen Dank, ebenfalls! / Danke, Ihnen auch! / Ebenso!

Can I reply with just Gleichfalls! and skip the “Danke”?

Yes. Gleichfalls! (or Ebenso!, Ihnen auch!) on its own is idiomatic. Adding Danke makes it a touch warmer.

Do I need the comma in Danke, gleichfalls!? And what about the exclamation mark?

The comma is standard and recommended: Danke, gleichfalls! In casual messages people often omit it. Exclamation marks are very common with brief formulas and wishes in German (Danke!, Guten Tag!, Schönen Abend!), but a period isn’t wrong in neutral prose.

How do I pronounce these words?

• schönen: the ö is like the vowel in English “bird” but with rounded lips; roughly “SHUR-nen” (without an English r-sound).
• Abend: “AH-bent” (final -d sounds like -t).
• gleichfalls: “GLYKH-falls” (the ch is the soft hiss from German “ich”; ei = “eye”).

What’s the full, non-elliptical version of the exchange?

• Ich wünsche dir/Ihnen einen schönen Abend!
• Danke, gleichfalls! / Vielen Dank, Ihnen ebenfalls! Here, dir/Ihnen is dative (indirect object), and einen schönen Abend is accusative (direct object).

Can I include the person explicitly in the wish or the reply?

Yes:

• Wish: Ihnen einen schönen Abend! / Dir einen schönen Abend!
• Reply: Danke, Ihnen auch! / Danke, dir auch! You can also add names or titles: Schönen Abend, Herr Schmidt!

Are there other everyday wishes that follow the same pattern?

Yes, many:

• Schönen Tag (noch)! (masc.)
• Schönes Wochenende! (neuter)
• Schöne Feiertage!
• Schönen Urlaub!
• Gute Besserung! (feminine)
• Seasonal: Frohe Weihnachten!, Frohes neues Jahr!, Guten Rutsch!

Why is it Gute Nacht! but Guten Abend!?

Gender and case. Nacht is feminine, so the (elliptical accusative) adjective is gute. Abend is masculine, so it’s guten/schönen in the accusative. Also, Gute Nacht! is said when parting for the night/going to bed, while Guten Abend! is a greeting when you meet in the evening.