Greetings & Introductions

Being able to greet people and introduce yourself is the foundation of any language. German greetings vary depending on the time of day, the level of formality, and even the region. In this lesson, you will learn all the essential phrases for meeting people in German.

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Formal vs Informal: Du and Sie

Before learning greetings, you must understand the most important social distinction in German: the difference between du (informal "you") and Sie (formal "you").

	Du (informal)	Sie (formal)
Used with	friends, family, children, peers, animals	strangers, elders, bosses, officials, in shops
Verb form	2nd person singular	3rd person plural (always capitalised)
Shows	closeness, familiarity	respect, distance, professionalism
Example	Wie heißt du?	Wie heißen Sie?

Important rule: When in doubt, always use Sie. It is never offensive to be too formal, but using du with the wrong person can be seen as rude or presumptuous. Germans will offer you the "du" when they are comfortable — this offer is called das Duzen.

Common Situations