A1 · Beginner Vocabulary
These are the very first words to learn in German — the greetings and polite phrases you will use in every single conversation. Each one has pronunciation and audio so you can start saying them right away.
Tap 🔊 to hear each word spoken in German.
Saying hello and goodbye
| German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Hallo | HAH-loh | Hello (informal, any time) |
| Guten Morgen | GOO-ten MOR-gen | Good morning |
| Guten Tag | GOO-ten tahk | Good day / Hello (formal) |
| Guten Abend | GOO-ten AH-bent | Good evening |
| Gute Nacht | GOO-te nakht | Good night |
| Tschüss | chuuss | Bye (informal) |
| Auf Wiedersehen | owf VEE-der-zayn | Goodbye (formal) |
| Bis bald | bis balt | See you soon |
Being polite
| German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Bitte | BIT-te | Please / You are welcome |
| Danke | DAN-ke | Thank you |
| Danke schön | DAN-ke shurn | Thank you very much |
| Entschuldigung | ent-SHOOL-di-goong | Excuse me / Sorry |
| Ja | yah | Yes |
| Nein | nine | No |
Introducing yourself
| German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Wie geht es dir? | vee gayt es deer | How are you? (informal) |
| Mir geht es gut | meer gayt es goot | I am fine |
| Wie heißt du? | vee highst doo | What is your name? (informal) |
| Ich heiße … | ikh HIGH-se | My name is … |
| Freut mich | froyt mikh | Nice to meet you |
| Woher kommst du? | vo-HAIR komst doo | Where are you from? |
| Ich komme aus … | ikh KOM-me ows | I come from … |
Tip on formality: German has an informal „you“ (du) and a formal one (Sie). Use du with friends, family and people your age; use Sie with strangers, older people and in shops or offices. When unsure, start with Sie — it is the polite, safe choice.
Want to actually use these words in conversation? Practise them with a friendly native tutor on italki.
Practise with a tutor on italki →