Greetings in German: Hallo, Guten Tag, Grüß Gott, Servus and Tschüss

Guten Morgen, Guten Tag, Guten Abend: greeting by the clock

The neutral German greetings follow the time of day. Guten Morgen is said when meeting someone for the first time in the morning. Guten Tag covers the middle of the day; Wiktionary's usage note places it roughly between ten in the morning and six in the evening. After that comes Guten Abend. Gute Nacht is different: it is said only when parting, usually when someone goes to bed.

All of these are short forms of a wish, (ich wünsche Ihnen einen) guten Tag, so the adjective ends in -en: the noun is in the accusative. Speech wears them down: Wiktionary records Guten Abend pronounced as little more than n'Abend.

Hallo is the all-purpose hello. The Duden labels the greeting use colloquial, and it is the first word most learners hear, from friends, colleagues and shop staff alike. It also calls for attention: hallo, ist da jemand? means is anybody there? The Duden suggests the word began as a call to the ferryman on the far bank.

Regional greetings in German: Moin, Grüß Gott, Servus and Grüezi

Northern Germany says Moin. German Wikipedia describes it as a greeting that can be used at any hour of the day or night, at home mainly in the west of northern Germany and on both sides of the Danish border, where it is written mojn. Its origin is disputed: the Duden follows the derivation from East Frisian mōi, good or fine, while sources from the 19th century explain it as a clipped Morgen. Some speakers double it to Moin moin, and local customs differ on whether the double form is friendlier or merely chattier.

In Bavaria, Austria and South Tyrol the polite greeting is Grüß Gott. It is a shortened blessing, grüß dich Gott, may God greet you, and German Wikipedia counts it as the most common greeting in parts of southern Germany and Austria. In the south it is simply what one says to a stranger, a shopkeeper or a neighbour.

Servus is the casual counterpart in the same area. The Duden marks it especially Bavarian and Austrian and traces it to Latin servus, servant, so it once meant your servant. It works for hello and for goodbye, and Wiktionary notes that no subservience is felt in it today.

German-speaking Switzerland has Grüezi, polite and used with people one addresses formally. Swiss German Wikipedia explains it as a shortening of Gott grüez-i, God greet you, and gives Grüessech as the western form heard in Bern and Solothurn. Between friends the same article lists hoi, salü or sali (from French salut) and tschau (from Italian ciao).

Saying goodbye in German: Tschüss or Auf Wiedersehen

Tschüss is the everyday goodbye. German Wikipedia describes how it grew in northern Germany out of the older atschüs, itself a borrowing of the Romance farewell that gave French adieu and Spanish adiós, so its distant meaning is commended to God. Wiktionary's usage note says it was first common only in the north and centre and is now widely used in the south, in Austria and in Switzerland too. Both spellings, Tschüs and Tschüss, are correct.

Auf Wiedersehen is the polite farewell, until we see each other again, and remains the safer choice with strangers and in formal settings, especially in the south. On the phone and on the radio it becomes Auf Wiederhören, until we hear each other again, which the Duden records as the telephone and broadcasting form.

Shorter farewells name the next meeting: Bis bald (see you soon), Bis morgen (see you tomorrow), Bis später (see you later). They are friendly and informal and can follow Tschüss in the same breath.

Common mistakes with German greetings

Wie geht's? is a real question in German, not a reflex like English how are you doing. Expect an answer, and give one: Mir geht's gut, danke, or honestly, nicht so gut. With people addressed as Sie the full form is Wie geht es Ihnen?

Gute Nacht is no greeting on arrival. Walking into a restaurant at nine in the evening, the right word is Guten Abend; Gute Nacht is what a waiter might say when the last guests leave. And Servus or Moin from a visitor in the wrong region is understood everywhere but marks the speaker as from elsewhere, which is part of their charm.