Gute Reise
The German phrase for "enjoy your trip" is Gute Reise.
This phrase is used to wish someone a pleasant journey as they depart. You can also use Gute Fahrt to wish someone a good journey.
What does it mean word for word?
Gute Reise literally translates to "good journey".
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase Gute Reise, the adjective gut takes the -e ending because Reise is a feminine noun in the accusative case, as in the implied phrase "[Ich wünsche dir eine] gute Reise".
When do people say it?
When someone wishes you a good trip, a common way to respond if you are also traveling or want to return the sentiment is Danke, gleichfalls! (Thanks, likewise!).
Did you know?
- When wishing someone a Gute Reise, Germans typically avoid the English-style 'safe travels' because using sicher (safe) can sound like the trip is normally dangerous.
- In German, the concept of a 'trip' can be split between Reise for long journeys and Ausflug for a short excursion. An 'Ausflug' literally means 'flying out'.
- In some German regions, if someone is departing on a very long journey, people might say Komm gesund wieder (Return healthy), which focuses on the end of the trip rather than the journey itself.
Examples in context
- Gute Reise, Tom!Enjoy your trip, Tom!This example shows how to use Gute Reise when addressing someone by name.Tatoeba #11919408 by Adelpa, translation #13446270 by rul
- Genießen Sie Ihre Reise und gute Fahrt!Have a great trip and drive safely!
- Gute Reise!Have a good trip!
Example conversation
Hannah is seeing Julian off at the train station.
- HannahDer Zug fährt jetzt ab.The train is leaving now.
- JulianJa, ich muss gehen. Tschüss!Yes, I have to go. Bye!
- HannahGute Reise, Julian!Have a good trip, Julian!
- JulianVielen Dank, Hannah!Thank you very much, Hannah!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
