Gruß
/ɡʁuːs/masculine
The English phrase 'greeting' can be translated into German as Gruß or Begrüßung.
Meaning: acknowledgement of a persons presence or arrival (noun)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gruß | /ɡʁuːs/ | masculine |
| Begrüßung | /bəˈɡʁyːsʊŋ/ | feminine |
Both words are used to describe an acknowledgement of a person's presence or arrival, but they cover different aspects of the concept. One may also use the phrase Viele Grüße (Many greetings/Best regards) as a very common way to sign off on letters or emails.
Which one should you use?
Gruß is a masculine noun that refers to the specific word or gesture used to greet someone, such as a handshake or a 'hello'. In contrast, the feminine noun Begrüßung refers to the act or process of greeting someone, such as the formal reception of guests.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Bavaria, the informal greeting Servus is commonly used instead of Hallo or Guten Tag.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of Gruß is Grüße.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡʁuːs/
Did you know?
- The greeting Servus is derived from the Latin word for 'slave' or 'servant', effectively meaning 'at your service'.
- When signing off an email with Viele Grüße, Germans often omit the comma that is standard in English, such as writing 'Viele Grüße Hans' instead of 'Viele Grüße, Hans'.
- The informal Bavarian greeting Servus is unique because it can function as both a greeting when you arrive and a farewell when you leave.
Examples in context
- Wir erwiderten den Gruß.We returned the greeting.This sentence shows how to use Gruß in the context of returning a greeting.Tatoeba #12448561 by Waldelfe, translation #11877295 by Amastan
- Dies ist der muslimische Gruß.This is the Muslim greeting.This sentence illustrates the use of Gruß when describing a specific type of greeting.Tatoeba #8868509 by carlosalberto, translation #6445358 by OsoHombre
- Ein freundlicher Gruß ist immer willkommen.A friendly greeting is always welcome.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “greeting” translations and entries Gruß, Begrüßung, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
