Gute Reise
The English phrase "have a great trip" is translated into German as Gute Reise.
Gute Reise is a phrase used to wish someone a pleasant journey.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal combination of gute (good) and Reise (journey/trip).
Which one should you use?
You can also say Schöne Reise to mean "Have a nice trip".
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 (implying the omitted phrase "[Ich wünsche dir eine] gute Reise").
When do people say it?
A common response if the other person is also traveling is Danke, gleichfalls!, which means "Thanks, likewise!"
Did you know?
- The word Reise is related to the English verb 'rise', as it stems from the Proto-West Germanic root *raisu, which originally carried the sense of 'to move' or 'to stir'.
- In sarcastic contexts, Gute Reise can be used to tell someone who is being permanently cast out of a social group to leave.
- The German language distinguishes between Reise for a long trip and Ausflug for a short excursion or day trip, so Gute Reise would sound odd for a two-hour hike.
Examples in context
- Lieber Herr Müller, ich wünsche Ihnen eine gute Reise! Genießen Sie Ihren Urlaub.Dear Mr. Müller, I wish you a good trip! Enjoy your vacation.
- Guten Morgen, Frau Schmidt. Ich wünsche Ihnen eine angenehme Reise nach Paris.Good morning, Mrs. Schmidt. I wish you a pleasant journey to Paris.
- Hey Max, hab eine gute Reise und komm gut wieder zurück!Hey Max, have a good trip and come back safely!
- Alles Gute, Anna! Ich wünsche dir eine tolle Reise nach Italien.All the best, Anna! I wish you a great journey to Italy.
- Gute Reise! Komm gesund wieder.Have a great trip! Come back healthy.
- Gute Reise!Have a great trip!
- Ich wünsche dir eine gute Reise.I wish you a great trip.
- Wir sagen schon jetzt: Gute Reise!We say now: Have a great trip!
Example conversation
Julia and Felix are saying goodbye at the train station.
- JuliaDein Zug kommt gleich, Felix.Your train is coming soon, Felix.
- FelixJa, ich muss jetzt gehen.Yes, I have to go now.
- JuliaGute Reise, mein Freund!Have a great trip, my friend!
- FelixDanke, Julia! Bis bald.Thanks, Julia! See you soon.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Reise, CC BY-SA 4.0.
