gute Reise
The German phrase for "have a safe trip" is gute Reise.
You use this phrase to wish someone a pleasant and secure journey. While gute Reise! is a standard way to express this, if the person is traveling specifically by car, train or bus, the alternative Gute Fahrt! is very common.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase gute Reise literally translates to "good journey".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Switzerland, the phrase E gueti Reis! is used to mean "Have a good trip!"
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase gute Reise, the word gute is the feminine singular form of the adjective gut used to match the feminine noun Reise.
When do people say it?
When someone says Gute Reise! to you, and you are also traveling, a common response is Danke, gleichfalls!, which means "Thanks, same to you!"
Did you know?
- German has a specific word, Fernweh, which describes the opposite of homesickness. It is the 'longing for far-off places' that often motivates someone to start a Reise in the first place.
- The word Reise shares a distant root with the English word 'rise', relating to the ancient concept of getting up or moving through space.
- The word Reise can also refer to a 'traveling' type of sales job, such as a Reisender. Historically, this described traveling merchants who moved from town to town to sell their wares.
Examples in context
- Gute Reise!Have a safe trip.This example shows the standalone phrase gute Reise.Tatoeba #340916 by MUIRIEL, translation #28483 by CK
- Gute Reise, Tom!Have a safe trip, Tom!This example shows how to use gute Reise when addressing someone by name.Tatoeba #11919408 by Adelpa, translation #13446269 by rul
- Ich wünsche dir eine gute Reise.I wish you a safe trip.
Example conversation
Maximilian is seeing Sarah off at the train station.
- MaximilianDein Zug kommt gleich.Your train is coming soon.
- SarahJa, ich muss jetzt gehen.Yes, I have to go now.
- MaximilianGute Reise, Sarah!Have a safe trip, Sarah!
- SarahDanke, Maximilian!Thanks, Maximilian!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Reise, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
