Servus!
hello and goodbye, friends
In Austria the word Servus! works for both hello and goodbye among friends. For a more neutral hello use Grüß Gott! and for a polite goodbye Auf Wiedersehen! It is also called Baba!
Meaning: greeting and farewell (phrase)
Ways to say it
| German | Note |
|---|---|
| Servus! | hello and goodbye, friends |
| Grüß Gott! | hello |
| Auf Wiedersehen! | goodbye |
| Baba! | goodbye, casual |
Say Servus! to family, friends and young colleagues. In a shop or with someone older you start with Grüß Gott! and end with Auf Wiedersehen!
When do people say it?
Servus comes from Latin and once meant "at your service". It is also used in Bavaria and some other parts of Central Europe.
Did you know?
- The Latin word servus meant "servant", and the Hungarian greeting szervusz comes from the same source.
Examples in context
- Servus, schön dich zu sehen!Hello, nice to see you!
- Servus, bis morgen!Goodbye, see you tomorrow!
- Grüß Gott und auf Wiedersehen!Hello and goodbye!
Example conversation
Peter meets Anna at the tram stop in Vienna and parts from her later.
- PeterServus, Anna!Hello, Anna!
- AnnaServus, Peter! Wie geht's?Hello, Peter! How are you?
- PeterGut. Servus, bis später!Fine. Bye, see you later!
