Hallo, Auf Wiedersehen und Danke
In German, hello, goodbye and thank you are Hallo, Auf Wiedersehen und Danke.
What does it mean word for word?
Hallo means hello, Auf Wiedersehen means goodbye, literally until we see again and Danke means thank you.
Which one should you use?
Hallo is informal, while Guten Tag is the formal hello for professional settings. Guten Morgen works in the morning until around 11 am, and Guten Abend from late afternoon until bedtime. For goodbye, Auf Wiedersehen is formal and Tschüss is the common casual choice. Bis bald means see you soon, and Mach's gut is a colloquial take care. For thanks, Vielen Dank means many thanks and is stronger than a plain Danke.
Did you know?
- In some professional German environments, it is customary to greet every single person in a room individually with Guten Tag rather than giving one general greeting to the group.
- The informal greeting Hallo likely originated as a shout to a ferryman to signal that you wanted him to 'fetch' or bring the boat across the river.
- In Germany, it is common to use Tschüss even in semi-formal settings once a relationship has been established, but switching to Auf Wiedersehen can signal a sudden emotional distance or a desire to end the interaction formally.
Examples in context
- Hallo, Auf Wiedersehen und Danke sagen ist wichtig.Saying hello, goodbye, and thank you is important.
- Ich lerne gerade: Hallo, Auf Wiedersehen und Danke.I am currently learning: hello, goodbye, and thank you.
Example conversation
Julian and Julia are practicing basic German etiquette in a classroom.
- JulianWie sagt man das auf Deutsch?How do you say that in German?
- JuliaMan sagt: Hallo, Auf Wiedersehen und Danke.One says: hello, goodbye, and thank you.
- JulianDas ist sehr einfach!That is very easy!
- JuliaJa, Julian, das stimmt.Yes, Julian, that is true.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Hallo, Wiedersehen, auf, danke, hallo, und, wiedersehen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
