Hi
casual
Informal German greetings include Hi, Hey and the short Na?, which means roughly "so, how are you?" between friends.
Meaning: casual greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| German | Note |
|---|---|
| Hi | casual |
| Hey | casual |
| Na? | casual, friends |
Na? is a whole greeting on its own. The usual reply is Na or Gut, und dir?
Which one should you use?
Hi and Hey are English loanwords. Na? is purely German and sounds close and familiar.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Use these only with friends and people your age. With strangers choose Hallo or Guten Tag.
Did you know?
- The little word Na is hard to translate and works as a greeting, a question and a hesitation, depending on the tone.
Examples in context
- Hi, wie geht es dir?Hi, how are you?
- Na, alles klar?Hey, all good?
- Hey, schön dich zu sehen!Hey, nice to see you!
Example conversation
Clara meets her friend Tim at the train station.
- ClaraNa?Hey?
- TimHi, Clara! Lange nicht gesehen.Hi, Clara! Long time no see.
- ClaraStimmt. Wie läuft es?True. How is it going?
