What does it mean word for word?
Literally, Schön, Sie kennenzulernen translates to 'Nice to get to know you'. In this phrase, Schön means 'nice/beautiful' and kennenzulernen means 'to get to know'.
Which one should you use?
Other variations exist depending on the desired nuance. For example, Es freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen and Ich freue mich, Sie zu treffen translate to 'It is nice to meet you' and 'I am happy to meet you' respectively. You might also use Es ist schön, Sie kennenzulernen to mean 'It is nice to get to know you'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a high-register or significantly more formal way to express this sentiment, you can say Es ist mir ein Vergnügen, Sie kennenzulernen ('It is a pleasure to meet you').
How does it change in a sentence?
German uses different pronouns to indicate the level of familiarity. If you are speaking to a friend, a peer or a child, replace the formal Sie with the informal dich, as seen in Schön, dich kennenzulernen. When addressing a group of people whom you are on informal terms with, use euch instead of Sie or dich, such as in Schön, euch kennenzulernen.
When do people say it?
When someone says Schön, Sie kennenzulernen to you, a common and polite way to respond is Ganz meinerseits, which means 'Likewise' or 'The pleasure is mine'.
Did you know?
- While Schön, Sie kennenzulernen is polite, in very traditional business settings, Germans may wait for the senior person to initiate the greeting or the handshake first.
- In the phrase Schön, Sie kennenzulernen, the capitalised Sie is a 17th-century invention. It was introduced specifically to distinguish the formal 'you' from the lowercase 'sie' meaning 'she' or 'they'.
- The common response Ganz meinerseits does not just mean 'likewise', but literally translates to 'Entirely on my side'.
Examples in context
- Schön, Sie kennenzulernen, Herr Schmidt.Nice to meet you, Mr. Schmidt.
- Es ist schön, Sie kennenzulernen.It is nice to meet you.
Example conversation
Lukas and Sarah meet at a professional networking event.
- LukasGuten Tag, mein Name ist Lukas.Good day, my name is Lukas.
- SarahHallo, ich bin Sarah.Hello, I am Sarah.
- LukasSchön, Sie kennenzulernen, Sarah.It is nice to meet you, Sarah.
- SarahGanz meinerseits, Lukas.The pleasure is mine, Lukas.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Schön, Sie, schön, sie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
