What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "it was beautiful to get to know you".
Which one should you use?
The phrase Schön, Sie kennenzulernen is a shortened version used more commonly as a greeting or immediate parting, whereas Es war schön… specifically refers back to the completed encounter.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In formal settings, use the formal Sie forms such as Es hat mich gefreut, Sie kennenzulernen, Es war schön, Sie getroffen zu haben, Es war angenehm, Sie kennen zu lernen or the even more sophisticated Es war mir ein Vergnügen, Sie kennenzulernen. For informal situations, such as speaking to friends or people your age, use the informal dich forms like Es hat mich gefreut, dich kennenzulernen, Es war schön, dich getroffen zu haben or Es war cool, dich kennengelernt zu haben.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Austria, you can also say Es war nett, Sie kennenzulernen.
How does it change in a sentence?
Replacing the formal Sie with dich makes the phrase informal, used with friends or people your age. If you are addressing a group of people informally, use euch instead of Sie or dich, as in es war schön, euch kennenzulernen.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often try to use treffen (to meet/encounter) instead of kennenlernen (to get to know/meet for the first time), but kennenlernen is the idiomatic choice for a first meeting.
When do people say it?
A common polite response to this phrase is Ganz meinerseits, which means "entirely on my side" or "the pleasure was mine".
Did you know?
- The formal Sie in es war schön, Sie kennenzulernen is capitalized to distinguish it from the word for 'they'. This orthographic rule only became common in the 17th century.
- In a formal exchange, the standard response Ganz meinerseits literally means 'entirely on my side'. It is the idiomatic equivalent of saying 'the pleasure was all mine'.
- The word schön in this phrase is used to describe a positive experience, but it is the same word used to describe a physically beautiful person or landscape.
Example conversation
At a professional networking event, Maximilian and Laura are finishing their first conversation.
- MaximilianVielen Dank für das Gespräch.Thank you very much for the conversation.
- LauraGerne, es war schön, Sie kennenzulernen.You're welcome, it was nice meeting you.
- MaximilianGleichfalls, Laura.Likewise, Laura.
- LauraAuf Wiedersehen, Maximilian.Goodbye, Maximilian.
