Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Morgen | /ˈmɔrɡən/ /mɔrŋ/ |
masculine |
| Morgn (Wienerisch) | ||
| Vormittag | /ˈfoːɐ̯.mɪˌtaːk/ /ˈfɔɐ̯.mɪˌtax/ |
masculine |
| Murg'n | Austrian, masculine |
Morgen is a masculine noun used to describe the part of the day between dawn and midday. To say "good morning," the most common and appropriate phrase for any setting is Guten Morgen. In informal digital messages or chats, people often use the abbreviation GuMo.
Which one should you use?
Morgen refers to the early part of the day, whereas Vormittag refers specifically to the period between the early morning and midday. Additionally, note the distinction between the noun Morgen (morning) and the adverb morgen (tomorrow), which is written in lowercase.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In parts of northern Germany, particularly in coastal areas, people say Moin Moin instead of just Moin to add a touch of friendliness. In Austria, the form Murg'n is used. The form Morgn (Wienerisch) is also used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun Morgen is capitalized. When written in lowercase, morgen functions as an adverb meaning "tomorrow". You can also create an adverb to describe a recurring action in the morning by adding an '-s' to create morgens, meaning "in the mornings" or "every morning".
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmɔrɡən/
When do people say it?
In northern Germany, Moin Moin! Wie sieht dein Tag aus? is a friendly way to say "Morning! What does your day look like?"
Did you know?
- The original Indo-European root of the word for 'morning' actually meant 'to blink' or 'to twinkle'. This likely refers to the first glimmer of light at dawn.
- In Northern Germany, Moin is used as a greeting at any time of the day or night, not just in the morning.
- The word Vormittag literally means 'before midday', treating 'midday' as the central anchor of the day.
Examples in context
- Der Morgen war klar.The morning was clear.This sentence describes the clarity of the Morgen.Tatoeba #2290340 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2268401 by _undertoad
- Warte bis morgen früh.Wait until tomorrow morning.This sentence uses Morgen to indicate waiting until tomorrow morning.Tatoeba #1403658 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #323197 by CK
- Morgens ist oft Nebel.There is often fog in the morning.This sentence uses morgens to describe a recurring morning condition.Tatoeba #5606649 by Vortarulo, translation #3258266 by CM
- 1954 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian and Julia are talking about their daily routines.
- JulianIch trinke meinen Kaffee immer am Morgen.I always drink my coffee in the morning.
- JuliaIch habe am Morgen meistens keine Zeit.I usually have no time in the morning.
- JulianWarum ist dein Morgen so stressig?Why is your morning so stressful?
- JuliaIch muss sehr früh aufstehen, Julian.I have to get up very early, Julian.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “morning” translations and entries Morgen, Vormittag, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Morgen, Vormittag, morgen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
