gute Reise
The English phrase "safe travel" can be expressed in German as gute Reise.
gute Reise is a common way to say "safe travel" in German.
Which one should you use?
Komm gut nach Hause! means "get home safely", whereas Ich wünsche Ihnen eine sichere Fahrt! is a formal way to say "I wish you a safe trip."
Did you know?
- The word Reise shares an ancient root with the English word 'rise', stemming from the Proto-West Germanic verb meaning 'to move' or 'to stir up'. This suggests that 'travel' was historically viewed as a sudden or vigorous movement.
- A common way to end a letter or email to someone leaving for a trip is to use the phrase Gute Erholung!, which means 'good recovery' or 'good relaxation'. It implies that the purpose of the travel is to rest.
- If you want to tell someone to 'get home safely' in a very warm, colloquial way, you can say Komm heil an! The word heil implies arriving 'whole' or 'unharmed'.
Examples in context
- Gute Reise, liebe Anna! Komm gut an und genieße deine Zeit in Deutschland!Safe travels, dear Anna! Arrive well and enjoy your time in Germany!
- Gute Reise euch allen! Habt eine tolle Zeit und kommt gesund zurück!Safe travels to all of you! Have a great time and come back healthy!
- Vielen Dank für die guten Wünsche! Ich werde vorsichtig sein.Thank you for the well-wishes! I will be careful.
- Ich wünsche dir eine gute Reise.I wish you a safe travel.
- Gute Reise und viel Spaß!Safe travel and have lots of fun!
- Wir wünschen euch eine gute Reise.We wish you (plural) a safe travel.
Example conversation
Julian is seeing Julia off at the train station.
- JulianDein Zug fährt gleich ab.Your train is leaving soon.
- JuliaJa, ich muss jetzt gehen.Yes, I have to go now.
- JulianGute Reise, Julia!Safe travel, Julia!
- JuliaDanke, Julian!Thanks, Julian!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Reise, CC BY-SA 4.0.
