Servus
/ˈzɛrvʊs/
The English phrase "salut" can be translated into German as Servus.
Servus is an informal greeting used when arriving or leaving.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Bavaria and Austria, locals often say Servus instead of Guten Tag or Hallo. In the northern parts of Germany, people commonly use Tag informally. In the Rhineland region, especially around Cologne, people say Alaaf as a carnival greeting.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈzɛrvʊs/
Did you know?
- While it sounds like a casual greeting today, the word Servus is actually a linguistic fossil of extreme humility. It is a shortened version of a Latin phrase used by commoners to address their feudal lords as 'your most humble servant'.
- In certain contexts, Servus functions as both a 'hello' and a 'goodbye', making it a linguistic mirror to the English 'ciao'.
- The word Servus is a cognate with the English word 'servant' through their shared Latin root.
Examples in context
- Guten Tag, Herr Müller. Wie kann ich Ihnen helfen?Good day, Mr. Müller. How may I assist you?
- Guten Morgen, Frau Schmidt. Wie geht es Ihnen?Good morning, Mrs. Schmidt. How are you?
- Guten Abend, Herr Wagner. Schön Sie kennenzulernen.Good evening, Mr. Wagner. Nice to meet you.
- Tag, Max! Alles klar?Hello, Max! Everything alright?
- Servus!Hello!
- Servus, wie geht es dir?Hello, how are you?
- Ich gehe jetzt. Servus!I'm going now. Bye!
Example conversation
Lukas and Hannah meet briefly on the street.
- HannahServus, Lukas!Hello, Lukas!
- LukasHallo Hannah, schön dich zu sehen.Hello Hannah, good to see you.
- HannahIch muss leider los. Servus!I unfortunately have to go. Bye!
- LukasBis bald!See you soon!
Sources
- Pronunciation from the Wiktionary entry servus.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries servus, CC BY-SA 4.0.
