willkommen
/vɪlˈkɔmən/
The English phrase welcome can be translated into German as willkommen. If unsure, use willkommen. Wiktionary also lists willkomme!
Meaning: greeting given upon someone's arrival (intj)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| willkommen | /vɪlˈkɔmən/ | |
| willkomme! | Alemannic German |
willkommen is a common and generic way to express a greeting upon someone's arrival. To add a warmer touch to a formal welcome, you can say Herzlich willkommen, which translates to.
Which one should you use?
While willkommen is used as a greeting or an adjective, the verbal phrase willkommen heißen is the standard way to express the action of welcoming someone.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form willkomme! is a dialectal variation used in Alemannic-speaking regions, such as parts of Switzerland or Southwestern Germany.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as an adverb or adjective in a greeting like Willkommen in Berlin, willkommen is uninflected and does not take an ending.
How do you pronounce it?
/vɪlˈkɔmən/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use willkommen to mean.
Did you know?
- The Romance language equivalents, such as the Spanish bienvenido and French bienvenu, are likely 'calques' or direct translations of the original Germanic structure.
- The word willkommen is derived from the Old High German willechomen, which combined the concepts of 'will' or 'desire' and 'coming'.
- If you want to say 'you are welcome' in response to 'thank you', you should use Bitte or Gern geschehen rather than anything involving 'willkommen'.
Examples in context
- Willkommen in den USA!Welcome to the USA.This sentence is useful for welcoming someone to a country using willkommen.Tatoeba #2471706 by al_ex_an_der, translation #2470696 by Hybrid
- Willkommen auf Stufe 3!Welcome to Level Three.This sentence is useful for welcoming someone to a specific level using willkommen.Tatoeba #9463797 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #9279879 by DJ_Saidez
- Du bist hier willkommen.You are welcome here.This sentence is useful for stating that someone is welcome in a location using willkommen.Tatoeba #1159036 by Esperantostern, translation #1152132 by cntrational
- Willkommen in unserem Unternehmen, Herr Müller. Wir freuen uns, Sie bei uns zu haben.Welcome to our company, Mr. Müller. We are pleased to have you with us.
- Schön, dass du hier bist! Fühl dich wie zu Hause.Nice that you are here! Make yourself at home.
- 216 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maximilian arrives at Sarah's apartment for a visit.
- SarahHallo Maximilian, herzlich willkommen!Hello Maximilian, welcome!
- MaximilianVielen Dank für die Einladung.Thank you very much for the invitation.
- SarahKomm doch schnell rein.Come on in quickly.
- MaximilianDas ist ein sehr schönes Haus.This is a very beautiful house.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “welcome” translations and entries willkommen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries willkommen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
