German phrases – Here you will find the most common phrases in German with translation. | Free & useful
German phrases are short expressions or idioms often used in speech to be polite, express gratitude, greet or say goodbye or simply to have a pleasant conversation.
They are an important part of German culture and can be useful in different situations, both in private and business life.
German phrases you should know
OUR TIP:
If you want to learn these phrases interactively, we recommend the free language course demo from 17-Minute-Language, where you can learn German phrases and dialogues today.
*
Greet someone in German
If you want to greet someone in German, it’s actually quite easy:
Common Greetings and Expressions
| English | German | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome! in German | Willkommen! | /vɪlˈkɔmən/ |
| Good day to you! in German | Einen schönen Tag! | /ˈaɪ̯nən ˈʃøːnən taːk/ |
| Good morning to you! in German | Guten Morgen! | /ˈɡuːtən ˈmɔʁɡn̩/ |
| Good evening! in German | Guten Abend! | /ˈɡuːtən ˈʔaːbənt/ |
| Good to see you. in German | Schön, dich zu sehen. | /ʃøːn dɪç tsuː ˈzeːən/ |
| I’m glad to see you. in German | Ich freue mich, dich zu sehen. | /ɪç ˈfʁɔɪ̯ə mɪç dɪç tsuː ˈzeːən/ |
If you are greeted in German, the best way to respond is as follows:
| English | German | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Have a nice day too! in German | Dir auch einen schönen Tag! | /diːɐ̯ aʊ̯x ˈaɪ̯nən ˈʃøːnən taːk/ |
| Thanks, it’s nice to see you too. in German | Danke, es ist schön, dich auch zu sehen. | /ˈdaŋkə ɛs ɪst ʃøːn dɪç aʊ̯x tsuː ˈzeːən/ |
How is my dialogue partner?
As in any other country, it is polite to start by asking where the person you are talking to is located. Here’s how you do it:
| English | German | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| How are you doing? in German | Wie geht es dir? | /viː ɡeːt ɛs diːɐ̯/ |
| Are you doing well? in German | Geht es dir gut? | /ɡeːt ɛs diːɐ̯ ɡuːt/ |
If you are asked how you feel, you can answer with the following phrases:
| English | German | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Thank you for asking, I am fine. | Danke der Nachfrage, mir geht es gut. | /ˈdaŋkə deːɐ̯ ˈnaːxfʁaːɡə miːɐ̯ ɡeːt ɛs ɡuːt/ |
| Thank you, I am fine. | Danke, mir geht es gut. | /ˈdaŋkə miːɐ̯ ɡeːt ɛs ɡuːt/ |
| Thank you, I am not doing so well. | Danke, mir geht es nicht so gut. | /ˈdaŋkə miːɐ̯ ɡeːt ɛs nɪçt zoː ɡuːt/ |
| Thanks, I’m fine. How are you doing? | Danke, mir geht’s gut. Wie geht es dir? | /ˈdaŋkə miːɐ̯ ɡeːts ɡuːt viː ɡeːt ɛs diːɐ̯/ |
Free book: ‘How to learn any language in just 7 weeks’
Learn all the tricks that will help you learn any language quickly and efficiently – much faster than you could ever have dreamed possible.
*
More information about the German Language Course.
How do I say goodbye to someone in German?
Saying goodbye to a friend or stranger in German is not that difficult. Just use the following phrases:
| English | German | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Goodbye! in German | Auf Wiedersehen! | /aʊ̯f ˈviːdɐˌzeːən/ |
| Take care of yourself! in German | Pass auf dich auf! | /pas aʊ̯f dɪç aʊ̯f/ |
| Goodbye in German | Auf Wiedersehen | /aʊ̯f ˈviːdɐˌzeːən/ |
| See you tomorrow in German | Bis morgen | /bɪs ˈmɔʁɡn̩/ |
| See you soon in German | Bis bald | /bɪs balt/ |
| See you later in German | Bis später | /bɪs ˈʃpɛːtɐ/ |
| Good night in German | Gute Nacht | /ˈɡuːtə naχt/ |
| Sleep well in German | Schlaf gut | /ʃlaːf ɡuːt/ |
| Talk to you later. in German | Wir sprechen uns später. | /viːɐ̯ ˈʃpʁɛçn̩ ʊns ˈʃpɛːtɐ/ |
| Nice to have met you! in German | Schön, dich kennengelernt zu haben! | /ʃøːn dɪç ˈkɛnənɡəˌlɛʁnt tsuː ˈhaːbn̩/ |
How do I introduce myself in German?
When travelling in Germany, sooner or later you will come into contact with local people. Naturally, you’ll want to introduce yourself in German and know who you’re talking to.
| English | German | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| My name is Jonas. | Ich heiße Jonas. | /ɪç ˈhaɪ̯sə ˈjoːnas/ |
| What is your name? | Wie heißt du? | /viː ˈhaɪ̯st duː/ |
| What is your surname? | Wie ist dein Nachname? | /viː ɪst daɪ̯n ˈnaːxˌnaːmə/ |
| What is your first name? | Wie ist dein Vorname? | /viː ɪst daɪ̯n ˈfoːɐ̯ˌnaːmə/ |
| What is your surname? | Wie ist dein Nachname? | /viː ɪst daɪ̯n ˈnaːxˌnaːmə/ |
If you want to tell people where you come from, the following sentences are useful:
| English | German | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Where do you come from? | Woher kommst du? | /voˈeːɐ̯ kɔmst duː/ |
| I am from London. | Ich komme aus London. | /ɪç ˈkɔmə aʊ̯s ˈlɔndɔn/ |
| Are you from Birmingham? | Kommst du aus Birmingham? | /kɔmst duː aʊ̯s ˈbœʁmɪŋəm/ |
| No, I’m from Madrid. | Nein, ich komme aus Madrid. | /naɪ̯n ɪç ˈkɔmə aʊ̯s maˈdʁɪt/ |
| Great, I’m from Madrid too. | Toll, ich komme auch aus Madrid. | /tɔl ɪç ˈkɔmə aʊ̯x aʊ̯s maˈdʁɪt/ |
| Where do you live? | Wo wohnst du? | /voː voːnst duː/ |
| I live in Berlin. | Ich wohne in Berlin. | /ɪç ˈvoːnə ɪn bɛʁˈliːn/ |
If you have problems with your German, it is good to know which languages are still spoken:
| English | German | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Do you speak English? | Sprichst du Englisch? | /ʃpʁɪçst duː ˈɛŋlɪʃ/ |
| Yes, I speak English. | Ja, ich spreche Englisch. | /jaː ɪç ˈʃpʁɛçə ˈɛŋlɪʃ/ |
| Yes, I speak some English. | Ja, ich spreche etwas Englisch. | /jaː ɪç ˈʃpʁɛçə ˈɛtvas ˈɛŋlɪʃ/ |
| No, I do not speak any English. | Nein, ich spreche kein Englisch. | /naɪ̯n ɪç ˈʃpʁɛçə kaɪ̯n ˈɛŋlɪʃ/ |
| I only speak English. | Ich spreche nur Englisch. | /ɪç ˈʃpʁɛçə nuːɐ̯ ˈɛŋlɪʃ/ |
| I understand some German. | Ich verstehe etwas Deutsch. | /ɪç fɛɐ̯ˈʃteːə ˈɛtvas dɔʏ̯tʃ/ |
Useful sentences with ‘I am…’
The following sentences will help you orientate yourself in German and express your wishes and concerns:
| English | German | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| I am English. in German | Ich bin Engländer / Engländerin | /ɪç bɪn ˈɛŋlɛndɐ/ (m), /ɪç bɪn ˈɛŋlɛndəʁɪn/ (f) |
| I am injured. in German | Ich bin verletzt | /ɪç bɪn fɛɐ̯ˈlɛtst/ |
| I am here. in German | Ich bin hier | /ɪç bɪn hiːɐ̯/ |
| I am hungry. in German | Ich habe Hunger | /ɪç ˈhaːbə ˈhʊŋɐ/ |
| I am thirsty. in German | Ich habe Durst | /ɪç ˈhaːbə dʊʁst/ |
| I am a single person. in German | Ich bin Single | /ɪç bɪn ˈzɪŋəl/ |
| I need help! in German | Ich brauche Hilfe! | /ɪç ˈbʁaʊ̯xə ˈhɪlfə/ |
| I am tired. in German | Ich bin müde | /ɪç bɪn ˈmyːdə/ |
| I am happy. in German | Ich bin glücklich | /ɪç bɪn ˈɡlʏklɪç/ |
| I am sad. in German | Ich bin traurig | /ɪç bɪn ˈtʁaʊ̯ʁɪç/ |
| I am in love. in German | Ich bin verliebt | /ɪç bɪn fɛɐ̯ˈliːpt/ |
| I am ill. in German | Ich bin krank | /ɪç bɪn kʁaŋk/ |
| I am ready. in German | Ich bin bereit | /ɪç bɪn bəˈʁaɪ̯t/ |
| I am busy. in German | Ich bin beschäftigt | /ɪç bɪn bəˈʃɛftɪçt/ |
| I am lost. in German | Ich habe mich verlaufen | /ɪç ˈhaːbə mɪç fɛɐ̯ˈlaʊ̯fn̩/ |
| I am a tourist. in German | Ich bin Tourist / Touristin | /ɪç bɪn tuˈʁɪst/ (m), /ɪç bɪn tuˈʁɪstɪn/ (f) |
| I am new here. in German | Ich bin neu hier | /ɪç bɪn nɔɪ̯ hiːɐ̯/ |
| I am confident. in German | Ich bin selbstbewusst | /ɪç bɪn ˈzɛlpstbəˌvʊst/ |
| I am proud. in German | Ich bin stolz | /ɪç bɪn ʃtɔlt͡s/ |
| I am a teacher. in German | Ich bin Lehrer / Lehrerin | /ɪç bɪn ˈleːʁɐ/ (m), /ɪç bɪn ˈleːʁəʁɪn/ (f) |
| I am late. in German | Ich bin zu spät | /ɪç bɪn tsuː ˈʃpɛːt/ |
| I am 30 years old. in German | Ich bin dreißig Jahre alt | /ɪç bɪn ˈdʁaɪ̯sɪç ˈjaːʁə alt/ |
| I am in a hurry. in German | Ich habe es eilig | /ɪç ˈhaːbə ɛs ˈaɪ̯lɪç/ |
| I am happy. in German | Ich bin glücklich | /ɪç bɪn ˈɡlʏklɪç/ |
| I am surprised. in German | Ich bin überrascht | /ɪç bɪn ˌʔyːbɐˈʁaʃt/ |
| I am angry. in German | Ich bin wütend | /ɪç bɪn ˈvyːtɛnt/ |
Apologising in German
Here’s how to apologise to a German speaker:
| English | German | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| I apologise. | Ich entschuldige mich. | /ɪç ʔɛntˈʃʊldɪɡə mɪç/ |
| Sorry, that was not the intention. | Entschuldigung, das war nicht so gemeint. | /ʔɛntˈʃʊldɪɡʊŋ das vaːɐ̯ nɪçt zoː ɡəˈmaɪ̯nt/ |
| Sorry, I did not do it on purpose. | Entschuldigung, das war keine Absicht. | /ʔɛntˈʃʊldɪɡʊŋ das vaːɐ̯ ˈkaɪ̯nə ˈʔapzɪçt/ |
| Sorry, that was very clumsy of me. | Entschuldigung, das war sehr ungeschickt von mir. | /ʔɛntˈʃʊldɪɡʊŋ das vaːɐ̯ zeːɐ̯ ˈʊnɡəˌʃɪkt fɔn miːɐ̯/ |
Learn German much faster than conventional learning methods – and with only 17 minutes of learning time a day!
Test the German online language course for two days completely free of charge:
*
More information about the German Intermediate Course.
Useful signs and notices in German
Useful signs and messages in German that you will often see.
| English | German | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance in German | Eingang | /ˈaɪ̯nɡaŋ/ |
| Toilet in German | Toilette | /to.aˈlɛtə/ |
| Exit in German | Ausgang | /ˈaʊ̯sɡaŋ/ |
| Attention! in German | Achtung! | /ˈaχtʊŋ/ |
| Police in German | Polizei | /po.liˈt͡saɪ̯/ |
| Emergency services in German | Notdienste | /ˈnoːtˌdiːnstə/ |
| Fire brigade in German | Feuerwehr | /ˈfɔʏ̯ɐˌveːɐ̯/ |
| Passage forbidden. in German | Durchgang verboten. | /ˈdʊʁçɡaŋ fɛɐ̯ˈboːtn̩/ |
| Caution! in German | Vorsicht! | /ˈfoːɐ̯zɪçt/ |
| This building is under video surveillance. in German | Dieses Gebäude wird videoüberwacht. | /ˈdiːzəs ɡəˈbɔʏ̯də vɪʁt ˈviːdeoˌʔyːbɐvaχt/ |
Numbers to 25 in German
Counting in German is not that difficult. Here are the numbers in German from 1 to 25.
| English | German | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 in German | eins | /aɪ̯ns/ |
| 2 in German | zwei | /t͡svaɪ̯/ |
| 3 in German | drei | /dʁaɪ̯/ |
| 4 in German | vier | /fiːɐ̯/ |
| 5 in German | fünf | /fʏnf/ |
| 6 in German | sechs | /zɛks/ |
| 7 in German | sieben | /ˈziːbən/ |
| 8 in German | acht | /axt/ |
| 9 in German | neun | /nɔɪ̯n/ |
| 10 in German | zehn | /t͡seːn/ |
| 11 in German | elf | /ɛlf/ |
| 12 in German | zwölf | /t͡svœlf/ |
| 13 in German | dreizehn | /ˈdʁaɪ̯t͡seːn/ |
| 14 in German | vierzehn | /ˈfiːɐ̯t͡seːn/ |
| 15 in German | fünfzehn | /ˈfʏnft͡seːn/ |
| 16 in German | sechzehn | /ˈzɛçt͡seːn/ |
| 17 in German | siebzehn | /ˈziːpt͡seːn/ |
| 18 in German | achtzehn | /ˈaxt͡seːn/ |
| 19 in German | neunzehn | /ˈnɔɪ̯nt͡seːn/ |
| 20 in German | zwanzig | /ˈt͡svant͡sɪç/ |
| 21 in German | einundzwanzig | /ˈaɪ̯nʊntˌt͡svant͡sɪç/ |
| 22 in German | zweiundzwanzig | /ˈt͡svaɪ̯ʊntˌt͡svant͡sɪç/ |
| 23 in German | dreiundzwanzig | /ˈdʁaɪ̯ʊntˌt͡svant͡sɪç/ |
| 24 in German | vierundzwanzig | /ˈfiːɐ̯ʊntˌt͡svant͡sɪç/ |
| 25 in German | fünfundzwanzig | /ˈfʏnʊntˌt͡svant͡sɪç/ |
The colours in German
The most common colours in German with phonetic transcription for pronunciation.
| English | German | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Red in German | rot | /ʁoːt/ |
| Blue in German | blau | /blaʊ̯/ |
| Yellow in German | gelb | /ɡɛlp/ |
| Green in German | grün | /ɡʁyːn/ |
| Orange in German | orange | /oˈʁãːʃə/ or /ɔˈʁɑ̃ːʒə/ |
| Purple in German | lila | /ˈliːla/ |
| Pink in German | rosa | /ˈʁoːza/ |
| Black in German | schwarz | /ʃvaʁt͡s/ |
| White in German | weiß | /vaɪ̯s/ |
| Brown in German | braun | /bʁaʊ̯n/ |
Days of the week, months and seasons in German
Of course, you will also need the days of the week in German and the pronunciation of the months and seasons in dialogues and daily communication in German.
| English | German | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Days of the Week | ||
| Monday in German | Montag | /ˈmoːn.taːk/ |
| Tuesday in German | Dienstag | /ˈdiːns.taːk/ |
| Wednesday in German | Mittwoch | /ˈmɪt.vɔx/ |
| Thursday in German | Donnerstag | /ˈdɔnɐs.taːk/ |
| Friday in German | Freitag | /ˈfʁaɪ̯.taːk/ |
| Saturday in German | Samstag | /ˈzam.staːk/ |
| Sunday in German | Sonntag | /ˈzɔn.taːk/ |
| Months | ||
| January in German | Januar | /ˈja.nu.aʁ/ |
| February in German | Februar | /ˈfeːb.ʁu.aʁ/ |
| March in German | März | /mɛʁt͡s/ |
| April in German | April | /aˈpʁɪl/ |
| May in German | Mai | /maɪ̯/ |
| June in German | Juni | /ˈjuː.ni/ |
| July in German | Juli | /ˈjuː.li/ |
| August in German | August | /aʊ̯ˈɡʊst/ |
| September in German | September | /zɛpˈtɛm.bɐ/ |
| October in German | Oktober | /ɔkˈtoː.bɐ/ |
| November in German | November | /noˈvɛm.bɐ/ |
| December in German | Dezember | /deˈt͡sɛm.bɐ/ |
| Seasons | ||
| Spring in German | Frühling | /ˈfʁyː.lɪŋ/ |
| Summer in German | Sommer | /ˈzɔ.mɐ/ |
| Autumn in German | Herbst | /hɛʁpst/ |
| Winter in German | Winter | /ˈvɪn.tɐ/ |
OUR TIP:
If you want to learn these German phrases interactively, we recommend the free language course demo from 17-Minute-Language, where you can learn German phrases and dialogues.
*
More information about the German Business Course.
Additional links
- Learn German with Mondly
- Learn German with Babbel
- The different ways of learning languages
- Learning vocabulary successfully
- Motivated language learning
- It is so easy to train your understanding of a language at the same time
- Learning languages quickly? – Is it possible?
- The different types of learners when learning languages
More information about the German Course for Children.