Greetings & Introductions
Use these phrases to greet people, introduce yourself and others, and make polite first-meeting conversation in everyday German.
Key Phrases
Hallo!
neutralHello!
Universal and friendly; safe to use with anyone.
Guten Tag!
politeGood day!
Polite courtesy formula; standard in shops, offices, or with strangers.
Hi!
casualHi!
Use with friends, young people, or in relaxed social settings.
Wie heißt du?
casualWhat is your name?
Informal; use with children, peers, or in casual social groups.
Wie heißen Sie?
neutralWhat is your name?
Respectful and standard with adult strangers or in professional contexts.
Ich heiße David.
neutralMy name is David.
Standard, reliable way to state your name in any setting.
Ich bin David.
casualI am David.
Direct and very common in casual everyday introductions.
Freut mich!
neutralNice to meet you!
Natural, universally accepted reaction right after learning someone's name.
Das ist meine Kollegin Sarah.
neutralThis is my colleague Sarah.
Clear and standard pattern to introduce another person.
Woher kommst du?
casualWhere are you from?
Informal question when addressing someone with 'du'.
Woher kommen Sie?
neutralWhere are you from?
Respectful question when speaking to adult strangers.
Ich komme aus Italien.
neutralI come from Italy.
Use 'aus' followed by your home country or city.