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How to Say ‘Hello, good afternoon!’ in German

Hallo, guten Tag!

HAH-loh GOO-ten TAHG

[HAH-loh GOO-ten TAHG]

🇩🇪 In Germany: Greeting the cashier when it's your turn is normal in Germany. Skipping it can come across as a bit cold.

Phrase Breakdown

Hallo,

HAH-loh

Hello,

A friendly greeting. Stress the second syllable: ha-LO.

Example

Hallo, Anna!

Hello, Anna!

Words in this phrase

Hallo

[HAH-loh]

hello

A common informal greeting in German, used like 'hello' or 'hi'.

Example

Hallo, schön dich zu sehen.

Hello, nice to see you.

guten Tag!

GOO-ten TAHG

good day!

A standard polite greeting used during the day. 'Tag' ends with a clear 'k' sound.

Example

Guten Tag, Herr Müller!

Good day, Mr. Müller!

Words in this phrase

guten

[GOO-ten]

good

The masculine accusative form of 'gut,' used in greetings like 'Guten Abend.'

Example

Beim Networking sage ich oft „Guten Abend“ und beginne mit Guten Umgangsformen.

At networking events I often say 'Good evening' and begin with good manners.

Tag

[TAHG]

day

Referring to the part of the day between morning and evening.

Example

Der Tag war schön.

The day was beautiful.

Guides for German learners

Duolingo vs Pimsleur: Tapping on a Screen or Talking Out Loud?Duolingo vs Pimsleur: five minutes of tapping versus thirty minutes of speaking. What each is good at, what each costs, and which to pick for your goal.

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