How to say "안녕하세요" in German

When you first meet a German speaker, the most important cultural tip is to match the level of formality. "Hallo" is the go‑to informal greeting among friends, peers, and people you meet in casual settings. In more formal or business contexts, Germans usually prefer Guten Tag (good day) or a time‑specific greeting like Guten Morgen (good morning) or Guten Abend (good evening). Using the wrong level can feel either overly stiff or unexpectedly familiar, so choose the variant that fits the situation.

1. Hallo – informal, everyday greeting

   • Hallo, ich bin Anna.
     "Hello, I’m Anna."
   • Hallo, wie geht's?
     "Hello, how are you?"

2. Guten Tag – neutral‑formal, suitable for strangers, business, or when you’re not sure about the relationship

   • Guten Tag, mein Name ist Herr Müller.
     "Good day, my name is Mr. Müller."
   • Guten Tag, dürfen wir uns setzen?
     "Good day, may we sit down?"

3. Guten Morgen – used before about 12 p.m.; polite and slightly more formal than Hallo

   • Guten Morgen, Frau Schmidt!
     "Good morning, Ms. Schmidt!"
   • Guten Morgen, haben Sie einen Moment?
     "Good morning, do you have a moment?"

4. Guten Abend – used after roughly 6 p.m.; common in both informal and formal evenings

   • Guten Abend, willkommen im Restaurant.
     "Good evening, welcome to the restaurant."
   • Guten Abend, wie war Ihr Tag?
     "Good evening, how was your day?"

Quick Cheat Sheet

👉 Most useful for daily life: Memorize Hallo first. It works in almost every casual encounter and is safe to use with people your own age or younger once you’ve exchanged names.