Meeting someone in German starts with choosing the right greeting for the moment. "Hallo" is the informal hello used with friends, family, or peers, while "Guten Tag" is the formal equivalent suitable for strangers, shops, or professional situations. For specific times of day, German offers "Guten Morgen" in the morning, "Guten Abend" in the evening, and "Gute Nacht" when parting for the night. Just as greetings vary by formality, so do farewells: "Tschüss" is the casual goodbye, whereas "Auf Wiedersehen" is used in more formal contexts.
Politeness runs through daily German conversation with a small but essential set of words. "Bitte" means "please," and the same word doubles as "you're welcome" when paired with "schön" as "bitte schön"; another common response is "gern geschehen." To express gratitude, "danke" works for a simple thank you, while "vielen Dank" conveys a more emphatic thank you very much. The basic response words "ja" (yes) and "nein" (no) complete the polite toolkit for accepting or declining.
When you need to interrupt someone or apologize, two related but distinct phrases come in handy. "Entschuldigung" is used like "excuse me" to get attention or to apologize lightly in public, while "Es tut mir leid" is the more heartfelt "I'm sorry," used to express genuine regret. Choosing between these signals whether you are making a minor social interruption or acknowledging a more serious misstep.