German › Phrases › Travel Phrases
German has a reputation for being hard and formal. The first half is overstated. The second half is completely true, and it is the useful thing to know before you go.
Germany is a country where politeness is structural rather than warm. You will not get small talk from a cashier, and that is not coldness — it is a different idea of respect, one that shows itself in doing your job properly and not wasting your time. Say guten Tag when you walk in, tschüss when you leave, and you have done the thing that matters.
Every phrase below is spoken by a native voice. Tap any row. And read the section on Sie and du even if you skip everything else — it is the mistake with real consequences.
The ten that do most of the work
Learn this block and you can handle a shop, a restaurant, a station and a hotel without ever opening a translation app.
| German | Say it like | What it means | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guten Tag | GOO-ten TAHK | Good day — the standard hello, any situation | |
| Guten Morgen | GOO-ten MOR-gen | Good morning — until about 11 | |
| Bitte | BIT-tuh | Please — and “you’re welcome”, and “here you are”, and “pardon?” | |
| Danke | DAHN-kuh | Thank you | |
| Entschuldigung | ent-SHOOL-dee-goong | Excuse me / sorry — long, but you’ll use it hourly | |
| Was kostet das? | vahs KOS-tet dahs | How much is that? | |
| Die Rechnung, bitte | dee RESH-noong BIT-tuh | The bill, please | |
| Ich verstehe nicht | ish fair-SHTAY-uh nisht | I don’t understand | |
| Auf Wiedersehen | owf VEE-der-zay-en | Goodbye — the formal one | |
| Tschüss | chewss | Bye — informal, and what you’ll actually hear everywhere |
Sie or du — get this one right
German has two words for “you” and the line between them is drawn harder than in almost any other European language. This is the mistake worth avoiding.
Sie is the formal you. It is what you use with every stranger, every shop assistant, every waiter, every official, and anyone older than you. Du is for friends, family, children, students among themselves, and — increasingly — anyone under about thirty in a casual setting.
Calling a sixty-year-old shopkeeper du does not read as friendly. It reads as either childish or contemptuous, and unlike in Italy or Spain, people will notice. Use Sie with everyone until you are invited not to. The invitation exists and has its own verb: duzen, to call someone du.
| German | Say it like | When you’d use it | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wie geht es Ihnen? | vee gayt ess EE-nen | How are you? — the polite form, to anyone you don’t know | |
| Wie geht’s? | vee GAYTS | How are you? — friends and family only | |
| Wir können uns duzen | veer KURN-en oons DOO-tsen | “We can use du” — the invitation | |
| Herr | hair | Mr — with a surname, and used far more than “Mr” is in English | |
| Frau | frow | Mrs / Ms — the default for any adult woman |
One more warning that belongs here: wie geht’s? is a real question in Germany, not a greeting. Ask it and you will get an actual answer, including the back pain. Americans use it as hello; Germans use it as a question. That single difference has produced more awkward pauses than any grammar mistake. We wrote a whole page on how to ask how someone is.
Getting someone to understand you
German English is generally excellent, particularly in cities and among anyone under fifty. Opening in German is still worth it — it signals effort, and effort is respected here.
| German | Say it like | What it means | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprechen Sie Englisch? | SHPREH-shen zee ENG-lish | Do you speak English? | |
| Ich spreche kein Deutsch | ish SHPREH-shuh kine doytsh | I don’t speak German | |
| Nur ein bisschen | noor ine BIS-shen | Only a little | |
| Können Sie das wiederholen? | KURN-en zee dahs vee-der-HOH-len | Can you repeat that? | |
| Langsamer, bitte | LANG-zah-mer BIT-tuh | Slower, please | |
| Wie sagt man…? | vee zahkt mahn | How do you say…? | |
| Können Sie mir helfen? | KURN-en zee meer HEL-fen | Can you help me? |
Finding your way
| German | Say it like | What it means | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wo ist der Bahnhof? | voh ist dair BAHN-hohf | Where’s the station? | |
| Ich habe mich verlaufen | ish HAH-buh mish fair-LOW-fen | I’m lost | |
| Rechts | reshts | Right | |
| Links | links | Left | |
| Geradeaus | guh-RAH-duh-ows | Straight ahead | |
| Wie weit ist es? | vee vite ist ess | How far is it? | |
| Eine Fahrkarte, bitte | INE-uh FAR-kar-tuh BIT-tuh | One ticket, please | |
| Wann fährt der Zug? | vahn fairt dair tsook | When does the train leave? |
Eating and drinking
Two things will happen in every German restaurant that surprise first-time visitors: tap water is not automatic, and the server will ask whether you are paying together or separately. Both phrases are below.
| German | Say it like | What it means | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Einen Tisch für zwei | INE-en tish fewr tsvy | A table for two | |
| Die Speisekarte, bitte | dee SHPY-zuh-kar-tuh | The menu, please | |
| Ich hätte gern… | ish HET-tuh gairn | I would like… — the polite way to order | |
| Was empfehlen Sie? | vahs emp-FAY-len zee | What do you recommend? | |
| Ich bin Vegetarier | ish bin veh-guh-TAH-ree-er | I’m vegetarian | |
| Ich bin allergisch gegen Nüsse | ish bin ah-LAIR-gish GAY-gen NEW-suh | I’m allergic to nuts — swap the last word for whatever you need | |
| Zusammen oder getrennt? | tsoo-ZAH-men OH-der guh-TRENT | Together or separate? — you will be asked this | |
| Ein Bier, bitte | ine beer BIT-tuh | A beer, please | |
| Ein Leitungswasser, bitte | ine LY-toongs-vah-ser | A tap water, please — you have to ask | |
| Prost! | prohst | Cheers! — and look them in the eye, genuinely |
Money — and why you need cash
Germany is far more cash-based than most visitors expect. Bakeries, bars, market stalls, some restaurants and many small shops still take cash only, and a surprising number of card terminals accept only German debit cards rather than international credit cards.
| German | Say it like | What it means | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kann ich mit Karte zahlen? | kahn ish mit KAR-tuh TSAH-len | Can I pay by card? | |
| Nur Bargeld | noor BAR-gelt | Cash only — learn to recognise this one | |
| Zu teuer | tsoo TOY-er | Too expensive | |
| Ich schaue nur | ish SHOW-uh noor | I’m just looking | |
| Ich nehme das | ish NAY-muh dahs | I’ll take it | |
| Stimmt so | shtimt zoh | Keep the change — how tipping is actually done |
The phrases you hope not to need
| German | Say it like | What it means | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hilfe! | HIL-fuh | Help! | |
| Rufen Sie die Polizei | ROO-fen zee dee poh-lee-TSY | Call the police | |
| Rufen Sie einen Krankenwagen | ROO-fen zee INE-en KRAHN-ken-vah-gen | Call an ambulance | |
| Ich brauche einen Arzt | ish BROW-khuh INE-en artst | I need a doctor | |
| Ich habe meinen Pass verloren | ish HAH-buh MY-nen pahs fair-LOH-ren | I’ve lost my passport | |
| Meine Tasche wurde gestohlen | MY-nuh TAH-shuh VOOR-duh guh-SHTOH-len | My bag has been stolen |
Four mistakes almost every visitor makes
1. Saying danke when you mean yes. This is the one that catches everybody. If someone offers you more wine and you say danke, you have just declined it. On its own, danke in response to an offer means no thank you. To accept, say ja, bitte or ja, gerne. Visitors go thirsty over this for entire evenings.
2. Ich bin heiß. You mean “I’m hot”, as in the weather. What you have actually said is “I’m aroused”. The correct phrase puts the heat outside you: mir ist heiß — literally “to me it is hot”. Same for cold: mir ist kalt.
3. Trusting a word that looks English. German has a set of false friends that look completely safe and are not. Gift is poison. Bekommen means to receive, not to become. Handy is a mobile phone. Chef is your boss, not a cook. And Rat is advice.
4. Expecting shops to be open on Sunday. Almost everything closes — supermarkets, most shops, many pharmacies. Restaurants and cafés open, and so do the small shops inside main railway stations, which is why locals do their emergency Sunday shopping at the Bahnhof. Plan Saturday accordingly.
| German | Say it like | What it means | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ja, gerne | yah GAIR-nuh | Yes please — how you actually accept something | |
| Nein, danke | nine DAHN-kuh | No thank you — say both words if you mean no | |
| Mir ist heiß | meer ist hice | I’m hot — the correct construction | |
| Alles klar | AH-less klar | All good / got it — the everyday all-purpose reply |
Numbers you’ll actually use
Eight numbers cover almost everything a visitor needs. The full table is in our German numbers guide.
| German | Say it like | Number | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| eins | ines | 1 | |
| zwei | tsvy | 2 | |
| drei | dry | 3 | |
| vier | feer | 4 | |
| fünf | fewnf | 5 | |
| zehn | tsayn | 10 | |
| zwanzig | TSVAHN-tsish | 20 | |
| hundert | HOON-dert | 100 |
Questions travellers actually ask
What are the most useful German phrases for tourists?
Guten Tag (hello), bitte (please), danke (thank you), entschuldigung (excuse me), was kostet das? (how much?), wo ist die Toilette? (where’s the toilet?) and die Rechnung, bitte (the bill, please). Greeting people as you enter a shop is expected and its absence is noticed.
Should I use Sie or du in Germany?
Sie, with everyone you have not been invited to call du. That means all shop staff, waiters, officials, and anyone older than you. Germany draws this line harder than most countries, and using du with a stranger reads as disrespectful rather than friendly.
Do I need cash in Germany?
Yes, more than in most of Western Europe. Bakeries, bars, market stalls and many small restaurants are cash-only, and some card terminals take only German debit cards. Carry euros. The phrase you will hear is nur Bargeld — cash only.
Do Germans speak English?
Widely, especially in cities and among people under fifty. But opening in German is still worth doing: it signals effort, which is respected, and it usually results in a warmer conversation even if the rest of it happens in English.
How do you tip in Germany?
You round up and say the total as you hand over the money, or say stimmt so — keep the change. Around 5–10%. You do not leave coins on the table when you go; the tip is given to the person directly.
Want the audio on your phone?
Every phrase on this page is in our free guide as well — 15 to start with, each one spoken, and a short lesson in your inbox every few days. Free forever, unsubscribe anytime.
Keep going