The most common greeting is a handshake with direct eye contact. Men usually greet women first and wait for them to extend their hand. Close friends may hug to greet and younger people may kiss one another on the cheek. "Guten Tag" (Good day) or “Hallo” (Hello) are the most common verbal greetings used in Germany.
Context sentences
Pleased to meet you. Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen. Pleased to meet you. Freut mich, Sie zu sehen.
Grüß Gott (pronounced GRUES goht) is the most common way to say hello across Bavaria and Austria. It's a formal greeting that means 'God greets you'. For a more neutral version without religious connotation, use Grüß dich ('Greet you').
Unlike other languages, the German expression “Ich liebe dich” is almost exclusively used in romantic relationships. Nevertheless, Germans like to express their love for their friends and family too. In most cases, they say “Ich hab' dich lieb,” which could be translated as “I have love for you.”
Hallo – the universal 'hello' in German
Hallo is the simplest and most straightforward way to say 'hello' in German. It's short, sweet, and common across the entire German-speaking world. Besides, it's friendly and can be used successfully in any social situation – either formal or informal.
Giving compliments is nice, but receiving them might be even better. If a German gives you a compliment, there are different ways to respond – here are some options. Das ist lieb von dir. That is sweet of you.
Flirting In German: It's All In The Eyes
It just means sexy eye contact could involve a little more “innuendo” than usual. This does not mean it'll necessarily be accompanied by a smile, or that you'll be invited with a lingering gaze. A favorite move when flirting in German is the “look, but then quickly look away.”
Compared to countries like Italy and Spain, where dating is passionate, Germans have a rational approach to dating. They prefer to go on casual dates and use the dating phase to get to know you better. So, the first date or even the first few dates might not be as romantic as you hope.
The most common greeting is a handshake with direct eye contact. Men usually greet women first and wait for them to extend their hand. Close friends may hug to greet and younger people may kiss one another on the cheek. "Guten Tag" (Good day) or “Hallo” (Hello) are the most common verbal greetings used in Germany.
1: “Ich kriege so eine Krawatte”
And it comes from the pressure you feel in your throat when you get so angry you could scream. Germans use this saying when they find something makes them really angry.
Some of the most used proverbs about friendship in German are Freunde erkennt man in der Not (Friends are recognized in need), Guter Freund kommt ungeladen (A good friend comes uninvited) and Ein Freund ist jemand der dich kennt und dich trotzdem liebt (A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same).
A quick, firm handshake is the traditional greeting. Titles are very important and denote respect. Use a person's title and their surname until invited to use their first name. You should say Herr or Frau and the person's title and their surname.
Meeting new people is relatively easy in Germany and dating practices are similar to other European countries. Teenagers generally begin to socialize with peers at school, within their neighborhood, or through social activities and local clubs.
It is rude to chew gum or keep one's hands in one's pockets whilst talking with someone. Cross your legs by putting one knee over the other. It is impolite to rest your feet on furniture. Tight punctuality (Pünktlichkeit) is expected in most professional and social situations.
Any guesses? Here's the answer... This weekend, a French friend told me that a German kiss is basically a French kiss but you swirl your tongue around in circles. Have you ever heard of that bad boy before? Have you done it?
In Germany you will probably see couples holding hands or kissing openly on the streets. Do not feel uncomfortable or angry about this as it is considered normal. Holding hands is an expression of love and affection; good friends will usually not walk side by side holding hands.
By far, the most common way to express an emotion in German is to use ich bin, which means “I am”. Just like in English, all you have to do is add any adjective in front of it! Ich bin begeistert! – I'm excited!