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Common German phrases: 25 everyday expressions with examples

🇩🇪 GermanA125 words

A handful of fixed phrases carries most small conversations: saying hello, introducing yourself, asking someone to repeat or to speak more slowly. The list shows both forms of address — du with friends, Sie with strangers and at work — because choosing the right one matters in Germany.

Where you will use it: Greetings, introductions and polite everyday conversation.

Common German phrases — The word list

Meanings and translations are in English.

GermanMeaning and example
Guten Taghello; good day (formal)“Guten Tag, Frau Weber!”Hello, Ms Weber!
Wie geht's?how are you? (informal)“Hallo Tom, wie geht's?”Hi Tom, how are you?
Wie geht es Ihnen?how are you? (formal)“Guten Abend, wie geht es Ihnen?”Good evening, how are you?
Mir geht's gut.I'm fine“Danke, mir geht's gut. Und dir?”Thanks, I'm fine. And you?
Ich heiße …my name is …“Ich heiße Lena und komme aus Spanien.”My name is Lena and I'm from Spain.
Freut mich.nice to meet you“Freut mich, Herr Schmidt.”Nice to meet you, Mr Schmidt.
Woher kommst du?where are you from? (informal)“Woher kommst du eigentlich?”Where are you actually from?
Ich komme aus …I'm from …“Ich komme aus Brasilien, aber ich wohne in Leipzig.”I'm from Brazil, but I live in Leipzig.
Sprechen Sie Englisch?do you speak English? (formal)“Entschuldigung, sprechen Sie Englisch?”Excuse me, do you speak English?
Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch.I speak a little German“Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch, aber langsam.”I speak a little German, but slowly.
Wie bitte?pardon?; sorry?“Wie bitte? Das habe ich nicht verstanden.”Pardon? I didn't understand that.
Können Sie das wiederholen?can you repeat that?“Können Sie das bitte noch einmal wiederholen?”Can you repeat that once more, please?
Langsamer, bitte.more slowly, please“Langsamer, bitte, ich lerne noch Deutsch.”More slowly, please, I'm still learning German.
Was bedeutet …?what does … mean?“Was bedeutet „Feierabend“?”What does "Feierabend" mean?
Ich verstehe nicht.I don't understand“Tut mir leid, ich verstehe nicht.”Sorry, I don't understand.
Tut mir leid.I'm sorry“Tut mir leid, ich bin zu spät.”I'm sorry, I'm late.
Kein Problem.no problem“Kein Problem, ich warte gern.”No problem, I'm happy to wait.
Gern geschehen.you're welcome“„Danke für die Hilfe!“ – „Gern geschehen.“”"Thanks for the help!" – "You're welcome."
Alles klar.all right; got it“Alles klar, dann bis morgen.”All right, see you tomorrow then.
Genau.exactly“Genau, so machen wir das.”Exactly, that's how we'll do it.
Schönen Tag noch!have a nice day!“Danke und schönen Tag noch!”Thanks, and have a nice day!
Bis später!see you later!“Ich muss los, bis später!”I have to go, see you later!
Auf Wiedersehengoodbye (formal)“Auf Wiedersehen und vielen Dank!”Goodbye and thank you very much!
Gute Nachtgood night“Gute Nacht, schlaf gut!”Good night, sleep well!
Sollen wir uns duzen?shall we say "du" to each other?“Wir sind ja Kollegen – sollen wir uns duzen?”We're colleagues after all – shall we say "du"?

Tips for learning German words

  • Learn der, die or das with every nounThe article is part of the word: der Zug, die Fahrkarte, das Gleis. It decides the case endings and adjectives, so learn it from day one.
  • Type the umlauts and ßWrite ä, ö, ü and ß, not a, o, u or ss: schon means "already" but schön means "beautiful". Getting them right in WordNest trains your spelling.
  • Watch the verb positionIn a German main clause the verb comes second, and separable verbs split: "Ich rufe dich morgen an." Read each example aloud to feel the word order.

Standard German as used in Germany

German is spoken in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and a few everyday words differ between them: a tomato is a Tomate in Germany and a Paradeiser in Austria, a bicycle is a Fahrrad rather than a Velo. These lists follow Standard German (Hochdeutsch) as used in Germany, and WordNest's examples, audio and AI corrections use the same standard. You will be understood in every German-speaking country.

Add five or six of these words a day rather than the whole list at once, keep the example sentence on the card, and review them when they come due. WordNest schedules each word across seven growing intervals — same day, then 1, 3, 7, 14, 30 and 60 days — so the list is still with you months later. Read how spaced repetition works if you want the reasoning behind those numbers.

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Questions about this list

Is this German from Germany, Austria or Switzerland?

Standard German (Hochdeutsch) as used in Germany. Where Austria or Switzerland usually use a different word, the list gives the one used in Germany, but every word is understood across the German-speaking world.

How do I practise Common German phrases?

Start with five words, listen and say each example aloud. Then recall the German word, with its article, from its English meaning and review it over several days.

How many words are in this list?

This list contains 25 words and phrases with English meanings and example sentences. It is a starting set, not a complete course.

Study these words with spaced repetition

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