The Most Common German Phrases You’ll Use in Germany
30+ common German phrases for your trip to Germany
A little bit of German goes a long way 🇩🇪 Use these phrases on your trip to Germany!
There’s no better way to level up your trip to Germany, Austria, or Switzerland than by practicing your German! Learning a few key phrases will help you feel more confident ordering in a German Bäckerei (bakery) and chatting with locals at a Biergarten (beer garden).
Here are the most important phrases you’ll need in Germany. Los geht’s! (Here we go!)
German 101
You don’t have to be fluent to have fun with German.
You’re on vacation, so don’t stress! Enjoy using the German you know and see what else you learn along the way. (And you might be pleasantly surprised that even beginners can have real conversations!)
It’s the effort that counts.
Using some German shows locals that you’re interested in their culture and community.
Study smart, not hard.
Focus on the most useful German words and phrases, and worry less about getting every grammar detail right. A few key words go a long way!
Greetings
| Hello | Hallo |
| Good morning / Good afternoon | Guten Tag |
| Good evening | Guten Abend |
| Excuse me | Entschuldigung |
| Please | Bitte |
| Thank you | Danke |
| You’re welcome | Gern geschehen |
| Goodbye | Auf Wiedersehen (formal) / Tschüss (informal) |
| Yes | Ja |
| No | Nein |
| My name is… | Ich heiße … |
Asking for help
| Do you speak English? | Sprechen Sie Englisch? |
| Where is the bathroom? | Wo ist die Toilette? |
| I’m sorry, I don’t understand you. | Es tut mir leid, ich verstehe Sie nicht. |
| Can you help me? | Können Sie mir helfen? |
| I’m lost. | Ich habe mich verlaufen. |
Getting around town
| How much does it cost? | Wie viel kostet das? |
| Where is | Wo ist |
| the museum | das Museum |
| the beach | der Strand |
| the train station | der Bahnhof |
| the city center (downtown) | das Stadtzentrum |
Ordering food
| A table for - A table for one - A table for two - A table for three - A table for four |
Einen Tisch für - Einen Tisch für eine Person - Einen Tisch für zwei Personen - Einen Tisch für drei Personen - Einen Tisch für vier Personen |
| I would like . | Ich hätte gern . |
| More - More water - More beer - More wine |
Mehr - Mehr Wasser - Mehr Bier - Mehr Wein |
| The check, please. | Die Rechnung, bitte. |
| pay by cash / credit card | bar / mit Kreditkarte |
| with / without | mit / ohne |
| breakfast | Frühstück |
| lunch | Mittagessen |
| dinner | Abendessen |
| appetizer | Vorspeise |
| main course | Hauptspeise |
| dessert | Nachspeise |
Local language
Doch
In German, doch can be used to counter a negated statement. For example, if someone asks you Sie sprechen kein Deutsch, oder? (You don’t speak German, do you?), you could respond with Doch! (I do!)
Prost
To toast with German speakers, you can say Prost! It’s considered polite to do so, though generally only with alcoholic drinks.
Pfand
Recycling is taken very seriously in Germany. That’s why if you buy a bottle or can at a store, you pay a small Pfand (deposit). You can return empty containers at a Pfandautomat (reverse vending machine) in supermarkets. If you’re unable to return them yourself, it’s common to place them next to public trash bins instead of inside.
The beginning of your journey with German 🇩🇪
These basics will get you far in Germany, but there’s a lot more German where that came from. To make real connections during your trip, let Duolingo be your guide! Our bite-sized lessons make it easy to fit study time into your busy schedule, and our entire German course is free—so you can save your Euro for souvenirs.