German sounds intimidating, but the first steps are simple — and German speakers are quick to encourage a learner. Start with these five phrases and you'll be ready to say hello and keep a conversation moving.

  • Hallo / Guten Tag — HAH-loh / GOO-ten tahk — Hi / Good day. Hallo is casual; Guten Tag is polite and safe anywhere.
  • Wie geht's? — vee GAYTS — How are you? Reply Gut, danke (Good, thanks).
  • Ich heiße… — ikh HY-suh — My name is… Then Und du? (And you?).
  • Bitte / Danke — BIT-uh / DAHN-kuh — Please / Thank you. Bitte also means "you're welcome".
  • Ich verstehe nicht — ikh fair-SHTAY-uh nikht — I don't understand. Add Kannst du das wiederholen? (Can you repeat that?).

Learn these five, then use them with someone who actually speaks German. That real back-and-forth is what turns memorised phrases into a language you can speak.