German Survival Dictionary: Essential Words and Phrases for Everyday Use

Morgen!

Guten Morgen isn't used that often in spoken German; they prefer the simple "Morgen!" It's enough to say good morning. Remember to only use it in the morning; during the day, to say hello, you use "Hello!"

Es freut mich !

It's the phrase Germans use when they meet someone! It literally means they're happy to meet that person. It's the equivalent of our Italian "piacere" (and don't forget that Germans shake hands!).

No Ahnung

Literally, "no idea." It's used when you want to say "I have no idea." Pronounce the final -e of keine correctly, because in German, all the letters are pronounced!

Alles klar

Alles klar is used to tell the other person you've understood what they're explaining. It's also used to end a conversation: "alles klar, tschüß!" but also to ask someone if everything is okay: alles klar?

Genuine

With a genau, you'll avoid embarrassment in any conversation. It's the German word you need to know. It's used to say "exactly" and to nod in front of your interlocutor.

Gott sei Dank

Literally "Thank God." Of the many German expressions referring to religion, this is the most common. "Meine Güte" and "Oh mein Gott" are also frequently used.

Alles Gute !

During your course, you learned that the German word for "happy birthday" is: Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag... If you think it's unpronounceable, don't panic! Most of the time, Germans wish you a happy birthday with a simple "Alles Gute," which literally means "all the best."

Zack, zack!

It's our Italian "sù sù"! It's used to say to do something quickly and move on to something else. And Zack zack, let's move on to another word!

Quatsch!

You can use this expression when you hear something truly improbable. It's somewhat equivalent to "that's absurd" or "what are you talking about." If you then say "Ach" Quatsch, you'll definitely sound German!

Mahlzeit!

While it's true that to say "enjoy your meal" in German, you'll almost always hear "Guten Appetit," it's also always good to know another way to wish someone a good meal: "Mahlzeit." In fact, "Die Mahlzeit" also means "the meal."

Mach's gut !

It's the equivalent of the English "take care." It's the best thing to say when you want to say goodbye to someone. Throw in a mach's gut and you're good to go...

Tschüß!

Tschüß is often translated as "ciao," but be careful! In German, Tschüß is used to say "goodbye," so when you want to say goodbye to someone, regardless of whether you know each other or how old they are.