Reacting in conversation
Genau, stimmt, echt?, krass, na ja
Germans give constant small signals that they are listening. These are the words you hear dozens of times a day. Each is grouped by what it does.
Agreeing
Surprise
Doubt
Sympathy
Small talk
Na, wie geht’s? Was machst du so?
German small talk is short and direct. Wie geht’s? is a real question: Germans may answer honestly, so a simple Gut, danke is fine but Es geht (so-so) is common too.
LenaNA, vee GAYTS · “Hey, how’s it going?”Na opens almost any casual question.
Na,wellwiehowgeht’s?goes-it
Tomgants GOOT, unt DEER · “Pretty good, and you?”Ganz gut: a modest “fine”.
Ganz gut,quite goodundanddir?to-you
Lenaes GAYT. feel SHTRES bai dair AR-bait · “So-so. Lots of stress at work.”Es geht: an honest “so-so”, normal in German.
Esitgeht.goesVielmuchStressstressbei der Arbeit.at work
Tomoh YAY. vas MAKHST doo am VO-khen-en-de · “Oh dear. What are you doing at the weekend?”
Ohohje.dearWaswhatmachstdoduyouam Wochenende?at-the weekend
Lenanikhts be-ZON-de-res. unt DOO · “Nothing special. You?”
NichtsnothingBesonderes.specialUndanddu?you
Tomikh GAY-e VAN-dern. KOM DOKH MIT · “I’m going hiking. Come along!”Doch makes an invitation warm.
IchIgehegowandern.hikingKommcomedochdomit!along
Filler words
Also, halt, eben, quasi, irgendwie
These little words make speech sound natural. They carry tone more than meaning; drop one into a sentence and you instantly sound less like a textbook.
alsoso, well
Also,soichIfindefinddasthatgut.good
haltjust (that’s how it is)
Dasthatistishaltjustso.so
ebenexactly; just
Erheistisebenjustmüde.tired
quasisort of
Dasthatistisquasisort-offertig.finished
irgendwiesomehow
Irgendwiesomehowkomisch.strange
ne?right?
SchönesniceWetter,weatherne?no
Greetings by region
Moin, Servus, Grüß Gott, Grüezi
Hallo and Guten Tag work everywhere, but locals greet in their own way. Tap a region to hear it.
Wishes for every occasion
Gute Besserung, viel Erfolg
IllnessGOO-te BE-se-rung · “Get well soon!”die Besserung = getting better.
GutegoodBesserung!improvement
Exam, interviewfeel er-FOLK · “Good luck!”Also: Toi, toi, toi! (said with knocking on wood).
VielmuchErfolg!success
MealGOO-ten a-pe-TEET · “Enjoy your meal!”Said before eating; reply Danke, gleichfalls.
GutengoodAppetit!appetite
WeekendSHÖ-nes VO-khen-en-de · “Have a nice weekend!”Reply: Danke, dir auch!
SchönesniceWochenende!weekend
Apologising
Entschuldigung, Verzeihung, sorry
Keep going