47+ Ways to Say Good Morning
in German

… and other unusual expressions to greet each other

Chris wants to say good morning in German to Julia.

He walks up to her, pulls out a chair, but he doesn’t want to use the usual ‘Guten Morgen’ because he wants to make a special impression.

So, he reaches out his hand, says something, and Julia smiles.

But what did he say?

👋 Introducing 47 ways to greet someone in German

In Germany, a simple greeting can get someone quite excited, depending on how it’s said.

You don’t have to stick to the overused, almost cliché words that every newbie knows.

Instead, crank it up with these pretty slick ways that will make you look cool and interesting.

Let’s go …

How do you generally say good morning in German?

Here is the typical way first and then all the other ways.

The most common form is: Guten Morgen!

This form of greeting is very common and you can use it casually with your friends or even in an official place like greeting your boss.

When you are greeted, you should also greet back, as it is considered rude not to respond.

Remember, Germans are very courteous and you don’t want to come off as rude.

So when someone approaches you and says, Guten Morgen!, you should also say Guten Morgen!

But be careful not to use it after 12 pm – only late risers use it then.

By the way, do you know how to tell time in German? If not, then check out this link.

Good morning in different regions of Germany

Learn more about the German states and capitals here or scroll down and learn how to say good morning in different regions of Germany.

This expression is used mostly in southern Germany especially Bayern (Bavaria).

You can also say Grüß dich to stir up the vibe!

Moin 

In northern Germany on the other hand, you will often hear people use the word Moin, which doesn’t just mean ‘good morning’ but can be used at any time of the day or night.

In Hamburg and Bremen, people also like to use the double form Moin-Moin, which works very well with people you have a close connection with.

Think of it like the English ‘yeah-yeah’.

Moinsen

This phrase is also from nothern Germany, only a bit informal. Use it only with close friends!

Servus

Another friendly way to greet someone is to say Servus to them, which basically means ‘at your service.’ While it its most common in Bavaria and Austria, other places you might hear it include:

• Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate)
• Hessen (Hesse)
• Baden-Württemberg
• Saarland
• Thüringen (Thuringia)

Mojen

In Berlin, where I come from, we often say Mojen in the morning and Tach during the day.

While the word is in itself a greeting, it’s a direct comparison to the English short form of ‘Morning’ instead of ‘Good Morning.’

Yeah, we Germans don’t like shortcuts…except when we do. ?

How to say good morning and good day colloquially?

The following greetings are colloquial, so only say them to people you know well:

• Tag!
• Hi!
• Hey!
• Hallo!
• Hallöchen!
• Hallöchen Popöchen!
• Halli-Hallo!

We also have typical expressions that we use instead of a typical greeting phrase:

• Na, alles klar? (informel)
• Wie geht’s (informel)
• Wie geht es Ihnen? (formel)

Good day and good morning in German slang

We often use slang among friends to greet each other. While it is fun to know these greetings, they should only be used with caution.

It is best to use these expressions only with friends we know well.

• Alles fit im Schritt? (How is it hanging?)
• Hey, was geht? (Hey, what’s going on?)
• Hey, alles im grünen Bereich?
• Tachchen! (mainly in Berlin)
• Was geht ab? (What’s up?)
• Na, alles fit? (You alright?)
• Was macht die Kunst?

• Yo, moinsen Diggy!
• Na du/ihr Lappen!
• Na, du! Auch hier?
• Na, watt los, Atze?
• Heeeeeeeeeeeyyy!
• Hey yo whadupp?

• Na, alles gerade?
• Alles Klärchen? 
• Na du Nappel!
• Maaahlzeit! 
• Tach du Ei!
• Hey Baby!

• Jo Digga!
• Na Alda!
• Heyho!
• Chirio!
• Na du!
• Peace!
• Na?

How do you say good morning in German to a woman?

This question comes up often, so let me clarify it here.

In some languages, there are different greetings for men and women, but that’s not the case in German.

In German, the greeting is the same, whether you’re addressing a man or a woman.

So which greeting should you use?

It depends.

But what’s important is for you to understand who you are greeting, as it all comes down to that.

Then after you know how to greet someone, you may also need to learn how to hold a simple conversation.

I can help you with that, and I will break down complex grammar in a simple and fun way so that you learn naturally without having to memorize anything.

Give it a try and see how it works if you want to learn German the easy way.

Always remember:

Learn German with fun!
Learning must be fun, otherwise, it is just a waste of time!

If you want to dig deeper into the topic, you can find more information on Wiki