Summary
Highlights
This is the first lesson in a series for beginners, covering 65 lessons plus additional vocabulary and grammar videos. This lesson introduces common German greetings. Worksheets, podcasts, and transcripts are available on Patreon.
The most common greeting is 'Hallo' (hello), pronounced differently than in English. 'Guten Tag' (good day) is also common, especially in formal situations, and can be used all day. Remember to make eye contact and offer a firm handshake.
Some greetings are time-specific: 'Guten Morgen' (good morning), 'Guten Abend' (good evening), and 'Gute Nacht' (good night), which is used before bed. Don't worry about the grammatical rules for now, just focus on pronunciation and usage.
'Grüß Gott' is a regional greeting originating from Austria and used in Bavaria, Germany. The video also touches on unique German characters like 'ß' (double s) and umlauts, which will be explained in later videos.
'Grüezi' and 'Grüß dich' are informal greetings, with 'Grüezi' for formal and 'Grüß dich' for friends, both used in singular. 'Servus' is from Switzerland, used in southern Germany, meaning both hello and goodbye. 'Tschüss' is a common informal goodbye. 'Ciao' is also used, borrowed from Italian.
'Auf Wiedersehen' is a formal goodbye used across Germany. When on the phone, the appropriate farewell is 'Auf Wiederhören', as you cannot see the person.
'Bis bald' (see you soon) is commonly used among friends, with 'bald' pronounced with an 'ah' sound. Alternatives include 'Bis später' (see you later) and 'Bis dann' (until then).
The video summarizes all 13 greetings learned. Viewers are encouraged to re-watch and practice pronunciation. Additional resources like worksheets and video links are provided to further enhance learning and practice.