13 Ways to Say Good Morning in German
You’ve done your daily routine—you’ve made your bed, brushed your teeth and eaten Frühstück.
But no morning truly feels like one until you or someone else says so directly, with a friendly “Good morning!”
And depending on the social context and the German-speaking region you’re in, you may have to be selective about your first greeting of the day.
In this post, I’ll cover some of the more popular ways to say “good morning” in German, plus where you can expect to hear and use them!
Contents
- Guten Morgen – Good morning
- Guten Tag – Hello/good afternoon
- Moin – Hello
- Mojen – Morning
- Moagn – Morning
- Guete Morge – Good morning
- Morsche – Morning
- Einen wunderschönen guten Morgen – A good morning to you
- Hab einen schönen Tag – Have a great day
- Raus aus den Federn – Rise and shine
- Hast du gut geschlafen? – Did you sleep well?
- Grüß Gott – God bless
- Servus – Hello
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Guten Morgen – Good morning
Where it’s used: all of Germany
This may be one of the first German phrases you’ve ever learned. It’s the most standard German morning greeting that can be used anywhere.
It’s typical to greet someone with Guten Morgen before 10 a.m.—as you edge toward noon, you may want to use the next greeting on the list.
You can also say just Morgen in more informal situations (or if you feel a little too lazy to muster the Guten).
Guten Tag – Hello/good afternoon
Where it’s used: all of Germany
This phrase is works so long as the sun’s up and shining. You can use it when the hour is still in the a.m. zone, but it’s preferable to use it after 10 o’ clock and closer to or after noon.
To be more casual, you can simply say a quick Tag. You may also want to say Tach in northern Germany or even the cutesy Tagchen in Brandenburg and Saxony. These versions (which I greatly appreciate for their brevity) work when you’re greeting a friend or someone who is fine with informality.
Moin – Hello
Where it’s used: northwestern Germany, Hamburg
It doesn’t just resemble the sound effect of a bouncing cartoon character. Moin is a standard, casual greeting common in parts of northern Germany, such as Lower Saxony and Hamburg. It can be used in the afternoon and night, not just in the morning.
Locals may cheerfully say Moin Moin, which is more informal and friendlier in tone. You can also use Moinsen with your pals.
I’ll be honest, this is probably my favorite greeting of the list. I’m just waiting for the day to use it with a local!
Mojen – Morning
Where it’s used: Berlin
Berlin is the capital of Germany, and being such a large city filled with all kinds of people, it’s not surprising that there is such a thing as a Berlin dialect (known as Berlinerisch). Full of fun phrases and slang, this dialect is sometimes noted to be rather brusque and witty.
Mojen is a daytime greeting sometimes used by locals in the bustling metropolis. Being short and to the point, it’s likely favored by those busy folks who want to shoot a quick greeting while still moving along.
Moagn – Morning
Where it’s used: Austria
No, it’s not a typo. Austria has its own dialect, and Moagn is an Austrian pronunciation of Morgen!
It’s absolutely fine to say Morgen as well, although Moagn may help you fit in just a little bit more when you’re walking down those pleasant Austrian streets. (I used it often when I visited Vienna years ago, and it was always nice when a local responded positively to it!)
It’s a little challenging to say correctly. Make sure you drop the hard enunciation of the r in Morgen, so that your tongue wouldn’t form a curled position.
Guete Morge – Good morning
Where it’s used: Switzerland
Did you know that the most commonly spoken language in Switzerland is German? There’s a slight catch, though: the German used there is quite unique, enough to form a dialect known as Swiss German.
So it’s natural that the typical Swiss German way of saying “good morning” isn’t Guten Morgen. Guete Morge is what you’re more likely to hear, and it’s appropriate for both informal and formal contexts.
Pay attention to that first e in Guete—you’re not just saying Gute. I find that little e helps to make the whole phrase sound more sprightly than Guten Morgen. You can use this children’s song as a guide!
Local music and videos are a great way to learn how a language is used by native speakers every day. If you’re looking to practice with more grown-up content, FluentU offers authentic German-language music videos, TV show clips, news segments and more.
FluentU’s German language library includes videos in the Austrian and the Swiss accent in addition to regional German accents. All videos are enhanced with captions you can click on to learn more about any word in context.
Morsche – Morning
Where it’s used: west central Germany, the Rhine
This is a greeting common to parts of central Germany, particularly in the west where the unique Hessian dialect is used.
Morsche sounds very similar to the standard German word morsch, which means “brittle” or “derelict.” The difference in pronunciation is quite subtle, so I recommend you use this greeting in the regions where you know it will be understood.
Einen wunderschönen guten Morgen – A good morning to you
Where it’s used: all of Germany
A courteous and formal morning greeting, literally meaning “a beautiful good morning”. It’s certainly a mouthful—being the complete opposite of a morning person, I’d say it’s impressive if you have enough willpower to verbalize it so early in the day.
You may want to save it for when the mornings are especially lovely or when you want to be particularly gracious to whomever you’re greeting.
Hab einen schönen Tag – Have a great day
Where it’s used: all of Germany
After a pleasant exchange with someone and just before either of you take leave, it may be nice to throw in a Hab einen schönen Tag to end on a friendly note.
Notice that Hab is the imperative form of the verb haben (to have)!
You can also shorten it to say Schönen Tag noch , which literally means “Good day (yet).”
Raus aus den Federn – Rise and shine
Where it’s used: all of Germany
Literally meaning, “Out of the feathers”, this phrase may sound like a death knell to the groggy recipients who are content to lay in bed. It’s probably not a greeting that you should expect to be received warmly.
Regardless, if you’re the morning bird in the group, feel free to use this greeting (command, really) to rouse your friends and family members.
Hast du gut geschlafen? – Did you sleep well?
Where it’s used: all of Germany
A question that can get you rather mixed answers and moods (my answer would always be Nein, because good sleep is a stranger to me). But when asked genuinely, it can be a nice way to show your sympathy to someone right when the day is starting.
For friends, you can trim down the question to just “Gut geschlafen?”
Grüß Gott – God bless
Where it’s used: southern Germany, Austria, Bavaria
This curious greeting is common in the south, but if spoken anywhere else, it may cause some misinterpretation.
The full phrase from which Grüß Gott is derived from is Grüß dich Gott, which translates literally to “Greet God” but basically means “may God bless you.” The religious connotation stems from the history of Catholicism in the regions.
Nowadays, the phrase is more or less a casual greeting that equates to “good day” and is appropriate for most situations.
Servus – Hello
Where it’s used: southern Germany, Austria, Bavaria, Switzerland
This greeting is derived from the Latin servus, which a long time ago was used respectfully to mean “at your service.” Now, however, Servus as used by Germans has become an informal way to say hello or goodbye to someone.
So while it doesn’t strictly mean “good morning,” Servus is a common daytime greeting that may be used in place of other phrases.
“Good morning” phrases make up only a fraction of the vast pool of German greetings.
And although it may be only one or a few words long, that simple salutation can go a long way in making your (and someone else’s) day!
