Ready to say hello in German and introduce yourself with confidence? In this A1 guide, you’ll learn the most common greetings, how to ask and tell names, where you're from, and a few polite small-talk phrases. We’ll keep it practical, add cultural tips, and give you short exercises right after each concept so you can use it immediately.

Essential greetings you’ll use every day

German has easy, friendly greetings you can use anytime, plus more formal options for workplaces and shops.

• Informal: great for friends, classmates, and relaxed situations
• Neutral/formal: safe for speaking to strangers, staff, or in professional settings
• Regional gems: fun extras you’ll hear in different parts of Germany

Asking and telling names

Two super common patterns:

• Ich heiße + Name (I am called…)
• Ich bin + Name (I am…)

Both are fine in introductions. In formal settings, prefer “Ich heiße …” or include your family name.

Ich Lara.

Where you’re from, where you live, and languages

These patterns will cover most small talk:

• Ich komme aus + Land (I come from + country)
• Ich wohne in + Stadt (I live in + city)
• Ich spreche + Sprache(n) (I speak + language(s))

Ich aus Berlin.

Ich in Hamburg.

Ich Spanisch und Deutsch.

Ich habe 25 Jahre. → Ich bin 25 Jahre alt. To say your age in German, use “sein” (to be) + Jahre alt, not “haben.”

Small talk: “How are you?” and polite responses

Use these simple, high-frequency phrases:

• Wie geht’s? (informal) / Wie geht es Ihnen? (formal)
• Gut, danke. Und dir? / Und Ihnen? (I’m well, thanks. And you?)
• Nicht schlecht. (Not bad.)
• Es geht. (So-so.)
• Freut mich! (Nice to meet you!)

Wie bist du? → Wie geht’s (dir)? Use “Wie geht’s?” (How’s it going?) to ask about well-being, not “Wie bist du?”

Mini-conversation practice

Reorder the lines to make a natural introduction. Pay attention to greetings, name, origin, polite closing.

Quick recap

• Greetings: Hallo (informal), Guten Tag (neutral), Guten Morgen/Abend, Tschüss (bye), Auf Wiedersehen (formal), Gute Nacht (night)
• Names: Ich heiße… / Ich bin…; ask with Wie heißt du?/Wie heißen Sie?
• Origin & residence: Ich komme aus…; Ich wohne in…
• Languages: Ich spreche…
• Polite small talk: Wie geht’s?/Wie geht es Ihnen? Gut, danke. Und dir/Ihnen?

Keep practicing these patterns aloud. Try introducing yourself to a classmate or record yourself: greet, say your name, where you’re from and live, what languages you speak, and close politely.

Du schaffst das! (You’ve got this!)