Basic German Conversation Phrases

One of the major languages of the world, German is a native language to almost 100 million people worldwide and is spoken by a total of over 130 million people. It is the most spoken native language within the European Union. German is also widely taught as a foreign language, especially in Europe, where it is the third-most taught foreign language after English and French, and the United States. It is a West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Italian province of South Tyrol. It is also a co-official language of Luxembourg, Belgium and parts of southwestern Poland, as well as a national language in Namibia. German is the second most widely spoken Germanic language after English. The German-speaking countries are ranked fifth in terms of annual publication of new books, with one-tenth of all books (including e-books) in the world being published in German. The language has been influential in the fields of science and technology, where it is the second most commonly used scientific language and among the most widely used languages on websites.

There are many benefits of learning German. The country offers high-quality education to students who can speak German for an extremely low cost. Germany also has the fourth-highest GDP and a lot of German-based companies currently lead the business markets. Apart from these, Germany also attracts millions of tourists each year due to Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate and the Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom).

Hello – Hallo 

This should help you initiate conversations with others, or to simply participate in one.

Yes – Ja

Use this to firmly agree with someone or to express your ascent. 

No – Nein 

Use this to firmly disagree with someone or to express your descent. 

Excuse me – Entschuldigen Sie bitte

Use this when you wish to gain someone’s attention politely. 

Pardon me – Entschuldigung

When visiting a different country, remember to always be polite. 

I’m sorry – Es tut mir leid

Let’s hope you don’t have to use this, but use this if you need to apologise. 

I don’t understand – Das verstehe ich nicht

There can be times where you fail to understand what someone said, in such cases, use this to let them know. 

Thank you very much. – Vielen Dank.

Always be polite and express your gratitude. 

Do you speak English? – Sprechen Sie Englisch?

Since you’re only memorizing a few basic phrases, it’s helpful to find someone who speaks English. 

Repeat, please. – Bitte wiederholen.

There can be times where you fail to keep up with what someone said, in such a case, politely ask them to repeat. 

In my opinion, the above-mentioned phrases should help you whether you’re a tourist or a student shifting to Germany, or even if you’re on a business trip. Either way, these phrases should help you greet, initiate conversations, show gratitude, seek help, apologise or simply actively participate in a conversation held in German. Memorizing these phrases, should make your conversation with the German speakers much easier.

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