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A photo of Berlin, Germany by H.Helmlechner –

10 Very useful Phrases you need to know before traveling to Germany

German is a  language family, mainly spoken in Central Europe. German is one of the major languages of the world. It is the most widely spoken native, official or co-official language in continental Europe for example in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Italian province of South Tyrol.

It is also a co-official language of Luxembourg and Belgium, as well as a national language in Namibia. German is most similar to other languages within the West Germanic language branch, including Afrikaans, Dutch, English, the Frisian languages, Low German, Luxembourgish, Scots, and Yiddish.

The German language has been influential in the fields of philosophy, theology, science, and technology. It is the second most commonly used scientific language and among the most widely used languages on websites.

The German-speaking countries are ranked fifth in terms of annual publication of new books, with one-tenth of all books in the world being published in German.

German is an inflected language, with four cases for nouns, pronouns, and adjectives (nominative, accusative, genitive, dative); three genders (masculine, feminine, neuter); and two numbers (singular, plural).

It has strong and weak verbs. The majority of its vocabulary derives from the ancient Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family.

Only a smaller share is partly derived from Latin and Greek, along with fewer words borrowed from French and Modern English. In the article are ten very useful Phases you need to know before traveling to Germany.

1. Guten Tag

Belntis amusement park photo, German by Wolkenkratzer –

When you are in the land of beer and sausages, always wish your environment mates a good morning. Guten Tag means Good morning. When you say ‘good morning’, you are not only greeting the person but also wishing them well for the day.
This helps to improve communications and the overall atmosphere of the people you just mate in Germany. A ‘good morning’ acknowledges the presence of people around you and makes them feel welcome to be around you.

2. Sprechen Sie Englisch?

A photo of an young woman in Eastern Berlin Street, Germany by Adam Jones, Ph. D –

Sprechen Sie Englisch? in German means Do you speak English? This is a common approach that is used in different settings. If you happen to be visiting Japan, you will use the Japanese language to ask if someone speaks English. If you are in China you’ll use Mandarin to ask someone if he speaks English.

Therefore, If you are planning to visit German, you’ll use the German language to ask your guide if he or she speaks English. Take note that, If you know how to ask in German if someone can speak in English, you should use German to ask.

3. Wie heißt du?

Wie heißt du? means What’s your name? It would be polite to state your name first. A person’s name connects to their identity and their individuality. Using someone’s name and remembering shows a greater connection between you and that person.

So, when you visit Germany, get as many names from people you meet as possible. Use Wie heißt du? when asking for names and a miracle of fitting into almost all people you meet around will happen to you.

4. Nett, Sie kennen zu lernen

A photo of Bonn City, Germany by Mattias Zeppr –

Nett, Sie kennen zu lernen means nice to meet you. When you meet a new person and you feel it was worth it meeting that person in Germany, you need to show your sincerity. You will need to acknowledge that person by just a word of mouth. Just tell him or her, Nice to meet you.

5. Wie komme ich zu …?

Wie komme ich zu …? means how can I get to …? If you get lost in Germany and don’t know how you are going to implement your next plans as per your diary, don’t panic You need to ask for directions instead. People in Germany are friendly they can’t abandon you when you need their help.

6. Gibt es ein Restaurant in der Nähe?

Dresden, Germany photo by Bgabel –

Gibt es ein Restaurant in der Nähe? means Is there a restaurant nearby? If you get to be angry, don’t starve yourself to death. You are new to the place but you can’t ignore your body. Food is a basic need! Ask for a restaurant by saying, “Gibt es ein Restaurant in der Nähe?”

7. Ich heiße …

Ich heiße … means My name is …. You are new to German. We said that you introduce your name first. For instance, I am a tourist in Germany. I’ve met a new lady as my guide. As a gentleman, I will start our conversation with greetings, and then I will introduce myself as Ich heiße Brian(My name is Brian)

8. Wie viel kostet das?

A photo of Stuttgart Germany by Jorge Francanillo –

Your trip to Germany will not be cost-free. You have to use the money to make your trip memorable. However, you must be aware of the cost to be implementing your plan as per your diary.  Wie viel kostet das? in English means How much does this cost?

9. Kann ich mit EC-Karte / Kreditkarte zahlen?

You have to know the cost of every plan in your diary. You have access to two payment methods: Credit card and Debit card. However, you are not sure which payment method is required.

You will use the phrase Kann ich mit EC-Karte / Kreditkarte zahlen? meaning (Do you take Credit Cards/Debit Cards)

10. Ich bin zum ersten Mal hier

A photo of Leipzig, Germany by Heribert Pohl –

Ich bin zum Ersten Mal hier means this is my first time here. This phrase is just but a response. Therefore if answers an already posed question that goes by, “How many times have you been to Germany?”

Being able to communicate always also means being able to connect. Speaking even some German will open many cultural doors for you. Grammar alone won’t teach you how the language is used by the 229 million German speakers worldwide, so it’s a good idea, to begin with, simple phrases. German is a language with some tricky parts, but the basic conversational building blocks are a great place to start.