German · Real conversations
How to respond to “Hallo!” in German
A greeting opens the exchange. Match the time and relationship, then add a small follow-up if you want to keep talking.
What you might hear
Hallo!
Hello!
Choose a reply that fits
Hallo!
Hello!
A simple greeting works in a brief encounter.
Guten Morgen.
Good morning.
Use a morning greeting during the morning.
Schön, dich zu sehen.
Nice to see you.
A warm choice when you already know the person.
Wie geht es dir?
How are you?
Invite a short check-in instead of ending with a greeting.
Two short exchanges
A brief greeting
Hallo!
Hello!
Hallo!
Hello!
Meeting someone you know
Guten Morgen!
Good morning!
Guten Morgen.
Good morning.
Your turn
Greet someone you already know and show that you are pleased to see them.
Reveal a sample reply
Schön, dich zu sehen.
Nice to see you.
This response guide in other languages
A note on speaking German
Use Sie for formal address and du with people you address informally. Könnten Sie …? is a useful polite request. Keep noun capitals and the verb position shown in each complete sentence.
The examples preserve German accents and ß. Read a full sentence before replacing a detail: a subordinate clause can move the verb to the end, and case can change an article or pronoun.
