Essential German phrases

The words that make your first weeks in Berlin smoother — with pronunciation you can actually say.

Greetings

Hallo
HAH-loh
Hello
Guten Tag
GOO-ten tahk
Good day (formal hello)
Tschüss
chooss
Bye (casual)
Danke schön
DAHN-kuh shurn
Thank you very much

Daily life

Bitte
BIT-tuh
Please / you are welcome
Entschuldigung
ent-SHOOL-di-goong
Excuse me / sorry
Was kostet das?
vass KOSS-tet dass
How much is that?

Food

Ein Bier, bitte
ine beer BIT-tuh
A beer, please
Die Rechnung, bitte
dee REKH-noong BIT-tuh
The bill, please
Ich hätte gern einen Kaffee
ikh HET-tuh gairn INE-en KAH-fay
I would like a coffee

Work

Termin
tair-MEEN
Appointment (you will need many)
Feierabend
FY-er-ah-bent
End of the workday / clocking off

Social

Prost!
prohst
Cheers!

Emergency

Hilfe!
HIL-fuh
Help!

Actually learn to speak Berlin’s language

Globe Quest drills these with spaced repetition and a patient AI tutor you can practice with by voice — a few minutes a day. Free to start.