If you are going to be in Germany for a considerable amount of time it’s obvious you will need to know some German. But mostly travellers or tourists going for a brief visit forget one of the most essential elements in planning their trip, Deutsch. If you’re going to Paris, “un peu de français” would be nice. Germany-bound travelers need to learn “ein bisschen Deutsch” (a little German). So what’s the minimum for a traveler bound for Germany.
Well, courtesy and politeness are valuable assets in any language. The basics must include “please,” “excuse me,” “sorry,” “thank you,” and “you are welcome.” But that’s not everything. Below, the phrasebook is having the basic yet most important German phrases for a traveller or tourist.
Deutsch (Pronunciation) English
ja / nein (yah/nine) Yes/no
bitte/danke (BIT-tuh/DAHN-kuh) Please/thanks
Bitte (BIT-tuh) You’re welcome
Gern geschehen (ghern guh-SHAY-un) You are welcome (for a favor)
Entschuldigen Sie! (ent-SHOOL-de-gen zee) Excuse me
Guten Tag! (GOO-ten tahk) Hello/Good day
Guten Morgen! (GOO-ten morgen) Good morning
Gute Nacht! (GOO-tuh nahdt) Good night
Auf Wiedersehen! (owf VEE-der-zane) Good bye
Ich heisse… (ich HYE-suh) My name is…
Ich bin… (ich bin) I am…
Haben Sie…? (HAH-ben zee) Do you have?
der Bahnhof (dare BAHN-hof) The train station
der Flughafen (dare FLOOG-hafen) The airport
These are some of the basic German words that as a tourist one should know beforehand while traveling to Germany. Though it is a good idea to go beyond this group of words. And if you are looking to learn more German words, then Hello-Hello Language on Go! is the right app for you to start learning and polish your German-speaking skills.