SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/de-guten-tag

How do you say a polite 'Hello' or 'Good day' to a stranger in German?

Guten Tag means good day and works for any stranger.

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  1. Guten Tag ✔
  2. Gute Nacht
  3. Auf Wiedersehen

Why: Guten Tag is the standard polite daytime greeting. Gute Nacht is only for bedtime and Auf Wiedersehen means goodbye. In Austria and southern Germany you will also hear Grüß Gott.

Huh, didn't know that: In Zürich and eastern Switzerland, the polite hello is Grüezi.

The dad joke
My boss told me to have a good day, so I left and went to the beach.
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References

Answer: Guten Tag. Guten Tag is the standard polite daytime greeting. Gute Nacht is only for bedtime and Auf Wiedersehen means goodbye. In Austria and southern Germany you will also hear Grüß Gott.

  1. Wiktionary: guten Tag en.wiktionary.org/wiki/guten_Tag
    hello; hullo; good day; good afternoon (greeting said when meeting or acknowledging someone)
    Checked 2026-10-10.
  2. Wiktionary: grüß Gott en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gr%C3%BC%C3%9F_Gott
    (Southern Germany, Austria) hello
    Checked 2026-10-10.
  3. Wiktionary: grüezi en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gr%C3%BCezi
    (polite, Zürich, eastern Switzerland) hello
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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