You already know some German words, but at work or at a meetup the first minutes feel awkward: someone says Na? or Was geht? and you freeze. This session gives you a concrete plan for the three moves that matter most in casual work settings: greeting someone informally, introducing yourself with your name, city and one interest, and asking open-ended questions about where someone lives and what they do. You will rehearse all of it out loud, using the exact phrases from the lesson, so that the words are ready before the moment arrives.
Prepare three short building blocks before the conversation
Instead of memorising long sentences, prepare three small blocks you can combine in any order. Block one is a greeting: Hallo! is the safe all-purpose choice, Hey! is casual and friendly at any time of day, and Morgen! works in the morning with people you already know. Block two is your self-introduction: Ich bin plus your name, then Ich komme aus plus your country, then Ich wohne in plus your city. Block three is one interest with gern, for example Ich wandere gern or Ich lese gern. Say each block aloud ten times until it comes out without translation. Then practise chaining them: Hallo! Ich bin Sam, ich komme aus Kanada und ich wandere gern. Because the verb stays in second position and gern follows the verb, the sentence holds together even when you swap the activity. Keep a written card with only the three block starters, not full scripts, so you learn to build rather than recite.
Handling the moment when the other person talks too fast
The real challenge is not your own sentence; it is the reply. A German-speaking colleague may answer your question with a stream of casual speech, and Na? or Was geht? can sound like a single blur. Prepare one repair phrase you can say calmly: repeat the key word you did catch as a question, for example Adresse? or beruflich?, with rising intonation. This shows you are listening and buys you time. If the whole turn was too fast, say you are still learning and ask them to repeat more slowly. Then answer with a short block of your own rather than a long explanation. A useful rhythm is: short answer, then Und du? or Und Sie? to return the question and shift attention back. If the topic turns to age or address and you would rather not answer, you can give a general answer such as Ich wohne in plus your city or neighbourhood and move to a safer topic like work or hobbies. Practise this recovery out loud, because a calm repair sounds far more fluent than a perfect sentence delivered in panic.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Hallo!
Hello!
HAH-loh
Hey!
Hey!
hay
Na?
Hey, what's up?
nah
Was geht?
What's up? / How's it going?
vahs gayt
Ich bin Alex.
I'm Alex.
ikh bin AH-leks
Ich komme aus Kanada.
I'm from Canada.
ikh KOM-uh ows KAH-nah-dah
Ich wohne in Berlin.
I live in Berlin.
ikh VOH-nuh in ber-LEEN
Ich wandere gern.
I like hiking.
ikh VAN-duh-ruh gairn
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Hey, was geht?
Hey, what's up?Nicht viel, und dir?
Not much, and you?Auch okay. Morgen, alles gut?
Also okay. Morning, everything good?Ja, alles gut. Bis später!
Yes, all good. See you later!Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Morning greeting at a shared office kitchen
It is 8:30 a.m. You are making coffee in the kitchen of a co-working space. A colleague you have chatted with twice before walks in and says Morgen!
Your task: Greet them back informally, then introduce yourself in one breath: your name, the country you come from and one activity you like, using gern. Say it aloud at a relaxed pace, then ask one open-ended question about where they live.
First meeting at an evening language meetup
You join a small table at an evening meetup. A person your age turns to you and says Hey, was geht? The room is noisy and you only catch part of their next sentence.
Your task: Reply with the source phrase Nicht viel, und dir? Then give your name and city, and ask about their job with Was machst du beruflich? Speak clearly enough to be heard over the background noise.
Small talk after a team lunch
After a team lunch, a colleague you know only slightly stays behind and asks Wo wohnst du? You are not comfortable sharing your exact street, but you are happy to talk about your neighbourhood and your work.
Your task: Answer with your city or neighbourhood only, then redirect to a safe topic by asking Was machst du beruflich? or describing one interest with gern. Keep your answer to two short sentences.
Common questions
Should I use du or Sie with colleagues I have just met?
Start with Hallo and watch how they address you. If they use du and your first name, mirror that. If they use Sie and a surname, stay formal and use Und Sie? instead of Und du?.
What if I only remember Hallo and nothing else?
That is enough to begin. Say Hallo, then your name with Ich bin, and let the other person carry the next turn. You can add one more block, such as Ich komme aus, once you feel settled.
Is it rude to ask Wie alt bist du at work?
Among friends and younger people it is common, but with someone you barely know the formal Wie alt sind Sie? or a softener like Darf ich fragen, wie alt Sie sind? is safer. You can also simply not ask and let them volunteer it.
Sources and further reading
- german: greet friends casuallyChecked September 2026
- german: introduce yourself sociallyChecked September 2026
- german: ask basic personal questionsChecked September 2026
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