German for Keeping in Touch: Phrases That Keep Friendships Alive Over Time
Learn German phrases for maintaining long-term contact with friends, from casual check-ins to making concrete plans, with polite and regional variants.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
Keeping in touch is not the same as staying in constant contact. This lesson teaches German expressions for maintaining a friendship over months and years: checking in without pressure, showing you remember details, making concrete plans, and closing a conversation with a commitment to reconnect. You will practise the difference between vague politeness and sincere effort, and learn how German speakers often make future contact explicit rather than leaving it open.
By the end, you can…
- check in with a friend after a long gap without sounding demanding.
- make a concrete plan to meet again and confirm it.
- end a conversation with a sincere commitment to stay in touch.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Lass uns in Kontakt bleiben.
Let's stay in touch.
lahs uns in kon-TAKT BLY-ben
Standard, friendly, and suitable for friends, colleagues, or acquaintances. The 'du' form is implied; use 'Lassen Sie uns in Kontakt bleiben' with strangers or in formal contexts.
Melde dich mal wieder!
Get in touch again sometime!
MEL-duh dikh mahl vee-DER
Very common in casual German. It can sound like a genuine invitation or a polite closing; tone and context decide. In Austria and Bavaria you may also hear 'Meld dich mal wieder!'
Wie geht's dir denn so?
So how have you been?
vee gayts deer den zoh
Adds 'denn so' to show relaxed interest. Use after a greeting when you have not spoken in a while. With a formal 'Sie': 'Wie geht es Ihnen denn so?'
Wir sollten uns mal wieder treffen.
We should meet up again sometime.
veer ZOL-ten uns mahl vee-der TREF-en
A soft suggestion, not a firm plan. To make it concrete, add a time: 'Wie wäre es nächste Woche?'
Ich melde mich bei dir.
I'll get in touch with you.
ikh MEL-duh mikh by deer
A clear promise. In Swiss German, 'Ich melde mich bi dir' is standard; in Germany and Austria, 'bei dir' is usual.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Use 'Lass uns ...' to suggest shared action: 'Lass uns in Kontakt bleiben.' For a more concrete plan, combine it with a time or activity: 'Lass uns nächste Woche telefonieren.' With 'Sie', use 'Lassen Sie uns ...'. To soften a suggestion, use 'Wie wäre es, wenn ...?' — 'Wie wäre es, wenn wir uns im Juni treffen?' This pattern works in all German-speaking regions, though 'Lass uns' is more common in informal speech.
When to use it
Use check-in phrases like 'Melde dich mal wieder!' when you genuinely want to hear from someone but do not want to pressure them. Use 'Wir sollten uns mal wieder treffen' when you want to signal interest without fixing a date. If you actually intend to meet, be specific: 'Hast du am Freitag Zeit?' German speakers often appreciate directness here; vague plans can be read as polite but empty. For a sincere close, say 'Ich melde mich bei dir' and then follow through.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Hey, lange nichts gehört! Wie geht's dir denn so?
Hey, haven't heard from you in ages! So how have you been?hay, LANG-uh nikhts guh-HERT! vee gayts deer den zohGanz gut, danke! Stressig im Job, aber sonst läuft's. Und dir?
Pretty good, thanks! Work's been stressful, but otherwise it's going well. And you?gants goot, DAN-kuh! SHTRES-ikh im yop, AH-ber zonsht loyfts. unt deerAuch viel los, aber ich will mich nicht beschweren. Wir sollten uns mal wieder treffen.
Lots going on too, but I don't want to complain. We should meet up again sometime.owkh feel lohs, AH-ber ikh vil mikh nikht buh-SHVAIR-en. veer ZOL-ten uns mahl vee-der TREF-enJa, gerne! Wie wäre es nächste Woche? Ich melde mich bei dir.
Yes, gladly! How about next week? I'll get in touch with you.yah, GAIR-nuh! vee VAIR-uh es NAYKS-tuh VOKH-uh? ikh MEL-duh mikh by deerA little context goes a long way
In German-speaking countries, 'Melde dich mal wieder!' is often a friendly closing rather than a firm request; whether it is sincere depends on tone and relationship. Directness is generally valued: if you want to meet, naming a day or week is seen as respectful, not pushy. Regional differences are small here, but Swiss German tends to use 'bi dir' instead of 'bei dir', and Austrian German often uses 'Meld dich mal wieder!' without 'melde'.
One thing to watch for
Using 'Lass uns in Kontakt bleiben' with a formal acquaintance or a superior.
Try this instead: With 'Sie', say 'Lassen Sie uns in Kontakt bleiben' or, more naturally, 'Wir bleiben gerne in Kontakt.' Example: 'Es war schön, Sie kennenzulernen. Wir bleiben gerne in Kontakt.'
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you make a concrete plan with a friend using 'Lass uns' plus a time?
Show a sample answer
Lass uns nächste Woche telefonieren.
This uses the 'Lass uns' pattern with a specific time. 'Lass uns am Freitag telefonieren' is also correct if you name a day.
2What is a polite way to end a conversation with a promise to reconnect, using 'Ich melde mich'?
Show a sample answer
Ich melde mich bei dir.
This is a clear, friendly promise. 'Ich melde mich bei Ihnen' is the formal version; 'Ich rufe dich an' is also valid but focuses on calling rather than general contact.
3How do you check in with someone you have not spoken to in a while, using 'Wie geht's dir denn so'?
Show a sample answer
Hey, lange nichts gehört! Wie geht's dir denn so?
This combines a friendly observation with a relaxed question. 'Wie geht es dir?' without 'denn so' is also correct but slightly more neutral.
Keep in touch in German by being specific: use 'Lass uns ...' for suggestions, name a time if you mean it, and close with 'Ich melde mich bei dir' only if you intend to follow through.
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