You are at a language exchange in Toronto, meeting new people and making plans for the weekend. In this session, you will practise saying hello and goodbye at different times of day, introducing yourself and asking someone's name, and inviting a friend to an activity. You will speak German aloud, respond to follow-up questions, and check your own clarity. The phrases you hear come from beginner lessons on greetings, introductions, and making plans, so you can focus on using them in conversation rather than memorizing new grammar.
Warm-up: Greet and respond
Start by saying a greeting that fits the time of day. If it is morning, use the phrase that means 'Good morning'. If it is afternoon, use the neutral daytime greeting. If it is evening, use the evening greeting. Then imagine someone replies and asks how you are. Answer with a short phrase and return the question. Do this three times with different times of day. Next, practise a farewell. If you are leaving a shop, use the polite goodbye. If you are leaving a friend at night before sleep, use the nighttime farewell. Say each greeting and farewell aloud twice, focusing on clear volume and a friendly tone. You can also practise asking how to say a phrase: use the question that means 'How do you say good morning in German?' This helps you get help in German without switching to English. Keep your responses short and natural; the goal is to build quick recall, not to produce long sentences.
Introduce yourself and ask for a name
When you meet someone new, you can give your name in two ways: the casual version and the slightly more formal version. Say both aloud. Then ask for the other person's name. Use the informal question with a peer, and the formal question with an older adult or someone in a professional setting. Practise a short exchange: greet, give your name, ask their name, and respond to their answer with a phrase that means 'Nice to meet you'. If they ask where you are from, answer with your city and then ask them the same. Notice that the verb changes depending on whether you use the informal or formal 'you'. For example, the informal question for 'What is your name?' uses a different verb form than the formal one. Say each version clearly. If you are unsure which form to use with a new colleague, you can start with the formal version and then follow their lead if they switch to informal. This is a common and polite strategy. Practise switching between the two forms without mixing them in the same question.
Invite someone and agree on a plan
To invite a friend, use the phrase that means 'Do you feel like doing something?' or ask if they have time on a specific day. Suggest an activity, such as going to the cinema. If they say yes, suggest a time. If they say it is too early, they might suggest a later time. Accept the new time and confirm the meeting point. Use the phrase that means 'Then we'll meet at eight in front of the cinema' to lock in the plan. If you need to decline an invitation, say the polite phrase that means 'I'm sorry, I can't.' You can add a reason, such as 'I already have plans.' Practise this sequence: invite, suggest a time, hear a counter-suggestion, accept, and confirm the details. Then switch roles and respond to an invitation. Pay attention to the word order when you confirm the plan; the time and place come after the verb. Say the full confirmation sentence aloud until it feels smooth. This will help you handle real social invitations with confidence.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Guten Morgen
Good morning
GOO-ten MOR-gen
Guten Tag
Good day / Hello
GOO-ten TAHK
Guten Abend
Good evening
GOO-ten AH-bent
Gute Nacht
Good night
GOO-te NAHKHT
Ich bin Ana.
I am Ana.
ikh bin AH-nah
Mein Name ist Ana.
My name is Ana.
mine NAH-muh ist AH-nah
Wie heißt du?
What is your name? (informal)
vee hyst doo
Wie heißen Sie?
What is your name? (formal)
vee HY-sen zee
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Guten Morgen, Frau Weber. Wie geht es Ihnen?
Good morning, Mrs. Weber. How are you?Guten Morgen. Danke, gut. Und Ihnen?
Good morning. Fine, thank you. And you?Auch gut, danke. Ich muss jetzt gehen. Auf Wiedersehen!
Also good, thanks. I have to go now. Goodbye!Auf Wiedersehen! Gute Nacht, wenn Sie schlafen gehen.
Goodbye! Good night, when you go to sleep.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 neighbour's door
It is 8:30 a.m. on a Tuesday. You open your front door to leave for work and see your neighbour, Frau Berger, collecting her newspaper. You have met once before but do not know her well. She looks up and smiles.
Your task: Greet her appropriately for the time of day and ask how she is, using the formal 'you'. Then respond to her answer and say you have to go. Use a polite farewell. Say everything aloud in German.
Introducing yourself to a new colleague
You are at a new job in Berlin. A colleague, Lukas, comes to your desk to introduce himself. He looks about your age and says, 'Hallo, ich bin Lukas.' You want to introduce yourself and ask his name, even though he just said it, as a way to practise. Then you want to ask where he is from.
Your task: Introduce yourself using the casual phrase. Ask his name using the informal question. Respond when he tells you his name with a phrase that means 'Nice to meet you'. Then ask where he is from. Say everything aloud in German.
Negotiating a cinema plan with a friend
You are chatting with your friend Mia on Saturday afternoon. You want to see a new film at the cinema. You know she likes going out. You suggest going to the cinema and ask if she has time on Saturday. She says she has time but suggests a time that is too early for you.
Your task: Invite Mia to the cinema on Saturday. Suggest a time. When she suggests an earlier time, say it is a bit early and propose a later time. Agree on the later time and confirm the meeting point in front of the cinema. Use the exact phrase from the lesson for the final confirmation. Say everything aloud in German.
Common questions
How do I know whether to use the informal or formal 'you' with someone new?
There is no single rule that covers every situation. Age alone does not decide it. In many workplaces, colleagues use the informal form with each other, but with customers or older strangers the formal form is safer. If you are unsure, start with the formal form and pay attention to how the other person addresses you. If they use the informal form, you can switch. If they continue with the formal form, keep using it. You can also ask, 'Können wir du sagen?' which means 'Can we use the informal you?' This is a common way to clarify.
What is a polite way to decline an invitation if I already have plans?
Use the phrase that means 'I'm sorry, I can't.' Then add a brief reason, such as 'I already have plans.' You can also say 'Unfortunately, I already have something planned.' If you want to suggest another time, you can add, 'Maybe next week?' This keeps the door open and shows you are interested. Practise saying the decline and the reason together so it sounds natural and not abrupt.
Sources and further reading
- german: hello and goodbyeChecked September 2026
- german: introduce yourselfChecked September 2026
- german: make plansChecked September 2026
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