Good evening in German · with audio

Good Evening in German: Guten Abend, Schönen Abend, and Guten Tag

Good evening

Guten Abend

Good evening in German is Guten Abend. You use it from about 6 pm, when you arrive somewhere, meet someone, or walk into a shop or restaurant. It is polite and a little formal, and it works with everyone.

Many learners also look for "good afternoon" in German, and the answer is simple: there is no separate phrase. Guten Tag (good day) covers the whole daytime, from late morning until the evening. The list below has the evening greetings, the daytime greetings that lead up to them, the replies, and audio for every phrase.

Ways to say good evening in German

Guten Abend is the greeting when you arrive. Schönen Abend is the wish when you leave. The daytime greetings are here too, because the moment when Guten Tag turns into Guten Abend confuses many learners.

German	English	Note
Guten Abend The standard evening greeting, from about 6 pm	Good evening	The standard evening greeting, from about 6 pm
'n Abend Clipped and casual. Common in northern Germany	Evening	Clipped and casual. Common in northern Germany
Guten Abend zusammen When you greet a group	Good evening, everyone	When you greet a group
Schönen Abend A farewell, not a greeting	Have a nice evening	A farewell, not a greeting
Schönen Abend noch Said when leaving, often by shop staff	Enjoy the rest of your evening	Said when leaving, often by shop staff
Schönen Feierabend Said to colleagues when leaving work	Enjoy your evening off	Said to colleagues when leaving work
Guten Tag Covers the whole daytime. German has no separate "good afternoon"	Good day, good afternoon	Covers the whole daytime. German has no separate "good afternoon"
Grüß Gott Southern Germany and Austria, any time of day	Hello, good day	Southern Germany and Austria, any time of day
Servus Bavaria and Austria, informal, any time of day	Hello or bye	Bavaria and Austria, informal, any time of day
Hallo Works at any hour when you do not want to think about the time	Hello	Works at any hour when you do not want to think about the time

How to reply to Guten Abend

The usual reply is the same greeting back. If someone wishes you a nice evening, you return the wish with Ebenfalls or Gleichfalls, both meaning "the same to you".

German	English	Note
Guten Abend Simply say it back	Good evening	Simply say it back
Ebenfalls / Gleichfalls The reply to Schönen Abend	The same to you	The reply to Schönen Abend
Danke, dir auch / Ihnen auch dir is informal, Ihnen is formal	Thanks, you too	dir is informal, Ihnen is formal

Example sentences

Guten Abend, haben Sie einen Tisch für zwei?
Good evening, do you have a table for two?
Guten Abend zusammen, schön, dass ihr da seid.
Good evening, everyone, nice that you are here.
Schönen Abend noch! Danke, gleichfalls.
Enjoy the rest of your evening! Thanks, the same to you.
Guten Tag, ich habe um 15 Uhr einen Termin.
Good afternoon, I have an appointment at 3 pm.
Ich wünsche Ihnen einen schönen Abend.
I wish you a nice evening.
Bis morgen und schönen Feierabend!
See you tomorrow and enjoy your evening off!

Good to know

The evening starts at about 6 pm

There is no fixed rule, but most Germans switch from Guten Tag to Guten Abend around 6 pm, or when it starts to get dark in winter. If you are not sure, Hallo is always safe.

Guten Abend is for arriving, Schönen Abend is for leaving

This is the mistake learners make most often. Guten Abend greets someone. Schönen Abend or Schönen Abend noch wishes them a nice evening as you leave. Saying Guten Abend on the way out sounds odd.

Gute Nacht is only for bedtime

Gute Nacht (good night) is what you say when someone is going to sleep. When you leave a restaurant or a party at 11 pm, say Schönen Abend noch, Tschüss, or Auf Wiedersehen, not Gute Nacht.

There is no "good afternoon" in German

English has good morning, good afternoon, and good evening. German has Guten Morgen until about 10 or 11, then Guten Tag until the evening. A direct translation like Guten Nachmittag exists in dictionaries, but nobody says it.

Pronunciation

Abend is AH-bent, with a long a and a final d that sounds like t. Guten is GOO-ten, and in fast speech the two words often merge into "GOO-tn AH-bnt". Press play on any phrase above to hear it.

Practice with flashcards

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do you say good evening in German?

Guten Abend. It is polite and works with everyone, in shops, restaurants, and with friends. From about 6 pm it replaces Guten Tag.

How do you say good afternoon in German?

German has no separate phrase for good afternoon. Guten Tag (good day) is used from late morning until the evening, so it is the right greeting for the afternoon.

What time do Germans start saying Guten Abend?

Around 6 pm. There is no strict rule, and in winter people often switch earlier when it gets dark. Before that, Guten Tag is the daytime greeting.

What is the difference between Guten Abend and Gute Nacht?

Guten Abend is a greeting when you meet someone in the evening. Gute Nacht is a farewell used only when someone is going to bed. You do not say Gute Nacht when leaving a restaurant.

What is the difference between Guten Abend and Schönen Abend?

Guten Abend means good evening and is said when you arrive. Schönen Abend means have a nice evening and is said when you leave. Schönen Abend noch adds "for the rest of the evening".

How do you reply to Guten Abend?

Say Guten Abend back. If someone says Schönen Abend, reply with Danke, gleichfalls or Danke, Ihnen auch (formal) or Danke, dir auch (informal).

Continue learning

Common German Phrases

Greetings, goodbyes, please and thank you, yes and no, and more, all with audio

German Phrases Flashcards

Drill the common phrases from English to German

Hello in German

Hello and Hi in German: Hallo, Guten Tag, and the Regional Greetings

Good morning in German

Good Morning in German: Guten Morgen, Morgen, and Moin

Thank you in German

Thank You in German: Danke, Danke schön, and Vielen Dank

Yes in German

Yes in German: Ja, Doch, Genau, and the Other Ways to Agree

No in German

No in German: Nein, Nicht, Kein, and the Casual Nee

You're welcome in German

You're Welcome in German: Bitte, Bitte schön, and Gern geschehen

How are you in German

How Are You in German: Wie geht's, Wie geht es dir, Wie geht es Ihnen

Goodbye in German

Goodbye in German: Auf Wiedersehen, Tschüss, and Bis bald

Cheers in German

Cheers in German: Prost, Zum Wohl, and Other Toasts

Please in German

Please in German: Bitte and Its Four Meanings

Good night in German

Good Night in German: Gute Nacht, Schlaf gut, and Sweet Dreams

Excuse me in German

Excuse Me in German: Entschuldigung, Entschuldigen Sie, and Verzeihung

Sorry in German

Sorry in German: Es tut mir leid, Entschuldigung, and How to Apologize

Welcome in German

Welcome in German: Willkommen and Herzlich willkommen

My name is in German

My Name Is in German: Ich heiße, Ich bin, and Mein Name ist

Happy birthday in German

Happy Birthday in German: Alles Gute zum Geburtstag and Herzlichen Glückwunsch

I love you in German

I Love You in German: Ich liebe dich, Ich hab dich lieb, and Mein Schatz