How to Talk About Yourself in German

Last Updated: March 7, 2023 Approved

Talking in German might seem harder than it really is. Focusing on some key expressions and phrases can go a long way when you're trying to communicate with a new German friend, or while you're traveling through Germany. Read on discover how to make a great impression in German.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Describing Yourself In German

1
Learn how to talk to people about your age and birthday.
- Ich bin_____Jahre alt - I'm _____ years old
- Ich bin am _____ 19_____ geboren - I was born on _____ 19_____
- Mein Geburtstag ist am _____ - My birthday is on _____
2
Talk about your height. The following are general statements about your height. Remember that Germans use the metric system, so if you'd like to be more precise, make sure to convert your height from feet to meters.
- Ich bin groß/klein - I'm tall/short
- Ich bin ziemlich groß/klein - I'm rather tall/short
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3
Tell people about your hair and eye color.
- Ich habe braune/blaue/grüne Augen - I have brown/blue/green eyes
- Ich habe braune/blonde/schwarze/rote Haare - I have brown/blond/black/red hair
4
Describe how you're feeling and some of your personality traits. Being able to say something more personal about yourself can form a connection to the person with whom you're speaking.
- Ich bin müde - I'm tired
- Mir ist kalt - I feel cold/I'm cold
- Mir ist warm - I feel warm/I'm warm
- Ich bin froh - I'm happy (about something)
- Ich bin traurig - I'm sad
- Ich bin nervös - I'm nervous
- Ich bin geduldig - I'm patient/I'm a patient person
- Ich bin ungeduldig - I'm impatient/I'm an impatient person
- Ich bin ruhig - I'm calm/I'm a calm person
- Ich bin unruhig - I'm anxious

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Describing Your Family In German

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Familiarize yourself with the vocabulary for each family member. You want to give your German acquaintances and friends a holistic view of yourself, and knowing how to talk about your immediate family can add a significant layer to it.^{[1]
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- Meine Mutter - My mother
- Mein Vater - My father
- Mein Bruder - My brother
- Meine Schwester - My sister
- Mein Mann - My husband
- Meine Frau - My wife
2
Talk about your family's physical and personal attributes. Here, you can use the same vocabulary that you previously used to describe yourself. If you're still a little uncomfortable with the language, simply use the following descriptions.
- Meine Mutter/Schwester/Frau ist groß/klein/nett - My mother/sister/wife is tall/short/nice
- Sie hat braune/blaue/grüne Augen - She has brown/blue/green/eyes
- Mein Vater/Bruder/Mann ist groß/klein - My father/brother/husband is tall/short
- Er hat braune/blaue/grüne Augen - He has brown/blue/green/eyes
- Meine Mutter/Schwester/Frau ist freundlich - My mother/sister/wife is friendly"
- Mein Vater/Bruder/Mann ist lustig - My father/brother/husband is funny

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Meeting People In German

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Greet someone politely, even if you know them well. Keep in mind that Germans tend to be more formal and polite than Americans, so it's better to air on the side of caution. Here are some appropriate ways to greet someone.^{[2]
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- Guten Tag - Hello (formal)/Good day
- Guten Abend - Hello (formal)/Good evening
- Hallo - Hello (informal)
2
Introduce yourself and ask questions to people with whom you're interacting. Remember to remain formal here, too, until you know someone well. Germans distinguish between the informal you and the formal one, so be sure to keep it in mind.^{[3]
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- Hallo, ich bin_______. Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen - Hello, I'm______. It's nice to meet you
- Wie heißen Sie? - What's your name?
- Wie geht es Ihnen? - How are you?
- Mir geht es gut, danke - I'm well, thank you
- Woher kommen Sie? - Where are you from?
- Ich komme aus_______. - I'm from _______
3
Always say good-bye when leaving a group of German speakers. As mentioned, Germans tend to pay close attention to formalities and you don't want to stick out in a negative way.^{[4]
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- Auf Wiedersehen - Good-bye (quite formal)
- Tschüß - Bye (rather informal)
- Bis bald - See you soon
4
Memorize some courteous expressions. Keep these short phrases in mind as they'll come in handy for various situations.^{[5]
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- Entschuldigung - Excuse me
- Ich möchte gern______ - I'd like to______
- Vielen Dank - Thank you very much
- Nein, danke - No, thank you
- Verzeihen Sie - Forgive me/excuse me (quite formal)
- Ja, gerne - Yes, I'd like that
- Natürlich - Of course
- Es tut mir leid - I'm sorry/I apologize

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Making Inquiries In German

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Learn how to ask for directions. We all know how important it is to know where, say the restroom is or the next train station. Remembering these standard questions can be a huge help.^{[6]
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- Wo ist die Toilette - Where's the restroom/bathroom
- Wo ist der Bahnhof - Where's the train station
- Wo ist die Bank - Where's the bank
- Wo ist das Krankenhaus? - Where's the hospital?
2
Know how to ask for help. This is particularly useful if you're traveling through German-speaking countries. Just knowing how to ask for the check, or where the restroom is, can make your trip or stay more pleasant.^{[7]
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- Sprechen Sie English - Do you speak English
- Die Rechnung bitte - The check please
- Könnten Sie mir bitte helfen - Could you please help me
3
Learn how to communicate an emergency. If you need urgent help, it can be useful to remember these phrases.^{[8]
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- Ich brauche dringend Hilfe - I need help urgently
- Ich brauche einen Krankenwagen - I need an ambulance
- Ich bin sehr krank - I'm very ill

Community Q&A

Question

How do I say "beautiful" in German?

Community Answer

"Beautiful" in German is "schön". If you want to address a man you say "schöner", for a lady you use "schöne" and for a thing "schönes". Use the appropriate articles (der, die, das).
Question

How do I say "You're welcome" in German?

Community Answer

The more conversational way to say "you're welcome" is "bitte". The word bitte can have a lot of meanings and can be used in many ways, but most often it is used as "you're welcome".
Question

How do I say, "I have two brothers, one sister"?

Community Answer

To say that you should say, "Ich habe zwei Brüder und eine Schwester." Pronounced: Ich habe ts-v-eye Br-oo-der unt eye-n-uh Sh-vest-er. Note that the "u" in Brüder has an umlaut, changing it to a plural.