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Vocabulary9 min read

50 Everyday German Conversation Starters for Beginners (A1–A2)

M
Michael Klein
Aug 31, 2026

Nothing kills a conversation faster than not knowing what to say next. Bookmark this list — every phrase here is something you can genuinely use in your very first practice session.

Greetings

  • Hallo! – Hello!
  • Guten Morgen / Tag / Abend – Good morning / day / evening
  • Wie geht es dir? – How are you? (informal)
  • Mir geht es gut, danke. Und dir? – I'm good, thanks. And you?
  • Schön, dich kennenzulernen. – Nice to meet you.

Introducing yourself

  • Ich heiße... – My name is...
  • Ich komme aus... – I come from...
  • Ich lerne seit ... Deutsch. – I've been learning German for...
  • Was machst du beruflich? – What do you do for work?
  • Wie alt bist du? – How old are you? (fine among learners, less so as an icebreaker with strangers)

Keeping a conversation going

  • Was hast du heute gemacht? – What did you do today?
  • Was machst du gern in deiner Freizeit? – What do you like doing in your free time?
  • Erzähl mir mehr davon! – Tell me more about that!
  • Das ist interessant! – That's interesting!
  • Wirklich? Warum? – Really? Why?
  • Ich auch! / Ich nicht. – Me too! / Not me.

When you get stuck

  • Wie sagt man ... auf Deutsch? – How do you say ... in German?
  • Kannst du das bitte wiederholen? – Can you repeat that, please?
  • Kannst du langsamer sprechen, bitte? – Can you speak more slowly, please?
  • Ich verstehe nicht ganz. – I don't quite understand.
  • Moment, ich muss nachdenken. – One moment, I need to think.

Everyday small talk

  • Wie ist das Wetter heute? – How's the weather today?
  • Hast du schon gegessen? – Have you eaten yet?
  • Wie war dein Wochenende? – How was your weekend?
  • Was sind deine Pläne für heute? – What are your plans for today?
  • Bist du müde? – Are you tired?

Agreeing, disagreeing, and reacting

  • Genau! – Exactly!
  • Stimmt. – That's right.
  • Das finde ich auch. – I think so too.
  • Das sehe ich anders. – I see it differently.
  • Kein Problem. – No problem.
  • Macht nichts. – It's fine / never mind.

Ending a conversation

  • Es war schön, mit dir zu sprechen. – It was nice talking with you.
  • Bis bald! – See you soon!
  • Wir sollten das mal wiederholen. – We should do this again sometime.
  • Tschüss! / Auf Wiedersehen! – Bye! / Goodbye!

You don't need all 50 memorized before your first conversation — just pick five and use them. The rest will stick once you've heard and said them a few times in a real session. That's exactly what our A1 and A2 rooms are built for — low-pressure practice with people at your exact level.