The right greeting opens doors in Austria — and the wrong one closes them. Here are the most important formulas:
Greeting
| Expression | Usage |
|---|
| Grüß Gott! | Standard greeting, suitable everywhere, not meant religiously |
| Guten Morgen / Guten Tag | Formal, more in business contexts |
| Servus! | Informal, among friends and acquaintances. Can be used for both greeting AND farewell |
| Hallo! | Considered "federal German," but increasingly accepted |
| Griaß di! / Griaß eich! | Dialectal for "Greetings to you / Greetings to you all," friendly-informal |
| Küss die Hand! | Traditional (man to woman), today often ironic or charmingly old-fashioned |
| Mahlzeit! | Greeting around lunchtime (approx. 11:30–13:30), especially in the office |
Farewell
| Expression | Usage |
|---|
| Auf Wiederschauen! | Standard (NOT "Auf Wiedersehen" — that sounds northern German) |
| Baba! | Informal, friendly (Viennese) |
| Pfiat di! / Pfiat eich! | "God bless you" — heartfelt, rural, warm |
| Servus! | Always works — greeting and farewell in one |
| Tschüss! | Understood, but considered northern German |
Politeness Formulas
- "Bitte" — in Austria, it has an extended meaning: It not only means "please," but also "here you go" (when handing over something) and "pardon?" (like "Excuse me, what did you say?")
- "Dankeschön" / "Vergelt's Gott" — "Vergelt's Gott" is the traditional, warmer form of thanks
- "Entschuldigung" / "Entschuldigen Sie" — polite, universally applicable
- "Geh bitte!" — does NOT mean "please go away," but expresses incredulous astonishment: "Oh come on!" / "You can't be serious!"
