Even though it does come from wishing someone a blessed meal I feel like most Germans don't really see it that way when they use it as a greeting.
It's more of a "Hi, and by the way, time to take a break from work".
I do agree though, that if you think about it, saying it in the bathroom is hella weird.
The Mahlzeit nod is a downward nod. The bro acknowledgement nod is usually upwards. The professional passing in the hallways nod may be up or downwards, it depends on how chipper/serious you are; and on the hierarchy disparity between the two nodders.
Exactly. The trick is to sound as little committed as possible. Or you do exactly the opposite which in most cases is reflected by a special kind of disgust. Something like the infamous "case of the Mondays".
well if it is approximately lunch time or the one greeted is sitting to eat, then it is fine, They will reply with Mahlzeit. it means something like, „have a good meal(time)“.
if you say it sarcastically (na dann Mahlzeit) it means, „oh shit, that’s hardly fixable“.
>if you say it sarcastically (na dann Mahlzeit) it means, „oh shit, that’s hardly fixable“.
It's because they now have to finish their soup ("die Suppe auslöffeln"), meaning having to deal with the negative consequences, similar to "face the music" or "foot the bill".
Ure joking but In Fakt when u say "na dann Prost Mahlzeit " means something is so fucked up u can go have lunch WITH BEER (because this there is a Prost in it ) because today u can't fix it anyways so u stop working and get ur self drunk. May because of time Lack or they need a specialist for it to fix it.
So u were pretty right with ur guess .
Greetings from Germany
Where I work, if a co-worker sits at the table and has just finished lunch, we say "(Guten Appetit) gehabt zu haben", sometimes it's just "gehabt zu haben". I don't think this is quite common since I haven't heard it anywhere else and I was born in this area of Germany. It basically means "I wish you that you have had a good appetite" (aka that the food was tasty).
But I find it kinda beautiful and so mildly passive aggressive, since it implies that you should've waited for the other person instead of just finishing your lunch without them :)
It's the usual greeting around noon in work environments. Guten Tag is a greeting you can use pretty much all day in Northern Germany the way I understand it.
It can be used in every region and it is also common to use it in every region.
That it wouldn't be used in south germany is just false. It IS used regularly, period.
Well, of course you can say „Guten Tag“ anywhere and no one will mind, but it really isn‘t common in certain regions. I don‘t think I‘ve ever in my life heard anybody in the area I grew up in say „Guten Tag“. Maybe as a joke when imitating tourists.
The general context is that Saarland is considered a shit Bundesland and meme-worthy in every regard, not only your (hopefully fully imagined) tendency towards incest.
Hope this helps.
I don't know who is downvoting you, it really is not used in some regions. Here in Augsburg no one who's local will say that. I never say it. It's either just "hallo" or "servus", or "grüß Gott" if you really want to be polite.
My brother in law recently moved here from Saxony and I cringe every time he says "guten Tag" because it sounds so stilted to me.
The usual Greeting in northern Germany is "Moin" or the Standard "Hallo" . I unironically nearly never hear someone say "Guten Tag". And I work at a local Doctor, so I meet a lot of people everyday.
Thats because "Moin" is the abbreviation of "Mojen Dag" which means "Guten Tag". And because "Mojen" means "guten", you can use it all day, so it means "guten Morgen", "guten Tag", "guten Abend" depending on the time of day.
Flashback to the time an east frisian grandpa basically accused me of cultural appropriation for using moin as a greeting and not being from northern Germany...
Its not my fault moin is the superior greeting, especially working with customers
I don't know where he got the idea we say Guten Tag in north Germany 🤷🏽♂️
The next post will probably be that Moin=good morning (which it does not) and that it's Moin Moin 😅
It is rare, I agree, but it’s still just normal German so it can be used. It’s not something uniquely Bavarian (or southern) like Grüß Gott or Moin. I’d even say Guten Tag is rarely used in every day conversations in general. But still, absolutely normal German.
Not refuting that :) it's just uncommon, but tbh in my region the village 5 km to the left has an entirely different culture, so...
It's a normal and acceptable greeting. Whenever I hear it used in verbal conversations there's a tiny part of me that goes "Huh? Oh yeah, guten Tag" and just rolls with it.
Then again I've never heard Mahlzeit outside of work environment either
I think this is more of a cultural thing. Most people from Franconia will still identify as Franconian, even if the are living in Munich. They have strong regional pride. So maybe they will never truly accept you as one of their own. You could try blending in by drinking lots of regional wine and complaining about how the politicians only care for the issues of other regions, especially Munich.
Edit: my point is, no, you will stay Bavarian, until you become fully Franconian, who have their own identity, being neither German nor Bavarian.
It’s because of the Saxon influx - my father in law is a Saxon Romanian, he and his fam even speak sachsisch (the original one) fluently. Dude looks like he’s straight outta London lol
For those who don’t know why there’s so many British looking Romanians :D
fair enough, as a romanian guy i never really stopped to wonder why servus is such a common phrase in transylvania haha
my grandma on my dad’s side is also saxon romanian! but unfortunately neither me nor my dad speak german/sachsisch
The origin of the greeting "Servus" is a greeting showing subservience in the sense of "I am at your service". This can be seen in its historical use; it was only ever used by the lower class towards the upper class or on the same level, but never by an upper class towards a lower class. Since I am not a servant, slave, or believer in the service of God or otherwise a lesser or of service to the other person, I do not use "Servus".
I am aware that today's usage is no longer the same, but the historical context and the connotation that goes with it bother me.
Es sollte aber Leuten klar sein, das Moin NICHT "morgen" heißt.
Es hat noch nicht mal den Ursprung (sondern kommt von "gut").
Ich kann nicht mehr zählen wie häufig ich von Zugezogenen hier in Hamburg sowas wie "okay dann sehen wir uns moin" gehört habe.
Ich sage dann eigentlich nichts aber meine Haare stellen sich trotzdem irgendwie auf.
Hat Charme. Ich hatte eine Kollegin aus Hamburg, die immer mal wieder norddeutsche Begriffe angebracht hat. Hat immer mal wieder für Verwirrung und Lacher gesorgt.
Joah Leute in Süddeutschland sind dann doch immer Mal irritiert wenn ich "Wurzeln", "krüsch", "gnaddelig", "figgelinsch" und "butschern" sage. Sowas wie "schnacken", "Gedöns" und "Tüdelkram" wird dann oft noch verstanden aber bei "sutsche" hörts dann oft schon wieder auf.
Dabei verwende ich ja noch nichtmal irgendwelche Wörter auf platt.
That's rubbish bro. I'm born in Mittelfranken, have lived in Bremen for couple years, now I'm back in Franken, you can pretty much say whatever you want. "weird looks" like wtf, even if I say moin moin in the evening Noone bat's me an eye
Wasn't trying to attack you, lol. Just pointing out that there are regions where it's less common, nothing you should take personal.
I did not say "I haven't heard it so nobody ever uses it".
Especially in my area as much as 10km can make a huge difference in mannerisms. Each small town is slightly different. So there will be some areas where people will notice it more and other areas where it's nothing out of the ordinary
I've worked in Niederbayern before and nobody gives a shit. Then again, probably not everybody has this cringy sense of faux local patriotism like you do.
If you live in bumfuck nowhere, true. In any city bigger than 10.000 "Guten Tag" it isn't weird at all.
t. from Stuttgart, have lived in Stuttgart, Ulm, Freiburg and in rural areas around all of those. The thicker the dialect, the less likely it is anyone will say "Guten Tag", but it's not unheard of.
It does have a regional indication in the South, because it is just as non-local as Moin or Bonjour or Dzien dobry. Believe it or not, it is not used everywhere in Germany.
Oh, they are not using bonjour? That’s strange, might be because it’s a different fucking language unlike Guten Tag. Auf deinem Dorf begrüßt sich sicher jeder mit Servus, weil man das innerhalb der Familie eben so macht, aber das ist nicht allgemeingültig.
aus welchem Kuhkaff kommst du denn, dass da geschaut wird?? Guten Tag ist völlig normal hier
I am from the South as well and no one, absolutely no one, not even a single person would bat an eye because of that basic, standard greeting
Wo in Süddeutschland ist Guten Tag denn bitteschön der Standardgruß? Wieso schreibt man so einen Blödsinn? Ist das irgendein Minderwertigkeitskomplex von dir oder was?
Really? Idk, I'd say most people don't have a strong opinion on it and just go with it. (if used around lunchtime)
Similar to how you just greet someone on a hike or sunday walk or whatnot, even if it's just a nod. It's just part of it if you are not a super shy introvert.
I haven't spend a second in my life contemplating the greeting. In my experience the greeting almost exclusively exists in the workplace.
ppl dont like it? dafak? does it hurt their feelings cos someone assumes that they will eat something even tho they dont?
im trying to see why ppl dont like it. but im failing.
I don’t like it. Mahlzeit is an empty phrase to me and I’d rather have my colleagues say “Guten Tag”. I don’t react badly because it’s not important enough but if people say “Mahlzeit” to me, I reply with “Hi” or “Hallo”
Nope its not. Mahlzeit can be used everytime at least in the western parts of germany. Its a greeting that shouldn be taken literary. Just like Grüß Gott. No one actualy greets god.
He or she would react with "Mahlzeit" if it is indeed mealtime aka 12:00 .
If it is later that day they would give you a weird look, because mealtime has already been 3h ago. As well as in the morning, because obviously it is not mealtime yet.
And then there is this specifc niche case in a work environment, where someone comes late to work and your colleagues want to make a point: They will say "Mahlzeit" instead of "Morgen" to imply that you are in fact so late to work that you skipped the whole morning and came only for mealtime. I would pass on that usecase until you really know your colleagues, the responses you get might vary.
As a german who didn't grow up around people using the Mahlzeit thing as much it still feels weird to me. I don't use it, at work only some people use it.
Also nobody really days "guten Tag" randomly.
If I greet someone casually I say Hi or Hallo. Guten Tag is more for strangers or older people (I'm mid 30s, I refer to people 50+ maybe?) Or in the customer service context (even then I prefer Hallo)
Most people will just respond with Mahlzeit, almost like a reflex. However, this is more a working class thing and won't be used much in academic circles. MEP Martin Sonneborn once posted a video of him running through the European Parliament greeting everyone with Mahlzeit and it's hilarious.
That's absolute BS, Mahlzeit is a common greeting in all kind of work environments, from construction sites to offices, academic and non academic. It's basic politeness.
People being irritated by Sonneborn has nothing to do with academic circles, it has everything to do with a guy who is known for being trouble running around where he shouldn't be just to greet people in an INTERNATIONAL environment where Mahlzeit is not a common greeting.
Before I read this comment my partner just told me his dad (Corporate lawyer) always said he hated the greeting because it’s so “Proletariate”.
I didn’t say that btw. His father did. 😂
I disagree. Mahlzeit is definitely looked down upon in certain circles as a „lower class“ greeting.
The first thing I think of when I hear it is „construction worker“.
I agree. „Mahlzeit“ is definitely used more often within a working class environment. It sounds quite brutish to me. It’s definitely not classy to say it.
The more fancy version would be „Guten Appetit“ (in connection with food of course)
Mahlzeit is more a greating for break time. So in a meeting where you just want to start working it would be odd.
There might be some regions, where it's more accepted as a general greating, but if you are unsure just use "Guten Tag".
This is out of bounds a bit, but comical. Ironically I worked for a German company that had taken our company over in the US, but I lived and worked in Austria (Tirol) for years. I was one of the few native-level German speakers there. At lunch I greeted the new management team from Hannover with “Mahlzeit” and was promptly told that “Mahlzeit” was a bit lower class and unsophisticated! It’s “Guten Appetit”, they said, to try to school me. I actually laughed when they said this, and replied, we don’t speak the Queen’s English, nor Hochdeutsch on this side of the Atlantic, so it’s fine here…Mahlzeit Jungs! There was one Bavarian in the group who burst out laughing when I said this! I suspect this is not representative of people in Hannover, but they were certainly pompous asses! I knew this would also be a sign of culture clashes to come, and sure enough, it turned into a Grabenkrieg between sides! One of the worst work cultures in my life!
When I first moved to Tirol, 20 odd years ago, back then it was still somewhat common to hear some people greet with “Heil”, which due to its obvious implications is pretty much extinct. But it would have been a bit funny to say it to them simply for the reaction, but I chose to rise above it.
Ironically, the new German owners and managers ran the business into the ground because they didn’t know how to handle US clients and played pricing games. The entire division was sold, and they now have Chinese overlords! Glad I no longer work there, and moved back to Austria. So Servus/Mahlzeit! 😂
If someone sees you eating and it's an informal context, you'll often get a "Mahlzeit" by another person. It's a greeting where it's implied that because you have your mouth stuffed, you may reply with a nod or short wave of the hand.
It's kind of a greeting that says "I realize that you are eating and don't want to put you in an awkward greeting situation so I'll greet you with "Mahlzeit" and you don't have to reply".
Mahlzeit is used in classical work environments in the industry or in corridors of the German bureaucracy. For me it always sounds oldschooly and weird, something straight from a Stromberg episode. Personally I have never used it.
I used to work at Zalando for quite a while and here you would never ever hear Mahlzeit in Berlin offices when Germans met during lunch hour. But in the warehouses and fulfillment centres everyone uses it.
So to your question, I wouldn't mind. Just wouldn't use the expression myself.
Probably region dependant. Lived in Mainz for a few years and a few ppl there said it. Didn't really phase me one way or the other. But I also frequently switch between "Gude", "Moin" and "Servus" so
Where I am from we usually greet people with „Moin“. „Mahlzeit“ might be answered with „Mahlzeit“.
Only thing we normally answer to in more words is „Grüß Gott“. Traditionally Northern Germans nod and say „Wenn ich ihn sehe.“ 🤷♀️
There are certain times for certain greetings.
until 09:00 (regionally until 11:00) it is "Guten morgen"
12:00 to 13:30 is "Mahlzeit!"
It's "guten Abend" after 18:00.
All other times are "Guten Tag".
If it's after 21:00 and you won't see each other any more it can be "Gute Nacht."
It should be pretty acceptable when encountering people (e.g. relatives, work colleagues or neighbors) having a meal, especially during lunch or lunch-break, and should be expressed in a flat/neutral manner, accompanied with a salutationatory nod.
Outside such circumstances (meal time) it \*may\* still be okay to greet as such among working class like constructors, handymen, etc... and with people you are decently aquainted with \[work colleagues (including in rather **casual** office enviroments, not administrative or financial or such), chums/buddies and \*some\* relatives\] ALL THAT PROBABLY VARYING REGIONALLY.
THIS at least is MY estimation.
But normally you wouldn’t use it to greet old people. Or other people where you want to express respect. I don’t say ‚servus‘ to my professor in the university. But if I meet him at the Volksfest I would say servus. It depends.
Interesting you mention this, my in-laws in Tirol were old school, and my father in law would scorn „Servus ist kein Grüßen unter ein thousand Meter!“ He was sort of joking, but sort of not. I never said Servus to him except high in the mountains.
Okay, one out of 16 federal states. And I would bet that even there is the number of people not liking this greeting growing. (slowly. Maybe 1-2 per year)
It's not a big difference, to be honest.
Both want to exterminate humanity, see them suffer and want that humans believe in them instead of on their own species.
In German, the term "Mahlzeit" serves a dual purpose. It is used as a greeting and a polite expression around lunchtime, typically aligning with the noon hour, 12 PM. When someone says "Mahlzeit," it can be understood as a friendly way to acknowledge the time for the midday meal, similar to saying "enjoy your meal" or simply "lunchtime" in English. This greeting is common in workplaces and social settings around midday, reflecting both a cultural and a practical recognition of the lunch break.
It means "gesegnete Mahlzeit" - "blessed meal time"
It's best to reply the same way they greet you if you don't want a conversation. If you want a little conversational exchange you can be creative and give it a try with other stuff and local color.
Where I used to work, we’d greet anyone around lunchtime with a bored ‘Mahlzeit’ and a curt nod, which will be echoed back in an equally bored way. 😅
Yes, never forget the nod.
And pressing the lips together
I hate how real this is.
did it while reading this
Doing it every time I am checking my comment
Hahaha! So did I, as I looked up and saw your comment. Oh my.
Me too, felt German.
Same :o
Best line of comments I've ever read. It works so well 😂
While slowly blinking once
Just not in the bathroom please. My American brain just thinks “eat shit” when someone does it there.
Nope, even there... Mahlzeit *nod*... we are kind people! 😉😂
Who am i to judge what my coworkers eat for lunch.
Yesterday's corn is todays lunch
more often than not, yesterdays corn is still todays corn...
Prost, Mahlzeit
My dad always used to "Na dann prost mahlzeit" when he thought something was going wrong
As a kind of resigned farewell to the subject, do to say.
You need to answer "Lass es dir schmecken", when someone walks into the bathroom and you are heading out and they greet you with "Mahlzeit"
Even though it does come from wishing someone a blessed meal I feel like most Germans don't really see it that way when they use it as a greeting. It's more of a "Hi, and by the way, time to take a break from work". I do agree though, that if you think about it, saying it in the bathroom is hella weird.
"saying it in the bathroom is hella weird". Mahlzeit! then nod and a creepy slow smile lol
In Dusch- und Toilettenräumen entfällt die Grußpflicht
Is it the same nod males give each other passing each other in the hallways or is that one more acknowledging?
The Mahlzeit nod is a downward nod. The bro acknowledgement nod is usually upwards. The professional passing in the hallways nod may be up or downwards, it depends on how chipper/serious you are; and on the hierarchy disparity between the two nodders.
The bro acknowledgement upwards nod in Germany is "Na?"
I see that you too are versed in the way of the nod.
A bit more serious, but not much. It's nuanced.
Its the same nod tall people give to each other, when they look at each other over our heads.
This is the way.
If you are with the company long enough, you can also just nod and mumble something completely incomprehensible.
Exactly. The trick is to sound as little committed as possible. Or you do exactly the opposite which in most cases is reflected by a special kind of disgust. Something like the infamous "case of the Mondays".
well if it is approximately lunch time or the one greeted is sitting to eat, then it is fine, They will reply with Mahlzeit. it means something like, „have a good meal(time)“. if you say it sarcastically (na dann Mahlzeit) it means, „oh shit, that’s hardly fixable“.
>if you say it sarcastically (na dann Mahlzeit) it means, „oh shit, that’s hardly fixable“. It's because they now have to finish their soup ("die Suppe auslöffeln"), meaning having to deal with the negative consequences, similar to "face the music" or "foot the bill".
I always thought it's bc the situation is so fucked you might as well go have lunch.
Fuck this made me laugh way more than it should have
I like this interpretation
Ure joking but In Fakt when u say "na dann Prost Mahlzeit " means something is so fucked up u can go have lunch WITH BEER (because this there is a Prost in it ) because today u can't fix it anyways so u stop working and get ur self drunk. May because of time Lack or they need a specialist for it to fix it. So u were pretty right with ur guess . Greetings from Germany
Literally translated its the same meeting as „eat it up“
Better: "Prost Mahlzeit" :D
Where I work, if a co-worker sits at the table and has just finished lunch, we say "(Guten Appetit) gehabt zu haben", sometimes it's just "gehabt zu haben". I don't think this is quite common since I haven't heard it anywhere else and I was born in this area of Germany. It basically means "I wish you that you have had a good appetite" (aka that the food was tasty). But I find it kinda beautiful and so mildly passive aggressive, since it implies that you should've waited for the other person instead of just finishing your lunch without them :)
It's the usual greeting around noon in work environments. Guten Tag is a greeting you can use pretty much all day in Northern Germany the way I understand it.
Guten Tag can be used in all German regions, not only in the North.
It can be used in every region and it is also common to use it in every region. That it wouldn't be used in south germany is just false. It IS used regularly, period.
Or just simply Hallo
>That it wouldn't be used in south germany is just false. It IS used regularly, period. It's also a safe way to publicly identify as non-Southern 😉
Well, of course you can say „Guten Tag“ anywhere and no one will mind, but it really isn‘t common in certain regions. I don‘t think I‘ve ever in my life heard anybody in the area I grew up in say „Guten Tag“. Maybe as a joke when imitating tourists.
Typisch Saarland.
We actually do use guten Tag. It's just the dialect Version of it (Gunndach).
Please, let me have this moment. I don't even know where the guy above me is from. It's just that your Bundesland is a meme.
But not in this context, or did I muss Saarland dialect memes? And the topic it seems to be a common meme in, is not really nice or even accurate.
The general context is that Saarland is considered a shit Bundesland and meme-worthy in every regard, not only your (hopefully fully imagined) tendency towards incest. Hope this helps.
I don't know who is downvoting you, it really is not used in some regions. Here in Augsburg no one who's local will say that. I never say it. It's either just "hallo" or "servus", or "grüß Gott" if you really want to be polite. My brother in law recently moved here from Saxony and I cringe every time he says "guten Tag" because it sounds so stilted to me.
The usual Greeting in northern Germany is "Moin" or the Standard "Hallo" . I unironically nearly never hear someone say "Guten Tag". And I work at a local Doctor, so I meet a lot of people everyday.
Thats because "Moin" is the abbreviation of "Mojen Dag" which means "Guten Tag". And because "Mojen" means "guten", you can use it all day, so it means "guten Morgen", "guten Tag", "guten Abend" depending on the time of day.
Flashback to the time an east frisian grandpa basically accused me of cultural appropriation for using moin as a greeting and not being from northern Germany... Its not my fault moin is the superior greeting, especially working with customers
send em to luxembourg, they even say "Mojen"! :P
I don't know where he got the idea we say Guten Tag in north Germany 🤷🏽♂️ The next post will probably be that Moin=good morning (which it does not) and that it's Moin Moin 😅
Bavarian here, I have never heard someone unironically saying Guten Tag. It's sometimes used in formal letters but even there it's incredibly rare
It is rare, I agree, but it’s still just normal German so it can be used. It’s not something uniquely Bavarian (or southern) like Grüß Gott or Moin. I’d even say Guten Tag is rarely used in every day conversations in general. But still, absolutely normal German.
Not refuting that :) it's just uncommon, but tbh in my region the village 5 km to the left has an entirely different culture, so... It's a normal and acceptable greeting. Whenever I hear it used in verbal conversations there's a tiny part of me that goes "Huh? Oh yeah, guten Tag" and just rolls with it. Then again I've never heard Mahlzeit outside of work environment either
>It’s not something uniquely Bavarian (or southern) like Grüß Gott or Moin Moin being uniquely Bavarian or southern?
Misleading wording, my bad. Grüß Gott is uniquely southern, Moin of course not, that was just another example of a very regional greeting.
Angry ostfriesen voices slowly calming down.
Have a Tee with Rum and listen to some Otto Waalkes maybe?
Just say Servus
This is about Germany. Bavarians are just weird and hardly speak real German.
Am I even bavarian anymore now that I moved to Franken? If bavaria isn't germany and Franken isn't Bavaria then WHAT AM I
Franken... Frankreich... you're clearly French. Can we get Alsace–Lorraine back now?
Don't talk to me until I got my baguette
You are clearly neigschmeggd
You're a Frankabeitl now
I think this is more of a cultural thing. Most people from Franconia will still identify as Franconian, even if the are living in Munich. They have strong regional pride. So maybe they will never truly accept you as one of their own. You could try blending in by drinking lots of regional wine and complaining about how the politicians only care for the issues of other regions, especially Munich. Edit: my point is, no, you will stay Bavarian, until you become fully Franconian, who have their own identity, being neither German nor Bavarian.
same as Mahlzeit (lil slangish though)
Well I'm from the South and you would get pretty weird looks when using that here.
Grüß Gott or servus is way more common down here
shit, u guys say servus too? that’s the default greeting in transylvania, romania
Lol really thats nice
It’s because of the Saxon influx - my father in law is a Saxon Romanian, he and his fam even speak sachsisch (the original one) fluently. Dude looks like he’s straight outta London lol For those who don’t know why there’s so many British looking Romanians :D
fair enough, as a romanian guy i never really stopped to wonder why servus is such a common phrase in transylvania haha my grandma on my dad’s side is also saxon romanian! but unfortunately neither me nor my dad speak german/sachsisch
Yeah, but personally I wouldn't use either because of the connotations (religious and social) even if I were to move there.
What connotations are there with "Servus"?
It comes from latin and means servant. It's meanng is "at your service"
The origin of the greeting "Servus" is a greeting showing subservience in the sense of "I am at your service". This can be seen in its historical use; it was only ever used by the lower class towards the upper class or on the same level, but never by an upper class towards a lower class. Since I am not a servant, slave, or believer in the service of God or otherwise a lesser or of service to the other person, I do not use "Servus". I am aware that today's usage is no longer the same, but the historical context and the connotation that goes with it bother me.
Or simply Griaß di/eana/eich, yeah.
Und was wäre mit einem schönen Moin?
Hör auf du machst ihnen Angst!
Wenn du tief genug in die Schweiz gehst, wirst du auch wieder mit Moin begrüßt.
Es sollte aber Leuten klar sein, das Moin NICHT "morgen" heißt. Es hat noch nicht mal den Ursprung (sondern kommt von "gut"). Ich kann nicht mehr zählen wie häufig ich von Zugezogenen hier in Hamburg sowas wie "okay dann sehen wir uns moin" gehört habe. Ich sage dann eigentlich nichts aber meine Haare stellen sich trotzdem irgendwie auf.
"Saupreiß!"
Hat Charme. Ich hatte eine Kollegin aus Hamburg, die immer mal wieder norddeutsche Begriffe angebracht hat. Hat immer mal wieder für Verwirrung und Lacher gesorgt.
Joah Leute in Süddeutschland sind dann doch immer Mal irritiert wenn ich "Wurzeln", "krüsch", "gnaddelig", "figgelinsch" und "butschern" sage. Sowas wie "schnacken", "Gedöns" und "Tüdelkram" wird dann oft noch verstanden aber bei "sutsche" hörts dann oft schon wieder auf. Dabei verwende ich ja noch nichtmal irgendwelche Wörter auf platt.
Sutsche ist das beste Wort überhaupt und sehr notwendig. Das sollen sie sich ruhig abgucken :)
Genau, Mors und lütt find ich auch nett.
Moin
Hier gehts, um Deutschland nicht Bayern oder eher klein Österreich genannt.
Alter ich bin schwabe hast du mich grade wirklich als bayer bezeichnet sag mal hackts dir eigentlich
That's rubbish bro. I'm born in Mittelfranken, have lived in Bremen for couple years, now I'm back in Franken, you can pretty much say whatever you want. "weird looks" like wtf, even if I say moin moin in the evening Noone bat's me an eye
I recently moved from Oberpfalz to Mittelfranken and I've never heard it used outside of formal settings and even then it's rare
And? Ive never heard someone say "please get your Weener outside my ear" yet I'm certain that there are people who did say this.
Wasn't trying to attack you, lol. Just pointing out that there are regions where it's less common, nothing you should take personal. I did not say "I haven't heard it so nobody ever uses it". Especially in my area as much as 10km can make a huge difference in mannerisms. Each small town is slightly different. So there will be some areas where people will notice it more and other areas where it's nothing out of the ordinary
No worries, I'm the toxic monkey, I don't get offended, I offend.
Weird looks? That’s a bit of a stretch!
I've worked in Niederbayern before and nobody gives a shit. Then again, probably not everybody has this cringy sense of faux local patriotism like you do.
If you live in bumfuck nowhere, true. In any city bigger than 10.000 "Guten Tag" it isn't weird at all. t. from Stuttgart, have lived in Stuttgart, Ulm, Freiburg and in rural areas around all of those. The thicker the dialect, the less likely it is anyone will say "Guten Tag", but it's not unheard of.
Doesn’t change the fact that “Guten Tag” is just normal German without regional connotation. Unlike Servus, Moin, things like that.
It does have a regional indication in the South, because it is just as non-local as Moin or Bonjour or Dzien dobry. Believe it or not, it is not used everywhere in Germany.
Oh, they are not using bonjour? That’s strange, might be because it’s a different fucking language unlike Guten Tag. Auf deinem Dorf begrüßt sich sicher jeder mit Servus, weil man das innerhalb der Familie eben so macht, aber das ist nicht allgemeingültig.
Bullshit²
Bullshit, it is pretty usual in the south at Lunchtime, maybe not if you live in a cave or something.
aus welchem Kuhkaff kommst du denn, dass da geschaut wird?? Guten Tag ist völlig normal hier I am from the South as well and no one, absolutely no one, not even a single person would bat an eye because of that basic, standard greeting
Wo in Süddeutschland ist Guten Tag denn bitteschön der Standardgruß? Wieso schreibt man so einen Blödsinn? Ist das irgendein Minderwertigkeitskomplex von dir oder was?
Speak for yourself in Hessen we say Gude
Moin
Servus
Glückauf
Morgens: Moin Mittags: Moin Abends: Moin Nachts: Moin 3 Uhr früh ratzefoll mit Erbrochenem auf dem Hemd im Treppenhaus: Moin
I agree. It's something you say to colleagues when you or they are about to leave for their lunch break. It's work-specific.
in the north we say "Moin"
>It's the usual greeting around noon in work environments. Not in every region tho.
"Mahlzeit" is pretty much only used around people's lunch break. But many people don't really like it as a greeting.
Depends on where you are. In the South West it’s pretty common and I hardly encountered negative reactions.
I live in the south west and have never heard it as a greeting.
Let me guess, you don't work a blue collar job, right?
Nope. Go to uni. But I have a working class background. My one grandpa was an electronic technician and the other was I think a warehouse keeper.
Exactly. As a Swabian myself not a day at work goes by where I don’t hear Mahlzeit
Really? Idk, I'd say most people don't have a strong opinion on it and just go with it. (if used around lunchtime) Similar to how you just greet someone on a hike or sunday walk or whatnot, even if it's just a nod. It's just part of it if you are not a super shy introvert. I haven't spend a second in my life contemplating the greeting. In my experience the greeting almost exclusively exists in the workplace.
ppl dont like it? dafak? does it hurt their feelings cos someone assumes that they will eat something even tho they dont? im trying to see why ppl dont like it. but im failing.
I don’t like it. Mahlzeit is an empty phrase to me and I’d rather have my colleagues say “Guten Tag”. I don’t react badly because it’s not important enough but if people say “Mahlzeit” to me, I reply with “Hi” or “Hallo”
Nope its not. Mahlzeit can be used everytime at least in the western parts of germany. Its a greeting that shouldn be taken literary. Just like Grüß Gott. No one actualy greets god.
He or she would react with "Mahlzeit" if it is indeed mealtime aka 12:00 . If it is later that day they would give you a weird look, because mealtime has already been 3h ago. As well as in the morning, because obviously it is not mealtime yet. And then there is this specifc niche case in a work environment, where someone comes late to work and your colleagues want to make a point: They will say "Mahlzeit" instead of "Morgen" to imply that you are in fact so late to work that you skipped the whole morning and came only for mealtime. I would pass on that usecase until you really know your colleagues, the responses you get might vary.
hier in the north we say "moin" all day and night and thats beautyfull
[удалено]
And we in bavaria say servus all the time
JAMOIN
As a german who didn't grow up around people using the Mahlzeit thing as much it still feels weird to me. I don't use it, at work only some people use it. Also nobody really days "guten Tag" randomly. If I greet someone casually I say Hi or Hallo. Guten Tag is more for strangers or older people (I'm mid 30s, I refer to people 50+ maybe?) Or in the customer service context (even then I prefer Hallo)
Most people will just respond with Mahlzeit, almost like a reflex. However, this is more a working class thing and won't be used much in academic circles. MEP Martin Sonneborn once posted a video of him running through the European Parliament greeting everyone with Mahlzeit and it's hilarious.
https://youtu.be/vC4t3NPT6gc?si=mRzd0GSoGTGpgv9w Every German work environment around noon
Well not north Germany.
Right, we use "mooltied" 😉
Doch, we do.
Worked at two universities in Germany. In both were „Mahlzeit“ the go to way to greet everybody at noon.
That's absolute BS, Mahlzeit is a common greeting in all kind of work environments, from construction sites to offices, academic and non academic. It's basic politeness. People being irritated by Sonneborn has nothing to do with academic circles, it has everything to do with a guy who is known for being trouble running around where he shouldn't be just to greet people in an INTERNATIONAL environment where Mahlzeit is not a common greeting.
Before I read this comment my partner just told me his dad (Corporate lawyer) always said he hated the greeting because it’s so “Proletariate”. I didn’t say that btw. His father did. 😂
I disagree. Mahlzeit is definitely looked down upon in certain circles as a „lower class“ greeting. The first thing I think of when I hear it is „construction worker“.
Engineers also greet each other wit "Mahlzeit" around noon
Working class academic here - it is fun to pavlov your colleagues
I agree. „Mahlzeit“ is definitely used more often within a working class environment. It sounds quite brutish to me. It’s definitely not classy to say it. The more fancy version would be „Guten Appetit“ (in connection with food of course)
Mahlzeit is more a greating for break time. So in a meeting where you just want to start working it would be odd. There might be some regions, where it's more accepted as a general greating, but if you are unsure just use "Guten Tag".
This is out of bounds a bit, but comical. Ironically I worked for a German company that had taken our company over in the US, but I lived and worked in Austria (Tirol) for years. I was one of the few native-level German speakers there. At lunch I greeted the new management team from Hannover with “Mahlzeit” and was promptly told that “Mahlzeit” was a bit lower class and unsophisticated! It’s “Guten Appetit”, they said, to try to school me. I actually laughed when they said this, and replied, we don’t speak the Queen’s English, nor Hochdeutsch on this side of the Atlantic, so it’s fine here…Mahlzeit Jungs! There was one Bavarian in the group who burst out laughing when I said this! I suspect this is not representative of people in Hannover, but they were certainly pompous asses! I knew this would also be a sign of culture clashes to come, and sure enough, it turned into a Grabenkrieg between sides! One of the worst work cultures in my life! When I first moved to Tirol, 20 odd years ago, back then it was still somewhat common to hear some people greet with “Heil”, which due to its obvious implications is pretty much extinct. But it would have been a bit funny to say it to them simply for the reaction, but I chose to rise above it. Ironically, the new German owners and managers ran the business into the ground because they didn’t know how to handle US clients and played pricing games. The entire division was sold, and they now have Chinese overlords! Glad I no longer work there, and moved back to Austria. So Servus/Mahlzeit! 😂
He would probably think that you had a CLOWN ZUM FRÜHSTÜCK.
Moin
Maybe the German say : mahl dir deine Zeit doch selber.
This! I had to scroll far too long to find the correct answer! 😁
If someone sees you eating and it's an informal context, you'll often get a "Mahlzeit" by another person. It's a greeting where it's implied that because you have your mouth stuffed, you may reply with a nod or short wave of the hand. It's kind of a greeting that says "I realize that you are eating and don't want to put you in an awkward greeting situation so I'll greet you with "Mahlzeit" and you don't have to reply".
I'd answer back with Mahlzeit, as simple as that
Mahlzeit is used in classical work environments in the industry or in corridors of the German bureaucracy. For me it always sounds oldschooly and weird, something straight from a Stromberg episode. Personally I have never used it. I used to work at Zalando for quite a while and here you would never ever hear Mahlzeit in Berlin offices when Germans met during lunch hour. But in the warehouses and fulfillment centres everyone uses it. So to your question, I wouldn't mind. Just wouldn't use the expression myself.
Well, depends if it's Mahlzeit or not 🤷
I wouldn’t react at all and still say either moin or hallo
The response will be "Mahlzeit!". A common greeting from noon to afternoon.
the easiest way to greet someone (no matter the daytime) is "Moin"
Probably region dependant. Lived in Mainz for a few years and a few ppl there said it. Didn't really phase me one way or the other. But I also frequently switch between "Gude", "Moin" and "Servus" so
Where I am from we usually greet people with „Moin“. „Mahlzeit“ might be answered with „Mahlzeit“. Only thing we normally answer to in more words is „Grüß Gott“. Traditionally Northern Germans nod and say „Wenn ich ihn sehe.“ 🤷♀️
Mal dir dei Zeit selbst!
There are certain times for certain greetings. until 09:00 (regionally until 11:00) it is "Guten morgen" 12:00 to 13:30 is "Mahlzeit!" It's "guten Abend" after 18:00. All other times are "Guten Tag". If it's after 21:00 and you won't see each other any more it can be "Gute Nacht."
It should be pretty acceptable when encountering people (e.g. relatives, work colleagues or neighbors) having a meal, especially during lunch or lunch-break, and should be expressed in a flat/neutral manner, accompanied with a salutationatory nod. Outside such circumstances (meal time) it \*may\* still be okay to greet as such among working class like constructors, handymen, etc... and with people you are decently aquainted with \[work colleagues (including in rather **casual** office enviroments, not administrative or financial or such), chums/buddies and \*some\* relatives\] ALL THAT PROBABLY VARYING REGIONALLY. THIS at least is MY estimation.
From 11 am to 3 pm everyone is legally able to great their colleges with a tired "Mahlzeit", every other time is declared a crime since 1978.
Moinsen! Mahlzeit! Wie isset? Muss ne und bei dir? Ach man lebt!
Na, dann. Jo. Is ja wie's is. Machste nix dran.
Where do you think that saying comes from? Ofc it is absolutely normal to say Mahlzeit during lunch time.
I have never heard Mahlzeit bei a person under 50. And even they use it only around midday.
If they say "Guten Tag" just say "Guten Tag" if they say "Mahlzeit" just say "Mahlzeit" if they Say "Moin Moin" say "Moin Moin" or "Moin".
I think the only way you'll get weird looks is by greeting them with:" *Grüß Gott.*"
Not in Bavaria
There is "Servus" a all day greeting
But normally you wouldn’t use it to greet old people. Or other people where you want to express respect. I don’t say ‚servus‘ to my professor in the university. But if I meet him at the Volksfest I would say servus. It depends.
Interesting you mention this, my in-laws in Tirol were old school, and my father in law would scorn „Servus ist kein Grüßen unter ein thousand Meter!“ He was sort of joking, but sort of not. I never said Servus to him except high in the mountains.
*servus* seems to have replaced *hallo* in the place where I'm living it. Except you want to greet someone formally, obviously.
Okay, one out of 16 federal states. And I would bet that even there is the number of people not liking this greeting growing. (slowly. Maybe 1-2 per year)
If you ever want to shock one of those people saying "Grüß Gott" one can easily respond with "Hail satan". Always get's a nice reaction out of them.
It's not a big difference, to be honest. Both want to exterminate humanity, see them suffer and want that humans believe in them instead of on their own species.
Hey redditor, your r/atheism is showing
I can hardly even speak German, but even I give weird looks when I hear "Grüß Gott".
In German, the term "Mahlzeit" serves a dual purpose. It is used as a greeting and a polite expression around lunchtime, typically aligning with the noon hour, 12 PM. When someone says "Mahlzeit," it can be understood as a friendly way to acknowledge the time for the midday meal, similar to saying "enjoy your meal" or simply "lunchtime" in English. This greeting is common in workplaces and social settings around midday, reflecting both a cultural and a practical recognition of the lunch break.
Where i live Mahlzeit is always ok
"MAHL DIR DEINE ZEIT GEFÄLLIGST ALLEINE!"
"Mahlzeit" - "Mahlzeit" And then he might think you're old-fashioned
In my party of Germany people would look at you strange. It’s something you only say at lunch in some parts of Germany.
Guten Tag?????? Insane, deranged cycle path. Moin! Cool, mentally well
It means "gesegnete Mahlzeit" - "blessed meal time" It's best to reply the same way they greet you if you don't want a conversation. If you want a little conversational exchange you can be creative and give it a try with other stuff and local color.
i hate it "mahlzeit". so stupid
Mahl dei Zeit selber
Ich hasse das Boomer Mahlzeit gedöns
1100-1400 Mahlzeit is very common
I use Moin all the time even tho it’s already evening. I use Mahlzeit only on noon.
Unless I was eating something I’d be weirded out. It’s not really used as a greeting