Greetings In Austria: A Guide To Austrian Customs

Greeting people in Austria is a formal affair, with a degree of formality expected in interactions with retailers and public service staff. There are several ways to greet people in Austria, all with different meanings. The formal greeting is Guten Tag or Grüß Gott, which literally translates to 'Greet God'. Friends greet each other by saying Grüß Sie, Hallo, Servus or, for younger people, simply Hi.

Greeting one person vs multiple people

Greeting people in Austria is a little more complicated than you might think. While you can say 'Hallo' or 'Guten Tag' to one person, you should switch to 'Guten Morgen' or 'Guten Abend' if it's before midday or after 6 pm. However, these are Hochdeutsch (High German) sayings and many Austrians prefer to use their regional dialect. So, you might hear 'Servus' or 'Grüss Gott' in response, or even 'Grüss Sie' or 'Hi' if you're greeting a friend.

If you're greeting multiple people, you can say 'Griass di', or 'Griass enk' for a regional variation from Tyrol.

In general, Austrian culture is quite formal and polite. You should always greet sales staff when entering and leaving a shop, and queuing is very important.

Formality and etiquette

Greeting people in Austria is a formal affair. While there are several ways to greet people, each carries a different meaning.

When greeting one person, you can say "Servus", "Grüss Gott", "Guten Morgen" or "Guten Abend". "Servus" is a popular greeting in Austria and Bavaria in Germany, and can be used at any time of the day. "Grüss Gott" is the formal greeting, literally translating to "Greet God". "Guten Morgen" and "Guten Abend" mean "good morning" and "good evening" respectively, but these are very much Hochdeutsch (High German) sayings and many people in Austria prefer to use regional dialect instead.

To greet multiple people, you can say "Griass di", "Griass eich" or "Griass enk" for a regional variation from Tyrol.

Friends greet each other by saying "Grüss Sie", "Hallo", "Servus" or, for younger people, simply "Hi".

In keeping with the politesse of Austrian etiquette, interactions with retailers and public service staff come with a degree of formality. You should always greet sales staff when entering and leaving a shop. Service is usually included, so you should only need to tip minimally. Queuing is also a very formal part of daily life in Austria, so make sure to fall in line if you see a queue.

Greetings in the morning

Greeting people in Austria is a little more complicated than in some other countries. While you can say 'Guten Morgen' to mean 'good morning', you're unlikely to hear it very often. Austrians tend to prefer using their regional dialect, so you're more likely to hear 'Servus' or 'Grüss Gott' in response. 'Servus' is also a popular greeting in Bavaria, Germany.

If you're greeting multiple people, you can say 'Griass di', or 'Griass eich' for the plural. 'Griass enk' is a regional variation from Tyrol.

In general, Austrian culture is quite formal, so you should always greet sales staff when entering and leaving a shop.

Greetings in the evening

Greeting people in Austria is a formal affair, especially when it comes to customer service and public service staff. It is considered polite to greet sales staff when entering and leaving a shop.

In terms of the language used, there are several ways to greet people in Austria, depending on the time of day, the number of people you are greeting, and the region.

In the evening, you might say *Guten Abend*, which means 'good evening'. This is a Hochdeutsch (High German) saying, and many Austrians prefer to use regional dialect greetings instead. One such greeting is *Servus*, which is popular in Austria and Bavaria in Germany. Another option is *Grüss Gott*, which literally translates as 'Greet God'.

If you are greeting multiple people, you can use *Griass eich* or *Griass enk*, the latter of which is a regional variation from Tyrol.

Regional variations

Greeting people in Austria varies depending on the region. While ‘Hallo’ is a common greeting, there are several other ways to say hello, each with different meanings.

In Austria, it is common to greet people with 'Servus', which is also used in Bavaria, Germany. 'Grüss Gott' is another popular greeting, which translates to 'Greet God'. Friends may also greet each other with 'Grüss Sie', 'Hallo', 'Servus' or 'Hi'.

When greeting multiple people, Austrians may say 'Griass di', which becomes 'Griass eich' in the plural, or 'Griass enk' for a regional variation from Tyrol.

'Guten Morgen' and 'Guten Abend' are also understood, but less commonly used, as they are considered Hochdeutsch (High German) and many Austrians prefer to use their regional dialect.

Frequently asked questions