[German] saying thankyou and goodbye

Language Corner
1
I haven't started my (high) German course yet but have learned a bit myself with the duolingo app and I have learned that "Danke" means thankyou and either "Tschüss" or "Auf Weidersehen" for goodbye.

But that doesn't appear to be what people say! Here it seems to be mostly "Merci" (is that identical to the French word for thank-you?) for thanks with the occasional "danke". And for goodbye it's nearly ALWAYS "Ciao"! (identical to the Italian word for goodbye?!)

The ladies in the Lindt shop were the exceptions that I recall.

Which should I use? Does it vary from kanton to kanton? Does it matter much?

2
You're learning the difference between High German and Swiss German.

Uf wiederlüge!

3
In the German part, danke and merci can be used interchangeably. If there is a rule, it's too subtle for me to have picked up in the humphty-fumpty years I've been here.

Goodbye is generally Auf Wiedersehen if you want to use the polite form, but if you are saying 'bye to your friends, "Tschuss" or "Ciao" can also be used interchangeably or all together, mixed up and repeated...

"Tchuss, ciao, ciao-ciao, tschuuuusssss!"

If there are a bunch of people....

"Auf Wiedersehen miteinand" (Goodbye everybody!)

"Tschuss/Ciao zame" (bye everybody!)

Miteinand actually translates directly to "together" so Swiss people speaking English will often say "Goodbye together" which always raises a smile with me.

EDIT: Forgot the Swiss German polite stuff but Sean Connery has filled it in.

4
"Adé" is also very common.

5
Danke and Merci are both ok.

Tschüss is an informal way of saying goodbye. Also, adieu (ade?) is used a lot in the German speaking part of Switzerland.

6
Welcome to amazing world of Schweizerduutsch!

Instead of "danke schoen" they say "merci vielmal", but danke schoen is used as well, it's just pronounced "danksho", swiss tend to shorten everything. I guess there is some influence from French part and Swiss are particular on distancing themselves from Germans

for hello its "gruezi"; "salut" (pronounced "sali"), "hoi" - for friends mostly

for goodbye "uf wiederluege", "tschus", "ade", "bis spotter"...i honestly haven't heard "ciao" a lot

Nevertheless, stick to Hoch Deutsch, the better it is - the more you will understand local dialect.

7
Merci and Danke can be used interchangably without risking anything.

Tschüss and Tschau/Ciao should be used informal, for friends only (First name basis).

TschüüüüÜÜÜüüsss is German German.

Ade, Uf wiederluëge, Adiö, Adië, can be used in formal settings.

If you great several people at once you can add a "mittenand".

Hoi, Sali, Salut, should be used informal, for friends only.

Grüëzi, Guëte Tag, Guëte Abee, Guëte Morgee, can be used in formal settings.

PS: ë means you have to pronaunce the letter.

PPS: In Basel City, Tschau means hello, and Sali goodbye.

8
let's not forget what you can say when someone sneezes

9
Enschuldigung?

(One of the few words, if not necessarily spellings, that have stuck from my school days!)

10
No - you are a dirty filthy auslander!

11
Hmm maybe that's what the Lindt lady in fact said! rather than wiederSEHEN?

You know what I did hear a woman at the park hang up her cellphone like that! "Ciao, tschüss, ciao!"

Ok! Wonder if anyone can answer this for me... Often, when me and the children say "danke" after buying something we get the reply which sounds like "ä shoen!" Are they correcting us, should we be adding "schoen" on? Or have they been saying "You're welcome"? What's "You're welcome"?

Haha!

12
Around here if the shop assistants know you, they might say ä schöne or schöni, roughly "have a good one."

Bitte (informal) means both please and you're welcome.

Seriously, take a look at duolingo.com and play around with it. You'll start to get a handle for High German phrasing and then can start to recognize the differences between that and Swiss German.

13
Most likely they said "bitte schön", which means you're welcome

14
Hello. Pixie B! The answer to "Danke" or "Merci" is "Bitte" or "gern geschehen" which in Swiss-German comes out as "gerngesche" which is probably what you have been hearing. When greeting people "gruezi" is only for people that you address with "Sie" and for friends and children whom you address with "du" you use "salut", "ciau" to greet and "ciau*,tschüss" to say goodbye. Germans also say "tschüss" to "Sie" acquaintances, but this is not Swiss! Another way to greet which is becoming more popular in both countries is "hallo". Formerly this, said loud and clear was used to attract attention! There are other variations. but you don't need to go through the whole list. Good Luck! Glenda,

15
Often in these parts (SZ) I find that when finishing a phone call, a whole stream of words comes out, almost as if it's compulsory to use every possible form of thanking someone or saying goodbye. One word seems to be not enough, commonly several are used together e.g. Danke, Merci Vilmal, adieu.

16
I have it on my phone, but it's an app, and there doesn't appear to be any pages on it explaining the syntax and grammar I'm having to guess. Our main computer is in storage and I'm using my daughter's laptop! But the sound has stopped working on it

17
That' is not informal but just good manners. A Danke or Merci should be replied with either Bitte or Gern gscheh.

Also Bitte as please is not informal. It is the 'magic word'/'Zauberwörtli' if you request something. Leaving it out is just rude.

18
I smile when I hear "schönes Tägli"; "have a nice little day".

19
And the common way to call the attention of a waiter is to stand up and shout "Du, Arsch!" very loudly. Honest .

20
No, 'ciao' is Italian for 'hello'.

Tom