How does german answer the phone? In today’s post, you’ll learn all about how Germans answer the phone. Let’s find out!
There is a lot of mystery surrounding the German telephone system. Even after years of using it, many people still need to understand how telephones work in Germany.
Are there different ways to answer the phone in Germany? Or do we have one approach?
Because if you’ve ever tried calling someone in Germany, you know that things can sometimes get quite frustrating. This blog post will explain some of these mysteries and outline the general rules for answering the phone in Germany.
How does German answer the phone: Everything you need to know
There are many different ways to answer the phone in Germany. When German answer their phone, they usually scan the line and pick up if a greeting is said.
If no greeting is said, they will usually say “Hier ist” (“Here is”). Neither of these phrases is mandatory, and many people will start a conversation without either. From this moment on, the conversation can go in two different directions:
Either the person who called will say “Hallo” or “Guten Tag” (“Hello” or “Good day”), and then the conversation will be on the way. If no greeting is said on the other end, the German might say “Ja” (“Yes”) and then go on with the conversation.
What does “Hier ist” mean?
The famous “Hier ist” is just the word “here” pronounced “here is”. This phrase is used to make sure someone picks up the phone.
The word “here” is usually said three times to ensure someone hears it. If someone has called and no greeting has been said, it’s polite for the German to say “Hier ist” three times.
This way, the other person knows that the call is coming in. If someone picks up the phone and the “Hier ist” is not said, it’s rude to pick up the phone without a greeting.
Can you say “Hallo” or “Guten Tag”?
If you’ve answered the phone and no greeting has been given, you can say “Hallo” or “Guten Tag”. Germans sometimes say “Guten Tag” instead of “Hallo” when they know it’s a friend.
Germans often shorten “Guten Tag” to “Guten Abend” and “Guten Abend” to “Guten Nacht”. Remember that when you say “Hallo”, you usually don’t want to be too familiar.
Germans find it a bit odd when you greet them too much (when they call you, they’re used to picking up the phone and saying “Hello”, not that you greet them all the time).
How do Germans end a call?
When a call has ended, the German word for this is “Auflegen”. “Auflegen” is the German word for “end”.
When a call has ended, it’s polite to say “Auflegen” three times to let the other person know that the call has ended. If the call is long and you want to say goodbye, you usually say “Auflegen” three times.
How do you hang up in German?
The word for “hang up” in German is “ausstecken”. Germans often use “ausstecken” when they hang up their phone or are done with their call. The “ausstecken” is usually shortened to “ausstecken” or “ausstecken”.
Bring the handset close to the base if the phone is off and you want to hang up. This way, you can tell the difference between hanging up and putting the phone on “vacate“.
Other ways to answer phone calls in Germany
There are more ways to answer the phone in Germany. For example, you can also say “Pst!” when someone calls you. This way, you can tell the person to “shh” or “be quiet”.
“Pst” is pronounced “psss”. Another way is to say, “Ich komm’ Gleich” (“I’m coming right away”).
More differences between German and English calls
In Germany, the person who calls usually goes first and then the person who receives the call comes.
If you have an appointment or a meeting and have been called and do not pick up the phone, you are expected to answer the call and acknowledge that you have been called. Many German telemarketers have a habit of leaving a very annoying message.
Sometimes they will start with “Bitte beantworten Sie diese Frage” (“Please answer this question”) or “Bitte auswählen Sie ein Empfänger” (“Please pick an recipient”).
The message is usually very long and requires you to pick a number and answer a question. These are usually automated messages, and you should ignore them.
Which country code to use when calling Germany?
If you want to call Germany from another country, you must use the country code +49. You can find out what the code for your country is by searching for your country code on the internet.
If you are calling from the US, it’s best to use the country code +1. This way, your number will be easier to find when the German caller searches for phone numbers online.
Final words: Questions you should ask when calling Germany
- Do you know the area code of the person you are calling?
- Do they know the area code of the person they are calling?
- Do they know the phone number of the person they are calling?
- Do they know the city or town of the person they call?
- How do they pronounce the name of the person they are calling?
- Do they know how to say “Hello” and “Good day”?
- Do they know how to say “I’m coming right away”?
- Do they know how to say “How are you?”
- Do they know how to say “Pst!” and “Pardon?”
- Do they know how to say “Here is”?
- Do they know how to say “I would like”?
- Do they know how to say “Would you like”?
- Do they know how to say “I’m sorry”?
- Do they know how to say “Thank you”?
- Do they know how to say “You are welcome”?
