At about half past eleven in many German offices, people start greeting each other with a single word: Mahlzeit! It means "mealtime", it's said in corridors and lifts until well after lunch, and the usual answer is Mahlzeit! back.
Your first days at a German workplace come with a handful of rituals like that, and a set of sentences you'll use every day. Learn them before you start, and the first week gets a lot easier.
Introducing Yourself at Work
Hello, I'm new here.
Hallo, ich bin neu hier.
My name is Anna, I'm starting in marketing today.
Ich heiße Anna und fange heute im Marketing an.
I'm the new colleague.
Ich bin die neue Kollegin.
Which team are you in?
In welchem Team bist du?
What exactly do you do here?
Was machst du hier genau?
Nice to meet you.
Schön, dich kennenzulernen.
We'll be working together a lot.
Wir werden viel zusammenarbeiten.
Practice these words
Hallo, ich bin neu hier.
Kollegin or Kollege? A woman is die neue Kollegin, a man der neue Kollege.
Du or Sie? In start-ups, IT and many younger teams, everyone is on du from day one, the boss included. In banks, public offices and traditional companies, Sie is normal until someone offers du. Follow what your colleagues do on the first day, and don't switch to du with a senior person unless they offer it. The full rules are in du or Sie.
Asking for Help
Can I quickly ask you something?
Kann ich dich kurz was fragen?
Who is responsible for this?
Wer ist dafür zuständig?
How does this work here?
Wie läuft das hier?
Where can I find the documents?
Wo finde ich die Unterlagen?
Can you show me that?
Kannst du mir das zeigen?
I don't have access yet.
Ich habe noch keinen Zugang.
Sorry, I didn't understand that.
Sorry, das habe ich nicht verstanden.
Can you write that down for me?
Kannst du mir das aufschreiben?
Practice these words
Kann ich dich kurz was fragen?
Good to know: asking is expected. A new colleague who asks a lot is seen as careful, not slow. Kurz softens almost any request: Hast du kurz Zeit? "Have you got a minute?"
In a Meeting
Can I add something?
Darf ich kurz was ergänzen?
I see it differently.
Das sehe ich anders.
Good point.
Guter Punkt.
I'll take care of it.
Ich kümmere mich darum.
By when do you need it?
Bis wann brauchst du das?
Let's discuss that later.
Lass uns das später besprechen.
Who's taking the minutes?
Wer schreibt Protokoll?
Practice these words
Darf ich kurz was ergänzen?
Watch out: German meetings are direct. Das sehe ich anders or Das funktioniert so nicht is a normal contribution, not an attack, and you can say it too. What counts as rude is being vague and then not doing what was agreed.
Lunch and Coffee
Enjoy your lunch!
Mahlzeit!
Are you coming to the canteen?
Kommst du mit in die Kantine?
Shall we get lunch together?
Wollen wir zusammen essen gehen?
I've brought my own food.
Ich habe mir was mitgebracht.
Anyone else want a coffee?
Wer will auch einen Kaffee?
I'm going on my break.
Ich mache Pause.
Practice these words
Mahlzeit!
Mahlzeit: it's most common in offices, factories and public administration, and it lasts from late morning to early afternoon. Some people find it old-fashioned, but nobody minds if you say it back.
Leaving for the Day
I'm off now.
Ich bin dann mal weg.
See you tomorrow!
Bis morgen!
Have a nice evening!
Schönen Feierabend!
Have a nice weekend!
Schönes Wochenende!
I'm working from home tomorrow.
Morgen bin ich im Homeoffice.
I'm on holiday next week.
Nächste Woche bin ich im Urlaub.
Practice these words
Ich bin dann mal weg.
Feierabend is the time after work, and Schönen Feierabend! is how colleagues say goodbye at the end of the day. Why the word matters so much is in German work culture.
The Cake You Bring Yourself
Two German workplace customs surprise almost everyone.
The Einstand. In your first week or two, it's common to bring something for the team: a cake, pastries from the bakery, or a breakfast spread. It's your way of saying hello, and people remember who did it. Send a short message: Zum Einstand gibt es morgen um zehn Kuchen in der Teeküche.
Your birthday is your treat. In Germany the person with the birthday brings the cake, not the colleagues. Expect a card signed by the team, and expect to bake or buy.
When you leave a job, the same happens again, called the Ausstand. Wherever you go, you arrive and leave with cake.