First Phrases

Dinner with strangers · Deutsch

Dinner with strangers in German: 10 phrases for tonight

A shared table where nobody knows anybody, which makes it easy to ask the obvious questions. Names, what you do, how you know the host: everyone is in the same boat.

Register: Informal (friendly). At a dinner with strangers "du" is the default among under-50s. If someone says "Sie", match them. Germans often split the bill exactly ("getrennt").

How to read the sounds: kh = the ch of Scottish 'loch' (after a, o, u) or a soft hiss like 'h' in 'huge' (after i, e). ue = ü (say 'ee' with rounded lips), oe = ö. z = ts, v = f, w = v. Stress is in CAPITALS.

10 phrases, door to goodbye

  1. 01 · Arriving
    Guten Abend! Ich bin ___. Freut mich.
    Say it like: GOO-ten AH-bent! ikh bin ___. froyt mikh
    Good evening! I'm ___. Nice to meet you.
  2. 02 · Saying you're new
    Ich kenne hier niemanden, deshalb freue ich mich, dass ich da bin!
    Say it like: ikh KEN-eh heer NEE-mahn-den, DES-halp FROY-eh ikh mikh, dahs ikh dah bin
    I don't know anyone here, so I'm glad to be here!
  3. 03 · Asking how it works
    Können wir uns setzen, wohin wir wollen? Teilen wir das Essen?
    Say it like: KOE-nen veer oons ZET-sen, voh-HIN veer VOL-en? TY-len veer dahs ES-en
    Do we sit where we like? Is the food shared?
  4. 04 · Small talk
    Was machst du beruflich?
    Say it like: vahs mahkhst doo beh-ROOF-likh
    What do you do for work?
  5. 05 · Small talk
    Woher kennst du den Gastgeber?
    Say it like: voh-HAIR kenst doo dane GAHST-gay-ber
    How do you know the host?
  6. 06 · Small talk
    Warst du schon mal bei so einem Abendessen?
    Say it like: varst doo shohn mahl by zoh INE-em AH-bent-es-en
    Have you been to a dinner like this before?
  7. 07 · Dietary needs
    Ich bin Vegetarier/Vegetarierin. Gibt es etwas ohne Fleisch?
    Say it like: ikh bin veh-geh-TAH-ree-er/veh-geh-TAH-ree-er-in. gipt es ET-vahs OH-neh flysh
    I'm vegetarian. Is there something without meat?
  8. 08 · At the table
    Kannst du mir bitte das Wasser reichen?
    Say it like: kahnst doo meer BIT-eh dahs VAS-er RY-khen
    Could you pass me the water, please?
  9. 09 · Paying
    Teilen wir die Rechnung oder zahlt jeder für sich?
    Say it like: TY-len veer dee REKH-noong OH-der tsahlt YAY-der fuer zikh
    Do we split the bill, or does everyone pay for themselves?
  10. 10 · Leaving & keeping in touch
    Danke für den schönen Abend. Das machen wir bald wieder!
    Say it like: DAHN-keh fuer dane SHOE-nen AH-bent. dahs MAH-khen veer bahlt VEE-der
    Thanks for the lovely evening. Let's do this again soon!

3 things you will probably hear

  1. H1 · You may hear
    Setzt euch, wohin ihr wollt.
    Say it like: zetst oykh, voh-HIN eer volt
    Sit wherever you like.
  2. H2 · You may hear
    Gibt es Allergien oder etwas, das ihr nicht esst?
    Say it like: gipt es ah-LER-gee-en OH-der ET-vahs dahs eer nikht est
    Any allergies, or anything you don't eat?
  3. H3 · You may hear
    Bestellen wir noch eine Flasche Wein?
    Say it like: beh-SHTEL-en veer nokh INE-eh FLAH-sheh vine
    Shall we order another bottle of wine?

Go and try it

Find dinners with strangers on Come Alone

Quick answers

What do I say when I arrive alone at a dinner with strangers in German?

Start with: "Guten Abend! Ich bin ___. Freut mich." (Good evening! I'm ___. Nice to meet you.). Then say you are new: "Ich kenne hier niemanden, deshalb freue ich mich, dass ich da bin!" (I don't know anyone here, so I'm glad to be here!)

Should I use informal or formal German at a dinner with strangers?

At a dinner with strangers "du" is the default among under-50s. If someone says "Sie", match them. Germans often split the bill exactly ("getrennt").

How do I ask to meet again after a dinner with strangers in German?

Try: "Danke für den schönen Abend. Das machen wir bald wieder!" (Thanks for the lovely evening. Let's do this again soon!)

Same evening, another language

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German, another evening

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All 7 × 6 cards · Phrases for a specific event near you

How it works

  1. Pick the evening and the language people will speak.
  2. Read the ten phrases in order: they follow the evening from the door to goodbye. Tap the speaker to hear each one in your device's voice.
  3. Print the card or keep it open on your phone. Native-speaker review is still pending; a "check" mark flags a phrase we are least sure of.
  4. Find the event on Come Alone, open it in Meet & Mint to see who else is going, and say the first phrase for real.

firstphrases.app/tonight/dinner/de/ · Meet & Mint