German phrases for your Germany trip

No. English is widely spoken in cities, hotels, stations and most restaurants, and younger Germans especially switch easily. But greetings and a few phrases open doors, and in small towns and at markets German helps a lot. Start every conversation with Guten Tag and a smile.

We mark five at the top: Guten Tag (hello), Bitte (please), Danke (thank you), Sprechen Sie Englisch? (do you speak English?) and Ich bin Vegetarier (I am vegetarian). With these plus pointing, a family manages almost every situation on a first trip.

Say Ich bin Vegetarier (I am vegetarian), then Ohne Fleisch, bitte (without meat, please). For stricter needs, add Ohne Zwiebeln und Knoblauch (without onion and garlic) or Ohne Brühe (without stock). Our Germany food guide lists the dishes that are safe and the traps to check.

It has two sounds. After i and e it is a soft hiss, as in ich and Rechnung; after a, o and u it is rougher, from the back of the throat, as in nach and Bahnhof. Our guides write it as kh in the as-it-sounds column, and Germans understand a simple k sound too.

Very much. Even a clumsy Guten Tag and Danke change how people respond, especially outside the big cities. Say the greeting first, then ask Sprechen Sie Englisch? - most people will happily switch to English from there.