What are key etiquette rules for formal greetings in German

Key etiquette rules for formal greetings in German include the use of formal titles and last names rather than first names, addressing people with the pronoun “Sie” instead of the informal “du”, and using polite phrases such as “Guten Tag” (Good day) or “Guten Abend” (Good evening) depending on the time of day. A firm handshake with eye contact is a standard gesture when meeting someone formally. It is also important to stand when being introduced and to avoid overly familiar behavior. Formal greetings often start with a polite inquiry about the person’s well-being, such as “Wie geht es Ihnen?” (How are you?) This polite distancing and respect in language use signify professionalism and good manners in German-speaking contexts. Overall, formality in language and behavior are key to proper etiquette during German greetings. ^{2, 3, 5}

References

• Politeness as a feature: so important and so rare.

• Linguistic Politeness and Greeting Rituals in German-speaking Switzerland

• Forms of Address as Cross-Cultural Code-Switching: The Case of German and Danish in Higher Education

• MaiBaam Annotation Guidelines

• The Main Features of the Concept of POLITENESS in the German Linguistic World-Image

• Comparing Styles across Languages: A Cross-Cultural Exploration of Politeness

• Acquiring a Formality-Informed Lexical Resource for Style Analysis