Know Your Regional Differences

Both are greetings that can be used all day in Germany - or can they?

While Guten Tag can be used all over Germany, "Grüss Gott" is mainly used in the South, i.e. in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria.

While the Swabians try to speak standard German and thus use Guten Tag, the Bavarians have no such qualms, and "Grüss Gott" is the standard greeting in Munich and elsewhere in Bavaria.

If somebody from further north in Germany hears "Grüss Gott" they might reply cynically "Ja, wenn ich ihn sehe!" This clearly shows that even they do not know the true meaning of this greeting. They are not asked to greet God, i.e. say hellow to him, but it is a form of blessing wished on the person to whom it is said. It literally means "God bless you" ´- even though most people will not remember this when using this greeting.