7 Different Ways of Saying Please in German

Learning to say please and thank you is one of the first things we’re taught as children. In Germany, etiquette and manners are especially important, so it’s a great word to know if you’re getting started with learning German.

Bitte is the most well-known way of saying please in German, but there are a couple of other words and expressions for please that depend on the context.

In this post, we’ll discuss different ways of expressing “please” in German, including using please to make your requests more polite, encourage someone to do something, or ask for a favor.

Read next: 105 Basic German Words – Best Vocab List for Beginners

Please to Make a Polite Request

Add bitte to a request you make, or a favour you ask, and you’ll see that people will be much more inclined to help you.

The position of the word bitte in a sentence depends on the style of question. Check out the examples below. It’s easiest to learn from context.

Please as an Imperative Command

You can also use bitte to ask someone to do something. This is more forceful than a request.

When you use bitte with an imperative phrase, you can put it at the very beginning of the sentence, or right after the verb or at the end.

Here are some examples:

Using “Please” to Accept Things Politely

You might be familiar with the expression “Yes, please” to politely accept something in English. And yes, there are equivalents in German!

To accept something politely in German, use the phrases “Ja, bitte” or “Ja, gerne”.

“Ja, bitte” is more polite and “ja, gerne” more informal and enthusiastic.

Please to Encourage Someone

You can also add warmth and encouragement to a proposal when you end it with “ja, bitte” or “ja, gerne”. You’ll notice that these are the same expressions we use to accept something politely.

Read next: 12 Polite Ways of Saying You’re Welcome in German

Please to Express Anger or Disbelief

Some things are just too good to be true. “Bitte” can be used to express disbelief or frustration similar to saying “oh please!”, “Excuse me?!” and “please be real!” in English. “Was bitte!”,”bitte was!” and “wie bitte?” express incredulity. You can also use “Mensch, sei vernünftig!” to say “please, be reasonable!”

Please to Wish Someone A Nice Time

If you want to wish someone a nice trip and say something like “please enjoy”, the equivalent phrase in German is “viel Vergnügen”. This phrase is used to wish someone a nice party, holiday, date or any other activity. To wish someone a nice meal you can use” Guten Appetit”.

Please as a Verb – to Please

When using please as a verb, you have two options in German. To please in German is most commonly expressed by saying “freuen” and “zufrieden stellen”. Let’s look at some examples to better understand how to use those verbs:

Conclusion

As we have seen, there are many ways of using please in German. Depending on how you’re using it, the word will likely be different. Most often it is translated to bitte, however, gerne can be used in some situations. Knowing these specific contexts and asking for things in a polite way, will surely help you get the things you want, and encourage more positive interactions with locals.