7 Different Ways of Saying Please in German

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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

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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.

German

  1. Kann ich bitte das Telefon haben?
  2. Darf sie bitte auf die Toilette gehen?
  3. Ich möchte bitte einen Kaffee.

English

  1. Can I have the phone please?
  2. May she go to the bathroom please?
  3. I would like some coffee please.

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:

German

  1. Bitte schließ die Tür.
  2. Geh nach Hause bitte.

English

  1. Please close the door.
  2. Please go home.

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.

German

Q: Soll ich dir helfen?
A: Ja, bitte.

Q: Möchtest du einen Kaffee?
A: Ja, gerne.

English

Q: Should I help you?
A: Yes, please.

Q: Would you like some coffee?
A: Yes, please.

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.

German

Lukas: Ich schicke dir meine Adresse.
Anna: Ja, bitte.

Ben: Morgen helfe ich dir.
Lea: Ja, gerne.

English

Lukas: I’ll send you my address.
Anna: Yes, please.

Ben: I’ll help you tomorrow.
Lea: Yes, please.

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!”

German

Lukas: Lisa hat ein neues Auto gekauft.
Anna: Bitte was?!

English

Lukas: Lisa bought a new car.
Anna: Oh please!

Tobias: Ich werde in die Antarktis ziehen.
Emma: Wie bitte?!

Tobias: I’ll move to the Antarctic.
Emma: Excuse me?!

Hanna: I want to travel to the moon.
Lena: Mensch, sei vernünftig!

Hanna: I want to travel to the moon.
Lena: 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”.

German

  1. Viel Vergnügen auf deiner Reise nach Italien!
  2. Guten Appetit und bis später!

English

  1. Please enjoy your holiday in Italy!
  2. Enjoy your meal and I’m sorry.

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:

German

  1. Meine Arbeit hat sie sehr zufrieden gestellt.
  2. Sie hat sich über meine Arbeit gefreut.
  3. Wie kann ich dich zufrieden stellen?
  4. Haben sie sich über das Geschenk gefreut?

English

  1. My work pleased her very much.
  2. My work pleased her very much.
  3. How can I please you?
  4. Were they pleased with the gift?

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.

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