Please in German is bitte (BIT-teh). It can open, sit inside or close a request: Bitte warten Sie hier (please wait here), Kannst du mir bitte helfen? (can you help me, please?), Ein Wasser, bitte (a water, please). German also makes requests polite through the verb, with Könnten Sie…? (could you…?) and Ich hätte gern… (I'd like…).
- Please
- bitte
- Ordering
- Ich hätte gern…, bitte
- Could you…? (Sie)
- Könnten Sie…?
- Could you…? (du)
- Kannst du…? Könntest du…?
- May I…?
- Darf ich…?
- Level
- A1
Where does bitte go in a German sentence?
Almost anywhere, which makes it easy. In a question it usually comes after the verb and the pronouns; in an order at a café, at the end; on its own before a request, it adds urgency.
Kannst du mir bitte das Salz geben?
Can you pass me the salt, please?
After verb and pronouns: the most natural spot in a question.
Zwei Brezeln, bitte.
Two pretzels, please.
Bitte setzen Sie sich.
Please take a seat.
Sie command, very polite.
Mach bitte die Tür zu.
Close the door, please.
du command.
Before a name, bitte can be a plea rather than a courtesy. Here the choir leader, usually happy to argue, just wants peace:
Marlene sagt nur: „Bitte, Dieter, nicht heute.“How do you ask politely with du and Sie?
The more you soften the verb, the more polite the request. Könnten and würden are the conditional forms of können and werden, and they do the same job as "could" and "would" in English.
| German | English | Register |
|---|---|---|
| Gib mir bitte… | Give me…, please | Direct, du; fine with family |
| Kannst du bitte…? | Can you…, please? | Friendly, du |
| Könntest du…? | Could you…? | Softer, du |
| Können Sie bitte…? | Can you…, please? | Polite, Sie |
| Könnten Sie…? | Could you…? | Very polite, Sie |
| Würden Sie bitte…? | Would you…, please? | Formal, Sie |
| Ich hätte gern… | I'd like… | Ordering in a shop or café |
| Darf ich…? | May I…? | Asking permission |
Darf ich…? is how you ask for a seat, a turn or a look. On the morning S-Bahn, Kai, who knows Marcus from somewhere, asks exactly that:
Hey, Marcus! Darf ich hier sitzen?Why do German signs say Bitte plus an infinitive?
Notices, instructions and short notes often skip the person and use bitte with an infinitive at the end. It's polite but impersonal: Bitte nicht stören (please do not disturb), Bitte anschnallen (please fasten your seatbelt), Bitte hier warten (please wait here).
A folded note on a dog's collar uses the same style, which is part of why nobody can tell who wrote it:
Lena öffnet ihn und liest: "Bank, 7:40. Bitte kommen."What else can bitte mean?
Bitte is also the standard answer to thanks, the word for "here you are", and half of Wie bitte? (pardon?). Those uses are on the page about you're welcome in German.
- Ja, bitte. Yes, please. The way to accept an offer; a plain danke can sound like a refusal.
- Bitte, bitte! Pretty please! Children's favourite.
- Na bitte! There you go! Said when something finally works, or when you were right all along.
And to say thanks once you've got what you asked for, see how to say thank you in German. To get a stranger's attention before you ask, see how to say excuse me in German.
Find out who wrote the note on Krümel's collar in a free A1 German story.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you pronounce bitte?
"BIT-teh", like the English word "bit" followed by a short, light "uh". The double t is a single t sound; don't say "bite".
Is it rude to leave out bitte in German?
Not automatically. German often carries politeness in the verb (Könnten Sie…?, Ich hätte gern…) and in tone. A soft request without bitte is fine; a bare command to a stranger is not.
How do you order food politely in German?
Ich hätte gern… or Ich nehme… plus the dish, then bitte: Ich hätte gern die Suppe, bitte. Ich möchte… is also polite. Ich will… (I want) sounds pushy.
Is Bitte capitalised in German?
Only at the start of a sentence or as a one-word reply. Inside a sentence it is written bitte, in lower case.