German for Beginners: Asking for More Food and Another Serving
Learn to ask for more or another serving in German using 'Mehr ..., bitte' and 'Kann ich noch ... haben?' with polite restaurant and home-dining examples.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you have already ordered or been served, you often need to ask for a second helping rather than a first one. German has two very useful patterns for this: 'Mehr ..., bitte' (More ..., please) and 'Kann ich noch ... haben?' (Can I have another ...?). This lesson teaches these repetition requests with food and drink vocabulary, so you can politely ask for more at a table, in a café or at someone's home.
By the end, you can…
- ask for more of a food or drink using 'Mehr ..., bitte'.
- ask for another item using 'Kann ich noch ... haben?'
- understand and respond to a server or host who offers more.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Mehr Brot, bitte.
More bread, please.
mair broht, BIT-tuh
Use when bread is already on the table and you want a second portion. 'Brot' is neuter, so no article is needed here.
Mehr Wasser, bitte.
More water, please.
mair VAS-ser, BIT-tuh
Works for water already served. In a restaurant, you can also say 'Noch ein Wasser, bitte' for another glass or bottle.
Kann ich noch Kartoffeln haben?
Can I have more potatoes?
kahn ikh nokh kar-TOF-feln HAH-ben
A neutral, polite request for another serving of potatoes. 'Noch' here means 'more' or 'another portion'.
Kann ich noch ein Glas Wein haben?
Can I have another glass of wine?
kahn ikh nokh ine glahs vine HAH-ben
Use for one more glass. 'Ein Glas' is neuter; in casual speech, 'ein' may sound like 'n'. For beer, replace 'Wein' with 'Bier'.
Noch etwas, bitte.
A little more, please.
nokh ET-vas, BIT-tuh
A short, general request when you do not name the item. It can mean 'some more' or 'something else', depending on context.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The simplest pattern is 'Mehr + food/drink + bitte'. German nouns keep their usual form: 'Mehr Brot, bitte', 'Mehr Reis, bitte', 'Mehr Suppe, bitte'. For countable items, use 'Kann ich noch + item + haben?' For example, 'Kann ich noch einen Apfel haben?' (Can I have another apple?) or 'Kann ich noch ein Brötchen haben?' (Can I have another bread roll?). Notice that 'einen' is used for masculine nouns in the accusative, while neuter nouns take 'ein': 'einen Apfel', but 'ein Brötchen'.
When to use it
Use 'Mehr ..., bitte' when the same food is already in front of you and you want a larger amount. Use 'Kann ich noch ... haben?' when you want one additional unit, such as another roll, another glass or another slice. In a restaurant, you can also say 'Noch einmal, bitte' (One more time, please) if you want the same dish again. At home, a host may ask 'Möchtest du noch etwas?' (Would you like some more?). A polite answer is 'Ja, gern' (Yes, gladly) or 'Nein, danke' (No, thank you).
Regional and register notes
These patterns are standard throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In Austria and southern Germany, 'Semmel' is common for a bread roll, while northern and standard German often uses 'Brötchen'. In Switzerland, 'Brötli' is common. 'Kann ich noch ... haben?' is neutral and polite; adding 'bitte' makes it softer. With friends, 'Noch ein Bier, bitte' is perfectly normal, but in formal settings, use the full question with 'Kann ich ...?'.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Möchtest du noch etwas Brot?
Would you like some more bread?MURKH-test doo nokh ET-vas brohtJa, gern. Mehr Brot, bitte.
Yes, gladly. More bread, please.yah, gairn. mair broht, BIT-tuhHier, bitte. Möchtest du auch noch Kartoffeln?
Here you are. Would you also like more potatoes?heer, BIT-tuh. MURKH-test doo owkh nokh kar-TOF-felnKann ich noch Kartoffeln haben? Ja, bitte.
Can I have more potatoes? Yes, please.kahn ikh nokh kar-TOF-feln HAH-ben? yah, BIT-tuhA little context goes a long way
In German-speaking countries, asking for more is normal and polite, especially with 'bitte'. At a restaurant, you usually order additional drinks or side dishes from the server rather than taking them yourself. At someone's home, it is friendly to accept a second helping with 'Ja, gern', but you can also decline with 'Nein, danke'. Tipping is not required for asking for more, but rounding up the bill is common in restaurants.
One thing to watch for
Saying 'Ich will mehr Brot' to mean 'I want more bread'.
Try this instead: 'Ich will' sounds demanding in a polite request. Use 'Mehr Brot, bitte' or 'Kann ich noch Brot haben?' instead. For example, 'Kann ich noch ein Brötchen haben?' is a polite way to ask for another roll.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask for more water at a table?
Show a sample answer
Mehr Wasser, bitte.
This uses the pattern 'Mehr + noun + bitte'. 'Noch ein Wasser, bitte' is also possible if you want another glass or bottle.
2How do you ask 'Can I have another bread roll?' in German?
Show a sample answer
Kann ich noch ein Brötchen haben?
'Brötchen' is neuter, so it takes 'ein' in the accusative. In Austria, you might say 'Semmel' instead of 'Brötchen'.
3A host asks 'Möchtest du noch etwas?' How can you accept politely?
Show a sample answer
Ja, gern.
'Ja, gern' means 'Yes, gladly' and is a friendly, polite acceptance. 'Ja, bitte' is also correct.
Use 'Mehr ..., bitte' for more of the same food, and 'Kann ich noch ... haben?' for one additional item. Add 'bitte' to keep the request polite.
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