Please Let Me Know in German: Bescheid geben and Related Phrases
Learn to say please let me know in German with Bescheid geben, plus geben Sie, sag mir, and wenn du da bist. Master word order and register for real conversations.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
If you want to ask someone to keep you informed in German, the key phrase is Bescheid geben. It literally means to give a message or notification, and it is the standard way to say please let me know. This lesson teaches three practical patterns: Gib mir bitte Bescheid, Geben Sie mir bitte Bescheid, and Sag mir bitte Bescheid, wenn du da bist. You will learn when to use du or Sie, how to distinguish a request for a confirmation or update from simply informing someone, and why Bescheid is capitalized and the verb goes to the end in a subordinate clause.
By the end, you can…
- ask someone to let me know using Bescheid geben in informal and formal situations.
- use a subordinate clause with wenn to ask for a confirmation when someone arrives.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Gib mir bitte Bescheid.
Please let me know.
geep meer BIT-tuh buh-SHYT
Informal singular, used with friends, family, or colleagues you address with du. It asks for a short confirmation or update.
Geben Sie mir bitte Bescheid.
Please let me know.
GAY-ben zee meer BIT-tuh buh-SHYT
Formal imperative with Sie: Geben comes first, followed by Sie. Use this with someone you address formally. Mir indicates that you want them to inform you.
Sag mir bitte Bescheid, wenn du da bist.
Please let me know when you are there.
zahk meer BIT-tuh buh-SHYT, ven doo dah bist
Informal. The wenn clause is subordinate, so the verb bist goes to the end. Use this to ask for a confirmation upon arrival.
Ich gebe dir Bescheid, sobald ich mehr weiß.
I will let you know as soon as I know more.
ikh GAY-buh deer buh-SHYT, zo-BALT ikh mair vyss
A natural reply when you are the one who will provide an update. Sobald also sends the verb to the end.
Können Sie mir bitte Bescheid geben?
Could you please let me know?
KUR-nen zee meer BIT-tuh buh-SHYT GAY-ben
A polite question form. The modal verb können comes first, and the main verb geben goes to the end.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is jemandem Bescheid geben: to give someone a notification. The person receiving the message is in the dative case, so mir (to me) and dir (to you) are the common forms. Bescheid is a noun and is always capitalized. In a main clause, the verb comes second: Ich gebe dir Bescheid. In a subordinate clause introduced by wenn or sobald, the conjugated verb moves to the end: Sag mir Bescheid, wenn du da bist. Note that Bescheid geben focuses on a specific confirmation or update, not on general information. If you simply want to inform someone about a fact, use informieren or sagen: Ich informiere dich über den Termin.
When to use it
Use Gib mir bitte Bescheid with people you call du: friends, close colleagues, or family. Use Geben Sie mir bitte Bescheid with people you call Sie: strangers, customers, or officials. The phrase Sag mir bitte Bescheid, wenn du da bist is perfect for making a concrete plan, such as asking a friend to text when they arrive at a restaurant. In Austria and parts of southern Germany, you may also hear Bescheid sagen instead of Bescheid geben; both are acceptable, but Bescheid geben is more common in standard German. Lassen Sie mich wissen is perfectly grammatical and slightly more formal; it is fine in most situations, though it can sound a little stiff in very casual speech.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Hallo, ich warte hier am Eingang. Sag mir bitte Bescheid, wenn du da bist.
Hi, I am waiting here at the entrance. Please let me know when you are there.hah-LOH, ikh VAR-tuh heer am AYN-gang. zahk meer BIT-tuh buh-SHYT, ven doo dah bistAlles klar. Ich gebe dir Bescheid, sobald ich den Bus verlasse.
All right. I will let you know as soon as I get off the bus.AL-les klahr. ikh GAY-buh deer buh-SHYT, zo-BALT ikh dane boos fair-LAH-suhDanke. Und können Sie mir bitte Bescheid geben, wenn das Café schließt?
Thanks. And could you please let me know when the café closes?DAN-kuh. unt KUR-nen zee meer BIT-tuh buh-SHYT GAY-ben, ven das ka-FAY shleestJa, natürlich. Ich sage Ihnen Bescheid, sobald ich es weiß.
Yes, of course. I will let you know as soon as I know.yah, nah-TUR-likh. ikh ZAH-guh EE-nen buh-SHYT, zo-BALT ikh es vyssA little context goes a long way
German has a clear distinction between du and Sie. Using du with a stranger can sound overly familiar, while Sie with a close friend can feel distant. When in doubt, use Sie and wait for the other person to offer du. The phrase Bescheid geben is neutral and widely used in both private and professional contexts. In Austria and Bavaria, Bescheid sagen is also common and carries the same meaning.
One thing to watch for
Saying Ich gebe dir Bescheid, wenn ich bin da instead of wenn ich da bin.
Try this instead: In a subordinate clause introduced by wenn, the conjugated verb goes to the end: Ich gebe dir Bescheid, wenn ich da bin. The same rule applies to sobald: Ich gebe dir Bescheid, sobald ich mehr weiß.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you informally ask a friend to let you know when they arrive?
Show a sample answer
Sag mir bitte Bescheid, wenn du da bist.
This uses the informal imperative sag, the dative mir, and a subordinate wenn clause with the verb bist at the end. Gib mir bitte Bescheid, wenn du da bist is also correct and slightly more neutral.
2Make the request formal: Bitte gib mir Bescheid.
Show a sample answer
Bitte geben Sie mir Bescheid.
Formal Sie requires the verb form geben and the pronoun Sie. The word bitte can come first or later; both Bitte geben Sie mir Bescheid and Geben Sie mir bitte Bescheid are correct.
3Why is Bescheid capitalized in Bescheid geben?
Show a sample answer
Because Bescheid is a noun.
In German, all nouns are capitalized. Bescheid functions as the direct object of geben, and it is a noun meaning a notification or message.
Use Bescheid geben to ask for a confirmation or update. Choose Gib mir bitte Bescheid with du and Geben Sie mir bitte Bescheid with Sie. Remember that Bescheid is a noun and that wenn or sobald sends the verb to the end.
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