Make plans in German
Learn to invite someone in German, suggest a time, accept or decline politely, and agree on a plan. Includes pronunciation, regional variants, and common mistakes.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
In this lesson, you will learn how to invite someone in German, suggest a time, accept or politely decline, and agree on a plan. You will practice key phrases such as 'Hast du Lust?' (Do you feel like it?) and 'Passt es dir?' (Does it suit you?). We will focus on standard contemporary German, with notes on regional differences where relevant. By the end, you will be able to handle a simple social invitation from start to finish.
By the end, you can…
- invite someone to do something in German.
- suggest a time and ask if it works for the other person.
- accept or politely decline an invitation.
- agree on a final plan with a time and place.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Hast du Lust, etwas zu machen?
Do you feel like doing something?
hahst doo loost, ET-vas tsoo MAH-khen
A casual way to invite someone. Use with friends or people you know well.
Hast du am Samstag Zeit?
Do you have time on Saturday?
hahst doo ahm ZAHM-tahk tsyt
Use 'am' for days and dates. For 'on the weekend', say 'am Wochenende'.
Passt es dir um sieben?
Does seven o'clock work for you?
pahst es deer oom ZEE-ben
Use 'dir' for informal 'you'. For formal, say 'Passt es Ihnen um sieben?'
Ja, gerne!
Yes, gladly! / Yes, I'd love to!
yah, GEHR-nuh
A friendly, enthusiastic acceptance. Common in both informal and formal contexts.
Tut mir leid, ich kann nicht.
I'm sorry, I can't.
toot meer lyt, ikh kahn nikht
A polite decline. You can add a reason: 'Ich habe schon etwas vor.' (I already have plans.)
Dann treffen wir uns um sieben vor dem Kino.
Then we'll meet at seven in front of the cinema.
dahn TREF-en veer oons oom ZEE-ben for daym KEE-no
Use this to confirm the final plan. 'Vor dem Kino' means 'in front of the cinema'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To invite someone, use 'Hast du Lust, ...?' + infinitive phrase. Example: 'Hast du Lust, ins Kino zu gehen?' (Do you feel like going to the cinema?). To suggest a time, use 'Passt es dir um ...?' Example: 'Passt es dir um acht?' (Does eight work for you?). To accept, say 'Ja, gerne!' or 'Das klingt gut.' (That sounds good.). To decline politely, say 'Tut mir leid, ich kann nicht.' and optionally give a reason. To agree on a plan, use 'Dann treffen wir uns um ... vor ...' Example: 'Dann treffen wir uns um sieben vor dem Kino.'
When to use it
Use these phrases in casual social situations with friends, family, or acquaintances. For formal situations, use 'Sie' instead of 'du': 'Haben Sie Lust?' and 'Passt es Ihnen?' In southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, you may hear 'Hast du Zeit am Samstag?' instead of 'Hast du am Samstag Zeit?' Both are correct. In Austria, 'Jänner' is used for January instead of 'Januar'. In Switzerland, 'Samstag' is often replaced by 'Samschtig' in dialect, but standard German uses 'Samstag'.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Hallo! Hast du am Samstag Zeit? Ich möchte ins Kino gehen.
Hi! Do you have time on Saturday? I'd like to go to the cinema.HAH-loh! hahst doo ahm ZAHM-tahk tsyt? ikh MERKH-tuh ins KEE-no GAY-enAm Samstag? Ja, ich habe Zeit. Was möchtest du sehen?
On Saturday? Yes, I have time. What would you like to see?ahm ZAHM-tahk? yah, ikh HAH-buh tsyt. vahs MERKH-test doo ZAY-enEs gibt einen neuen Film. Hast du Lust, um sieben zu gehen?
There's a new film. Do you feel like going at seven?es geebt EYE-nen NOY-en film. hahst doo loost, oom ZEE-ben tsoo GAY-enUm sieben? Das ist ein bisschen früh. Passt es dir um acht?
At seven? That's a bit early. Does eight work for you?oom ZEE-ben? dahs ist yn BIS-khen frue. pahst es deer oom ahktJa, acht ist besser. Dann treffen wir uns um acht vor dem Kino.
Yes, eight is better. Then we'll meet at eight in front of the cinema.yah, ahkt ist BES-er. dahn TREF-en veer oons oom ahkt for daym KEE-noPerfekt! Bis Samstag!
Perfect! See you Saturday!per-FEKT! bis ZAHM-tahkA little context goes a long way
In German-speaking countries, punctuality is valued. If you agree on a time, try to be on time. When declining an invitation, it's polite to give a brief reason, but you don't need to over-explain. In formal situations, use 'Sie' and titles like 'Herr' or 'Frau' until invited to use 'du'. In Austria and Switzerland, 'Grüß Gott' or 'Grüezi' are common greetings instead of 'Hallo'.
One thing to watch for
Using 'Ich habe Zeit am Samstag' instead of 'Ich habe am Samstag Zeit'.
Try this instead: In German, time expressions usually come before the object or after the verb. The standard order is 'Ich habe am Samstag Zeit.' Both 'Ich habe Zeit am Samstag' and 'Ich habe am Samstag Zeit' are understandable, but the latter is more natural. Example: 'Hast du am Samstag Zeit?' is preferred over 'Hast du Zeit am Samstag?'.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you invite a friend to go to the cinema on Saturday?
Show a sample answer
Hast du am Samstag Lust, ins Kino zu gehen?
This uses 'Hast du Lust, ...?' + infinitive. You can also say 'Hast du am Samstag Zeit? Ich möchte ins Kino gehen.' Both are correct.
2How do you politely decline an invitation because you already have plans?
Show a sample answer
Tut mir leid, ich kann nicht. Ich habe schon etwas vor.
This is a polite decline with a reason. You can also say 'Es tut mir leid, aber ich habe schon Pläne.' Both are acceptable.
3How do you suggest meeting at eight in front of the cinema?
Show a sample answer
Dann treffen wir uns um acht vor dem Kino.
This confirms the plan. You can also say 'Lass uns um acht vor dem Kino treffen.' Both are correct, but the first is more common in this context.
Use 'Hast du Lust?' to invite, 'Passt es dir?' to suggest a time, 'Ja, gerne!' to accept, 'Tut mir leid, ich kann nicht.' to decline, and 'Dann treffen wir uns um ... vor ...' to agree on a plan. Remember to use 'Sie' in formal situations.
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