Making Gentle Suggestions in German: How About...? and Why Don't We...?
Learn beginner German phrases for making soft, friendly suggestions with Wie wäre es mit...? and Wollen wir...?, plus polite ways to respond to other people's ideas.
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
In German, making a suggestion is not just about the idea itself; it is also about how much pressure you put on the other person. A direct command such as Komm mit! can sound like an order, while Wie wäre es mit...? (How about...?) and Wollen wir...? (Why don't we...?) invite the other person to decide. This lesson teaches beginner-friendly phrases for suggesting activities, softening them with words like vielleicht and mal, and responding when someone else suggests something. You will practise short, natural sentences for everyday situations such as choosing a café, going for a walk or deciding what to do in the evening. The focus is suggestions, not advice about problems, so you will not learn phrases like Du solltest... (You should...). Instead, you will learn how to offer an idea and leave room for a different plan.
By the end, you can…
- make a simple suggestion in German using Wie wäre es mit...? and Wollen wir...?
- soften a suggestion with vielleicht, mal or doch so it does not sound like a command.
- accept, reject or change another person's suggestion politely.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Wie wäre es mit einem Kaffee?
How about a coffee?
vee VEH-ruh es mit EYE-nem KAH-fay
Very common and friendly. Use mit + dative: mit einem Kaffee, mit einer Pause. Good for a low-pressure idea.
Wollen wir einen Spaziergang machen?
Why don't we go for a walk? / Shall we go for a walk?
VOL-len veer EYE-nen shpah-TSEER-gahng MAH-khen
Wollen wir...? literally asks 'do we want to...?' and works like 'Shall we...?' It is neutral and common in everyday German.
Vielleicht können wir später essen gehen.
Maybe we could eat out later.
feel-LYE-sht KUR-nen veer SHPAAY-ter ES-sen GAY-en
Vielleicht softens the idea. Use können wir + infinitive at the end: essen gehen, ins Kino gehen.
Hast du Lust, ins Kino zu gehen?
Do you feel like going to the cinema?
hast doo loost, ins KEE-no tsoo GAY-en
Lust haben is a friendly way to ask about interest. The zu-infinitive goes at the end: ins Kino zu gehen.
Das ist eine gute Idee.
That is a good idea.
das ist EYE-ne GOO-tuh ee-DAY
A simple positive response. You can add Aber gern! or Ja, gerne! to sound warmer.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Two patterns are especially useful for gentle suggestions. First, Wie wäre es mit + dative noun: Wie wäre es mit einem Film? (How about a film?), Wie wäre es mit einer Pause? (How about a break?). Second, Wollen wir + infinitive at the end: Wollen wir schwimmen gehen? (Shall we go swimming?), Wollen wir heute kochen? (Shall we cook today?). Both patterns invite the other person to agree or disagree. To soften them further, add vielleicht or mal: Vielleicht wollen wir mal ins Museum gehen. Mal often makes a suggestion sound casual and not final.
When to use it
Use Wie wäre es mit...? when you want to offer one concrete option, especially with a noun: Wie wäre es mit einem Kaffee? Use Wollen wir...? when the suggestion involves an activity and you want to include yourself: Wollen wir einen Spaziergang machen? If you are answering someone else, you can accept with Das ist eine gute Idee or Ja, gerne. You can reject gently with Hmm, vielleicht später (Hmm, maybe later) or Lieber nicht heute (Rather not today). To offer a different plan, say Vielleicht lieber...? For example: Vielleicht lieber morgen? (Maybe tomorrow instead?). This keeps the conversation open and avoids sounding pushy.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Wollen wir heute Abend etwas trinken gehen?
Shall we go for a drink this evening?VOL-len veer HOY-tuh AH-bent ET-vas TRIN-ken GAY-enJa, gerne. Wie wäre es mit dem Café am Markt?
Yes, gladly. How about the café at the market?yah, GAIR-nuh. vee VEH-ruh es mit daym kah-FAY am marktDas ist eine gute Idee. Vielleicht so um sieben?
That is a good idea. Maybe around seven?das ist EYE-ne GOO-tuh ee-DAY. feel-LYE-sht zo oom ZEE-benSieben passt gut. Bis später!
Seven works well. See you later!ZEE-ben past goot. bis SHPAAY-terA little context goes a long way
German suggestions often sound more direct in English translation than they do in German. Wollen wir...? is not rude; it is a normal, friendly way to propose a shared activity. In Austria and parts of southern Germany, you may also hear Wollen wir...? alongside dialect-influenced forms, but the standard patterns here are understood everywhere. Using bitte or gerne adds warmth, while mal and vielleicht make a suggestion sound more relaxed.
One thing to watch for
Using a bare command such as Komm mit! or Wir gehen ins Kino! when you want to suggest something politely.
Try this instead: Use an invitation pattern instead: Wollen wir ins Kino gehen? or Wie wäre es mit einem Film? These leave the other person free to say no. A bare command can sound like an order, especially with people you do not know well.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Turn this into a gentle suggestion: 'How about a break?'
Show a sample answer
Wie wäre es mit einer Pause?
Wie wäre es mit takes the dative. Pause is feminine, so eine becomes einer. The standard phrase is Wie wäre es mit einer Pause?
2Make a suggestion with Wollen wir: 'Shall we cook today?'
Show a sample answer
Wollen wir heute kochen?
Wollen wir comes first, then the time word heute, and the infinitive kochen goes at the end. Wollen wir heute mal kochen? is also correct and sounds a little more casual.
3Someone says: Wollen wir morgen schwimmen gehen? You cannot go tomorrow. Respond politely and suggest another day.
Show a sample answer
Hmm, morgen geht es leider nicht. Vielleicht lieber am Samstag?
This rejects the original idea gently with leider nicht and offers a new option with Vielleicht lieber...?. You could also say Morgen passt es nicht so gut. Samstag wäre besser. Both keep the suggestion friendly.
Use Wie wäre es mit...? for a concrete option and Wollen wir...? for a shared activity. Add vielleicht or mal to soften the idea, and respond with Das ist eine gute Idee, gerne or Vielleicht lieber... to keep the conversation friendly and open.
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