Make polite and casual requests in German
Learn how one request changes from informal du to formal Sie in German, with practical phrases for friends, strangers, shops, and offices.
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
In German, the same request can sound friendly, neutral, or distant depending on pronouns, verb forms, and small politeness words. This lesson focuses on one everyday request: asking someone to wait a moment. You will compare informal du forms used with friends to formal Sie forms used with strangers, and learn how modal verbs, the particle mal, and phrases like Entschuldigung change the social tone.
By the end, you can…
- choose between du and Sie when making a simple request in German.
- soften or formalize a request using mal, bitte, and modal verbs.
- recognize regional and situational differences in polite requests.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Warte mal kurz!
Wait a moment!
VAR-tuh mahl koorts
Informal singular imperative with du understood; common among friends, family, and close colleagues. The particle mal makes it sound casual, not necessarily rude.
Kannst du kurz warten?
Can you wait a moment?
kahnst doo koorts VAR-tuhn
Informal question with du; a friendly, everyday request among people who know each other well.
Können Sie kurz warten?
Can you wait a moment?
KUR-nuhn zee koorts VAR-tuhn
Formal question with Sie; suitable for strangers, customers, officials, or anyone you address with Herr/Frau plus last name.
Entschuldigung, würden Sie bitte kurz warten?
Excuse me, would you please wait a moment?
ent-SHOOL-dee-goong, VOOR-duhn zee BIT-tuh koorts VAR-tuhn
Very polite formal request; useful in shops, waiting rooms, or offices when you need a stranger's attention.
Würdest du kurz warten?
Would you wait a moment?
VOOR-duhst doo koorts VAR-tuhn
Informal but softer than a direct imperative; the Konjunktiv II form würdest sounds considerate among friends.
Könnten Sie das bitte kurz machen?
Could you please do that briefly?
KURN-tuhn zee dahs BIT-tuh koorts MAKH-uhn
Formal request with könnten; the past-subjunctive form sounds more tentative and polite than können.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
German requests often use a modal verb plus the infinitive at the end: Kannst du kurz warten? / Können Sie kurz warten? The pronoun du or Sie signals the relationship. Adding mal softens informal requests: Warte mal kurz! Adding bitte works in both registers, but formal requests often combine bitte with könnten or würden: Könnten Sie bitte kurz warten? The verb forms must match the pronoun: du wartest, Sie warten, du kannst, Sie können.
When to use it
Use du with friends, family, classmates, children, and many colleagues in informal workplaces. Use Sie with strangers, older people you do not know, customers, officials, and people you address as Herr or Frau plus surname. In shops, Entschuldigung, könnten Sie bitte... is a safe formal choice. Among friends, Warte mal kurz! or Kannst du kurz warten? is normal. In some regions, especially northern Germany, colleagues may use Sie longer than in southern Germany or Austria, where du spreads faster in workplaces; observe what others use.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Entschuldigung, könnten Sie bitte kurz warten?
Excuse me, could you please wait a moment?ent-SHOOL-dee-goong, KURN-tuhn zee BIT-tuh koorts VAR-tuhnJa, natürlich. Was ist denn los?
Yes, of course. What is going on?yah, nah-TUER-likh. vahs ist den lohsIch habe noch eine Frage zu meinem Antrag.
I still have a question about my application.ikh HAH-buh nokh EYE-nuh FRAH-guh tsoo MY-nuhm AN-trahkKein Problem, ich warte hier.
No problem, I will wait here.kine pro-BLAYM, ikh VAR-tuh heerDanke, das ist sehr freundlich von Ihnen.
Thank you, that is very kind of you.DAHNG-kuh, dahs ist zair FROYNT-likh fon EE-nuhnGern. Nehmen Sie sich die Zeit.
You're welcome. Take your time.gairn. NAY-muhn zee zikh dee tsyteA little context goes a long way
German politeness often comes from clarity and correct register rather than from adding many softeners. Using du with a stranger can sound too familiar, while using Sie with a close friend can sound distant or ironic. Direct imperatives are not automatically rude; Warte mal kurz! is normal among friends. In Austria and parts of southern Germany, Grüß Gott and regional du patterns may differ, so watch local usage.
One thing to watch for
Using Kannst du kurz warten? with a stranger in a formal setting because it sounds friendly.
Try this instead: Match the pronoun to the relationship. With a stranger, say Können Sie kurz warten? or, more politely, Entschuldigung, könnten Sie bitte kurz warten? Use du only when the other person is clearly in your informal circle or has offered du.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You need a stranger in a doctor's waiting room to wait a moment. Which request fits best?
Show a sample answer
Entschuldigung, könnten Sie bitte kurz warten?
This uses Sie, a polite excuse, könnten, and bitte. Können Sie kurz warten? is also acceptable but slightly more direct.
2Your friend is walking ahead and you need them to pause. Which informal request is natural?
Show a sample answer
Warte mal kurz!
The du imperative plus mal is casual and common among friends. Kannst du kurz warten? also works and may sound slightly softer.
3Why is Würden Sie bitte kurz warten? often more polite than Warten Sie bitte kurz?
Show a sample answer
The würde form makes the request more tentative and less like a command.
Both are formal and correct. The subjunctive würden softens the request; context and tone still matter, and Warten Sie bitte kurz? can be perfectly polite in many situations.
Choose du or Sie first, then adjust the verb and add bitte or mal as needed. The same request changes from Warte mal kurz! with a friend to Entschuldigung, könnten Sie bitte kurz warten? with a stranger.
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