How to Say Please and Thank You in German: Danke schön and Take Your Time
Learn to say please and thank you in German with danke schön, bitte, and the polite phrase lassen Sie sich Zeit. Includes formal and informal variations, responses to thanks, and a short dialogue.
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
In German, please and thank you are not just two words; they change with register and situation. The most common thank-you is danke, and danke schön adds warmth without being overly formal. For please, bitte covers both please and you're welcome, which can confuse beginners. This lesson also teaches a closely related patience phrase: lassen Sie sich Zeit, meaning take your time. You will learn when to use each expression, how to respond to thanks, and how to sound polite in shops, offices, and everyday conversations.
By the end, you can…
- say please and thank you in German using bitte and danke schön appropriately.
- use a polite patience phrase to tell someone to take their time.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Danke schön.
Thank you very much.
DAHN-kuh shurn
A warm, slightly emphatic thank-you. Use with acquaintances, service staff, or when someone does you a small favor. More personal than plain danke.
Bitte.
Please. / You're welcome.
BIT-tuh
The all-purpose polite word. It means please when making a request and you're welcome when responding to thanks. Tone and context make the meaning clear.
Bitte schön.
Here you are. / You're welcome.
BIT-tuh shurn
A friendly, slightly more formal variant of bitte. Often used when handing something to someone or replying to danke schön.
Lassen Sie sich Zeit.
Take your time. (formal)
LAH-sen zee zikh tsyt
Polite and reassuring. Use with strangers, older people, or in professional settings. The informal version is Lass dir Zeit.
Gern geschehen.
You're welcome. / My pleasure.
gairn guh-SHAY-en
A warm response to thanks. It literally means gladly done. Common in both formal and informal contexts, especially in southern Germany and Austria.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
German uses bitte for both please and you're welcome. When you ask for something, bitte softens the request: Ein Wasser, bitte. (A water, please.) When someone thanks you, bitte or bitte schön works as a reply: Danke schön! — Bitte schön. For a more personal reply, use Gern geschehen. To tell someone to take their time, the formal pattern is Lassen Sie sich Zeit. With friends, say Lass dir Zeit. These patterns are fixed; you do not need to change the verb for gender.
When to use it
Use danke for quick, everyday thanks, and danke schön when you want to sound warmer or more appreciative. In formal situations, such as a doctor's office or a business meeting, danke schön and bitte schön are safe. With close friends, danke and bitte alone are normal. Lassen Sie sich Zeit is ideal when someone is serving you and you do not want them to feel rushed. If you are the one being thanked, reply with Bitte, Bitte schön, or Gern geschehen. Avoid using danke schön sarcastically; it can sound ironic if overdone.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Entschuldigung, können Sie mir bitte helfen?
Excuse me, can you please help me?ent-SHOOL-dee-goong, KUR-nen zee meer BIT-tuh HEL-fenJa, natürlich. Lassen Sie sich Zeit.
Yes, of course. Take your time.yah, nah-TUER-likh. LAH-sen zee zikh tsytDanke schön. Ich suche den Bahnhof.
Thank you very much. I'm looking for the train station.DAHN-kuh shurn. ikh ZOO-khuh dane BAHN-hohfGern geschehen. Gehen Sie geradeaus.
You're welcome. Go straight ahead.gairn guh-SHAY-en. GAY-en zee guh-RAH-duh-ousA little context goes a long way
In German-speaking countries, politeness often comes from clear, calm delivery rather than extra words. Danke schön is warm but not overly formal; in Austria and southern Germany, you may also hear danke sehr or servus in casual settings. Bitte schön is common when handing someone something. Lassen Sie sich Zeit is genuinely reassuring, not a command. Using Sie with strangers and du with friends is important: mixing them up can sound odd, though many younger people are relaxed about it.
One thing to watch for
Using danke as a response to danke, or saying bitte only for please and forgetting it also means you're welcome.
Try this instead: When someone says Danke schön, reply with Bitte schön or Gern geschehen, not danke. For example: A: Danke schön! B: Bitte schön. Also remember that bitte changes meaning with context: Ein Kaffee, bitte means A coffee, please, while Bitte alone after thanks means You're welcome.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1A colleague hands you a document and says 'Hier, bitte.' You want to thank them warmly. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
Danke schön.
Danke schön is a warm, polite thank-you suitable for colleagues. Danke alone is also correct but less emphatic. In a very formal setting, you could say Vielen Dank, which is also valid.
2An elderly customer seems rushed. You want to tell them to take their time. What is the formal German phrase?
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Lassen Sie sich Zeit.
This uses the formal Sie form and is appropriate for strangers or older people. With a friend, you would say Lass dir Zeit. Both are correct in their respective registers.
3Someone says 'Danke schön!' after you help them. Give one natural reply.
Show a sample answer
Bitte schön.
Bitte schön is a standard, friendly reply to thanks. Gern geschehen is also correct and often sounds warmer. Bitte alone works too, but bitte schön is slightly more polite.
Use danke for quick thanks and danke schön for warmth. Bitte covers both please and you're welcome. To tell someone to take their time, say Lassen Sie sich Zeit formally or Lass dir Zeit informally. Reply to thanks with Bitte schön or Gern geschehen.
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