How to Say 'Enjoy Your Meal' and Ask for the Salt in German
Learn polite German table phrases: Guten Appetit, asking for the salt with könnten Sie, and simple compliments to the cook.
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
At a German-speaking table, a few set phrases do most of the work. This lesson teaches you how to wish others 'Enjoy your meal', ask someone to pass the salt politely, and react to food you like. You will practise the polite request form with könnten, the useful verb geben, and the phrase Guten Appetit, which is standard in Germany, Austria and most of Switzerland. All examples use the polite Sie form, which is the safe choice with people you do not know well.
By the end, you can…
- wish people at the table 'Enjoy your meal' in German.
- politely ask someone to pass the salt or another item.
- compliment the food and say that it tastes good.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Guten Appetit!
Enjoy your meal!
GOO-ten ah-peh-TEET
Said before eating begins. Standard in Germany, Austria and most of German-speaking Switzerland. In Switzerland you may also hear En Guete, which is informal and regional.
Könnten Sie mir bitte das Salz geben?
Could you please pass me the salt?
KURN-ten zee meer BIT-tuh das ZALTS GAY-ben
Polite request with Sie. Use this with strangers, older people, colleagues or restaurant staff. Könnten is the polite form of können.
Kannst du mir bitte das Salz geben?
Can you please pass me the salt?
KAHNST doo meer BIT-tuh das ZALTS GAY-ben
Informal request with du, for family and friends. The word bitte keeps it friendly.
Das schmeckt sehr gut.
That tastes very good.
das SHMEKT zair GOOT
A simple compliment during the meal. You can replace sehr gut with lecker for a more casual 'delicious'.
Ich nehme noch etwas.
I'll have some more.
ikh NAY-muh nokh ET-vas
Said when you want a second helping. Add the food if you like: Ich nehme noch etwas Reis. This is neutral and works with Sie or du.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
For polite requests, German often uses a modal verb plus bitte: Könnten Sie mir bitte das Salz geben? The pattern is Könnten Sie mir bitte + item + geben? You can swap the item: Könnten Sie mir bitte das Brot geben? or Könnten Sie mir bitte die Serviette geben? Remember that German nouns have gender: das Salz is neuter, das Brot is neuter, die Serviette is feminine. The article changes with the noun, so learn each item with its article.
When to use it
Use Guten Appetit when the food arrives and people start eating. Use Könnten Sie ... with Sie for anyone you address formally, including waiters. With friends and family, Kannst du ... is normal and not rude. If you only want to comment on the food, Das schmeckt sehr gut works in any setting. At a restaurant, you can also say Das war sehr lecker after the meal. Avoid direct commands like Gib mir das Salz, which sound abrupt.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Guten Appetit!
Enjoy your meal!GOO-ten ah-peh-TEETDanke, gleichfalls. Könnten Sie mir bitte das Salz geben?
Thanks, likewise. Could you please pass me the salt?DAHN-kuh, GLYKH-falts. KURN-ten zee meer BIT-tuh das ZALTS GAY-benJa, bitte schön. Hier ist das Salz.
Yes, here you are. Here is the salt.yah, BIT-tuh shurn. heer ist das ZALTSVielen Dank. Das schmeckt sehr gut.
Many thanks. That tastes very good.FEE-len DAHNK. das SHMEKT zair GOOTA little context goes a long way
Guten Appetit is the standard phrase before a meal in Germany and Austria. In German-speaking Switzerland, En Guete is common and informal; Guten Appetit is also understood. In formal or restaurant settings, keep requests with Sie and bitte. Tipping is not required, but rounding up is usual in restaurants. Do not start eating before everyone has their food if the group is waiting; a short Guten Appetit marks the start.
One thing to watch for
Using Gib mir das Salz to mean 'Pass me the salt' in a polite situation.
Try this instead: Gib mir is an imperative and sounds like a command. Use Könnten Sie mir bitte das Salz geben? with Sie, or Kannst du mir bitte das Salz geben? with du. The word bitte softens the request and is expected in most situations.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you politely ask a waiter to pass the bread?
Show a sample answer
Könnten Sie mir bitte das Brot geben?
This uses the polite Sie form, bitte, and the correct neuter article das Brot. Kannst du mir bitte das Brot geben? is also correct if you are speaking informally to a friend.
2What do you say before everyone starts eating?
Show a sample answer
Guten Appetit!
This is the standard phrase in Germany and Austria. In German-speaking Switzerland, En Guete is also common and correct in informal settings.
3How do you compliment the food during the meal?
Show a sample answer
Das schmeckt sehr gut.
This means 'That tastes very good'. Das ist sehr lecker or Das schmeckt lecker are also valid, more casual alternatives.
Learn Guten Appetit for the start of a meal, and use Könnten Sie mir bitte ... geben? for polite requests. Add bitte every time, and match Sie or du to the person you are talking to.
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