In this workshop you practise a friendly German skill: suggesting something to do together. You will hear short, natural lines and learn what each one means in English before you try it yourself. The focus is on three useful patterns: Wie wäre es mit...? for a low-pressure idea, Wollen wir...? for 'Shall we...?', and the softener vielleicht so your suggestion sounds like an invitation, not a command. You will also practise reacting when someone suggests something to you: accepting an idea, suggesting a place and confirming a time. You can play both roles with the audio, but there is no automatic assessment, so use the answer keys to check yourself honestly.
Making a friendly suggestion
Two patterns cover most everyday situations. The first is Wie wäre es mit...? — literally 'How would it be with...?'. It means 'How about...?' and is followed by mit + dative, for example «Wie wäre es mit einem Kaffee?». This pattern is soft and low-pressure: you offer an idea and the other person can easily say yes or no. The second pattern is Wollen wir...? — literally 'Do we want to...?'. It works like 'Shall we...?' and is neutral and very common, for example «Wollen wir einen Spaziergang machen?». Notice that the main verb goes to the end of the sentence. If you want to sound even softer, add vielleicht ('maybe'), as in «Vielleicht können wir später essen gehen.». Vielleicht signals that the idea is open for discussion. Another friendly option is asking about interest with Lust haben, as in «Hast du Lust, ins Kino zu gehen?»: Hast du Lust, ins Kino zu gehen? means 'Do you feel like going to the cinema?' Here the zu-infinitive (ins Kino zu gehen) stands at the end.
Accepting and confirming the details
A suggestion is only half the conversation; the reply matters just as much. In a short exchange, one person suggests going out, the other accepts and offers a place, the first agrees and proposes a time, and the second confirms. You can hear this flow in «Wollen wir heute Abend etwas trinken gehen?», «Ja, gerne. Wie wäre es mit dem Café am Markt?», «Das ist eine gute Idee. Vielleicht so um sieben?» and «Sieben passt gut. Bis später!». Useful reply words are Ja, gerne ('Yes, gladly') to accept warmly, and Das ist eine gute Idee ('That is a good idea') to agree with a proposal. To offer a place when no place has been chosen yet, use «Ja, gerne. Wie wäre es mit dem Café am Markt?». To suggest a time softly, use vielleicht plus a rough time, as in «Das ist eine gute Idee. Vielleicht so um sieben?». To confirm, a short sentence like «Sieben passt gut. Bis später!» is enough. When you hear a suggestion, listen for the verb at the end: that is often the activity (trinken gehen, essen gehen, ins Kino gehen).
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Wie wäre es mit einem Kaffee?
How about a coffee?
vee VEH-ruh es mit EYE-nem KAH-fay
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
Vielleicht können wir später essen gehen.
Maybe we could eat out later.
feel-LYE-sht KUR-nen veer SHPAAY-ter ES-sen GAY-en
Hast du Lust, ins Kino zu gehen?
Do you feel like going to the cinema?
hast doo loost, ins KEE-no tsoo GAY-en
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Wollen wir heute Abend etwas trinken gehen?
Shall we go for a drink this evening?Ja, gerne. Wie wäre es mit dem Café am Markt?
Yes, gladly. How about the café at the market?Das ist eine gute Idee. Vielleicht so um sieben?
That is a good idea. Maybe around seven?Sieben passt gut. Bis später!
Seven works well. See you later!Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided exchange: agree on an evening out
A suggests going out for a drink. B accepts and proposes a café. Use the exact recorded scene.
Your task: Say A: «Wollen wir heute Abend etwas trinken gehen?». B: «Ja, gerne. Wie wäre es mit dem Café am Markt?». A: «Das ist eine gute Idee. Vielleicht so um sieben?». B: «Sieben passt gut. Bis später!». Listen to each line, then repeat the exchange aloud.
Understand the place and time
Listen to the responses in the evening-out dialogue.
Your task: In «Ja, gerne. Wie wäre es mit dem Café am Markt?», does B (a) accept and suggest the café or (b) refuse to meet? In «Das ist eine gute Idee. Vielleicht so um sieben?», does A propose (a) around seven or (b) tomorrow morning? Finally, does «Sieben passt gut. Bis später!» confirm or reject seven? Say your choices in English, then repeat the three German lines.
Recall with correct roles
This time you rebuild the short exchange from memory. The scene has two roles: the person who suggests going out, and the person who accepts and helps plan the details.
Your task: Role A: suggest going out this evening, following «Wollen wir heute Abend etwas trinken gehen?». Role B: accept gladly and suggest a café, following «Ja, gerne. Wie wäre es mit dem Café am Markt?». Role A: agree and suggest a time softly, following «Das ist eine gute Idee. Vielleicht so um sieben?». Role B: confirm the time and say see you later, following «Sieben passt gut. Bis später!». Say all four lines without looking first, then check yourself against the recordings.
Common questions
What is the difference between Wie wäre es mit...? and Wollen wir...?
Both are friendly ways to suggest something. Wie wäre es mit...? means 'How about...?' and is followed by mit + dative, so it feels like offering an idea. Wollen wir...? means 'Shall we...?' and puts the main verb at the end of the sentence. You can use either one for everyday plans; many speakers mix them in the same conversation.
How do I make my suggestion sound softer and not like a command?
Add a softener. Vielleicht ('maybe') makes the idea open for discussion, as in «Vielleicht können wir später essen gehen.». You can also use Wie wäre es mit...? instead of a direct statement, because it presents the idea as a question. Asking about interest with Lust haben, as in «Hast du Lust, ins Kino zu gehen?», is another gentle option. These small words keep the tone friendly and give the other person room to say no.
Sources and further reading
- german: making suggestions politelyChecked September 2026
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Take today's German into a conversation with a Yapr AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr