The word for “please” in German is bitte.
Bitte is one of the most common and useful words you’ll hear in German.
Examples
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Einen Kaffee, bitte.
A coffee, please.
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Können Sie mir bitte helfen?
Can you help me, please?
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Bitte komm mit.
Please come with me.
The word bitte is super versatile.
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It means please when asking for something.
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It also means you’re welcome after someone thanks you.
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And it can even mean here you go when handing something over.
It’s a word you’ll hear constantly in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Setzen Sie sich, bitte.
Please have a seat.
Sprechen Sie langsamer, bitte.
Please speak more slowly.
Noch ein Glas Wasser, bitte.
Another glass of water, please.
Danke! – Bitte!
Thanks! – You’re welcome!
The word bitte comes from the verb bitten, which means to request or to ask for something. So when you say bitte, you’re literally softening your words with a request-like tone — a beautiful reminder of how language builds politeness.
Here’s the very first lesson from my course 3 Minute German. Watch it below 👇
If you enjoyed this lesson, you’ll love the full course, where you’ll go from single words to confident conversations step by step.
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