Ein Bier, bitte
/aɪ̯n biːr ˈbɪtə/word by word
To say "beer please" in German, use Ein Bier, bitte.
Ein Bier, bitte is a standard, polite way to order a single beer in a restaurant or bar. In certain contexts, you might hear the word Maß, which refers to a liter-sized beer mug commonly served in Bavarian beer gardens.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of Ein (a/one), Bier (beer) and bitte (please).
Which one should you use?
Using Ein Bier (one beer) is more common for a single order than Das Bier (the beer), which would imply a specific beer that has already been mentioned.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cologne, one can order a beer by saying Ein Kölsch, bitte.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, Ein is the masculine nominative/accusative indefinite article used to mean "a" or "one". In informal speech, you may encounter 'nen, which is a shortened form of einen meaning "a" or "one".
How do you pronounce it?
/aɪ̯n biːr ˈbɪtə/
Did you know?
- In many German beer gardens, you can order Ein Bier, bitte and then carry your own drink to a communal table, where it is culturally acceptable to ask a stranger to join you.
- The word Bier shares a common ancestor with the English 'beer', but both words originally referred to the 'dross' or yeast sediment left during brewing.
- The word bitte is not a standalone particle like the English 'please', but is actually a truncated version of the sentence ich bitte Sie, which means 'I beg you'.
Examples in context
- Ein Bier, bitte!One beer, please!This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase Ein Bier, bitte.Tatoeba #1023648 by Sudajaengi, translation #926952 by zvaigzne
Example conversation
Hannah and Felix are at a bar.
- HannahHallo! Ein Bier, bitte.Hello! A beer, please.
- FelixGerne. Welches Bier möchten Sie?Sure. Which beer would you like?
- HannahEin Helles, bitte.A Helles, please.
- FelixKommt sofort, Hannah.Coming right up, Hannah.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ein, Bier, bitte) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Bier, bitte, ein, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
