wie bitte?
/viː ˈbɪtə/word by word
The English phrase 'I beg your pardon?' can be translated into German as wie bitte?
The phrase wie bitte? is used when you want someone to repeat something they just said because you did not hear or understand them.
Meaning: Translations (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, wie bitte? translates to 'how please?'
Which one should you use?
While wie bitte? is the standard and softer way to ask for repetition, the word Was? (What?) is much more blunt and can be perceived as potentially rude.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
wie bitte? is considered a polite way to ask for repetition and is suitable for most social situations. If you need to say 'excuse me please' in a formal setting, use Entschuldigen Sie bitte or use Verzeihung (pardon or forgiveness) for formal contexts. In informal situations, you can use Entschuldige to say 'excuse me'.
How do you pronounce it?
/viː ˈbɪtə/
Did you know?
- Depending on the tone, wie bitte? can function as a 'verbal double-take'. When spoken with a flat or falling intonation, it can signal that the speaker finds a statement completely absurd.
- The word bitte in wie bitte? is a shortened version of ich bitte, which means 'I beg'. This mirrors the structure of the English phrase 'I beg your pardon'.
- In some German dialects, wie bitte? can be replaced by a simple häh?, but this is considered extremely colloquial and can be seen as offensive to older generations.
Examples in context
- Wie bitte?I beg your pardon?This example shows how to use wie bitte? to ask for repetition.Tatoeba #403056 by Ramses, translation #24940 by CK
- Wie bitte? Das habe ich nicht gehört.I beg your pardon? I didn't hear that.
- Wie bitte? Können Sie das bitte wiederholen?I beg your pardon? Can you please repeat that?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maximilian is speaking too softly in a quiet cafe.
- JuliaMaximilian, sag bitte etwas lauter.Maximilian, please speak a bit louder.
- MaximilianIch sagte, der Kaffee schmeckt sehr gut.I said the coffee tastes very good.
- JuliaWie bitte?I beg your pardon?
- MaximilianDer Kaffee ist wirklich lecker!The coffee is really delicious!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I beg your pardon” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (wie, bitte) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bitte, wie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
