Ways to say it
| German |
|---|
| stimmt so |
| behalten Sie das Wechselgeld |
You use stimmt so when you want a person to keep the remaining amount of money as a tip, effectively telling them the amount paid is the final amount intended.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase stimmt so literally means 'it is correct this way' or 'it's fine as is'.
Which one should you use?
Stimmt so is the common, idiomatic way to tell a server or driver to keep the change. In contrast, Behalten Sie das Wechselgeld is a more literal and formal instruction.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Stimmt so is the standard, natural and colloquial way to tip in casual settings like cafes or taxis. For a more formal instruction, you can use Behalten Sie das Wechselgeld or Sie dürfen das Restgeld behalten (meaning 'You may keep the remainder'). If you are in an informal setting, you might say Behalt den Rest ('Keep the rest') or Du kannst das Kleingeld behalten ('You can keep the small change').
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Bavaria, locals might say Lass stecken. to mean 'Leave it' or 'Keep it.'
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase stimmt so uses the third-person singular verb stimmt (from the verb *stimmen*) and the adverb so.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Behalten Sie das Wechselgeld!Keep the change!This sentence demonstrates the formal way to say 'Keep the change!' using behalten Sie das Wechselgeld.Tatoeba #3104127 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #39748 by CK
- Stimmt so.Keep the change.This sentence shows the common way to say 'Keep the change.' using stimmt so.Tatoeba #1341231 by Zaghawa, translation #357219 by plover
- Behalten Sie das Wechselgeld, danke.Keep the change, thank you.
- Behalt den Rest als Trinkgeld.Keep the remainder as a tip.
- Du kannst das Kleingeld behalten.You can keep the small change.
- Das Wechselgeld kann bleiben, stimmt so.You can keep the change, keep it.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah is paying for a coffee at a cafe.
- HannahDas macht drei Euro fünfzig, bitte.That will be three euros fifty, please.
- JulianHier sind fünf Euro. Stimmt so!Here are five euros. Keep the change!
- HannahVielen Dank, Hannah!Thank you very much, Hannah!
- JulianGerne, Julian. Einen schönen Tag noch!You're welcome, Julian. Have a nice day!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “keep the change” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Sie, Wechselgeld, behalten, das, sie, so, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
