eine Minute, bitte
/ˈʔaɪ̯nə miˈnuːtə ˈbɪtə/word by word
In German, "one minute, please" is translated as eine Minute, bitte.
This phrase is a polite request for a short amount of time to wait. einen Moment, bitte is often used as a slightly more professional or polished alternative to eine Minute, bitte in service settings.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal translation of the English expression: eine means "one", Minute means "minute" and bitte means "please".
Which one should you use?
You can also use einen Moment, bitte to mean "one moment, please". Other variations include the formal request Bitte warten Sie einen Augenblick (Please wait a moment) or the informal Nur einen Moment, bitte (Just a moment, please).
How does it change in a sentence?
If you use the word Moment (masculine) instead of Minute (feminine), the indefinite article must change from eine to einen because it is in the accusative case.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʔaɪ̯nə miˈnuːtə ˈbɪtə/
Did you know?
- While eine Minute, bitte is common, you might hear Germans say einen Augenblick, bitte instead. Augenblick literally translates to 'eye blink', suggesting the wait will be as short as a single blink.
- The word bitte is actually a shortened version of ich bitte, which means 'I beg you'. It turns a request for time into a formal act of begging.
- If a German speaker says eine Sekunde instead of eine Minute, they are not actually asking for a shorter time. Both are used idiomatically to mean 'a short while' regardless of the actual number of seconds.
Examples in context
- Eine Minute, bitte, ich bin gleich fertig.One minute, please, I'll be ready in a moment.
- Eine Minute, bitte, ich suche den Schlüssel.One minute, please, I am looking for the key.
- Eine Minute, bitte, ich muss kurz telefonieren.One minute, please, I need to make a quick phone call.
Example conversation
Lukas is looking for his wallet while Hannah waits for him.
- LukasHannah, eine Minute, bitte!Hannah, one minute, please!
- HannahHast du deinen Geldbeutel wiedergefunden?Did you find your wallet again?
- LukasJa, er war in meiner Jackentasche.Yes, it was in my jacket pocket.
- HannahGut, dann können wir losgehen.Good, then we can go.
