bar bezahlen
To pay with cash in German is to bar bezahlen.
The phrase bar bezahlen is used when you want to pay for something using physical banknotes and coins. In many shops or restaurants, you might see the noun Barzahlung (cash payment) used to indicate whether cash is accepted or required.
Which one should you use?
bar bezahlen is the direct opposite of mit Karte bezahlen, which means to pay by card.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of the phrase is bar bezahlt, which means paid in cash.
Did you know?
- The word bar in bar bezahlen shares a common ancestor with the English word 'bare'. In Old High German, it meant 'naked', referring to money that was 'bare' or ready for immediate use.
- While many European countries have moved toward digital payments, Germany is famously known for its 'cash culture', where many small shops still insist on bar bezahlen.
- The word bar can also be used in the phrase bar jeder Einsicht, which means 'completely' or 'regardless of any insight'. This use has nothing to do with money and instead relates to the word's original meaning of being uncovered.
Examples in context
- Ich möchte bitte bar bezahlen.I would like to pay in cash, please.
- Kann ich hier bar bezahlen?Can I pay with cash here?
- Wir können die Rechnung bar bezahlen.We can pay the bill with cash.
Example conversation
At a small bakery in Berlin.
- JulianDas macht fünf Euro, bitte.That will be five euros, please.
- SarahKann ich bei Ihnen bar bezahlen?Can I pay with cash with you?
- JulianJa, das ist kein Problem.Yes, that is no problem.
- SarahHier sind fünf Euro.Here are five euros.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bar, bezahlen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
