bitte
/ˈbɪtə/
The German word for "please" is bitte.
bitte is an interjection used to make a polite request.
Meaning: interjection to make a polite request (intj)
Which one should you use?
While bitte is used for requests and as a standard "you're welcome," other forms serve specific social functions. Bitte schön! can be used both as a polite way to say "here you go" when handing something to someone and as a polite response to "thank you." For a more emphatic "you're very welcome," you can use Bitte sehr!
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Styria region, Bittscheen is a regional variation of Bittschön used to mean "please."
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbɪtə/
When do people say it?
When you want someone to repeat what they just said, you can use Bitte? with a rising intonation as a polite way to say "Pardon?" Similarly, the standard polite way to say "I beg your pardon?" or "What?" when you did not hear someone is to say Wie bitte?
Did you know?
- In many German-speaking regions, you can use bitte as a filler word or an interjection to express mild annoyance or impatience, much like saying 'Oh, come on!' in English.
- If a German speaker says Bitte? with a sharp or descending tone, it can signal annoyance or disbelief, similar to saying 'Excuse me?' in English when offended.
- The word bitte is actually a shortened version of the phrase 'ich bitte dich' or 'ich bitte Sie', which means 'I beg you'.
Examples in context
- Bitte ruf ihn an.Please ring him up.This is useful for practicing a request using bitte.Tatoeba #651899 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #38458 by mcq
- Bitte sag es mir.Please, tell me.This shows how to use bitte in a request to tell someone something.Tatoeba #1314661 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #38579 by CK
- Gib es mir bitte!Give it to me, please.This demonstrates placing bitte at the end of a request.Tatoeba #2045585 by Tamy, translation #41825 by CK
- Entschuldigen Sie, könnten Sie mir bitte helfen?Excuse me, could you please help me?
- Könnten Sie bitte das Fenster öffnen?Could you please open the window?
- 5458 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Lukas are at a cafe.
- HannahEin Kaffee, bitte.A coffee, please.
- LukasGerne. Möchten Sie auch Zucker?Certainly. Would you also like sugar?
- HannahJa, bitte.Yes, please.
- LukasHier ist Ihr Kaffee.Here is your coffee.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “please” translations and entries bitte, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bitte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
