danke Schöne
In German, "thank you beautiful" is expressed as danke Schöne.
This phrase is used to thank a woman while simultaneously complimenting her appearance. It is highly flirtatious and can be perceived as patronizing or overly forward depending on the level of intimacy between the speakers.
Which one should you use?
The form danke Schöne is used when addressing a woman. If you wish to address a man instead, you must change the ending to Danke, Schöner to say "thank you, handsome".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the feminine nominative/accusative form of the adjective schön as a substantive noun.
Did you know?
- The adjective schön is a cognate of the English word 'sheen', as both derive from a root meaning bright or shining.
- In German culture, calling a stranger Schöne is far more likely to be seen as a 'catcall' than in English, where 'beautiful' can sometimes feel like a polite generic compliment.
- The word schön is frequently used as a filler word in German, similar to 'nice' or 'fine', meaning it can appear in sentences where it has nothing to do with beauty.
Example conversation
Julian receives a compliment from Laura.
- LauraDu siehst heute sehr gut aus.You look very good today.
- JulianDanke Schöne, du auch!Thank you beautiful, you too!
- LauraDas ist sehr lieb von dir.That is very sweet of you.
- JulianEs ist die Wahrheit.It is the truth.
