What does it mean word for word?
In the phrase danke fürs Warten, the word fürs is a contraction of für das, meaning 'for the'.
Which one should you use?
Danke fürs Warten is more colloquial and direct. In contrast, Vielen Dank für Ihre Geduld is the standard polite way to acknowledge a delay in professional contexts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In formal business settings, such as customer service interactions, it is more common to use Vielen Dank für Ihre Geduld (Many thanks for your patience) or Ich danke Ihnen für Ihre Geduld (I thank you for your patience). For informal situations, you can use Vielen Dank für deine Geduld (Thank you very much for your patience) or Danke für deine Geduld (Thanks for your patience).
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase danke fürs Warten, the word Warten is a nominalized verb, which is why it is capitalized and functions as a noun.
Did you know?
- The verb warten shares an ancient root with the English word 'ward', which relates to guarding or watching over something. This explains why 'waiting' and 'guarding' are linguistically connected in Germanic languages.
- Using danke fürs Warten in a high-end hotel or bank may be perceived as slightly impolite because it emphasizes the time lost rather than the guest's virtue.
- Speaking the full phrase danke für das Warten instead of using the contraction fürs in a casual setting can make a speaker sound like a robot or a textbook.
Examples in context
- Entschuldigen Sie die Verzögerung. Vielen Dank für Ihre Geduld.Excuse the delay. Thank you very much for your patience.
- Sorry fürs Warten! Danke für deine Geduld.Sorry for making you wait! Thanks for your patience.
- Danke fürs Warten, ich bin jetzt fertig.Thank you for waiting, I am finished now.
Example conversation
Hannah joins a meeting where Lukas has already arrived.
- HannahHallo Lukas, danke fürs Warten!Hello Lukas, thank you for waiting!
- LukasKein Problem, Hannah.No problem, Hannah.
- HannahIch hatte leider ein Problem mit dem Auto.Unfortunately, I had a problem with the car.
- LukasDas macht nichts, gehen wir jetzt rein.That's alright, let's go inside now.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries danke, warten, CC BY-SA 4.0.
