Wasser, bitte, danke
To say "water, please, thank you" in German, you use Wasser, bitte, danke.
This phrase is used as a functional shorthand to request a drink without needing to construct a complex sentence.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal word-for-word translation of the English "water, please, thank you".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
This short, fragmented phrase is suitable for casual settings like a cafe or a friend's house, but is less formal than using a full sentence such as Ich hätte gerne ein Wasser, bitte.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word Wasser is a neuter noun, though in this short phrase, the grammatical gender is not expressed through articles.
Did you know?
- If you order Wasser in a German restaurant, you will likely be served sparkling water with gas. To get still water, you must specifically ask for stilles Wasser.
- While bitte is used here as 'please', it is also the standard German response to danke, functioning similarly to the English 'you are welcome'.
- When you say bitte, you are actually using a shortened version of the phrase 'ich bitte dich' or 'ich bitte Sie', which literally means 'I beg you'.
Example conversation
Hannah is ordering a drink at a small cafe.
- HannahHallo, ich nehme ein Wasser, bitte, danke.Hello, I'll take a water, please, thank you.
- LukasGerne, kommt sofort.Gladly, coming right up.
- HannahDas ist sehr nett von Ihnen.That is very kind of you.
- LukasHier ist Ihr Wasser, Hannah.Here is your water, Hannah.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Wasser, bitte, danke, CC BY-SA 4.0.
