Was hätten Sie gerne?
In German, "what would you like?" is expressed as Was hätten Sie gerne?
This phrase is a polite question used to ask a customer or a guest what they want to order or receive.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Was hätten Sie gerne? literally translates to "What would you have gladly?"
Which one should you use?
While Was möchten Sie? is also a common way to ask "What would you like?", the form Was hätten Sie gerne? is slightly more idiomatic and common in restaurants and shops.
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing someone formally in a service setting, use the Sie form: Was hätten Sie gerne? If you are speaking to a friend or someone you know well, you use the informal du form: Was möchtest du? or Was hättest du gerne?
Did you know?
- The capitalized Sie used in this phrase was introduced in the 17th century to distinguish the formal 'you' from the lowercase sie meaning 'she' or 'they'.
- In some traditional German dining settings, a waiter might use the phrase Was darf es sein? which literally translates to 'What may it be?'
- While Was hätten Sie gerne? is polite, using it with a close friend can sound ironically formal or sarcastic in a joking context.
Examples in context
- Guten Tag, was möchten Sie bestellen?Good day, what would you like to order?
- Hey, wir bestellen Pizza. Was möchtest du?Hey, we are ordering pizza. What would you like?
- Ich hätte gerne einen Kaffee, bitte.I would like a coffee, please.
Example conversation
Laura is a waitress and Julian is a customer in a cafe.
- LauraHallo! Was hätten Sie gerne?Hello! What would you like?
- JulianIch hätte gerne einen Kaffee, bitte.I would like a coffee, please.
- LauraGerne. Möchten Sie auch ein Stück Kuchen?Certainly. Would you also like a piece of cake?
- JulianNein danke, nur den Kaffee.No thanks, just the coffee.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Sie, sie, was, CC BY-SA 4.0.
