Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| bitte | /ˈbɪtə/ |
| gern geschehen | /ɡɛrn ɡəˈʃeːən/ /-ɡəˈʃeːn/ |
| keine Ursache | /ˈkaɪ̯nə ˈuːɐ̯ˌzaxə/ (word by word) |
| nichts zu danken |
German offers various ways to respond to thanks. You can use the versatile and common bitte to say you're welcome, or the more polite bitte schön which can also mean "here you go". If you want to say "it was a pleasure," you can use the formal phrase Es war mir ein Vergnügen. To downplay a favor, you can use nichts zu danken (nothing to thank for). If you want to say "no problem," the informal options include keine Ursache, Kein Problem or the short, informal Gern(e).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase gern geschehen literally means "happened gladly". The phrase keine Ursache literally means "no cause", implying there is no reason to thank me.
Which one should you use?
While bitte is the most common and versatile way to respond, it is also the word for "please". bitte schön serves as a more polite or emphasized version of bitte. For casual settings, keine Ursache is often used to mean "no problem".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Gern geschehen and bitte schön are common formal ways to respond. Es war mir ein Vergnügen is a formal way to say "it was my pleasure". In contrast, keine Ursache, Kein Problem and Gern(e) are informal.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡɛrn ɡəˈʃeːən/
Did you know?
- The word gern in gern geschehen is an old relative of the English word 'yern', meaning to long for something.
Examples in context
- „Danke für die Hilfe!“ – „Bitte schön!“"Thanks for your help." "You're welcome."This example shows how to use bitte to respond to thanks for help.Tatoeba #12420837 by Waldelfe, translation #12420830 by CK
- „Danke für eure Hilfe!“ – „Keine Ursache.“"Thank you for your help." "You're welcome."This example shows how to use keine Ursache to respond to thanks for help.Tatoeba #12258358 by mhr, translation #12258348 by Miktsoanit
- Keine Ursache, das war doch nicht der Rede wert.You're welcome, it was nothing.This example shows how to use keine Ursache to downplay a favor.Tatoeba #11918753 by Naina, translation #11662566 by timmartin
- A: "Danke für Ihre Hilfe." B: "Gern geschehen."A: "Thank you for your help." B: "You're welcome."
- A: "Vielen Dank für die Einladung." B: "Bitte schön."A: "Thank you very much for the invitation." B: "You're welcome" or "Here you go."
- A: "Danke für Ihre Unterstützung bei meinem Projekt." B: "Es war mir ein Vergnügen."A: "Thank you for your support on my project." B: "It was my pleasure."
- A: "Danke für das Mitbringsel." B: "Keine Ursache."A: "Thanks for the little present." B: "You're welcome" or "No problem."
- A: "Danke für das nette Gespräch." B: "Gern."A: "Thanks for the nice conversation." B: "You're welcome" or "My pleasure."
- A: "Danke für deine Hilfe." B: "Kein Problem."A: "Thanks for your help." B: "You're welcome" or "No problem."
- A: "Danke für die Hilfe." B: "Gern(e) geschehen."A: "Thanks for the help." B: "You're welcome" or "My pleasure."
- 33 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maximilian helps Sarah carry a heavy box into her apartment.
- MaximilianHier ist die Kiste, Sarah.Here is the box, Sarah.
- SarahVielen Dank für deine Hilfe, Maximilian!Thank you very much for your help, Maximilian!
- MaximilianGern geschehen!You're welcome!
- SarahDas ist wirklich nett von dir.That is really kind of you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “you're welcome” translations and entries bitte, gern geschehen, keine Ursache, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (keine, Ursache) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Ursache, bitte, gern, gern geschehen, geschehen, keine Ursache, nichts, zu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
