German - Politeness

Lesson 142 of 158

A friendly street scene in Germany showing two people smiling while speaking polite short phrases for everyday situations.

Goal: Everyday short replies for small apologies and thanks

Free German lessons with guided practice, audio, and speaking support.

Nice work opening Lesson 142 — a quick, friendly look at how people in Germany smooth over small mistakes. In this short lesson you'll listen, repeat, and try the phrases yourself.

Level A1: In this CEFR-aligned mini-lesson (Lesson 142) you'll learn common German polite phrases used after small mistakes, when someone says thanks, or to calm someone down. We'll practice short replies like "Kein Problem." and simple apologies like "Tut mir leid." — all useful in everyday conversations.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Level A1: recognize and use common short polite replies in German.
  • Respond to thanks and small apologies naturally (e.g., "Kein Problem.", "Macht nichts.").
  • Say brief reassurances and invitations to take time (e.g., "Keine Sorge.", "Lass dir Zeit.").
Illustration of a small accidental spill in a café — a useful visual for learning German polite replies and apologies.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

Kein Problem.

No problem.

Meaning: No problem.

When to use: Use when someone thanks you or to say a task or situation is okay.

Danke für deine Hilfe. — Kein Problem.
Thanks for your help. — No problem.
Wenn du später kommst, ist das kein Problem.
If you arrive late, that's no problem.

Macht nichts.

Never mind / It's okay.

Meaning: Never mind / It's okay.

When to use: Use this to reply when someone apologizes for a small mistake, like dropping something or being a bit late.

Oh, ich habe dein Heft zerrissen. — Macht nichts.
Oh, I tore your notebook. — Never mind.
Tut mir leid, ich habe das gehört. — Macht nichts.
Sorry, I heard that. — It's okay.

Passt schon.

It's fine / That'll do.

Meaning: It's fine / That'll do.

When to use: A casual spoken reply when you want to say something is acceptable or not worth worrying about.

Tip: Can sound too casual in formal situations; avoid with strangers or officials.

Du musst das Formular nicht ändern, passt schon.
You don't have to change the form, that'll do.
Die Antwort ist nicht perfekt, aber passt schon.
The answer isn't perfect, but it's fine.

Alles gut.

All good / No worries.

Meaning: All good / No worries.

When to use: Use to reassure someone after a small concern or apology.

Alles gut, das war nur ein kleines Missverständnis.
All good, that was just a small misunderstanding.
Du bist nicht laut, alles gut.
You are not loud, all good.

Tut mir leid.

I'm sorry.

Meaning: I'm sorry.

When to use: A standard apology for personal mistakes; stronger and more personal than a quick 'sorry'.

Tip: Don't use it too casually for major problems; it expresses personal regret.

Tut mir leid, ich habe deine E-Mail übersehen.
I'm sorry, I missed your email.
Tut mir leid, dass ich zu spät bin.
I'm sorry that I'm late.

Das war keine Absicht.

I didn't mean to do that.

Meaning: I didn't mean to do that.

When to use: Say this after an accident or when something happened unintentionally.

Oh, ich habe das Glas umgestoßen — das war keine Absicht.
Oh, I knocked over the glass — I didn't mean to do that.
Es ist kaputt gegangen; das war keine Absicht.
It broke; I didn't mean for that to happen.

Keine Sorge.

Don't worry.

Meaning: Don't worry.

When to use: Use to calm someone or to say there's no need to be concerned.

Keine Sorge, wir finden einen Ersatz.
Don't worry, we'll find a replacement.
Keine Sorge, das dauert nicht lange.
Don't worry, it won't take long.

Lass dir Zeit.

Take your time.

Meaning: Take your time.

When to use: Use informally to tell someone they can work slowly or not hurry (informal 'du').

Tip: This is informal; use 'Lassen Sie sich Zeit.' with people you address formally.

Lass dir Zeit mit der Entscheidung, wir drängen dich nicht.
Take your time with the decision, we won't rush you.
Lass dir Zeit beim Lesen, ich warte.
Take your time reading, I'll wait.

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

A small café accident

Two people, Anna and David, talking after a minor accident; good example of German politeness phrases in context.

Who spilled the coffee?

Portrait of Anna in a German lesson dialogue

Anna

Tut mir leid! Ich habe deinen Kaffee verschüttet.

I'm sorry! I spilled your coffee.

Portrait of David in a German lesson dialogue

David

Das war keine Absicht. Macht nichts.

You didn't mean to. It's okay.

Portrait of Anna in a German lesson dialogue

Anna

Ich fühle mich schlecht.

I feel bad.

Portrait of David in a German lesson dialogue

David

Alles gut. Kein Problem.

All good. No problem.

Portrait of Anna in a German lesson dialogue

Anna

Danke, ich bringe dir einen neuen Kaffee.

Thanks, I'll get you a new coffee.

Portrait of David in a German lesson dialogue

David

Passt schon. Lass dir Zeit.

It's fine. Take your time.

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Someone thanks you for carrying their bag. Which German reply fits best?

If you accidentally knock over a glass, what can you say to explain it wasn’t intentional?

Your friend apologizes for a small mistake. A casual reply that says 'No worries' is:

You want to tell someone not to rush — which phrase is correct?

David's reply 'Kein Problem.' means 'No problem.'

Anna: 'Thank you for your help.' David: '___'

As the person who caused the accident, you would say 'Tut mir leid.' (I'm sorry).

After knocking over a cup you say: '___'

'Lass dir Zeit.' means 'Take your time.'

You tell a friend: '___' when they can take as long as they need.

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

Kein Problem.

No problem.

Say this phrase out loud:

Macht nichts.

Never mind / It's okay.

Say this phrase out loud:

Passt schon.

It's fine / That'll do.

Say this phrase out loud:

Alles gut.

All good / No worries.

Say this phrase out loud:

Tut mir leid.

I'm sorry.

Say this phrase out loud:

Das war keine Absicht.

I didn't mean to do that.

Say this phrase out loud:

Keine Sorge.

Don't worry.

Say this phrase out loud:

Lass dir Zeit.

Take your time.