German course

Lesson 42 of 240

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Pay with cash or card in German

Priya's order is ready at Bäckerei Krause. Renate waits at the till and asks how she will pay.

A polite yak pats every pocket of his green coat for coins, and finds none.

By the end, you'll say cash or card, hand something over, and ask for change.

Pay by card when you have no coins. Hier, bitte is for the card or the notes.

By the end of this lesson

Say how you will pay, hand things over, and ask for change.

  • Bar oder Karte?Cash or card?
  • Ich zahle bar.I'll pay in cash.
  • Ich zahle mit Karte.I'll pay by card.
  • Hier, bitte.Here you go.
  • Haben Sie Wechselgeld?Do you have change?
  • Ich habe kein Kleingeld.I don't have small change.

Scene — the bakery till

Priya stands at the counter with her order. Renate has the till open and the card machine ready.

Anton sits at the corner table in his dark-green coat. He starts to search every pocket for coins.

Priya waits at the counter with her order while Renate has the till open and Anton sits at the corner table.

Learn — cash or card

Six short lines cover cash or card, handing something over, and asking for change.

You'll also say you have no coins.

  1. Renate gestures between the open till and card machine as Priya considers how to pay.

    Bar oder Karte?

    Cash or card?

    When to use it: Ask this at the till when it is time to pay.

    Learn it as one piece at the till.

    Say it: Karte puts the stress on the first syllable.

  2. Priya reaches toward the card machine beside her order.

    Ich zahle bar.

    I'll pay in cash.

    When to use it: Say this when you will pay with notes or coins.

    Learn it as one piece for a cash payment.

  3. Priya holds her card toward the ready terminal while Renate waits behind the till.

    Ich zahle mit Karte.

    I'll pay by card.

    When to use it: Say this when you will pay by card.

    Learn it as one piece for a card payment.

  4. Priya slides her payment across the counter toward Renate.

    Hier, bitte.

    Here you go.

    When to use it: Say this as you hand over a card, cash, or an item.

    Learn it as one piece when you hand something over.

  5. Priya asks Renate about change while Anton stands nearby with empty hands.

    Haben Sie Wechselgeld?

    Do you have change?

    When to use it: Ask this when you need change from a baker you know.

    Learn it as one piece when you need change.

    Say it: Wechselgeld puts the stress on the first syllable.

  6. Anton stands beside the corner table and searches his pockets for coins.

    Ich habe kein Kleingeld.

    I don't have small change.

    When to use it: Say this when you have no coins for the till.

    Learn it as one piece when you have no coins.

    Say it: Kleingeld puts the stress on the first syllable.

Story — empty pockets

Watch Priya pay at the counter. Anton will search his coat and find no coins.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. The order sits on the counter. Renate taps the till.
  2. RenateDas macht zweiundzwanzig Euro.The bill is twenty-two euros.
  3. RenateBar oder Karte?Cash or card?
  4. PriyaIch zahle mit Karte.I'll pay by card.
  5. PriyaHier, bitte.Here you go.
  6. RenateDanke.Thank you.
  7. Anton stands and searches every pocket of his coat.
  8. AntonIch zahle bar.I'll pay in cash.
  9. AntonIch habe kein Kleingeld.I don't have small change.
  10. He looks at Renate, then at Priya.
  11. PriyaHaben Sie Wechselgeld?Do you have change?
  12. RenateLeider nein.I'm afraid not.

Practice — notes or a card

Ten short tasks wait here. You'll hear a line, pick a reply, fill a gap, and build one at the till.

They stay small, so you move on fast.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    German

    Hier, bitte.Drop the English here
    Haben Sie Wechselgeld?Drop the English here
    Ich habe kein Kleingeld.Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its German, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    You will pay with notes and coins, not with a card.

  4. Fill the gap

    I'll pay by card.

    Ich zahle mit ____.

  5. What does it mean?

    Hier, bitte.

  6. What did you hear?

  7. Build the line

    I don't have small change.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  8. Fill the gap

    I don't have small change.

    Ich habe kein ____.

  9. True or false?

    The baker says this to tell you the total.

  10. What do you say?

    Renate has taken your card. Thank her.

Say it — pay at the till

Now you're Priya at the bakery till. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. RenateBar oder Karte?Cash or card?
  2. Priya (you)Say you will pay in cash.

    Ich zahle bar.

    I'll pay in cash.

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

GermanEnglish
Bar oder Karte?Cash or card?
Ich zahle bar.I'll pay in cash.
Ich zahle mit Karte.I'll pay by card.
Hier, bitte.Here you go.
Haben Sie Wechselgeld?Do you have change?
Ich habe kein Kleingeld.I don't have small change.
Next: lesson 43The convenience-store counter

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to keep these till lines handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps cash and card ready at the till.

Open Yak Cards