German - Yes / No Responses

Lesson 21 of 158

Learner practicing short German yes/no replies in everyday situations like offers and questions.

Goal: Short answers and polite replies for everyday situations

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

Ready for quick replies? This short lesson helps you answer simply and politely in everyday German. Practice listening, repeat the phrases aloud, then try them in quick exercises.

Level A1: In this lesson you'll learn common short yes/no responses and polite acceptances or refusals (e.g., "Ja.", "Nein, danke.", "Klar."). We'll practice quick replies for offers, questions about yourself, and soft negatives. This CEFR-aligned mini-lesson focuses on listening, repeating, and using these short replies in simple conversations.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Recognize and use short affirmative and negative replies (Ja / Nein).
  • Politely accept or decline offers (Ja, bitte. / Nein, danke.).
  • Use short replies for actions and statements (Ja, mache ich. / Nein, mache ich nicht.).
  • Build confidence at Level A1 with compact, everyday responses.
Two people having a brief conversation in German, showing quick replies like 'Ja' and 'Nein, danke.'

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.

Ja

Yes.

Meaning: Yes.

When to use: Use when you want a short, direct affirmative answer to a question.

Willst du Wasser? — Ja.
Want water? — Yes.
Funktioniert das? Ja.
Does that work? Yes.

Nein

No.

Meaning: No.

When to use: Use for a short, direct negative answer to a question.

Hast du Zeit? — Nein.
Do you have time? — No.
Ist das fertig? Nein.
Is that finished? — No.

Ja, bitte.

Yes, please.

Meaning: Yes, please.

When to use: Use when accepting an offer politely, for example food, drink, or help.

Möchtest du Kaffee? — Ja, bitte.
Would you like coffee? — Yes, please.
Soll ich Ihnen helfen? — Ja, bitte.
Should I help you? — Yes, please.

Nein, danke.

No, thank you.

Meaning: No, thank you.

When to use: Use to politely decline an offer without sounding rude.

Möchtest du noch Kuchen? — Nein, danke.
Would you like more cake? — No, thank you.
Willst du Hilfe? — Nein, danke.
Do you want help? — No, thank you.

Klar

Sure.

Meaning: Sure.

When to use: Use in casual situations to give an informal yes or agreement.

Kommst du mit? — Klar.
Are you coming? — Sure.
Kann ich das nehmen? — Klar.
Can I take this? — Sure.

Ja, bin ich.

Yes, I am.

Meaning: Yes, I am.

When to use: Use to answer a question about yourself, for example about being ready or present.

Bist du fertig? — Ja, bin ich.
Are you ready? — Yes, I am.
Bist du aus Deutschland? — Ja, bin ich.
Are you from Germany? — Yes, I am.

Nein, bin ich nicht.

No, I'm not.

Meaning: No, I'm not.

When to use: Use to give a clear negative answer about yourself.

Bist du müde? — Nein, bin ich nicht.
Are you tired? — No, I'm not.
Bist du Student? — Nein, bin ich nicht.
Are you a student? — No, I'm not.

Ja, mache ich.

Yes, I do.

Meaning: Yes, I do.

When to use: Use for actions or habits (e.g., do you exercise?); good for confirming you perform something.

Tip: Don't use this for possession questions; learners sometimes say this when 'habe' is needed.

Trainierst du oft? — Ja, mache ich.
Do you train often? — Yes, I do.
Machst du die Hausaufgaben? — Ja, mache ich.
Do you do the homework? — Yes, I do.

Nein, mache ich nicht.

No, I don't.

Meaning: No, I don't.

When to use: Use to say you do not do a certain action or habit.

Tip: Avoid using this for possession questions — use 'habe' for possessions.

Rauchst du? — Nein, mache ich nicht.
Do you smoke? — No, I don't.
Fährst du Fahrrad? — Nein, mache ich nicht.
Do you ride a bike? — No, I don't.

Nicht wirklich.

Not really.

Meaning: Not really.

When to use: Use for a soft or cautious negative when you don't fully agree or want to be gentle.

Tip: Beginners sometimes use a stronger 'Nein' when a softer reply fits better.

Magst du das neue Lied? — Nicht wirklich.
Do you like the new song? — Not really.
War der Film gut? — Nicht wirklich.
Was the movie good? — Not really.

Okay

Okay.

Meaning: Okay.

When to use: Use to show agreement or acceptance in neutral situations.

Treffen wir uns um acht? — Okay.
Meet at eight? — Okay.
Ich mache die Rechnung. — Okay.
I'll take care of the bill. — Okay.

In Ordnung.

All right.

Meaning: All right.

When to use: Use to agree or accept plans in a neutral, slightly formal way.

Ist das so in Ordnung? — In Ordnung.
Is that okay? — All right.
Kann ich später anrufen? — In Ordnung.
Can I call later? — All right.

Ich glaube schon.

I think so.

Meaning: I think so.

When to use: Use when you want to agree but are unsure; it's an uncertain affirmative.

Glaubst du, es regnet? — Ich glaube schon.
Do you think it will rain? — I think so.
Kommt sie heute? — Ich glaube schon.
Is she coming today? — I think so.

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

At a small café — offers and quick replies

Anna and David exchanging short yes/no responses during an informal chat and offer.

Did Anna accept the coffee offer?

Portrait of Anna in a German lesson dialogue

Anna

Möchtest du noch Kaffee?

Would you like more coffee?

Portrait of David in a German lesson dialogue

David

Nein, danke.

No, thank you.

Portrait of Anna in a German lesson dialogue

Anna

Klar, dann bringe ich die Rechnung.

All right, then I'll bring the bill.

Portrait of David in a German lesson dialogue

David

Okay. Bist du heute müde?

Okay. Are you tired today?

Portrait of Anna in a German lesson dialogue

Anna

Nicht wirklich.

Not really.

Portrait of David in a German lesson dialogue

David

Gut. Dann zahlen wir.

Good. Then let's pay.

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Someone offers you a slice of cake politely. You want to decline politely. Which German reply fits best?

Your friend asks, 'Are you ready?' and you are. Which short reply is natural?

Someone asks if you usually exercise. You do. Which reply fits best?

Someone asks, 'Was the movie good?' but you didn't like it much. Which soft negative is natural?

You offer help with the bags. The person replies: Yes, please.

You offer help with the bags. The person replies: ___.

Someone asks if you speak German fluently. You don't. You answer: No, I'm not.

Someone asks if you speak German fluently. You don't. You answer: ___.

Your friend asks if the plan works for you. You are okay with it: Okay.

Your friend asks if the plan works for you. You are okay with it: ___.

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:

Ja

Yes.

Say this phrase out loud:

Nein

No.

Say this phrase out loud:

Ja, bitte.

Yes, please.

Say this phrase out loud:

Nein, danke.

No, thank you.

Say this phrase out loud:

Klar

Sure.

Say this phrase out loud:

Ja, bin ich.

Yes, I am.

Say this phrase out loud:

Nein, bin ich nicht.

No, I'm not.

Say this phrase out loud:

Ja, mache ich.

Yes, I do.

Say this phrase out loud:

Nein, mache ich nicht.

No, I don't.

Say this phrase out loud:

Nicht wirklich.

Not really.

Say this phrase out loud:

Okay

Okay.

Say this phrase out loud:

In Ordnung.

All right.

Say this phrase out loud:

Ich glaube schon.

I think so.