My first month in Germany, I said danke /ˈdaŋkə/ so often people probably thought it was my last name. The bus driver waited half a second longer so I could get on? Danke. The cashier handed me my receipt? Danke. A stranger existed in my vague direction? Danke.
The real chaos started when people replied with bitte /ˈbɪtə/. I knew it meant “you’re welcome,” but then I heard it when I asked for something, when I didn’t hear something, and even as “here you go.” Suddenly one tiny word was doing about four different jobs, and my yak brain was not prepared.
Once I finally understood how danke and bitte actually behave in German, conversations started to feel smoother and less like a politeness minefield. Let’s make sure you can thank people (and answer thanks) like a calm, confident human and not a panicked, over-grateful yak.
Quick Primer
Here are the core expressions you need for “thank you” and “you’re welcome” in German:
| German | IPA | Natural English Meaning |
| danke | /ˈdaŋkə/ | thanks, thank you |
| vielen Dank | /ˈfiːlən ˈdaŋk/ | many thanks, thank you very much |
| danke schön | /ˈdaŋkə ʃøːn/ | thanks a lot, thank you very much |
| bitte | /ˈbɪtə/ | please / you’re welcome / here you go |
| bitte schön | /ˈbɪtə ʃøːn/ | you’re very welcome / here you go |
| gern geschehen | /ɡɛʁn ɡəˈʃeːən/ | my pleasure / glad to help |
| kein Problem | /kaɪ̯n pʁoˈbleːm/ | no problem |
If your brain wants a shortcut first:
- To say thank you → use danke /ˈdaŋkə/ or vielen Dank /ˈfiːlən ˈdaŋk/.
- To say you’re welcome → use bitte /ˈbɪtə/ or gern geschehen /ɡɛʁn ɡəˈʃeːən/.
Then we build from there.
Saying Thank You: From Simple Danke To Big Gratitude
1. The Everyday Default: Danke
danke /ˈdaŋkə/ is your all-purpose “thanks” and works almost everywhere:
- Someone holds a door
- A waiter brings your drink
- A friend passes the salt
- The bus driver waits an extra second
Examples:
- Danke! /ˈdaŋkə/
Thanks! - Danke, das ist sehr nett. /ˈdaŋkə das ɪst zeːɐ̯ nɛt/
Thanks, that’s very kind.
You can make it slightly stronger with danke schön /ˈdaŋkə ʃøːn/:
- Danke schön! /ˈdaŋkə ʃøːn/
Thank you very much!
2. Turning Up The Gratitude: Vielen Dank
When you want to sound a bit more serious or grateful, vielen Dank /ˈfiːlən ˈdaŋk/ is perfect. It feels a touch more formal or heartfelt than plain danke.
Use it for:
- Help with something important
- Favors that took time
- Professional emails or calls
Examples:
- Vielen Dank für Ihre Hilfe. /ˈfiːlən ˈdaŋk fyːɐ̯ ˈiːʁə ˈhɪlfə/
Thank you very much for your help. - Vielen Dank für die Einladung. /ˈfiːlən ˈdaŋk fyːɐ̯ diː ˈaɪ̯nlaːdʊŋ/
Thank you very much for the invitation.
You can also combine:
- Vielen Dank, das bedeutet mir viel. /ˈfiːlən ˈdaŋk das bəˈdɔʏ̯tət miːɐ̯ fiːl/
Thank you very much, that means a lot to me.
3. Little Extras: Danke Dir, Danke Euch
With people you use du /duː/ with, you’ll often hear friendly variants:
| German | IPA | Use Case |
| danke dir | /ˈdaŋkə diːɐ̯/ | thanks (to one “du” person) |
| danke euch | /ˈdaŋkə ɔʏ̯ç/ | thanks (to a “you all” group) |
| tausend Dank | /ˈtaʊ̯znt ˈdaŋk/ | a thousand thanks (very grateful) |
Examples:
- Danke dir für die Hilfe. /ˈdaŋkə diːɐ̯ fyːɐ̯ diː ˈhɪlfə/
Thanks for the help. - Danke euch, ihr seid super. /ˈdaŋkə ɔʏ̯ç iːɐ̯ zaɪ̯t ˈzuːpɐ/
Thanks, you guys are great.
How Bitte Works: Please, Pardon, Here You Go, You’re Welcome
The reason bitte /ˈbɪtə/ is confusing is simple: it’s doing several jobs at once.
Here are the main roles of bitte:
| Function | German Example | IPA | English Meaning |
| please | Ein Wasser, bitte. | /aɪ̯n ˈvasɐ ˈbɪtə/ | A water, please. |
| you’re welcome | – Danke. – Bitte. | /ˈdaŋkə ˈbɪtə/ | – Thanks. – You’re welcome. |
| here you go | Bitte schön. (giving something) | /ˈbɪtə ʃøːn/ | Here you go. |
| pardon? | Wie bitte? | /ˈviː ˈbɪtə/ | Sorry? / Pardon? / What was that? |
You’ll hear bitte a lot. The good news: context always helps.
If someone thanks you with danke, you can answer with:
- Bitte. /ˈbɪtə/
- Bitte schön. /ˈbɪtə ʃøːn/
- Bitte, gern. /ˈbɪtə ɡɛʁn/
All of those are normal, friendly “you’re welcome.”
Answering Thanks: You’re Welcome Like A Native
Let’s build your “you’re welcome” toolbox properly.
1. The Classic Default: Bitte
bitte /ˈbɪtə/ on its own is the simplest reply to danke /ˈdaŋkə/.
- – Danke. – Bitte.
– Thanks. – You’re welcome.
It works in shops, offices, with friends, with strangers. It’s the baked potato of replies: plain but reliable.
2. Slightly Warmer: Bitte Schön, Bitte Sehr
To sound a bit warmer, you can say:
- bitte schön /ˈbɪtə ʃøːn/
- bitte sehr /ˈbɪtə zeːɐ̯/
These feel like “you’re very welcome” or sometimes “here you go” when you hand someone something.
Examples:
- – Vielen Dank! – Bitte schön.
– Thank you so much! – You’re very welcome. - Hier, Ihr Kaffee. Bitte sehr. /hiːɐ̯ iːɐ̯ kaˈfeː ˈbɪtə zeːɐ̯/
Here, your coffee. Here you go.
3. Friendly And Natural: Gern Geschehen And Kein Problem
For a very natural, friendly “no big deal” feeling, use:
- gern geschehen /ɡɛʁn ɡəˈʃeːən/ – literally “gladly happened,” meaning “my pleasure / happy to help.”
- kein Problem /kaɪ̯n pʁoˈbleːm/ – “no problem.”
Examples:
- – Danke für deine Hilfe. – Gern geschehen.
– Thanks for your help. – My pleasure. - – Vielen Dank fürs Warten. – Kein Problem.
– Thanks a lot for waiting. – No problem.
You can also mix them:
- Gern geschehen, kein Problem. /ɡɛʁn ɡəˈʃeːən kaɪ̯n pʁoˈbleːm/
My pleasure, no problem.
Danke + Für: Thanking For Something Specific
To sound more natural, get used to danke /ˈdaŋkə/ and vielen Dank /ˈfiːlən ˈdaŋk/ with für /fyːɐ̯/ (“for”).
Structure:
danke / vielen Dank + für + object (in accusative)
Common patterns:
| German | IPA | Natural English Meaning |
| Danke für deine Hilfe. | /ˈdaŋkə fyːɐ̯ ˈdaɪ̯nə ˈhɪlfə/ | Thanks for your help. |
| Vielen Dank für das Essen. | /ˈfiːlən ˈdaŋk fyːɐ̯ das ˈɛsn̩/ | Thank you very much for the meal. |
| Danke für die Nachricht. | /ˈdaŋkə fyːɐ̯ diː ˈnaːxʁɪçt/ | Thanks for the message. |
| Vielen Dank für Ihre Zeit. | /ˈfiːlən ˈdaŋk fyːɐ̯ ˈiːʁə tsaɪ̯t/ | Thank you very much for your time. |
This little pattern makes your German sound instantly more grown-up and polite.
Cultural Notes: How Much Do Germans Thank?
Despite the stereotype of Serious Efficiency People, Germans do say thank you a lot; they just do it in a slightly more structured way.
Typical “thank you” moments:
- At the supermarket: you hand over money, you say danke; they hand you the receipt, you might say danke again.
- On the bus: when you get off at the front door, some people say danke to the driver.
- In restaurants: after paying and leaving, danke, schönen Abend noch is common (thanks, have a nice evening).
Tone matters too:
- A quick, flat Danke. can be neutral or a bit cold.
- A warmer Danke! with a smile does a lot of social work.
- Over-apologising is less common; often a danke or alles gut /ˈaləs ɡuːt/ (“it’s all good”) handles small social bumps.
If you’re unsure, it’s better to thank too much than too little. The worst that happens is people think you’re very polite. Or Canadian.
Region Notes
The basics like danke /ˈdaŋkə/, vielen Dank /ˈfiːlən ˈdaŋk/, bitte /ˈbɪtə/, and gern geschehen /ɡɛʁn ɡəˈʃeːən/ work everywhere in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Regional or informal flavours you might hear:
- Southern Germany / Austria:
- danke schön /ˈdaŋkə ʃøːn/ is very common.
- passt schon /past ʃɔn/ – literally “it fits already,” used like “it’s fine / don’t worry about it.”
- danke schön /ˈdaŋkə ʃøːn/ is very common.
- Switzerland:
- merci /ˈmɛʁsi/ (from French) is widely used; you may hear merci vielmals /ˈmɛʁsi ˈfiːlmaːls/.
- merci /ˈmɛʁsi/ (from French) is widely used; you may hear merci vielmals /ˈmɛʁsi ˈfiːlmaːls/.
As a learner, you don’t need these right away. Stick to:
- danke, vielen Dank for “thank you”
- bitte, gern geschehen, kein Problem for “you’re welcome”
Then you can start picking up regional seasoning later.
Mini Dialogues
Dialogue 1 – In A Café
Ich hätte gern einen Cappuccino.
/ɪç ˈhɛtə ɡɛʁn ˈaɪ̯nən kapuˈt͡ʃiːno/
I’d like a cappuccino.
Gern. Drei Euro fünfzig, bitte.
/ɡɛʁn dʁaɪ̯ ˈɔʏ̯ʁo ˈfʏnftsɪç ˈbɪtə/
Sure. Three euros fifty, please.
Hier ist der Cappuccino.
/hiːɐ̯ ɪst deːɐ̯ kapuˈt͡ʃiːno/
Here is the cappuccino.
Danke schön.
/ˈdaŋkə ʃøːn/
Thank you very much.
Bitte schön.
/ˈbɪtə ʃøːn/
You’re very welcome.
Dialogue 2 – Asking For Help At Work
Kannst du mir kurz helfen?
/kanst duː miːɐ̯ kʊʁts ˈhɛlfən/
Can you help me for a moment?
Ja, klar. Was brauchst du?
/jaː klaːʁ vas bʁaʊ̯xst duː/
Yeah, sure. What do you need?
Super, danke für deine Hilfe.
/ˈzuːpɐ ˈdaŋkə fyːɐ̯ ˈdaɪ̯nə ˈhɪlfə/
Great, thanks for your help.
Gern geschehen.
/ɡɛʁn ɡəˈʃeːən/
My pleasure.
Dialogue 3 – Formal Appointment
Vielen Dank für Ihre Zeit.
/ˈfiːlən ˈdaŋk fyːɐ̯ ˈiːʁə tsaɪ̯t/
Thank you very much for your time.
Gern geschehen.
/ɡɛʁn ɡəˈʃeːən/
My pleasure.
Schönen Tag noch.
/ˈʃøːnən taːk nɔx/
Have a nice rest of the day.
Danke, Ihnen auch.
/ˈdaŋkə ˈiːnən aʊ̯x/
Thanks, you too.
Quick Reference
Fast overview of your main gratitude tools:
| German | IPA | Natural English Meaning |
| danke | /ˈdaŋkə/ | thanks, thank you |
| vielen Dank | /ˈfiːlən ˈdaŋk/ | thank you very much |
| danke schön | /ˈdaŋkə ʃøːn/ | thanks a lot |
| danke für deine Hilfe | /ˈdaŋkə fyːɐ̯ ˈdaɪ̯nə ˈhɪlfə/ | thanks for your help |
| bitte | /ˈbɪtə/ | please / you’re welcome |
| bitte schön | /ˈbɪtə ʃøːn/ | you’re very welcome / here you go |
| gern geschehen | /ɡɛʁn ɡəˈʃeːən/ | my pleasure |
| kein Problem | /kaɪ̯n pʁoˈbleːm/ | no problem |
| schönen Tag noch | /ˈʃøːnən taːk nɔx/ | have a nice rest of the day |
| danke dir / danke euch | /ˈdaŋkə diːɐ̯/ / ˈdaŋkə ɔʏ̯ç/ | thanks (to you / to you guys) |
If you freeze, this simple exchange will carry you through most situations:
- – Danke. – Bitte.
Five-Minute Practice Plan
- Say danke /ˈdaŋkə/, vielen Dank /ˈfiːlən ˈdaŋk/, and danke schön /ˈdaŋkə ʃøːn/ out loud five times each, focusing on clear daŋk.
- Practice the mini exchange ten times: – Danke. – Bitte. First slowly, then at natural speed, then with a smile.
- Create three short sentences using danke für (for example: Danke für das Essen, Danke für deine Zeit), and read them aloud.
- Switch roles: say a “thank you” sentence, then immediately answer yourself with bitte, bitte schön, or gern geschehen. Repeat with different combinations.
- Shadow the café dialogue: listen in your head and repeat each line, trying to copy rhythm more than perfection.
- For the rest of the day, every time you say “thanks” in your language, quietly add the German version afterwards: danke or vielen Dank.
Yak-Level Gratitude Superpower
Once danke and bitte feel natural, you stop second-guessing every small interaction and start gliding through German life with smooth, automatic politeness. Your coffee arrives? Danke. The waiter smiles? Bitte schön. And just like that, your German stops being only grammar exercises and becomes something people enjoy hearing.