30 Essential German Phrases for Your First Trip to Berlin
A few words of German go a long way in Berlin. A Guten Tag as you walk into a shop and a danke at the counter are small things to learn and pleasant to hear, even where people are happy to switch to English.
German is written in Latin letters, plus ä, ö, ü and ß, and is spelled much as it sounds once you know a few rules: w is said like v, v like f, ei like the i in wine, and ie like ee. Each phrase below has a guide to saying it, with the stressed syllable in capitals, and its meaning. Every word in these 30 phrases is taught in the course, so this page is a first taste of what you'll learn. Press a voice to hear it.
1Guten TagGOO-ten tahk, hello
The polite greeting from late morning to evening, for strangers and shops. Hallo is casual; in the morning many say Guten Morgen, and after dark Guten Abend.
Guten Tag, einen Kaffee, bitte.
GOO-ten tahk, INE-en KAH-fay, BIT-teh.
Hello, one coffee, please.
2auf Wiedersehenowf VEE-der-zay-en, goodbye
The polite goodbye, word for word "until seeing again". On the phone it becomes auf Wiederhören; among friends, tschüss.
Auf Wiedersehen, einen schönen Tag!
owf VEE-der-zay-en, INE-en SHUR-nen tahk!
Goodbye, have a nice day!
3dankeDAHN-keh, thank you
Danke schön or vielen Dank makes it warmer. A plain danke to an offer can be taken as no, thanks; say ja, bitte if you want it.
Danke, es war lecker.
DAHN-keh, es vahr LEK-er.
Thank you, it was delicious.
4Toilettetwah-LET-teh, toilet
Wo ist die Toilette? asks for the toilet. Signs often say WC, with Damen for women and Herren for men. Some public toilets charge a small fee.
Wo sind die Toiletten?
voh zint dee twah-LET-ten?
Where are the toilets?
5jayah, yes
German j is said like English y. Ja, bitte is yes, please.
Ja, ich möchte Wasser, danke.
yah, ikh MURKH-teh VAHS-ser, DAHN-keh.
Yes, I'd like water, thanks.
6neinnine, no
Sounds like English nine. Nein, danke is no, thank you.
Nein, danke, mir geht es gut.
nine, DAHN-keh, meer gayt es goot.
No, thank you, I'm fine.
7HilfeHIL-feh, Help!
The call for urgent help. A calm request is Können Sie mir helfen?, can you help me? In an emergency dial 112.
Hilfe! Jemand muss mir helfen!
HIL-feh! YAY-mahnt moos meer HEL-fen!
Help! Somebody help me!
8bitteBIT-teh, please
Add it to any request: ein Wasser, bitte, a water, please. Said as a question, bitte? asks someone to repeat.
Bringen Sie uns bitte die Speisekarte.
BRING-en zee oons BIT-teh dee SHPY-zeh-kar-teh.
Bring us the menu, please.
9Entschuldigungent-SHOOL-dee-goong, sorry
The same word as phrase 10, as a quick apology after a bump or a mistake. Es tut mir leid expresses fuller regret.
Entschuldigung, ich habe mich verspätet.
ent-SHOOL-dee-goong, ikh HAH-beh mikh fer-SHPAY-tet.
Sorry, I'm late.
10Entschuldigungent-SHOOL-dee-goong, excuse me
Said before a question to a stranger: Entschuldigung, wo ist der Bahnhof?, excuse me, where is the station?
Entschuldigung, darf ich vorbei?
ent-SHOOL-dee-goong, dahrf ikh for-BY?
Excuse me, may I get past?
11wovoh, where
Wo ist...? asks where something is. The w is said like English v. Wohin? asks where to.
Wo gibt es eine Apotheke?
voh gipt es INE-eh ah-poh-TAY-keh?
Where is there a pharmacy?
12verstehenfer-SHTAY-en, understand
Ich verstehe nicht is I don't understand. The v is said like f, and st at the start of a word part like sht.
Ja, ich verstehe.
yah, ikh fer-SHTAY-eh.
Yes, I understand.
13langsamLAHNG-zahm, slowly
Langsamer, bitte, slower, please, asks for a gentler pace. An s before a vowel is said like z.
Sprechen Sie bitte langsam.
SHPREKH-en zee BIT-teh LAHNG-zahm.
Please speak slowly.
14bitteBIT-teh, you're welcome
The same word as phrase 8, as the reply to danke. Gern geschehen, or just gern, is a warmer one.
Bitte, gern geschehen!
BIT-teh, gairn geh-SHAY-en!
You're welcome, my pleasure!
15wie vielvee FEEL, how much
Wie viel kostet das?, how much does that cost?, asks the price. Point at the item as you ask.
Wie viel kostet das?
vee FEEL KOS-tet dahs?
How much is it?
16RechnungREKH-noong, bill
Die Rechnung, bitte asks for the bill; zahlen, bitte is just as common. The ch after e is a soft hiss, like a firm h in huge.
Die Rechnung, bitte.
dee REKH-noong, BIT-teh.
The bill, please.
17Apothekeah-poh-TAY-keh, pharmacy
Look for a red letter A sign. Medicines are sold here rather than in supermarkets; a Drogerie sells toiletries and household goods.
Gibt es hier in der Nähe eine Apotheke?
gipt es heer in dair NAY-eh INE-eh ah-poh-TAY-keh?
Is there a pharmacy near here?
18WasserVAHS-ser, water
Water often comes sparkling unless you ask for stilles Wasser, still water. The w is said like English v.
Ein stilles Wasser, bitte.
ine SHTIL-les VAHS-ser, BIT-teh.
A still water, please.
19Guten MorgenGOO-ten MOR-gen, good morning
The greeting until about ten or eleven in the morning; after that, Guten Tag (phrase 1).
Guten Morgen, das Wetter ist heute schön.
GOO-ten MOR-gen, dahs VET-ter ist HOY-teh shurn.
Good morning, the weather is lovely today.
20Allergieah-lair-GEE, allergy
Stress the last syllable. Name what you react to: Milch, milk, or Fisch, fish.
Ich habe eine Allergie gegen Milch.
ikh HAH-beh INE-eh ah-lair-GEE GAY-gen milkh.
I'm allergic to milk.
21BankkarteBAHNK-kar-teh, bank card
Kann ich mit Bankkarte bezahlen? asks if you can pay by card; worth asking before you order in small places. Many just say Karte. The z is said ts.
Kann ich mit Bankkarte bezahlen?
kahn ikh mit BAHNK-kar-teh beh-TSAH-len?
Can I pay by card?
22Tischtish, table
Einen Tisch für zwei, bitte asks for a table for two; swap zwei for drei or vier as needed. Reserviert on a table means it is booked.
Einen Tisch für zwei, bitte.
INE-en tish fewr tsvy, BIT-teh.
A table for two, please.
23U-BahnOO-bahn, metro
Wo ist die U-Bahn? asks for the underground, marked by a white U on blue; the S-Bahn is the city rail, a white S on green.
Wo ist die U-Bahn?
voh ist dee OO-bahn?
Where is the metro?
24FahrkarteFAR-kar-teh, ticket
Eine Fahrkarte, bitte buys one. Berlin's trains have no ticket barriers, but inspectors check, so validate a ticket that needs it before you board.
Eine Fahrkarte, bitte.
INE-eh FAR-kar-teh, BIT-teh.
One ticket, please.
25helfenHEL-fen, help
Können Sie mir helfen? is the calm way to ask a stranger for help; mir is to me. For ö, say e with rounded lips.
Können Sie mir helfen?
KUR-nen zee meer HEL-fen?
Can you help me?
26noch einmalnokh INE-mahl, again
Noch einmal is once more: Könnten Sie das noch einmal sagen? Add langsam, slowly (phrase 13), if it was too fast.
Könnten Sie das noch einmal sagen?
KURN-ten zee dahs nokh INE-mahl ZAH-gen?
Could you say that again?
27anhaltenAHN-hahl-ten, stop
Bitte hier anhalten asks a taxi driver to stop. In a full sentence the verb splits, with an at the end: Halten Sie hier an.
Bitte hier anhalten.
BIT-teh heer AHN-hahl-ten.
Stop here, please.
28KrankenwagenKRAHN-ken-vah-gen, ambulance
Rufen Sie einen Krankenwagen! asks someone to call one. In an emergency dial 112; 110 is the police.
Rufen Sie einen Krankenwagen!
ROO-fen zee INE-en KRAHN-ken-vah-gen!
Call an ambulance!
29leckerLEK-er, delicious
Das ist lecker! is everyday praise for food or drink. Sehr lecker is very tasty.
Das ist lecker!
dahs ist LEK-er!
It's delicious!
30scharfsharf, spicy
Ich möchte es sehr scharf asks for heat; German cooking is mostly mild. Nicht so scharf is not so spicy.
Ich möchte es sehr scharf.
ikh MURKH-teh es zair sharf.
I would like it very spicy.
Keep them for the trip
A few minutes a day. Each phrase comes back just before you would forget it, with the rest of the words a traveler needs.
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