When someone thanks you in German, you can always respond with the standard “bitte” or "bitte schön" – here meaning “you’re welcome.”
But after you’ve been speaking German for some time, it’s good to mix it up – lest you begin to feel like something of a simple chat bot just repeating the same words in the same ways over and over again.
And when there are many different - more and less colourful - phrases you can use to respond to “danke”, it’d be a shame not to use more of them.
In a recent Instagram post, German Onliners shared some simple phrases you can use in place of bitte next time you’re thanked in Deutschland.
Here are five simple alternatives to get you started:
READ ALSO: German word of the day - Bitte
Gerne
Gerne (said like this) translates to “gladly,” or “my pleasure.”
It can be used as a friendly and polite way to respond when someone thanks you and feels a bit less stiff or formal, and a bit more warm, than bitte. If you want to go one step further, saying gern geschehen ("gladly done") will emphasise that the pleasure was all yours.
Compared to the other phrases listed here, Gerne is a safe bet in any situation as it's acceptable in both formal and informal situations.
READ ALSO: The vocab you need for going to the gym in Germany
Kein Problem
Similarly, you could say kein Problem – literally “no problem.” (Pronounced like this).
Like its English translation, kein Problem perhaps comes with an air of unbothered nonchalance. In other words, it's a good one to use when you want to seem cool and relaxed.
But note that it’s not formal, so you may want to avoid it in strictly professional settings, or at least in more conservative work places. As a recent anglicisation of the German language, it may not go down too well with any language purists you encounter.
Nichts zu danken
Taking the no problem vibe a step further, nichts zu danken means “nothing to thank me for.” (Say it like this)
You can use this one when you want to imply that whatever you have done was not a big deal, or was not an inconvenience to you.
Compared to kein Problem, this one may come off a bit old-school, which may earn you more or less respect as a German speaker depending on your audience.
Passt schon
To reply with passt schon (pronounced like this) is a bit like saying, “It’s all good” in English.
It can be a cool and casual way to respond to thanks.
But depending on your tone it can also come off as a bit dismissive, so you may want to practise this one with a German-speaking friend before trying it out on strangers.
Schon gut
Schon gut (pronounced like this) functions in much the same way as passt schon.
It means something like “that’s fine” or “no big deal”, and you imagine that it might come with a flick of the hand to show that it's no big deal.
Much like passt schon, this one could either be perceived as a polite, innocuous response or taken a bit harshly depending on your tone. To ensure it's taken in a nice way, practise saying it in a warm tone or pad it with a smile.
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