When you have a language that has one word to express more than one thing, not two or three, but several, depending upon the situation, you can define it crazy. This small, 5 lettered word, BITTE is the word I am talking about. In 2013, when I first began to listen to people talking in German, I realized that there is this bitte that I hear often and everywhere. Imagine these situations:

• You’re a conversation, you didn’t understand or missed something, you can use bitte. This will make the person repeat herself.
• You’re going inside a shop and another person is getting out and you hold the door for her, you say, bitte.
• You offered a friend of yours a chocolate piece and in return you received a thank you, you can reply with a bitte.
• Someone is searching for something and you found it. You can give it to the person and say bitte.
• You want to enter a bus, but see an old lady next to you and you offer her to enter first, of course there you have it bitte.
• You’re in a supermarket at cashier and are paying 30€ for your kauf (purchase) you say, while giving money, bitte.

So basically, almost in every situation you where you want to just blend in and appear as if you can speak German (even if you can’t and are scared like hell) you use the magic word – Bitte. Don’t worry, somewhere or the other, it will fit to the situation.

😉