German · A1 · Family moment
Gentle Little Requests in German
Use these gentle German requests during everyday care. All phrases address one child with the familiar du form. Bitte means “please”; a warm tone makes requests feel kinder.
What you'll learn
- Make simple, polite requests using bitte.
- Use familiar singular commands with one child.
- Recognize common words for body parts and everyday actions.
German phrases for gentle little requests
Mach bitte den Mund auf.
Open your mouth, please.
Aufmachen means “to open.” In this command, auf goes at the end.
Gib mir bitte deine Hand.
Give me your hand, please.
Gib is the command form of geben (“to give”). Mir means “to me.”
Heb bitte die Arme.
Lift your arms, please.
Die Arme means “the arms.” German often uses “the” for body parts when the owner is clear.
Schau mich bitte an.
Look at me, please.
Anschauen means “to look at.” Mich means “me,” and an goes at the end.
Komm bitte her.
Come here, please.
Her indicates movement toward the person speaking.
Setz dich bitte hin.
Sit down, please.
Sich hinsetzen means “to sit down.” Use dich when speaking to one child.
Gib mir bitte den Becher.
Give me the cup, please.
Becher is a cup or beaker, often without a handle. For a cup with a handle, you can say die Tasse.
Fass es bitte vorsichtig an.
Touch gently, please.
Literally, “Touch it carefully, please.” Es (“it”) refers to whatever the child is touching.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
bitte
please
Often placed after the command verb or a short pronoun: Komm bitte her. Gib mir bitte deine Hand.
der Mund
mouth
Use den Mund as the object of the request.
die Hand
hand
Deine Hand means “your hand” when speaking to one child.
der Arm / die Arme
arm / arms
Die Arme is the plural form.
der Becher
cup; beaker
Use den Becher when it is the thing being given.
vorsichtig
carefully; gently
Useful when asking a child to handle something with care.
Commands for one child
Use the familiar singular imperative when making a request to one child. The verb usually comes first, and you leave out du (“you”). Many common commands use a shortened verb form; some are irregular.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| kommen → komm | Komm + bitte + her. | Komm bitte her. |
| heben → heb | Heb + bitte + object. | Heb bitte die Arme. |
| geben → gib | Gib + mir + bitte + object. | Gib mir bitte den Becher. |
Adding please
Bitte makes a request more polite. It can appear in the middle or at the end. When added at the end as a separate polite word, it is usually set off with a comma.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Please in the middle | Verb + bitte + rest. | Mach bitte den Mund auf. |
| Please at the end | Request + , bitte. | Mach den Mund auf, bitte. |
Verbs with a separate ending
Some German verbs have a separable prefix. In these requests, the main verb comes first and the prefix goes at the end. With sich hinsetzen (“to sit down”), also include dich.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| aufmachen — to open | Mach … auf. | Mach bitte den Mund auf. |
| anschauen — to look at | Schau … an. | Schau mich bitte an. |
| sich hinsetzen — to sit down | Setz dich … hin. | Setz dich bitte hin. |
| anfassen — to touch | Fass … an. | Fass es bitte vorsichtig an. |
More examples
Heb bitte die Arme.
Lift your arms, please.
Useful when helping your child put on a shirt.
Gib mir bitte deine Hand.
Give me your hand, please.
Useful when offering support as your child steps down.