German · A1 · Family moment
Ready Set School in German
Use these gentle German requests to guide your child through getting ready for school. Each phrase uses the informal singular imperative—the command form for speaking to one child—and bitte, meaning “please.”
What you'll learn
- Give simple, polite instructions during the morning routine.
- Use bitte to soften a request.
- Recognize verbs whose prefixes move to the end of a command.
- Learn useful words for school belongings.
German phrases for ready set school
Zieh deine Schuhe an, bitte.
Put on your shoes, please.
Anziehen means “to put on” clothing. In this command, an goes at the end of the verb phrase.
Bitte mach den Reißverschluss an deinem Mantel zu.
Please zip up your coat.
German expresses this as “close the zipper on your coat.” Mach ... zu comes from zumachen, “to close.”
Heb deine Tasche auf, bitte.
Pick up your bag, please.
Heb ... auf comes from aufheben, “to pick up,” for example from the floor.
Bitte pack deine Hausaufgaben ein.
Please pack your homework.
Einpacken means “to pack.” Hausaufgaben is plural in German.
Leg deine Brotdose hinein, bitte.
Put your lunchbox inside, please.
Hinein means “in” or “inside.” Here, it refers to putting the lunchbox into the bag.
Bitte mach deine Tasche zu.
Please close your bag.
Mach ... zu is a natural everyday way to say “close.”
Warte bitte an der Tür.
Wait by the door, please.
Warte is the command form of warten, “to wait.” An der Tür means “by the door.”
Bitte halt meine Hand.
Please hold my hand.
Halt is a common command form of halten, “to hold.” Halte is also correct.
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
Use it at the beginning, within, or at the end of a request. A warm tone also helps.
der Schuh; die Schuhe
the shoe; the shoes
Use deine Schuhe for “your shoes” when speaking to one child.
der Mantel
the coat
Die Jacke means “the jacket.”
der Reißverschluss
the zipper
Den Reißverschluss zumachen means “to close the zipper” or “to zip up.”
die Tasche
the bag
Der Rucksack is the more specific word for “backpack.”
die Hausaufgaben
homework
Usually plural in German, even though English “homework” is not.
die Brotdose
the lunchbox
A common word for a box holding sandwiches or other food.
die Tür
the door
Learn an der Tür as a useful phrase meaning “by the door.”
die Hand
the hand
Meine Hand means “my hand.”
Commands for one child
Use the informal singular imperative when giving one child an instruction. Usually, leave out du (“you”). Many commands use the verb stem; some have a different form that you learn with the verb.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| machen → mach | mach | Bitte mach deine Tasche zu. |
| warten → warte | warte | Warte bitte an der Tür. |
| halten → halt / halte | halt | Bitte halt meine Hand. |
Adding please
Bitte makes an instruction more polite. It can come before the command, after the verb, or at the end. The command form stays the same.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| At the beginning | Bitte + command | Bitte warte an der Tür. |
| After the verb | Command verb + bitte | Warte bitte an der Tür. |
| At the end | Command + , bitte | Warte an der Tür, bitte. |
Verbs with separable prefixes
Some German verbs have a prefix that separates in a command. Put the command verb near the beginning and the prefix at the end of the verb phrase.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| anziehen — to put on | zieh ... an | Zieh deine Schuhe an, bitte. |
| aufheben — to pick up | heb ... auf | Heb deine Tasche auf, bitte. |
| einpacken — to pack | pack ... ein | Bitte pack deine Hausaufgaben ein. |
| zumachen — to close | mach ... zu | Bitte mach deine Tasche zu. |
More examples
Bitte pack deine Hausaufgaben ein.
Please pack your homework.
Use this while your child is getting their school bag ready.
Leg deine Brotdose hinein, bitte.
Put your lunchbox inside, please.
Point to the open bag to make hinein clear.
Bitte halt meine Hand.
Please hold my hand.
Use this as you offer your child your hand before heading outside.