German · A1 · Family moment
Your Helpful Part in German
Help your child build independence with small household jobs. Use short German instructions with bitte (please) to make kind, clear requests. These phrases address one child using the informal du form.
What you'll learn
- Ask your child to help with eight everyday chores.
- Use simple imperative forms to give instructions.
- Add bitte at the beginning or end of a request.
- Recognize common words for household items and chores.
German phrases for your helpful part
Bitte räum deine Kleidung weg.
Please put your clothes away.
Wegräumen means to put away. In this instruction, weg goes at the end.
Räum deinen Schreibtisch auf, bitte.
Clear your desk, please.
Aufräumen means to tidy up. This is a natural request to clear and tidy a desk.
Bitte bring den Müll raus.
Please take out the rubbish.
Rausbringen is an everyday word for taking something outside.
Stell deinen Teller in die Spülmaschine, bitte.
Put your plate in the dishwasher, please.
Stell is the instruction form of stellen, used here for placing a plate in the dishwasher.
Bitte füttere die Katze.
Please feed the cat.
Use füttern when talking about feeding an animal.
Gieß die Pflanzen, bitte.
Water the plants, please.
Gießen means to water plants. Gieß is the instruction form for one child.
Bitte häng dein Handtuch auf.
Please hang up your towel.
Aufhängen means to hang up. Auf goes at the end of this instruction.
Stell deine Schuhe ins Regal, bitte.
Put your shoes on the shelf, please.
Ins Regal is the natural expression for putting something on a shelf in a shelving unit.
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
die Kleidung
clothes; clothing
German uses this as a singular noun, even when English uses the plural clothes.
der Schreibtisch
desk
Deinen Schreibtisch means your desk when it is the object of the instruction.
der Müll
rubbish; trash
Den Müll rausbringen means to take out the rubbish.
der Teller
plate
The plural is die Teller.
die Spülmaschine
dishwasher
In die Spülmaschine means into the dishwasher.
die Katze
cat
Die Katze füttern means to feed the cat.
die Pflanze
plant
The plural is die Pflanzen.
das Handtuch
towel
Dein Handtuch means your towel.
der Schuh
shoe
The plural is die Schuhe.
das Regal
shelf; shelving unit
Ins is short for in das. A single shelf board is das Regalbrett.
Instructions for one child
Use the informal singular imperative when asking one child to do something. Usually leave out du (you). Common short forms include räum, bring, stell, gieß and häng. Füttere is a common form of füttern.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| bringen → bring | Bring + object + raus. | Bitte bring den Müll raus. |
| stellen → stell | Stell + object + place. | Stell deinen Teller in die Spülmaschine, bitte. |
| füttern → füttere | Füttere + object. | Bitte füttere die Katze. |
Making requests with bitte
Bitte means please. It can come at the beginning or end of these instructions. A warm tone also helps the request sound kind.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Please at the beginning | Bitte + imperative + rest of instruction. | Bitte füttere die Katze. |
| Please at the end | Imperative + rest of instruction, bitte. | Gieß die Pflanzen, bitte. |
Verbs that split
Some German verbs have a part that separates. In these instructions, the main verb comes near the beginning and the separated part goes at the end, before any final bitte.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| wegräumen: put away | räum … weg | Bitte räum deine Kleidung weg. |
| aufräumen: tidy up | räum … auf | Räum deinen Schreibtisch auf, bitte. |
| aufhängen: hang up | häng … auf | Bitte häng dein Handtuch auf. |
More examples
Bitte häng dein Handtuch auf.
Please hang up your towel.
Use after your child has washed or bathed.
Stell deinen Teller in die Spülmaschine, bitte.
Put your plate in the dishwasher, please.
Use after a meal.
Stell deine Schuhe ins Regal, bitte.
Put your shoes on the shelf, please.
Use when your child comes home and takes off their shoes.