Which German phrases matter most here?

“Was möchten Sie?” (What would you like); “Ein Brot, bitte.” (A loaf of bread, please); “Ich hätte gern etwas Brot.” (I’d like some bread, please). The full list is above.

Can I hear how they sound?

Yes: press the speaker next to a phrase to hear it, recorded for the Frasa app.

How can I practise this conversation?

Press “Start the conversation” above to play it through and choose your replies, with a note on why some fit better in Germany. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.

German phrases for buying bread at the bakery in Germany

Say what you’d like and point if you need to: “Ein Brot, bitte” or “Ich hätte gern etwas Brot”. The assistant may ask “Soll ich es aufschneiden?” and “Hier oder zum Mitnehmen?”. Rolls and pastries go by the piece: “Zwei Stück, bitte”. You pay at the same counter. For anything you can’t name, ask “Wie heißt das?”.

Try it · about two minutes

You pop into a bakery for a loaf and a pastry you can’t name, so you point and ask.

Sound on: the bakery assistant speaks German. You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.

How does the conversation usually go?

Bakery assistant
Was möchten Sie?
What would you like?
You
Ein Brot, bitte.
A loaf of bread, please.
Bakery assistant
Soll ich es aufschneiden?
Would you like it sliced?
You
Ja, bitte.
Yes, please.
Bakery assistant
Darf es sonst noch etwas sein?
Can I get you anything else?
You
Wie heißt das?
What is this called?
Bakery assistant
Das ist ein Schokocroissant. Möchten Sie eins?
That’s a chocolate croissant. Would you like one?
You
Nur eins, bitte.
Just one, please.
Bakery assistant
Hier oder zum Mitnehmen?
Eating in or taking away?
You
Zum Mitnehmen, bitte.
To take away, please.
Bakery assistant
Das macht acht Euro fünfzig.
That comes to eight fifty.
You
Kann ich mit Karte bezahlen?
Can I pay by card?

Which German phrases do you need?

Was möchten Sie?
What would you like?
Ein Brot, bitte.
A loaf of bread, please.
Ich hätte gern etwas Brot.
I’d like some bread, please.
Soll ich es aufschneiden?
Would you like it sliced?
Wie heißt das?
What is this called?
Nur eins, bitte.
Just one, please.
Zwei Stück, bitte.
Two, please.
Ist das Brot noch warm?
Is the bread still warm?
Hier oder zum Mitnehmen?
Eating in or taking away?
Kann ich mit Karte bezahlen?
Can I pay by card?

What is worth knowing in Germany?

Brot or Brötchen?

Brot is a loaf. Brötchen are the small rolls most people buy for breakfast, and they have regional names, such as Semmel in the south and Schrippe in Berlin. Say the number you want, then the word.

Zwei Stück, bitte.

Two, please.

At the counter

1
Wait your turn. At a busy counter the assistant may ask who is next.
Who is next?
2
Name what you want, or point. Bread is sold by the loaf, rolls and pastries by the piece.
3
You usually pay at the same counter, straight away. Small bakeries sometimes prefer cash.

Early, and on Sunday morning

Bakeries open early, often well before other shops, and favourites can sell out by the afternoon. Many also open for a few hours on Sunday morning, when most shops are shut. You can ask them to keep a loaf for you.

Kann ich ein Brot für morgen früh reservieren?

Can I reserve a loaf for tomorrow morning?

Questions about this situation

Which German phrases matter most here?: “Was möchten Sie?” (What would you like); “Ein Brot, bitte.” (A loaf of bread, please); “Ich hätte gern etwas Brot.” (I’d like some bread, please). The full list is above.
Can I hear how they sound?: Yes: press the speaker next to a phrase to hear it, recorded for the Frasa app.
How can I practise this conversation?: Press “Start the conversation” above to play it through and choose your replies, with a note on why some fit better in Germany. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.

Related situations in German

All situations in German

Practise these phrases in Frasa

Frasa is an iPhone app for the conversations in front of you. Save phrases like these, rehearse them out loud, and they come back until they stick.

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AI-generated. May be inaccurate.