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German phrases for asking a neighbour to take in a parcel in Germany

Greet your neighbour, then ask: “Darf ich Sie etwas fragen?” and “Könnten Sie ein Paket für mich annehmen?”. Say which day you expect it. When you collect it, ask “Haben Sie ein Paket für mich?” and say “Danke, dass Sie mein Paket angenommen haben”. Offering to take in theirs is a friendly way to return the favour.

Try it · about two minutes

You’ll be out when a delivery is due, so you ask the neighbour across the landing to take it in.

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

How does the conversation usually go?

  1. Neighbour

    Hallo, wie geht es Ihnen?

    Hello, how are you?

    You

    Gut, danke. Und Ihnen?

    Fine, thanks. And you?

  2. Neighbour

    Ganz gut, danke.

    Not bad, thanks.

    You

    Darf ich Sie etwas fragen?

    Could I ask you something?

  3. Neighbour

    Natürlich, gerne.

    Of course, gladly.

    You

    Könnten Sie ein Paket für mich annehmen?

    Could you take in a parcel for me?

  4. Neighbour

    Ich bin den ganzen Tag zu Hause.

    I’m home all day.

    You

    Vielen Dank. Ich hole es morgen Abend ab.

    Thank you very much. I’ll collect it tomorrow evening.

  5. The next evening there is a courier’s note on your door: the parcel is next door. You ring your neighbour’s bell.

    You

    Haben Sie ein Paket für mich?

    Do you have a parcel for me?

  6. Neighbour

    Ist das Ihr Paket?

    Is this your parcel?

    You

    Danke, dass Sie mein Paket angenommen haben.

    Thanks for taking in my parcel.

Which German phrases do you need?

  • Darf ich Sie etwas fragen?

    Could I ask you something?

  • Könnten Sie ein Paket für mich annehmen?

    Could you take in a parcel for me?

  • Ich erwarte heute ein Paket.

    I’m expecting a parcel today.

  • Ich bin den ganzen Tag zu Hause.

    I’m home all day.

  • Haben Sie ein Paket für mich?

    Do you have a parcel for me?

  • Der Paketbote hat ein Paket bei Ihnen abgegeben, glaube ich.

    The courier left a parcel with you, I think.

  • Ist das Ihr Paket?

    Is this your parcel?

  • Danke, dass Sie mein Paket angenommen haben.

    Thanks for taking in my parcel.

  • Ich nehme gern Ihre Pakete an, wenn Sie nicht da sind.

    I’m happy to take in your parcels when you’re out.

  • Bitte geben Sie es bei meinem Nachbarn ab.

    Please leave it with my neighbour.

What is worth knowing in Germany?

How it usually goes

  1. 1

    Ask a day or two before, and say which day you expect the parcel.

    I’m expecting a parcel today.
  2. 2

    If you are out, the courier may ring a neighbour’s bell, and a note on your door or a message usually says where the parcel is.

    The courier left a note on the door.
  3. 3

    Collect it as soon as you can, and say thank you.

    Thanks for taking in my parcel.

Offer the same

Offering to take in their parcels in return builds goodwill, and it makes the next favour easy to ask. Neighbours who help each other tend to stay friendly.

Ich nehme gern Ihre Pakete an, wenn Sie nicht da sind.

I’m happy to take in your parcels when you’re out.

Naming a neighbour

Some couriers let you name a preferred neighbour (a “Wunschnachbar”) in their app or on their website. Ask the neighbour first, and tell the courier, not only the neighbour.

Bitte geben Sie es bei meinem Nachbarn ab.

Please leave it with my neighbour.

Questions about this situation

Which German phrases matter most here?
“Darf ich Sie etwas fragen?” (Could I ask you something); “Könnten Sie ein Paket für mich annehmen?” (Could you take in a parcel for me); “Ich erwarte heute ein Paket.” (I’m expecting a parcel today). 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

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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.

AI-generated. May be inaccurate.