Basic phrases for learners: Basic Phrases

💬 Sie takes the same verb form as sie (they): sprechen, not sprichst. You can reuse that pattern in other polite questions: Kommen Sie?, Verstehen Sie?.

🇩🇪 Use Sie with strangers in Germany unless they clearly switch to du first. Asking Sprechen Sie Englisch? is normal and polite in shops, hotels, or offices.

💬 das here means "that," not "the." In similar requests, German often uses das where English would point to the whole thing just said: Können Sie das erklären?.

🇩🇪 This is a polite, everyday way to ask someone to repeat themselves. Adding bitte makes it softer, especially with service staff or officials.

💬 In this kind of request, the verb can come first: Sprechen Sie langsam. You can swap in other adverbs the same way, like Sprechen Sie lauter or Sprechen Sie deutlicher.

🇩🇪 This is understandable but fairly direct. In many situations, Können Sie bitte langsam sprechen? sounds a bit more polite.