German words for kids · Greetings & manners
How to say “thank you” in German
Thank you is the natural partner of please, and it gets used constantly: for snacks, for help, for a hug.
Thank you in German
danke
Sounds like ≈ DAHN-kuh
Good to know: Danke schön is "thank you very much". The usual reply is bitte or gern geschehen.
Hear it in a song
Real lines from our German songs, with the English meaning shown in the app:
Danke fürs Helfen!
Thanks for helping!
from Bitte und Danke (Please and Thank You)
Bitte und danke!
Please and thank you!
from Ich will, ich möchte (I Want…)
Danke, Fisch! Wir fahren wieder hoch!
Thank you, fish! We're going back up!
from Tief im Meer (Down in the Deep Sea)
3 songs that teach it
“Thank you” is one of the key words in these songs. Every line is shown in German with its English meaning.
Guten Morgen
Good Morning · Greetings · Free
- Guten Morgen · good morning
- Wie geht's dir? · how are you?
- sehr gut · very well
- danke · thank you
Bitte und Danke
Please and Thank You · Greetings · Free
- bitte · please
- danke · thank you
- gern geschehen · you're welcome
- Entschuldigung · sorry
Ich will, ich möchte
I Want… · I Like, I Want, I Can · Premium
- ich will · I want
- ich will spielen · I want to play
- ich will nicht · I don't want
- ich möchte einen Keks · I'd like a cookie
Also sung in: Hallo, wie geht's?, Zähl mit mir, Wenn du fröhlich bist, Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Wir teilen Spielsachen, Das ABC, Tief im Meer, Auf dem Markt.
Practice ideas for parents
- 1Say danke whenever your child hands you something, even a stick or a pebble.
- 2Let your child say danke to grandparents on the next call; it's a small win they can be proud of.
- 3At dinner, take turns saying danke for one thing from the day.
Related German words
“Thank you” in other languages
Sing it in German, free
The first unit, 6 greeting songs with lyrics and English translation, is free forever. No card needed. Premium unlocks all 134 songs.
About the pronunciation: the “sounds like” spellings are rough English approximations for parents (capital letters show the stressed syllable). Germanhas sounds English doesn't, so treat them as a starting point and let the songs be the model. Songs are original and produced with AI music tools. Ideas for using German songs with your family.