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I have seen a lot of people who don't buy a lot of things from the supermarket and usually I am in front of them queue. I want to know how to say you can go to the cashier before me in German.

Jan
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user22634
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2 Answers2

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Formal possibilities:

Gehen Sie ruhig vor. (as an offer)
Sie können gerne vorgehen. (as an offer)
Nach Ihnen. (as an offer)
Möchten Sie vorgehen? (as a question)

Informal possibilities:

Geh ruhig vor. (as an offer)
Du kannst gerne vorgehen. (as an offer)
Nach dir. (as an offer)
Möchtest du vorgehen? (as a question)

Cryck
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    'Du' is not only for persons which you know – Iris Oct 18 '16 at 20:31
  • @Iris: I know Angela Merkel... kind of... – Robert Oct 18 '16 at 20:34
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    @Iris, you are right, I fixed it. – Cryck Oct 18 '16 at 20:35
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    The very common Nach Ihnen is not part of this list – adjan Oct 18 '16 at 23:51
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    Nach Ihnen is used out of special situations (e.g. you arrive both at the same time). The other formal solutions are good. The informal versions should only be used for friends, otherwise it would be very impolite. – JepZ Oct 19 '16 at 08:08
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    @JepZ Correct remark about "Nach Ihnen". It's typically used by a gentleman (or a clerk with a customer) at an entrance. – Peter - Reinstate Monica Oct 19 '16 at 10:38
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    @JepZ The "Du" or "Sie" issue is a difficult one. I wouldn't say it's very impolite; it may just be missing the proper tone, but when said with a smile will rarely be taken as an offense. General criteria for "Sie" are higher age, higher social position, more formal clothes, formal event. Using "Du" can be a compliment since it expresses that one feels comfortable with the other. People whose socialization was after the 1950s are more likely to use it; it can signify that you see the other one as modern, too. – Peter - Reinstate Monica Oct 19 '16 at 10:39
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    Sure, "Du" is not only for persons which you know in general, but in this particular case (an obvious foreigner talking in a shop), the formal "Sie" is the appropriate version unless the other person is a child or young adolescent (school age, visibly up to 17-18 years). – AnoE Oct 19 '16 at 11:15
  • Since the question mentioned cashiers specifically: I hear Gehen Sie ruhig vor. multiple times a day on the register, the others almost never. They are also good and valid, but in my experience not used in this particular situation. – Kjeld Schmidt Oct 19 '16 at 11:51
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A pretty common (formal) phrase is (with either the bitte in front or at the end)

Bitte, nach Ihnen.

or just

Nach Ihnen.

One can also say the less formal

Nach dir.

adjan
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