German Supermarket Phrases: What the Cashier Says and How to Answer
The German supermarket phrases you need most are the five checkout questions: Sammeln Sie Punkte? (Do you collect points?), Brauchen Sie den Bon? (Do you need the receipt?), Möchten Sie eine Tüte? (Would you like a bag?), Mit Karte oder bar? (Card or cash?) and Kann ich mit Karte zahlen? (Can I pay by card?).
Below: the deli counter, self-checkout, asking staff, label words and the habits that surprise newcomers.
Which supermarket chains will you see?
Germans say der Supermarkt for a full-range store and der Discounter for a cheaper store with a smaller range. In everyday speech people just say Ich gehe einkaufen (I’m going shopping) or name the chain: Ich gehe kurz zu Rewe.
| Chain | Type | Fact worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Aldi Nord / Aldi Süd | Discounter | Two separate company groups since the 1961 split, with different regions; in 2025 media reported talks about a possible merger |
| Lidl | Discounter | Belongs to the Schwarz Gruppe |
| Kaufland | Large full-range store | Also belongs to the Schwarz Gruppe |
| Rewe | Supermarket | Part of the REWE Group |
| Penny | Discounter | Also part of the REWE Group |
| Edeka | Supermarket | Cooperative group with many independent merchants |
| Netto Marken-Discount | Discounter | Part of the EDEKA group |
So, are Lidl and Aldi the same? No. They are competitors from different groups. Lidl’s sister company is Kaufland, not Aldi.
The checkout (die Kasse): what you will hear
German cashiers are fast and sit down. Put your shopping on the belt (das Band), place the plastic divider (der Warentrenner) behind your items, and be ready to pack quickly at the end. Nobody packs for you, and it is normal to put everything back into the trolley and pack at the counter after the till (der Packtisch).
| Cashier says | Meaning | Short answer |
|---|---|---|
| Hallo! / Guten Tag! | Hello | Hallo! / Guten Tag! |
| Sammeln Sie Punkte? | Do you collect points? | Nein, danke. / Ja, hier ist meine Karte. |
| Haben Sie die App? | Do you have the app? | Nein, habe ich nicht. |
| Möchten Sie eine Tüte? | Would you like a bag? | Ja, bitte, eine kleine. / Nein, danke, ich habe eine. |
| Brauchen Sie den Bon / den Kassenzettel? | Do you need the receipt? | Ja, bitte. / Nein, danke. |
| Mit Karte oder bar? | Card or cash? | Mit Karte, bitte. / Bar. |
| Das macht 23,40 (Euro). | That’s 23.40 | Mit Karte, bitte. |
| Haben Sie es passend? / Haben Sie es kleiner? | Do you have the exact amount? / anything smaller? | Moment, ich schaue mal. / Leider nicht. |
| Einfach die Karte hinhalten. | Just tap the card | (tap) |
| Schönen Tag noch! | Have a nice day | Danke, Ihnen auch! |
Prices are spoken as euros and cents without the word “cent” in most cases: 23,40 sounds like dreiundzwanzig vierzig. If numbers still blur together at speed, the pronunciation guide in German numbers is the fastest fix.
Paying by card
Card payment is common in German supermarkets today, usually with a girocard or a credit/debit card, often contactless. Small shops, market stalls and some bakeries may still prefer cash or set a minimum amount, so ask before you queue: Kann ich hier mit Karte zahlen? If the terminal asks for your PIN, the cashier may say Bitte die PIN eingeben.
A full checkout dialogue
Kassiererin: Hallo! Sammeln Sie Punkte?
Sie: Nein, danke.
Kassiererin: Möchten Sie eine Tüte?
Sie: Ja, bitte, eine große.
Kassiererin: Das macht dann 31,85.
Sie: Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?
Kassiererin: Klar, einfach hinhalten. … Brauchen Sie den Bon?
Sie: Ja, bitte.
Kassiererin: Schönen Tag noch!
Sie: Danke, Ihnen auch!
Cashier: Hi! Do you collect points? / You: No, thanks. / Cashier: Would you like a bag? / You: Yes, please, a big one. / Cashier: That’s 31.85, then. / You: Can I pay by card? / Cashier: Sure, just tap. … Do you need the receipt? / You: Yes, please. / Cashier: Have a nice day! / You: Thanks, you too!
Self-checkout (die SB-Kasse)
Many larger stores now have self-service tills, labelled SB-Kasse or Self-Checkout (SB = Selbstbedienung, self-service). The screen usually offers English, but the German words are worth knowing:
| German on screen | English |
|---|---|
| Artikel scannen | Scan item |
| Artikel ablegen | Place item (in the bagging area) |
| Artikel ohne Barcode | Item without barcode |
| Obst und Gemüse wiegen | Weigh fruit and vegetables |
| Bezahlen | Pay |
| Bitte warten, ein Mitarbeiter kommt. | Please wait, a staff member is coming. |
| Altersprüfung erforderlich | Age check required (alcohol, tobacco) |
When the machine stops, wave to a staff member and say: Entschuldigung, die Kasse geht nicht weiter. (Excuse me, the till won’t continue.)
Asking staff where something is
Staff restocking shelves are happy to point you in the right direction, especially if you start with Entschuldigung.
- Entschuldigung, wo finde ich Mehl? (Excuse me, where can I find flour?)
- Haben Sie auch laktosefreie Milch? (Do you also have lactose-free milk?)
- In welchem Gang ist der Reis? (Which aisle is the rice in?)
- Ist das noch im Angebot? (Is this still on offer?)
- Das Regal ist leer. Haben Sie noch welche im Lager? (The shelf is empty. Do you have any more in the stockroom?)
Typical answers: Gang drei, ganz hinten (aisle three, right at the back), Neben den Nudeln (next to the pasta), Da vorne links (over there on the left), Das ist leider aus (sorry, that’s sold out).
At the counter (die Theke)
Many supermarkets have a fresh counter for cheese (Käsetheke), sausage and meat (Fleisch- und Wursttheke) and sometimes fish (Fischtheke). You order by weight or by slices, and the staff will usually ask Darf es etwas mehr sein? when the scale shows a little over.
Verkäufer: Was darf es sein?
Sie: 200 Gramm Gouda, bitte. In Scheiben.
Verkäufer: Jung oder mittelalt?
Sie: Mittelalt, bitte.
Verkäufer: Es sind 230 Gramm. Darf es etwas mehr sein?
Sie: Ja, das ist okay.
Verkäufer: Sonst noch etwas?
Sie: Ja, noch 150 Gramm Kochschinken, bitte. Das war’s.
Seller: What would you like? / You: 200 grams of Gouda, please. Sliced. / Seller: Young or medium-aged? / You: Medium, please. / Seller: It’s 230 grams. Is a bit more okay? / You: Yes, that’s fine. / Seller: Anything else? / You: Yes, 150 grams of cooked ham as well, please. That’s all.
Useful extras: am Stück (in one piece), dünn geschnitten (thinly sliced), ein halbes Pfund (250 grams; Pfund is still used in speech), Können Sie das bitte einpacken? The same order-by-weight pattern works at the bakery, which has its own guide: ordering at a German bakery.
Practise the checkout before you go
Reading these German supermarket phrases is easy; answering a fast cashier with a queue behind you is the hard part. SipLingo has voice scenarios for everyday situations, such as the bakery, where you speak with an AI partner and get instant corrections of grammar and word order, explained in your own language. Practise shopping German by voice.
Signs and labels: what the words mean
| German | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| das Angebot | special offer | im Angebot = on offer |
| die Aktion | promotion | often a weekly deal |
| Statt 2,99 jetzt 1,99 | Instead of 2.99, now 1.99 | |
| der Grundpreis | unit price | e.g. 1 kg = 4,50 |
| mindestens haltbar bis (MHD) | best before | quality date; food is often fine after it |
| zu verbrauchen bis | use by | safety date for meat, fish; do not eat after it |
| Bio | organic | |
| vegan / vegetarisch | vegan / vegetarian | |
| laktosefrei / glutenfrei | lactose-free / gluten-free | |
| ohne Zuckerzusatz | no added sugar | |
| aus der Region | from the region | |
| die Tiefkühlware | frozen goods | |
| das Pfand | deposit | on bottles and cans |
| Nur solange der Vorrat reicht | While stocks last | |
| Kasse geschlossen | Till closed |
More German supermarket phrases for tricky moments
| Situation | German | English |
|---|---|---|
| Another till opens | Kasse drei öffnet für Sie! | Till three is opening for you! |
| You forgot something | Oh, Moment, ich habe die Milch vergessen. | Oh, wait, I forgot the milk. |
| Price is wrong | Am Regal stand ein anderer Preis. | The shelf showed a different price. |
| Item is damaged | Die Packung ist kaputt. Kann ich eine andere nehmen? | The pack is broken. Can I take another one? |
| You don’t understand | Wie bitte? Können Sie das wiederholen? | Sorry? Can you repeat that? |
| Return an item | Ich möchte das zurückgeben. Hier ist der Bon. | I’d like to return this. Here is the receipt. |
If a cashier switches to English, that is fine, but you can keep practising with Ich möchte gern Deutsch üben. More survival lines are in what to say when you don’t speak German.
Bottles, bags and Sundays
Pfand. Most plastic bottles and cans carry a deposit. You return them at a machine in the store (der Pfandautomat) and get a voucher (der Pfandbon) that you hand over at the till: Ich habe noch einen Pfandbon. The full system, amounts and machine messages are in the German bottle deposit (Pfand).
Bags. Bags at the till (paper or sturdy reusable plastic) cost money in most shops, so many people bring a cloth bag (der Stoffbeutel) or a folding box. Thin bags for loose fruit and vegetables are usually near the produce.
Sundays. Are supermarkets open on Sundays in Germany? As a rule, no. Sunday rest is protected, and each federal state has its own shop-opening law. Typical exceptions are shops in large train stations and airports, petrol station shops, bakeries for a few hours in many states and, in some states, small staff-free automated stores or a few event-based shopping Sundays per year (verkaufsoffener Sonntag). Rules differ by state, so check the opening hours of your local store, and plan your weekly shop for Saturday. Austria and Switzerland also restrict Sunday opening, with their own rules.
Vocabulary: German supermarket words
| German | English |
|---|---|
| der Supermarkt, die Supermärkte | supermarket |
| der Discounter | discount supermarket |
| der Einkaufswagen | shopping trolley |
| der Korb | basket |
| die Kasse | checkout, till |
| das Band | conveyor belt |
| der Warentrenner | divider |
| der Bon / der Kassenzettel | receipt |
| die Tüte | bag |
| die Kundenkarte | loyalty card |
| das Regal | shelf |
| der Gang | aisle |
| die Theke | counter |
| das Angebot | offer |
| der Pfandautomat | bottle return machine |
| das Kleingeld | small change |
Food words for your list (Obst und Gemüse, Milchprodukte, packaging words like eine Packung or ein Becher) are in German food words for your grocery list.
This is general information about shopping in Germany, not legal advice. Checked in October 2026 against the official company pages of the Schwarz Gruppe, the REWE Group and the EDEKA-Verbund, the Bavarian chamber of commerce (IHK) summary of Bavaria’s shop-closing law, and press coverage of the Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd structure.
Related guides: Konjunktiv II for polite requests
Official sources
For the official details and the latest updates, see:
- Umweltbundesamt (UBA): Reusable vs single-use bottles and deposits (German) – 8/15 cent reusable vs 25 cent single-use deposit and how to tell them apart
- Goethe-Institut: Goethe A1 Start Deutsch 1 word list (PDF) – ~650 A1 words and everyday expressions by topic, with example sentences
Frequently asked questions
What are some common German shopping phrases?
The most useful are Wo finde ich …? (Where can I find …?), Ich hätte gern 200 Gramm … (I’d like 200 grams of …), Kann ich mit Karte zahlen? and Nein, danke, ich brauche keine Tüte. Answers to the cashier are usually just Ja, bitte or Nein, danke.
What do Germans call grocery stores?
Der Supermarkt for full-range stores and der Discounter for cheaper ones like Aldi, Lidl, Penny or Netto. In speech, most people simply name the chain: Ich gehe zu Edeka.
What do cashiers say in German supermarkets (was sagt die Kassiererin)?
Expect a greeting, then Sammeln Sie Punkte?, Möchten Sie eine Tüte?, Brauchen Sie den Bon? and the total (Das macht …), and finally Schönen Tag noch! A polite reply is Danke, Ihnen auch!
Are Lidl and Aldi the same?
No. Lidl belongs to the Schwarz Gruppe, together with Kaufland. Aldi is two separate groups, Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd, which as of 2026 still operate independently.
Are supermarkets open on Sundays in Germany?
Generally no. Each state has its own shop-opening law; exceptions such as station shops, petrol stations and a few shopping Sundays exist, so check your local store’s hours.
Say your first checkout dialogue out loud today, and the real one will feel easier.
