Learn Hardcore German: Bitte halten Sie Abstand.

Sie is the formal form of you in German. It can refer to one person or to several people. It’s always capitalized when it means formal “you,” which distinguishes it from sie = “she/they.”

How is the imperative formed with Sie?

For the formal imperative, put the verb first, then Sie, then the rest:

Halten Sie Abstand. (Keep your distance.)
Warten Sie hier. (Wait here.)
Gehen Sie bitte zurück. (Please step back.)

With the familiar forms:

du: Halt Abstand! (also acceptable: Halte Abstand!, but Halt is more common)
ihr: Haltet Abstand!

Why is Abstand capitalized?

All German nouns are capitalized. Abstand is a noun meaning “distance” or “gap,” and its gender is masculine (der Abstand).

Do I need an article (e.g., “den/einen”) before Abstand?

No article is needed in the set phrase Abstand halten. You add an article when you specify a particular or measurable distance:

Generic: Halten Sie Abstand.
Measured/specific: Halten Sie zwei Meter Abstand. / Halten Sie einen Abstand von zwei Metern.
Specific known distance: Halten Sie den vorgeschriebenen Abstand.

What case is Abstand in?

Accusative singular. Halten is transitive here (“keep/maintain” something), so Abstand functions as the direct object: (Was halten? → Abstand). You can see the case when an article is present: den Abstand (accusative).

Does halten here mean “to stop,” like a bus stopping?

No. Here halten means “to keep/maintain.” Compare:

Halten Sie Abstand. = Keep distance.
Halten Sie an! = Stop! (phrasal verb anhalten = to stop)

Can I place bitte elsewhere, or leave it out?

Yes. Common variants are:

Bitte halten Sie Abstand. (polite, neutral)
Halten Sie bitte Abstand. (equally polite)
Halten Sie Abstand. (more direct/firm) On signs you’ll also see: Bitte Abstand halten.
Note: Typically no comma is used with bitte in these sentences.

Is this word order a question (verb first, then subject)?

In writing, punctuation and context decide:

Halten Sie Abstand? → Yes/no question.
Halten Sie Abstand. / Halten Sie Abstand! → Imperative (command/request).
With Bitte and a period/exclamation mark, it’s clearly a polite instruction, not a question.

What are natural alternatives to this phrasing?

Bitte Abstand halten. (very common on signs; impersonal/infinitive style)
Halten Sie bitte Abstand. (same meaning, slightly different word order)
Bitte wahren Sie Abstand. (a bit more formal/literary: “maintain distance”)
With a measure: Bitte halten Sie mindestens 1,5 Meter Abstand.
For a group informally: Haltet Abstand!

How do I use prepositions if I add “from/with” something?

Both von and zu are used with Abstand halten; choice depends on context:

People/vehicles (distance between A and B): Abstand zu anderen Personen/Fahrzeugen halten.
Edges/objects (keeping away from something): Abstand von der Bahnsteigkante halten.
“From each other”: Abstand zueinander halten.

What’s the nuance between Abstand and Distanz?

In physical, everyday contexts, Abstand is the default and pairs idiomatically with halten/wahren.
Distanz exists and can be used (especially in formal/figurative contexts), but Distanz halten often sounds more figurative (“keep one’s distance” socially) than Abstand halten.

Is Sie singular or plural here?

It can be either. Sie (formal “you”) is used for one person or many; the verb form is the same. Signs use Sie to address anyone reading them.

How do I pronounce the sentence?

A good approximation is: [ˈbɪtə ˈhaltən ziː ˈapʃtant]
Notes:

In Abstand, the st is pronounced [ʃt] (like “sht”).
The bs in Abstand is pronounced like [ps].
Sie is pronounced [ziː] (like English “zee”).

Is there a clipped version like just saying “Distance, please”?

Yes. On signs you might see elliptical forms such as Bitte Abstand! or icon-only signage. Full sentences are preferred in spoken instructions.