Bitte legen Sie den Ausweis an der Kasse vor.

Please present your ID at the checkout.

Breakdown of Bitte legen Sie den Ausweis an der Kasse vor.

• bitte: please
• Sie: you
• den: the; (masculine, accusative)
• an: at
• der: the; (feminine, dative)
• die Kasse: the checkout
• der Ausweis: the ID card
• vorlegen: to present

Questions & Answers about Bitte legen Sie den Ausweis an der Kasse vor.

Why does the sentence end with vor?

Because vorlegen is a separable-prefix verb. In main-clause word order and in imperatives, the prefix splits off and goes to the end:

• Statement: Er legt den Ausweis vor.
• Formal imperative: Legen Sie den Ausweis vor. When the verb is not in the second position (e.g., in a subordinate clause or as an infinitive), it stays together:
• Subordinate: …, weil er den Ausweis vorlegt.
• Infinitive with zu: …, um den Ausweis vorzulegen.

What does vorlegen actually mean compared to plain legen?

• legen = to lay/place something down (literal).
• vorlegen = to present/produce a document for inspection (idiomatic, especially in official contexts). It doesn’t usually imply physically laying it flat; it means “to present” in the bureaucratic sense.

Why is it den Ausweis (accusative)?

Ausweis is masculine (der Ausweis). It’s the direct object of the verb, so it takes the accusative: den Ausweis. The core forms are:

• Nom: der Ausweis
• Acc: den Ausweis
• Dat: dem Ausweis
• Gen: des Ausweises

Why is it an der Kasse (dative) and not accusative?

an is a two-way preposition. With location (where?), it takes dative; with direction (to where?), it takes accusative.

• Location: an der Kasse = at the checkout (dative, feminine: der)
• Direction: an die Kasse = to the checkout (accusative)

Could I say bei der Kasse instead of an der Kasse?

Yes, but there’s a nuance:

• an der Kasse = right at the counter/till (very idiomatic in stores).
• bei der Kasse = at/near/with the checkout area (slightly broader, can feel a touch less “on-the-spot”).

Why not use am here?

am = an dem (used with masculine/neuter nouns). Kasse is feminine, so it’s an der, not am. You might see an Kasse 3 on signs (elliptical with a number), but the full form is an der Kasse 3.

What exactly does Kasse mean?

It’s the checkout/cash register/till in a shop. It can also mean a ticket office/box office or cashier’s desk depending on the context. An der Kasse covers all these “pay/check” counters.

Why is it den Ausweis and not Ihren Ausweis?

German often uses the definite article generically in instructions: den Ausweis = “your ID (that relevant ID)” in context. Ihren Ausweis is also common and explicitly personal (“your ID”). Both are acceptable; signage often prefers the compact definite-article style.

Could I use vorzeigen or zeigen instead of vorlegen?

• vorzeigen (also separable: zeigen … vor) = to show for inspection; very common in everyday contexts. Example: Bitte zeigen Sie Ihren Ausweis vor.
• vorlegen = to present (official/administrative flavor).
• Plain zeigen = just “show”; without vor, it lacks the “for checking/inspection” nuance. They’re often interchangeable here, with vorzeigen sounding slightly more casual.

Is the word order fixed? Can I move an der Kasse?

Both are fine:

• Bitte legen Sie den Ausweis an der Kasse vor. (neutral; object before place)
• Bitte legen Sie an der Kasse den Ausweis vor. (slight emphasis on location) German allows flexibility for emphasis; local phrases commonly come after the direct object.

Where can I put bitte?

It’s flexible and doesn’t change meaning, only tone:

• Bitte legen Sie den Ausweis an der Kasse vor. (most common)
• Legen Sie bitte den Ausweis an der Kasse vor.
• Legen Sie den Ausweis bitte an der Kasse vor. All are polite. Without bitte, the Sie-imperative is still polite but more direct.

How do I say this informally (du/ihr)?

• du: (Bitte) leg deinen Ausweis an der Kasse vor.
• ihr: (Bitte) legt euren Ausweis an der Kasse vor. Note the separable prefix and the possessives (deinen/euren) in the accusative.

How would it look in a subordinate clause?

• …, dass Sie den Ausweis an der Kasse vorlegen. (prefix attached) For an infinitive purpose clause:
• …, um den Ausweis an der Kasse vorzulegen. (zu between prefix and stem)

Is there a shorter “sign” version?

Yes, signs often use ellipses or infinitives:

• Bitte Ausweis an der Kasse vorzeigen.
• Ausweis bitte an der Kasse vorlegen. These omit the subject and finite verb but are fully idiomatic on notices.

Why not use geben (“to give”) here?

Because the idiomatic collocation for presenting documents is vorlegen/vorzeigen, not geben. abgeben would mean “to hand in/submit” (you part with it), which is different from merely presenting it for inspection.

What’s the stress and a quick pronunciation tip?

• vorlegen: stress on the prefix: VOR-legen (roughly “FOR-lay-gen”).
• Ausweis: AU-sweis (AU like “house”; “ss-vise”).
• Kasse: KAS-se (“KAH-seh”). Clear stress on the first syllables helps make the separable nature audible.

Can I refer back to den Ausweis with a pronoun?

Yes. Once Ausweis is known, you can say: Bitte legen Sie ihn an der Kasse vor. (ihn = accusative masculine, referring to Ausweis)

Are there plural/location variations?

Yes:

• Multiple checkouts: an den Kassen (dative plural).
• Specific checkout: an der Kasse 3 (often seen as an Kasse 3 on signs). The verb and other elements stay the same.