Sign inSign up

Drück bitte die Klingel, wenn du da bist.

Drück bitte die Klingel, wenn du da bist.
Please press the bell when you are there.

Breakdown of Drück bitte die Klingel, wenn du da bist.

sein
to be
du
you
bitte
please
wenn
when
drücken
to press
da
there
die Klingel
the bell
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching German grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning German now

Questions & Answers about Drück bitte die Klingel, wenn du da bist.

Why is it Drück and not Drücke?
  • It’s the du-imperative. For most verbs, you form it by taking the stem and (optionally) adding -e. So both Drück! and Drücke! are grammatically correct; in everyday speech, Drück! is far more common.
  • Full imperative set for drücken:
    • du: drück(e)!
    • ihr: drückt!
    • Sie (formal): drücken Sie!
  • You usually omit the subject pronoun in the imperative: Drück die Klingel!, not Drück du die Klingel! (the latter is only for emphasis).
Where can bitte go, and does it change the tone?
  • All of these are fine:
    • Bitte drück die Klingel, wenn du da bist.
    • Drück bitte die Klingel, wenn du da bist.
    • Drück die Klingel bitte, wenn du da bist.
  • Position mainly affects rhythm and subtle emphasis; all sound polite. Sentence-initial Bitte can feel a touch more formal.
Why is there a comma before wenn, and why is bist at the end?
  • Wenn introduces a subordinate clause. In German:
    • You must put a comma before a subordinate clause.
    • The finite verb goes to the end of that clause: … wenn du da bist.
  • If you start with the wenn-clause, the main clause still keeps verb-second order:
    • Wenn du da bist, drück bitte die Klingel.
Why wenn and not wann or als?
  • wenn = when/whenever/if (a conjunction). Used for conditions or general/future times.
  • wann = when? (a question word), or in indirect questions: Ich weiß nicht, wann du da bist.
  • als = when (one-time event in the past): Als du da warst, haben wir gesprochen.
  • Here we mean “when you are there (in the future)”, so wenn is correct.
Why is the present tense (bist) used for a future event?
  • German commonly uses the present to talk about the future, especially in subordinate clauses and in everyday speech.
  • Wenn du da bist is preferred over wenn du da sein wirst, which sounds stiff or overly formal here.
Should I say klingeln instead of die Klingel drücken? Are there regional options?
  • Very natural: Bitte klingel, wenn du da bist.
  • With “press”: commonly Drück bitte auf die Klingel or Drück den Klingelknopf.
  • Drück die Klingel is understandable and used, though many speakers prefer the versions with auf or simply klingeln.
  • Regional variants:
    • Southern Germany/Austria/Switzerland: läuten (e.g., Bitte läut an, wenn du da bist.)
    • Older/regional: schellen.
What exactly does da mean here? How is it different from hier or dort?
  • da often means “(over) there / at that place,” but in everyday speech it frequently means “present/at the place we both have in mind.”
  • wenn du da bist ≈ “when you’re there/when you’ve arrived (at my place).”
  • hier = “here (where I am).” dort = “over there (farther away).”
  • Alternatives:
    • wenn du hier bist (when you’re here, at my location)
    • wenn du dort bist (when you’re at that other location)
Could I say wenn du ankommst or wenn du angekommen bist instead?
  • Yes, with slightly different nuance:
    • wenn du ankommst = when you arrive (the moment of arrival).
    • wenn du angekommen bist = once you have arrived (completed arrival).
    • wenn du da bist = when you are there/present (state of being there).
  • All are fine; pick based on the nuance you want.
Can I move the wenn-clause to the beginning?
  • Yes: Wenn du da bist, drück bitte die Klingel.
  • You can also add a correlating dann in the main clause: Wenn du da bist, dann drück bitte die Klingel. (optional; adds emphasis/clarity)
What case is die Klingel here, and why?
  • die Klingel is accusative singular feminine as the direct object of drücken.
  • Feminine nouns have die in both nominative and accusative singular, so the article doesn’t change here.
  • Contrast with masculine: Drück bitte den Knopf (accusative: den).
How do I say this formally with Sie?
  • Drücken Sie bitte die Klingel, wenn Sie da sind.
  • Notes:
    • Sie (formal you) is always capitalized.
    • Verb stays in the infinitive form with Sie in the imperative: Drücken Sie …
Can I drop the article and say Drück Klingel?
  • Not in standard German full sentences. You need a determiner: die Klingel, eine Klingel, den Klingelknopf, etc.
  • You will see article-less phrases on signs/labels (e.g., Klingel drücken), but that’s a headline/instruction style, not a full sentence.
Is the umlaut in drück important? What’s the difference between drücken and drucken?
  • Yes. drücken (with ü) = to press/push. drucken (with u) = to print.
  • Drück die Klingel = press the bell. Druck die Klingel would be a spelling error and changes the meaning.
Can I soften the imperative with particles like mal or doch?
  • Very common and natural:
    • Drück mal bitte die Klingel, wenn du da bist. (casual, friendly)
    • Drück doch bitte die Klingel, wenn du da bist. (doch adds persuasive emphasis; tone depends on context/intonation)
  • Combining bitte with these particles keeps it polite.
Could I use other time conjunctions like sobald or bevor?
  • sobald (as soon as): Sobald du da bist, klingel bitte. Emphasizes immediacy.
  • bevor (before): Bevor du da bist, klingel nicht. Different meaning (don’t ring before you’re there).
  • Your original with wenn is the neutral, most common choice here.