German Phrase
Warte hier, wir helfen dir gleich.
Meaning
‘Wait here, we’ll help you shortly.’ The speaker asks the listener to stay in place while assistance is on the way. ‘Gleich’ conveys that the help will come almost immediately, making the request sound friendly and efficient.
When to use
Use this phrase in customer‑service situations, at a reception desk, in a shop, or any place where staff need to ask a person to wait briefly while they prepare assistance.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Wartehier,wirhelfendirgleich.
Imperative (Warte)
‘Warte’ is the singular informal imperative of the verb ‘warten’ (to wait).
Adverb of place (hier)
‘hier’ means ‘here’ and tells the listener where to wait.
Verb + dative (helfen + dir)
‘helfen’ always takes a dative object; therefore ‘dir’ (to you) is used, not ‘dich’.
Adverb of time (gleich)
‘gleich’ means ‘in a moment / right away’ and softens the request by promising quick help.
Subject‑verb agreement (wir helfen)
‘wir’ (we) is the subject, so the verb is conjugated in the present tense: ‘helfen’.
🗨In Conversation
Entschuldigung, ich finde das Produkt nicht.
Excuse me, I can’t find the product.
Warte hier, wir helfen dir gleich.
Wait here, we’ll help you shortly.
✕Common Mistakes
Warte hier, wir helfen dich gleich.
‘helfen’ requires the dative case; use ‘dir’, not the accusative ‘dich’.
Warte hier, wir helfen dir gleich.
When speaking formally, use the polite form ‘Warten Sie hier…’. The informal ‘Warte hier’ is only for friends or informal contexts.
Warte hier, wir helfen dir bald.
‘gleich’ means ‘right away’; using ‘bald’ changes the nuance to ‘later’. Choose the word that matches the intended speed.
↔Alternatives
Bitte warte hier, wir kommen gleich.
Please wait here, we’ll be right there.
Bleib hier, wir helfen dir gleich.
Stay here, we’ll help you in a moment.
Warte kurz, wir helfen dir gleich.
Wait a moment, we’ll help you right away.
Cultural Tip
German service staff often use short, direct imperatives combined with polite particles like ‘bitte’ or ‘gleich’ to sound efficient yet courteous. Remember that ‘helfen’ always takes a dative object, so ‘dir’ is correct, not ‘dich’. In southern Germany and Austria you might also hear ‘gleich’ replaced by ‘bald’ for a slightly less urgent tone.

