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German Phrase

Bitte mach mein Zimmer heute nicht sauber.

/ˈbɪtə maːχ maɪ̯n ˈtsɪmɐ ˈhɔʏtə nɪçt ˈzaʊ̯bɐ/
Meaning"Please don’t clean my room today."
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Meaning

The speaker is politely asking someone not to clean their room today. It can imply that the speaker wants to keep the room as it is for a specific reason, such as needing the mess for a project or simply not wanting to disturb a current state.

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When to use

Use this sentence when you want to refuse a cleaning service, ask a roommate to leave the room untouched for the day, or when you need the mess to stay for a short‑term purpose. It’s more common in informal settings among friends or family.

✦Grammar Breakdown

BittemachmeinZimmerheutenichtsauber

1

Bitte (polite request)

‘Bitte’ is used to soften a request, even when the request is negative.

2

Imperative of ‘machen’

‘mach’ is the du‑imperative of ‘machen’; for formal you would say ‘machen Sie’.

3

Possessive ‘mein’

‘mein’ agrees with the noun ‘Zimmer’ in gender, number and case (accusative).

4

Negation with ‘nicht’

‘nicht’ negates the adjective ‘sauber’; it is placed directly before the adjective.

5

Adverbial ‘heute’

Time adverbs like ‘heute’ usually appear after the object but before the negation in this construction.

🗨In Conversation

A

Hey, soll ich heute dein Zimmer putzen?

Hey, should I clean your room today?

Bitte mach mein Zimmer heute nicht sauber.

Please don’t clean my room today.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Bitte mach nicht mein Zimmer heute sauber.

    Placing ‘nicht’ before the verb changes the meaning; it should stay before the adjective ‘sauber’.

  • Bitte mach mein Zimmer heute nicht sauber.

    Using the formal form with ‘Sie’ requires ‘machen Sie’, not ‘mach’.

  • Bitte mach mein Zimmer nicht sauber heute.

    Putting ‘heute’ at the very end can sound unnatural; it usually appears before the negation.

↔Alternatives

  • Bitte reinige heute nicht mein Zimmer.

    Please don’t clean my room today.

  • Lass das Zimmer heute bitte unberührt.

    Please leave the room untouched today.

  • Mach das Zimmer heute bitte nicht sauber.

    Don’t clean the room today, please.

de

Cultural Tip

In German a negative request with ‘Bitte’ sounds polite but can feel a bit abrupt. Native speakers often re‑phrase it positively, e.g., ‘Lass das Zimmer heute bitte unberührt.’ Also, remember that the informal imperative ‘mach’ is only appropriate with people you address as ‘du’; with strangers or superiors you would use the formal ‘machen Sie’.