German Phrase
Danke, dass du gewartet hast.
Meaning
Literally ‘Thank you, that you have waited.’ It expresses gratitude to someone who has waited for you, whether in a personal or a service context.
When to use
Use this phrase after someone has waited for you – for example, when you arrive late to a meeting, after a customer has been on hold, or when a friend has waited for you at a café.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Danke,dassdugewartethast.
Danke as interjection
‘Danke’ is used as a standalone interjection meaning ‘thanks’; it can be followed by a comma when a clause explains the reason.
dass‑clause word order
In a ‘dass’ subordinate clause, the finite verb moves to the end, so ‘du hast gewartet’ becomes ‘du gewartet hast’.
Present perfect with haben
‘gewartet’ is the past participle of ‘warten’; together with ‘haben’ it forms the present perfect, used for actions completed in the recent past.
Pronoun du
‘du’ is the informal second‑person singular pronoun; use it with friends, family, or in informal service settings.
🗨In Conversation
Entschuldigung, dass ich zu spät bin. Danke, dass du gewartet hast.
Sorry I'm late. Thank you for waiting.
Kein Problem, ich habe noch etwas zu erledigen.
No problem, I still had something to do.
✕Common Mistakes
Danke, dass du hast gewartet.
In a ‘dass’ clause the finite verb must be at the very end, not before the participle.
Danke, dass du wartest.
‘wartest’ is present tense; the sentence refers to a completed action, so the present perfect is required.
Danke du hast gewartet.
The ‘dass’ clause is needed to link the gratitude with the reason; without it the sentence sounds abrupt.
↔Alternatives
Vielen Dank für deine Geduld.
Many thanks for your patience.
Danke für das Warten.
Thanks for waiting.
Ich danke dir, dass du gewartet hast.
I thank you for having waited.
Cultural Tip
In German‑speaking countries, acknowledging someone’s patience is considered very polite, especially in service situations. Using ‘Danke, dass du …’ sounds slightly more formal than a simple ‘Danke für …’, and it shows you recognize the specific action the other person performed. In southern Germany and Austria, you’ll also hear ‘Danke, dass Sie gewartet haben’ when speaking formally.