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German Phrase

Sag bitte bis Freitag Bescheid.

/zaːk ˈbɪtə bɪs ˈfʁaɪ̯taːk bəˈʃaɪ̯t/
Meaning"Please let me know by Friday."
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Meaning

A polite, informal request asking the listener to inform you of something no later than Friday. It is equivalent to ‘Please let me know by Friday.’

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When to use

Use this sentence in everyday conversation, emails, or messages when you need a response by a specific day. It works well in both personal and semi‑formal business contexts, as long as you address the person with ‘du’. For a formal setting, replace ‘Sag’ with ‘Sagen Sie’.

✦Grammar Breakdown

SagbittebisFreitagBescheid

1

Sag (imperative)

‘Sag’ is the du‑imperative of the verb ‘sagen’ (to say/tell). It is used for informal commands.

2

bitte (politeness particle)

‘Bitte’ softens the request and makes it polite; it can appear before or after the verb.

3

bis (temporal preposition)

‘Bis’ means ‘by’ when referring to a deadline. It is followed directly by a date or day without an article.

4

Freitag (proper noun)

‘Freitag’ is the name of the day ‘Friday’. Days of the week are capitalised in German.

5

Bescheid (noun)

‘Bescheid’ literally means ‘information/notice’. In the phrase ‘Bescheid geben/sagen’, it functions like ‘let (someone) know’.

🗨In Conversation

A

Sag bitte bis Freitag Bescheid, ob du am Wochenende kommen kannst.

Please let me know by Friday whether you can come over the weekend.

Klar, ich melde mich bis Mittwoch.

Sure, I’ll get back to you by Wednesday.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Sag bitte bis zum Freitag Bescheid.

    ‘Bis zum’ is used with a specific point in time (e.g., ‘bis zum 5. April’). With a day of the week you drop the article.

  • Sag mir bitte bis Freitag Bescheid.

    Adding ‘mir’ is not wrong, but it changes the structure to ‘Sag mir Bescheid’. The original idiom omits the indirect object.

  • Sag bitte bis Freitag Bescheides.

    ‘Bescheid’ is a masculine noun that does not take a genitive ending in this fixed expression.

↔Alternatives

  • Bitte gib mir bis Freitag Bescheid.

    Please give me notice by Friday.

  • Lass mich bitte bis Freitag wissen.

    Please let me know by Friday.

  • Informiere mich bitte bis Freitag.

    Inform me by Friday, please.

de

Cultural Tip

In German business and academic communication, setting a clear deadline is expected. The construction ‘bis + day’ (without an article) is idiomatic. ‘Sag Bescheid’ is informal; in a formal email you would say ‘Bitte geben Sie mir bis Freitag Bescheid.’ Also, Germans appreciate punctuality, so meeting the stated deadline reinforces reliability.