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German Phrase

Halt den Transport sauber.

/halt deːn ˈtʁanspɔʁt ˈzaʊbɐ/
Meaning"Keep the transport clean."
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Meaning

A direct request or command telling someone to keep the means of transport (e.g., a bus, train, or shared vehicle) clean and free of litter.

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When to use

You’ll see this phrase on signs inside public transport, in announcements by conductors, or when a fellow passenger politely reminds others to tidy up.

✦Grammar Breakdown

HaltdenTransportsauber.

1

Imperative (du) – Halt

‘Halt’ is the du‑imperative of the verb halten, used to give a direct command.

2

Accusative object – den Transport

‘Transport’ is masculine; the accusative article is ‘den’. The object follows the imperative verb.

3

Predicative adjective – sauber

‘sauber’ is used predicatively after the verb, describing the state the transport should be kept in.

4

Word order in imperatives

In a simple imperative the verb comes first, then the object, then any adverbial or predicative adjective.

🗨In Conversation

A

Halt den Transport sauber, bitte!

Please keep the transport clean!

Klar, ich werfe den Müll gleich in den Behälter.

Sure, I’ll throw the trash in the bin right away.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Halt der Transport sauber.

    The object of ‘halten’ is accusative, so the article must be ‘den’, not ‘der’.

  • Halt den Transport saubere.

    After ‘halten’ the adjective stays in its base form ‘sauber’, not the inflected ‘saubere’.

  • Halt Sie den Transport sauber.

    If you want the formal ‘Sie’ form, you must use ‘Halten Sie …’, not the du‑imperative ‘Halt’. Mixing forms sounds unnatural.

↔Alternatives

  • Bitte halte den Transport sauber.

    Please keep the transport clean.

  • Achten Sie darauf, dass der Transport sauber bleibt.

    Make sure the transport stays clean.

  • Sorge dafür, dass der Transport sauber ist.

    See to it that the transport is clean.

de

Cultural Tip

In German‑speaking countries cleanliness on public transport is taken seriously; many cities have fines for littering on buses and trains. Signs often use the short imperative form (e.g., ‘Halt den Transport sauber’) to convey a friendly but firm reminder. Using ‘Bitte’ softens the command and is common in polite requests.