German · Real conversations
How to say “Could you leave a message?” in German
Ask the caller to record or pass on a message.
Könntest du eine Nachricht hinterlassen?
Could you leave a message?
Say who the message is for when needed.
Use it in three situations
Taking a call
Könntest du eine Nachricht hinterlassen?
Could you leave a message?
Using voicemail
Möchten Sie Anna eine Nachricht hinterlassen?
Would you like to leave a message for Anna?
Passing on information
Könnten Sie Ihren Namen und Ihre Nummer hinterlassen?
Could you leave your name and number?
What to watch for
Leaving a message differs from sending the caller away without an answer.
Read the whole expression before replacing a detail. The natural wording may use a different order or construction from the English sentence.
Your turn
Imagine calls and messages. Say this in German: Would you like to leave a message for Anna?
Reveal a sample reply
Möchten Sie Anna eine Nachricht hinterlassen?
Would you like to leave a message for Anna?
Build a useful exchange
Handle a short call and confirm a message.
This expression in other languages
A note on speaking German
Use Sie for formal address and du with people you address informally. Könnten Sie …? is a useful polite request. Keep noun capitals and the verb position shown in each complete sentence.
The examples preserve German accents and ß. Read a full sentence before replacing a detail: a subordinate clause can move the verb to the end, and case can change an article or pronoun.
