Saying No Politely
Use these phrases to politely decline invitations or offers, explain your reasons simply, and suggest alternative plans in everyday German.
Key Phrases
Heute geht es bei mir leider nicht.
casualThat doesn't work for me today, unfortunately.
Very common and friendly phrase among friends or close acquaintances.
Danke, aber ich kann heute leider nicht kommen.
neutralThanks, but unfortunately I can't come today.
Standard polite refusal suitable for almost any daily setting.
Vielen Dank für die Einladung, aber ich schaffe das heute nicht.
politeThank you very much for the invitation, but I cannot manage it today.
More formal; ideal for colleagues, hosts, or professional invites.
Voll schade, ich möchte eigentlich total gern mitkommen!
casualSuch a pity, I'd actually really like to come along!
Expresses genuine enthusiasm before turning down the invite.
Das ist sehr nett, aber heute passt es mir leider gar nicht.
neutralThat is very kind, but today doesn't suit me at all, unfortunately.
Softens the refusal by thanking the other person first.
Ich bin total müde und muss mich heute ausruhen.
casualI'm totally tired and need to rest today.
A natural, honest reason to share with friends.
Ich kann nicht kommen, weil ich heute noch lange arbeiten muss.
neutralI can't come because I still have to work late today.
Notice that 'weil' sends the conjugated modal verb 'muss' to the end.
Hast du am Freitag Zeit? Da passt es mir viel besser.
casualDo you have time on Friday? That suits me much better.
Proactively offers a specific day to reschedule.
Können wir das Treffen vielleicht auf nächste Woche verschieben?
neutralCould we perhaps postpone the meeting to next week?
Standard polite phrasing for proposing a new date.
Lass uns das gerne ein anderes Mal machen!
casualLet's definitely do that another time!
Warm, informal sign-off that leaves the door open for future plans.
Vielleicht klappt es ja beim nächsten Mal.
neutralMaybe it will work out next time.
Friendly, optimistic closing phrase after saying no.