German · Pfand / Leergut
The bottle-return machine does not accept your bottle: what to say in German
The machine does not accept a bottle.
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How it's done. You return deposit bottles to the machine near the supermarket entrance; hand the slip to the cashier. Bottles without a deposit sign are not accepted.Prepared by the Movko team, November 2026. This is language help, not legal or medical advice: check the rules with the office itself.
Cheat sheet for your visit
The first phrase is open: tap ▶ to listen, or “Show” to show it to the other person. The rest of the dialogue is in the course in the app.
1
YOU START
Entschuldigung, der Automat nimmt die Flasche nicht an.
Aynt-SHOOL-dee-goong, dehr ow-toh-MAHT neemt dee FLAH-sheh neekht ahn.
Excuse me, the machine doesn't accept the bottle.
Or say:Entschuldigung, die Flasche geht nicht.
Aynt-SHOOL-dee-goong, dee FLAH-sheh get neekht.
THEY SAY
Moment, ich schaue mal. Hat die Flasche ein Pfandzeichen?Moh-MAYNT, eekh SHOW-eh mahl. Khaht dee FLAH-sheh ighn PFAHNT-tsigh-khayn?
One moment, let me look. Does the bottle have a deposit sign?
They might also say:
Zeigen Sie mal. Haben Sie die Flasche hier gekauft?
TSIGH-gayn zee mahl. KHAH-bayn zee dee FLAH-sheh kheer geh-KOWFT?
Let me see. Did you buy the bottle here?
2
YOU REPLY
Ich glaube nicht. Ich habe sie von Freunden bekommen.
Eekh GLOW-beh neekht. Eekh KHAH-beh zee fohn FROYN-dayn beh-KOH-mayn.
I don't think so. I got it from friends.
THEY SAY
Dann ist es eine Flasche ohne Pfand. Die können Sie in den Glascontainer werfen.Dahn eest es IGH-neh FLAH-sheh OH-neh pfahnt. Dee KYOH-nayn zee een dayn GLAHS-kohn-tay-nuh VEHR-fayn.
Then it is a bottle without deposit. You can put it in the glass container.
3
YOU FINISH
Ach so, danke für die Information!
Ahkh zoh, DAHN-keh fyoor dee een-for-muh-tsee-OHN!
I see, thanks for the information!
The course is in the app
This dialogue is part of the course “German for life in Germany”: 416 situations with audio, a pronunciation guide and spaced review.
On the website the first dialogue, the 112 category, the rescue phrases and the “Basics” are fully open.
Words worth knowing
Automat
ow-toh-MAHT
noun
machine
nimmt
neemt
verb
takes
Flasche
FLAH-sheh
noun
bottle
nicht
neekht
adverb
not
Moment
Moh-MAYNT
noun
moment
schaue
SHOW-eh
verb
I look
31 more words, with explanations, base forms and tap-a-word help, are in the app.
If you did not understand
Können Sie das bitte wiederholen?
KYOH-nayn zee dahs BEE-teh vee-dehr-KHOH-layn?
Can you repeat that, please?
Was bedeutet das?
Vahs beh-DOY-tet dahs?
What does this mean?
Similar situations
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