How do you say notice or let someone know (Bescheid) in German?

When you get a decision from an office, give someone a heads-up, or want to stay informed - Germans say it with Bescheid. It’s short, official-sounding, and surprisingly flexible.

The noun Bescheid means notice, decision, notification, or sometimes simply word (as in “let me know”). It’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German, especially in bureaucracy, scheduling, and daily conversation.

It’s a masculine noun, so we say der Bescheid.

Pronunciation

Bescheid is pronounced [buh-SHYTE], rhyming with “kite” - the final d sounds like a t.

• The “Be” is unstressed, like “buh,”
• And the “scheid” has a strong “sh” followed by a long “eye” sound.

It’s sharp and clear - exactly what you want from an official notice or a firm answer.

Example sentences:

• Ich habe noch keinen Bescheid vom Amt bekommen.I haven’t received a response from the office yet.
• Sag mir bitte Bescheid, wenn du fertig bist.Please let me know when you’re done.

Nuance and usage tips

Bescheid has two major uses:

1. Official decision or reply (especially from authorities or institutions)
   • Ablehnungsbescheid - rejection notice
   • Bewilligungsbescheid - approval notice
   • Bescheid vom Finanzamt - letter from the tax office
2. Informal heads-up or communication
   • Bescheid sagen - to let someone know
   • Danke fürs Bescheidgeben! - Thanks for letting me know!
   • Ich gebe dir später Bescheid. - I’ll let you know later.

It’s extremely common in workplace and administrative settings, but also friendly and useful in daily life.