The Bavarian phrase "Passt scho"

Hello! Can I ask what this means, I'm sure it's means "it's ok" and I have heard people say it to waiters/ waitresses when telling them to keep the change at a restaurant say, but I read somewhere it isn't so postitve, I said it to a waitress in a little country pub in Schwangau and she looked shocked but smiled so I am not sure whether I should be using it or not haha. Another thing, is there a standard German equivalent ( embarrassingly I've recently realised its Bavarian dialect not a new German word *hides face in jumper* ) would "es geht?" be the equivalent.

I'd be grateful if anyone could help, save me embrassing myself

thank you!!

Yup, "it's ok" or "that's fine". It's Bavarian dialect. "Es stimmt so" is an alternative.

For me "no worries" comes closest. But then that's dialect too...

In standard German perhaps "geht in Ordnung" in general, or in your specific case of telling a waiter/waitress to keep the change then "stimmt so".

Depending on the context. Essentially it is short for "(es) paßt schon". So in the context you mentioned, giving a tip, you could use that, or the above alternative. If someone asks you how you are, you could also say "paßt scho", but then the appropriate High German would be more like "es geht (so)".

There's nothing rude about it. The waitress probably looked at you strangely because other than that you presumably hadn't been speaking Bavarian, so it may just have seemed a little unfitting - but nothing untoward about it.

In a Bavarian Wirtschaft "passt scho" is accepted. I would not use it when paying cash in a fancy restaurant, should I ever be in that situation.
"Passt scho" is also used when there is a dispute about an unimportant theme in the meaning of "whatever". Or if someone knocks into you and apologizes, you can say "passt scho" instead of "nix passiert" or "macht nichts".

Passt scho can mean everything from as Jeeves says No worries to It'll do. It seperates Bavarians from the Prussians and drives them mad with its latin laissez fair undertones. It's up there with schau ma mal for me.

Recently, I bang opened my office door and found that my boss was standing close to that. I said "Entschuldigung", but he said "Passt (Paßt) scho". So,In this context, it meant something like "Nothing happened/Never Mind/No Problem" (as Sarabyrd mentioned).

Also, I have come across situations where people used it in different contexts.
Consider the following scenarios :

Me: Hows you doin' Steffi?
Steffi: Passt-cho(or Geht So). Nichts Besonderes.

Other Situation:

Me: Hows your health? or Hows your business doin'?
Jörg: Passt-cho(or Geht So)...

And sometimes it can be rude, depending on the situation. (For Ex: If someone pleasantly asks you if they do can do something for you and you say 'passt-cho'. So, they
kinda take it a contemptive way).

i would like to add that passt scho can also have a more positive meaning than 'es geht'. when asked how you are doing, passt scho can also mean that things are good.

Yeah, "Passt scho" in a sense of how you are doing is not negative. It means everything is ok (in the German sense okay).
Reminds me of a conversation I had with my boss at work (in Heidelberg). I don't remember the exact conversation but I replied "Passt scho'" and my boss was like, "This is the first time I have heard you say something in Bavarian!"

To the OP: in what context did you say it to the waitress?
When paying the bill? OK.
When she asked "schmeckt's?" or "alles in Ordnung?" maybe not so OK.

Imagine the same in English:
"How's the meal?"
"It's alright" (as in very average) or "it'll do".

wow I think thats the fastest reply I've ever had on any forum! Thank you, at least I can say it with pride now haha! I will probably end up over using it now though- along with Servus

Can I ask a slightly related question? I always hear how "Prussian" can't undertand the Bavarian dialect, for example I am led to believe taht saying Servus or Passt scho in Berlin would be greeted with a blank expression... but, why is this? I understand the different accents and dialects of the UK. Surely they'd just know it was Bavarian but would know it all the same ?

"To the OP: in what context did you say it to the waitress?
When paying the bill? OK.
When she asked "schmeckt's?" or "alles in Ordnung?" maybe not so OK.

Imagine the same in English:
"How's the meal?"
"It's alright" (as in very average) or "it'll do". "

I can't seem to do the quotey thing oops.

I gave her a 20 note to which she came back with the change but I wanted to leave that as tip so she went to hand back the coins and I said "passt scho" with a smile - is that ok?

It probably shocked her as I was muttering on in my welshie accent to a friend of mine who was with me, the change of language probably sounded odd haha!

That's akin to saying "thanks, but no thanks". So if you say it without further explanation, yes it is rather rude.

doris, some people might understand you. I mean, even Prussians do not live in the woods. Berlin should be cosmopolitan enough for people to understand other local dialects. Some people do struggle with the Bavarian dialect though, but then so do many Bavarians with other German dialects. A friend of mine here is from Vienna. I do understand pretty much everything she says, but sometimes she uses words I have never even heard of.
I think it is less the pronunciation, but idiomatic expressions that pose a problem, so "passt scho" might indeed not be understood by everyone, because that is something no one says in any other dialect with the meaning it carries in Bavaria.
I cannot imagine anyone would not understand "servus" though.

That's where your average Preiß would say "Kann mich nicht beklagen!" - the Bavarian just sounds nicer.

Nothing wrong with that at all as far as I'm concerned.


Yes, that was probably it. Foreigners jabbering on and then coming out with something in the local dialect. That'd certainly make me smile if it happened to me in Yorkshire. "Ta luv, keep t'change!"

If I was in that situation, I would have said "Bitte Schön", rather than 'Passt-cho'. I think the combination of 'Passt-cho' and your smile is a bit weird way of expressing what you meant. LOL. I have never seen someone saying 'Passt-cho' in an enthusiastic way. Its more of a phrase which expresses that things are just normal/ok.

I guess if you had said 'Passt-cho' without any smile on your face, it would have been rude stuff. Since you aint a local anyways, you got an excuse.

I always use "passt scho" in this context and never get weird looks. Or I am so used to weird looks that I don't recognize them as such.

My colleague in our Munich office says 'Passt-cho' when he approves the technical content of some communication we have jointly prepared...

It means/implies that its commonplace and nothing special.


Its used very often, but what I presume in that particular situation that OP has posted is that - the waitress came back with change and if he had said "passt-cho" with a serious face, it would sound a bit snobby (although its used by people in that context). I guess there's nothing serious, but its just not so friendly.

Just ask Matt - he must feel comfortable with it!

Isn't it passt scho bedtime?

yes I've got the quote thing!

hahaha I laughed out loud then at your comment!! I never even thought about bitte schoen dear dear, that should have been obvious, I'm getting into this bavarian thing a bit too much I think haha! So you'd say passt scho more like "don't worry about it" if someone treads on your toes and then appologies. So, ( sorry about the million questions...and this is open to anyone who'd care answer) if I was in a cafe or restaurant ( you see a pattern here lol I'm always eating out it seems) and they say, oh I don't know sya the dampfnudeln is off the menu, I coiuld say "past scho" then, or would that be like saying What-everrr LOL!!

hahahaha! I want one!