1000 common German phrases for real conversation
The gap between textbook German and real German is the short phrases that structure a conversation. This is that list — sorted by situation, with a note on when to use each.
You can have perfect grammar and still sound foreign. Real fluency isn't about accuracy — it's about naturalness. Germans punctuate conversation with short reactions, softeners, and transitions that textbooks rarely teach.
1028 phrases across 19 situations, from the two-word reactions that carry a conversation to the sentences you need at work, on the phone and when something goes wrong. Each one carries a note on when to use it where that is not obvious, and the idioms include their literal translations.
1,028 phrases
| German | English | When to use | Category | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ach so | Oh, I see | When something clicks — realization, understanding | Reactions & interjections | |
| Echt? | Really? / Seriously? | Single-word interjection — a complete reaction on its own, not shorthand for a longer phrase | Reactions & interjections | |
| Krass! | Wow! / Crazy! (positive or negative) | Very common among younger Germans — avoid in formal settings | Reactions & interjections | |
| Schade | Too bad / What a shame | Single-word exclamation — stands alone as a complete reaction, no multi-word form is more natural | Reactions & interjections | |
| Genau | Exactly / Precisely | Agreement — but don't say it after every sentence, it sounds sycophantic | Reactions & interjections | |
| Stimmt | True / That's right | Single-word confirmation used alone as a complete reaction | Reactions & interjections | |
| Toll! | Great! / Fantastic! | Single-word exclamation of enthusiasm — a complete utterance on its own | Reactions & interjections | |
| Prima | Excellent / Splendid | Slightly formal — common in older German, but not archaic | Reactions & interjections | |
| Quatsch! | Nonsense! / No way! | Single-word exclamation dismissing something as nonsense — complete on its own | Reactions & interjections | |
| Na klar | Of course / Sure | Reactions & interjections | ||
| Sicher | Sure / Certainly | Single-word confirmation used alone as a complete reaction | Reactions & interjections | |
| Das ist ja unglaublich! | That is unbelievable! | Reactions & interjections | ||
| Das klingt toll! | That sounds great! | The standard warm answer to somebody's plan or news | Reactions & interjections | |
| Das hat mir sehr gefallen | I really liked that | Reactions & interjections | ||
| Oh nein! | Oh no! | Reactions & interjections | ||
| Ach du meine Güte | Oh my goodness | Mild, slightly old-fashioned surprise or concern — softer than "Oh mein Gott" | Reactions & interjections | |
| Das gibt es doch nicht! | I do not believe it! | Disbelief at something annoying or astonishing; "doch" carries the outrage | Reactions & interjections | |
| Das ist ja der Hammer! | That is incredible! / That is outrageous! | Colloquial — can be admiring or outraged, tone decides which | Reactions & interjections | |
| Das ist nicht dein Ernst! | You cannot be serious! | du form; "Das ist nicht Ihr Ernst!" in the Sie version | Reactions & interjections | |
| Wie schön! | How lovely! | Reactions & interjections | ||
| Oje | Oh dear | Small sympathy for a small misfortune | Reactions & interjections | |
| Puh | Phew | A one-word breath of relief or exhaustion — no multi-word form exists | Reactions & interjections | |
| Wahnsinn! | Incredible! | Literally "madness" — used positively far more often than negatively | Reactions & interjections | |
| Verstehe | I see / Got it | The subject "ich" is dropped — normal in speech and in chat, but write "Ich verstehe" in formal prose | Reactions & interjections | |
| Kein Wunder | No wonder | Reactions & interjections | ||
| Das wundert mich nicht | That does not surprise me | Reactions & interjections | ||
| Das freut mich | I am glad to hear that | Reactions & interjections | ||
| Zum Glück! | Luckily! / Thank goodness! | Reactions & interjections | ||
| Gott sei Dank | Thank God | Everyday and not religious — Germans who never go to church say it too | Reactions & interjections | |
| Was für ein Pech | What rotten luck | Reactions & interjections | ||
| So ein Mist! | Damn it! | Mild swearing — acceptable among friends and colleagues, not with a stranger | Reactions & interjections | |
| Verdammt! | Damn! | Stronger than "Mist" and genuinely rude in a formal setting | Reactions & interjections | |
| Boah! | Whoa! | Youth and casual speech — very common, but it marks you as informal | Reactions & interjections | |
| Na so was! | Well, how about that! | Reactions & interjections | ||
| Das darf doch nicht wahr sein! | This cannot be happening! | Frustration, usually at a delay or a mistake | Reactions & interjections | |
| Nicht schlecht! | Not bad! | Reactions & interjections | ||
| Na endlich! | About time! | Reactions & interjections | ||
| Wie ärgerlich! | How annoying! | Reactions & interjections | ||
| Wie peinlich! | How embarrassing! | Reactions & interjections | ||
| Da bin ich platt | Well, I am gobsmacked | Colloquial; the context decides whether the astonishment is at good news or bad | Reactions & interjections | |
| Hoppla | Oops | Single-word interjection said the moment something slips or bumps — a complete reaction on its own | Reactions & interjections | |
| Herzlichen Glückwunsch! | Congratulations! | Reactions & interjections | ||
| Gute Besserung! | Get well soon! | Reactions & interjections | ||
| Viel Erfolg! | Good luck! | Leans towards things that take effort — an exam, a presentation; "Viel Glück" leans towards what is down to chance | Reactions & interjections | |
| Sag bloß! | You do not say! | Can be genuine surprise or dry sarcasm; the tone decides | Reactions & interjections | |
| Echt jetzt? | Seriously? | Colloquial — annoyed or incredulous, a shade stronger than a plain "Echt?" | Reactions & interjections | |
| Im Ernst? | Are you serious? | Asks whether someone really means it — the tone decides whether it is delighted or dismayed | Reactions & interjections | |
| Klasse! | Brilliant! | A one-word exclamation of delight, complete on its own | Reactions & interjections | |
| Mega! | Awesome! | Youth and casual speech — very common, but it marks you as informal | Reactions & interjections | |
| Das tut mir leid für dich | I am sorry to hear that | Sympathy for someone else's bad news; "Es tut mir leid" on its own is the apology | Reactions & interjections | |
| Um Gottes willen! | For heaven's sake! | Alarm or dismay rather than anger | Reactions & interjections | |
| Das ist ja furchtbar! | That is just awful! | The particle "ja" carries the dismay | Reactions & interjections | |
| Ich fasse es nicht! | I cannot believe it! | Colloquial astonishment, usually at something that has gone wrong | Reactions & interjections | |
| Ach was! | Oh, come on! | Waves away what someone just said — playful disbelief or a modest brush-off | Reactions & interjections | |
| Oh Mann! | Oh man! | Colloquial — exasperation or mild dismay | Reactions & interjections | |
| Wie geht's? | How's it going? | Small talk | ||
| Es geht | It's OK (lukewarm) | Honest but non-committal answer — "fine-ish" | Small talk | |
| Was läuft? | What's up? | Casual — use with friends, not strangers | Small talk | |
| Alles klar | All good / Got it / Understood | Small talk | ||
| Wie war dein Tag? | How was your day? | Small talk | ||
| Was machst du so? | What are you up to? / What do you do? | Can mean either "what are you doing?" or "what do you do for work?" depending on context | Small talk | |
| Lange nicht gesehen | Long time no see | Small talk | ||
| Schön, dich zu sehen | Nice to see you | Small talk | ||
| Grüße an... | Say hi to... / Give my regards to... | Small talk | ||
| Viel Spaß! | Have fun! / Enjoy! | Small talk | ||
| Hast du Geschwister? | Do you have brothers or sisters? | Small talk | ||
| Was machst du gern in deiner Freizeit? | What do you like doing in your free time? | Small talk | ||
| Wovon träumst du? | What do you dream about? | Personal — about ambitions or dreams, so it fits a conversation that has already got personal, not a first exchange | Small talk | |
| Wofür interessierst du dich? | What are you interested in? | Small talk | ||
| Freut mich! | Nice to meet you! | The short answer when you are introduced; "Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen" is the full formal version | Small talk | |
| Ich interessiere mich für... | I am interested in... | Takes the accusative after "für" — the frame is fixed, only the topic changes | Small talk | |
| Wie habt ihr euch kennengelernt? | How did you two meet? / How do you all know each other? | Addressed to two or more people ("ihr"), not to one person | Small talk | |
| Was gibt's Neues? | What is new? | Small talk | ||
| Und sonst so? | And how are things otherwise? | Casual — reopens a conversation that has run dry | Small talk | |
| Alles gut bei dir? | Everything all right with you? | du form; "Alles gut bei Ihnen?" in the Sie version | Small talk | |
| Wie läuft's? | How is it going? | Informal; the apostrophe stands for the swallowed "es" | Small talk | |
| Wie war dein Wochenende? | How was your weekend? | The default Monday-morning opener in a German office | Small talk | |
| Was hast du am Wochenende vor? | What are you doing this weekend? | Separable verb "vorhaben" — "vor" goes to the end | Small talk | |
| Wohnst du schon lange hier? | Have you lived here long? | German uses the present tense for something still going on, where English uses "have lived" | Small talk | |
| Wo kommst du ursprünglich her? | Where are you originally from? | Careful — asked of someone who lives in Germany it can land as "you are not from here" | Small talk | |
| Gefällt es dir hier? | Do you like it here? | Small talk | ||
| Arbeitest du oder studierst du? | Do you work or are you a student? | "studieren" means at a university specifically, not studying in general | Small talk | |
| Was machst du beruflich? | What do you do for a living? | Small talk | ||
| Wie lange kennt ihr euch schon? | How long have you known each other? | Small talk | ||
| Ich muss dann mal los | I should get going | The polite way to end a conversation; "dann mal" softens the exit | Small talk | |
| Wir sehen uns! | See you around! | Small talk | ||
| Melde dich mal! | Get in touch sometime! | du form, warm — friends say it at a goodbye and often mean it | Small talk | |
| Schön, dich kennenzulernen | Nice to meet you | du form; "Schön, Sie kennenzulernen" for the Sie version | Small talk | |
| Wie geht es deiner Familie? | How is your family? | Small talk | ||
| Hast du Haustiere? | Do you have any pets? | Small talk | ||
| Darf ich mich vorstellen? | May I introduce myself? | Small talk | ||
| Kennen wir uns nicht? | Have we met before? | Small talk | ||
| Das ist ja ein Zufall! | What a coincidence! | Small talk | ||
| Wie klein die Welt ist! | What a small world! | Small talk | ||
| Bist du zum ersten Mal hier? | Is this your first time here? | Small talk | ||
| Hast du gut hergefunden? | Did you find your way here all right? | What a German host asks a guest at the door | Small talk | |
| Setz dich doch | Do have a seat | du form; the particle "doch" turns it from an order into a warm invitation | Small talk | |
| Bedien dich! | Help yourself! | du form, with food or drink already on the table | Small talk | |
| Wir müssen mal wieder was zusammen machen | We should do something together again sometime | Small talk | ||
| Es hat mich gefreut | It was nice meeting you | The parting twin of "Freut mich!" — said at the end of a first meeting | Small talk | |
| Na, alles fit? | Hey, all good? | Casual greeting in passing; "fit" here just means doing OK, not physically fit | Small talk | |
| Stressig heute? | Busy day today? | A quick sympathetic opener when someone looks rushed | Small talk | |
| Bis bald! | See you soon! | Small talk | ||
| Mach's gut! | Take care! | du form; a warm, everyday goodbye | Small talk | |
| Grüß die Familie von mir! | Say hi to your family from me! | du form; a warm closer | Small talk | |
| Wie gefällt dir die neue Stadt? | How do you like the new city? | du form | Small talk | |
| Warst du im Urlaub? | Have you been away on holiday? | Small talk | ||
| Alles beim Alten? | Same as ever? | Casual — asks whether anything has changed since you last spoke | Small talk | |
| Ich lass dich mal in Ruhe | I will let you get on | A polite way to wind up a chat and let someone return to what they were doing | Small talk | |
| Kommst du gut durch die Woche? | Are you getting through the week all right? | Small talk | ||
| Und, wie läuft's auf der Arbeit? | So how are things at work? | Asks how work is going, where "Was machst du beruflich?" asks what the job is | Small talk | |
| Macht nichts | Doesn't matter / No worries | Acknowledgments | ||
| Keine Ahnung | No idea / I have no clue | Acknowledgments | ||
| Hoffentlich | Hopefully / I hope so | Single-word sentence adverb used alone as a complete reply | Acknowledgments | |
| Bestimmt | Definitely / Certainly | Single-word sentence adverb used alone as a complete reply | Acknowledgments | |
| Vielleicht | Maybe / Perhaps | Single-word sentence adverb used alone as a complete reply | Acknowledgments | |
| Auf jeden Fall | Definitely / In any case | Acknowledgments | ||
| Stimmt nicht | That's not right / That's wrong | Acknowledgments | ||
| Verstanden | Understood | A one-word confirmation used alone; the full "Ich habe verstanden" is a heavier, more deliberate sentence | Acknowledgments | |
| Geht klar | Will do / Sure thing | Colloquial and friendly — very common, but not for a formal reply | Acknowledgments | |
| Wird gemacht | Consider it done | Passive with no subject — what staff say when they take your order | Acknowledgments | |
| Ist notiert | Noted | Acknowledgments | ||
| Klingt gut | Sounds good | Acknowledgments | ||
| Passt | That works / Fine | Extremely common short acceptance; "Passt schon" adds a shrug to it | Acknowledgments | |
| Das ist gut zu wissen | That is good to know | Acknowledgments | ||
| Das weiß ich noch nicht | I do not know that yet | Acknowledgments | ||
| Mal sehen | We will see | Non-committal — depending on tone it means maybe, we will see, or a soft no | Acknowledgments | |
| Kann ich mir vorstellen | I can imagine | Short for "Das kann ich mir vorstellen" — the object "das" at the front is dropped, which is normal in speech | Acknowledgments | |
| Das habe ich mir gedacht | I thought as much | Acknowledgments | ||
| Da fragst du mich was | You have got me there | Colloquial admission that you do not know; spoken "was" is short for "etwas" | Acknowledgments | |
| Keine Sorge | Do not worry | Acknowledgments | ||
| Halb so wild | It is not a big deal | Waves off an apology; literally "half as wild" | Acknowledgments | |
| Nicht der Rede wert | Do not mention it / It was nothing | The reply to a thank-you or an apology, not a comment on how important something is | Acknowledgments | |
| Schon gut | It is fine / Never mind | Ends an apology or an argument — can sound slightly impatient | Acknowledgments | |
| Vergiss es | Forget it | du imperative; sharp, so tone decides whether it is friendly or dismissive | Acknowledgments | |
| Da kann man nichts machen | There is nothing to be done about it | Acknowledgments | ||
| Ich habe es nicht vergessen | I have not forgotten | Acknowledgments | ||
| Das mache ich gleich | I will do that right away | Acknowledgments | ||
| Ich sage dir Bescheid | I will let you know | Acknowledgments | ||
| Danke für die Info | Thanks for letting me know | Acknowledgments | ||
| Ist angekommen | Got it | Confirms a message or a file arrived; short for "Es ist angekommen", with the subject "es" dropped | Acknowledgments | |
| Das ist mir neu | That is news to me | Acknowledgments | ||
| Wusste ich nicht | I did not know that | Short for "Das wusste ich nicht" — the object "das" at the front is dropped | Acknowledgments | |
| So machen wir das | That is how we will do it | Acknowledgments | ||
| Ich weiß Bescheid | I am up to speed | Says you have already been briefed — no need to explain again | Acknowledgments | |
| Aha | Oh, I see / Right | A back-channel that signals you are following along | Acknowledgments | |
| Ich verstehe, was du meinst | I see what you mean | du form; "was Sie meinen" in the Sie version | Acknowledgments | |
| Ist gut | Okay / Fine | Colloquial acceptance; short for "Das ist gut", with the subject "das" dropped | Acknowledgments | |
| Mache ich | Will do | Short for "Das mache ich" — the object "das" at the front is dropped | Acknowledgments | |
| Erledige ich | On it / I will get it done | Short for "Das erledige ich" — the object "das" is dropped | Acknowledgments | |
| Ich behalte es im Hinterkopf | I will keep it in mind | Acknowledgments | ||
| Habe ich erhalten | Received | Brisk confirmation of receipt in a work message — "erhalten" is the written verb, but dropping the fronted "das" keeps it short; a formal reply spells it out: "Ich habe es erhalten" | Acknowledgments | |
| Zur Kenntnis genommen | Noted / Duly noted | Formal — short for "Ich habe es zur Kenntnis genommen" | Acknowledgments | |
| Ich nehme das mit | I will take that away with me | Says you are carrying a point out of the meeting to relay or act on later | Acknowledgments | |
| Ich schreibe es mir auf | I will write it down | Acknowledgments | ||
| Passt schon | It is fine / No worries | Colloquial — waves off a small problem or an apology; adds a shrug to plain "Passt" | Acknowledgments | |
| Ich kann nichts versprechen | I cannot promise anything | Acknowledges a request without committing to it | Acknowledgments | |
| Kein Ding | No problem / Sure | Colloquial — casually accepts a request or waves off thanks | Acknowledgments | |
| Ich behalte das im Auge | I will keep an eye on it | Says you will keep watching or monitoring it | Acknowledgments | |
| Gut, dann mache ich das so | Right, I will do it that way then | Acknowledgments | ||
| Ich denke darüber nach | I will think about it | Acknowledges without committing — buys time to decide | Acknowledgments | |
| Das kriege ich hin | I will sort that out | Colloquial — confident you can manage or fix it | Acknowledgments | |
| Ich setze mich gleich dran | I will get on it right away | Colloquial — says you will start on it straightaway | Acknowledgments | |
| Ich habe es gesehen | I have seen it | Confirms you have seen or read it, not just that it arrived | Acknowledgments | |
| Meiner Meinung nach... | In my opinion... | Opinion softeners | ||
| Ich finde... | I think / I find... | Opinion softeners | ||
| Ich glaube schon | I think so / I believe so | Opinion softeners | ||
| Könnte sein | Could be / Possibly | Opinion softeners | ||
| Das kommt darauf an | It depends | Opinion softeners | ||
| Wenn du mich fragst... | If you ask me... | Opinion softeners | ||
| An deiner Stelle würde ich... | If I were you, I would... | du form; "An Ihrer Stelle" in the Sie version | Opinion softeners | |
| Ich würde dir empfehlen... | I would recommend that you... | Opinion softeners | ||
| Hast du schon mal daran gedacht...? | Have you ever thought about...? | A suggestion disguised as a question — softer than telling someone what to do | Opinion softeners | |
| Was hältst du davon? | What do you think of that? | du form; "Was halten Sie davon?" in the Sie version | Opinion softeners | |
| Das ist nicht so mein Ding | That is not really my thing | Colloquial and very useful — declines without insulting anyone | Opinion softeners | |
| Ich frage mich, ob... | I wonder whether... | Opinion softeners | ||
| Ich bin mir nicht sicher, aber... | I am not sure, but... | Opinion softeners | ||
| Soweit ich weiß | As far as I know | Opinion softeners | ||
| Ich habe den Eindruck, dass... | I get the impression that... | The verb goes to the end of the dass-clause | Opinion softeners | |
| Aus meiner Sicht | From my point of view | Opinion softeners | ||
| Ich sehe das so | I see it that way | Opinion softeners | ||
| Ich bin mir ziemlich sicher | I am pretty sure | Opinion softeners | ||
| Vielleicht irre ich mich | Maybe I am wrong | Opinion softeners | ||
| Da bin ich unentschlossen | I am undecided on that | Opinion softeners | ||
| Das ist nur meine Meinung | That is just my opinion | Opinion softeners | ||
| Ich will mich nicht festlegen | I do not want to commit either way | Opinion softeners | ||
| Es hängt davon ab, ob... | It depends on whether... | Opinion softeners | ||
| Ich halte das für keine gute Idee | I do not think that is a good idea | "halten für" is the everyday German for "consider something to be" | Opinion softeners | |
| Ich halte nicht viel davon | I do not think much of it | Opinion softeners | ||
| Ich bin da zwiegespalten | I am torn about that | Opinion softeners | ||
| Ich würde eher sagen... | I would rather say... | Opinion softeners | ||
| Ich tendiere eher zu... | I am leaning more towards... | Opinion softeners | ||
| Was spricht dagegen? | What is the argument against it? | Opinion softeners | ||
| Was ist deine Meinung dazu? | What is your view on it? | du form; "Ihre Meinung" in the Sie version | Opinion softeners | |
| Ich sehe das kritisch | I have my doubts about that | Opinion softeners | ||
| Das kann ich nicht beurteilen | I am not in a position to judge that | Opinion softeners | ||
| Ich lasse mich gern überzeugen | I am open to being persuaded | Opinion softeners | ||
| Ich sehe Vor- und Nachteile | I can see pros and cons | Opinion softeners | ||
| Das muss jeder selbst entscheiden | That is for each person to decide | Opinion softeners | ||
| Ich würde es anders machen | I would do it differently | Opinion softeners | ||
| Das ist Geschmackssache | That is a matter of taste | For preferences; when it is a matter of opinion the word is "Ansichtssache" | Opinion softeners | |
| Ich sehe das nicht so eng | I do not take it that seriously | Colloquial — says you are relaxed about a rule or a detail | Opinion softeners | |
| Ich bin der Ansicht, dass... | I take the view that... | Opinion softeners | ||
| Ich würde sagen... | I would say... | Opinion softeners | ||
| Ich denke schon, dass... | I do think that... | The particle "schon" concedes a little ground, softening the claim | Opinion softeners | |
| Ich neige dazu, zu glauben, dass... | I am inclined to believe that... | Opinion softeners | ||
| Wie siehst du das? | How do you see it? | du form; "Wie sehen Sie das?" in the Sie version | Opinion softeners | |
| Ich finde eigentlich... | Actually, I think... | The particle "eigentlich" softens the opinion and can hint at a mild "but" | Opinion softeners | |
| Ich vermute mal, dass... | I would guess that... | The particle "mal" makes it a casual guess rather than a firm claim | Opinion softeners | |
| So wie ich das sehe... | The way I see it... | Opinion softeners | ||
| Man könnte sagen, dass... | You could say that... | Opinion softeners | ||
| Für mich sieht es so aus, als ob... | To me it looks as though... | Opinion softeners | ||
| Ich könnte mir vorstellen, dass... | I could imagine that... | Opinion softeners | ||
| Da habe ich keine feste Meinung | I do not have a firm opinion on that | Opinion softeners | ||
| Wie stehst du dazu? | Where do you stand on it? | du form; "Wie stehen Sie dazu?" in the Sie version | Opinion softeners | |
| Das ist schwer zu sagen | That is hard to say | Opinion softeners | ||
| Meines Erachtens... | In my view... | Formal register — more at home in writing than in casual speech | Opinion softeners | |
| Das ist mir Wurst | I don't care | Literal: "That's sausage to me" | Common idioms | |
| Die Daumen drücken | Fingers crossed | Literal: "To press thumbs" — Germans press thumbs, not cross fingers | Common idioms | |
| Tomaten auf den Augen haben | To be oblivious / not see what's obvious | Literal: "To have tomatoes on your eyes" | Common idioms | |
| Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof | It's all Greek to me | Literal: "I only understand train station" | Common idioms | |
| Da liegt der Hund begraben | That's the crux of it / That's the real problem | Literal: "That's where the dog is buried" | Common idioms | |
| Schwein haben | To be lucky | Literal: "To have pig" | Common idioms | |
| Die Nase voll haben | To be fed up | Literal: "To have a full nose" | Common idioms | |
| Auf dem Schlauch stehen | To draw a blank / be confused | Literal: "To stand on the hose" | Common idioms | |
| Einen Kater haben | To have a hangover | Literal: "To have a tomcat" | Common idioms | |
| Ins Fettnäpfchen treten | To put your foot in it / make a faux pas | Literal: "To step in the grease bowl" | Common idioms | |
| Um den heißen Brei reden | To beat around the bush | Literal: "To talk around the hot porridge" | Common idioms | |
| Null Bock haben | To not be in the mood / not feel like it | Informal/youth language — "Ich hab null Bock" means "I can't be bothered" | Common idioms | |
| Das ist nicht mein Bier | Not my problem / Not my business | Literal: "That's not my beer" | Common idioms | |
| Jetzt reicht's! | That's enough! / I've had it! | Common idioms | ||
| Jetzt nicht, Hansi! | Not now! / Give me a break! | Playful version of telling someone to back off — mainly southern Germany | Common idioms | |
| Alles in Butter | Everything is fine | Folksy and slightly old-fashioned — warm, but it is not the neutral way to say things are fine | Common idioms | |
| Die Kirche im Dorf lassen | To not get carried away / keep it in proportion | Literal: "To leave the church in the village" | Common idioms | |
| Da steppt der Bär | That is where the party is | Playful and a bit dated — Germans use it half-jokingly, not as a neutral description | Common idioms | |
| Ich glaube, mein Schwein pfeift | I cannot believe what I am seeing | Colloquial astonishment, and deliberately folksy — funny rather than neutral. Avoid in formal settings | Common idioms | |
| Das ist nur ein Katzensprung | It is only a stone's throw away | Literal: "That is a cat jump" | Common idioms | |
| Aus einer Mücke einen Elefanten machen | To make a mountain out of a molehill | Literal: "To make an elephant out of a mosquito" | Common idioms | |
| Den Nagel auf den Kopf treffen | To hit the nail on the head | Literal: the same picture as the English — one of the few that match | Common idioms | |
| Das Blaue vom Himmel versprechen | To promise the moon | Literal: "To promise the blue from the sky" | Common idioms | |
| Sich zum Affen machen | To make a fool of yourself | Literal: "To make yourself into a monkey" | Common idioms | |
| Da haben wir den Salat | Now we are in a mess | Folksy and resigned — said with an I-told-you-so shrug | Common idioms | |
| Butter bei die Fische | Get to the point / out with it | Northern German, and deliberately ungrammatical ("bei die" instead of "bei den") — do not correct it | Common idioms | |
| Unter vier Augen | In private, just the two of us | Literal: "Under four eyes" | Common idioms | |
| Auf dem Holzweg sein | To be barking up the wrong tree | Literal: "To be on the wooden path" | Common idioms | |
| Die Katze im Sack kaufen | To buy something sight unseen | Literal: "To buy the cat in the sack" | Common idioms | |
| Einen Zahn zulegen | To get a move on / speed up | Literal: "To add a tooth" — from the notched bar that set the height of a cooking pot | Common idioms | |
| Das ist Jacke wie Hose | It makes no difference either way | Literal: "That is jacket like trousers" | Common idioms | |
| Eine lange Leitung haben | To be slow on the uptake | Literal: "To have a long cable" | Common idioms | |
| Es ist mir schnuppe | I could not care less | A more colloquial twin of "Das ist mir Wurst" — the same shrug, a different picture | Common idioms | |
| Den Faden verlieren | To lose your train of thought | Literal: "To lose the thread" | Common idioms | |
| Auf Wolke sieben schweben | To be on cloud nine | Literal: "To float on cloud seven" — the same picture as English "on cloud nine", with a different number. The numbers are not a rule, just these two idioms | Common idioms | |
| Das kommt mir spanisch vor | That seems fishy to me | Common idioms | ||
| Das ist ein Klacks | That is a piece of cake | Colloquial — plays down how easy a task is | Common idioms | |
| Hals- und Beinbruch! | Break a leg! | Said before an exam, a performance or anything nerve-racking | Common idioms | |
| Ich drücke ein Auge zu | I will turn a blind eye | Common idioms | ||
| Das steht in den Sternen | That is anyone's guess | Common idioms | ||
| Er ist auf Zack | He is on the ball | Colloquial and approving — quick, alert, gets things done | Common idioms | |
| Das ist mir über den Kopf gewachsen | It has got on top of me | Common idioms | ||
| Das ist kalter Kaffee | That is old news | Common idioms | ||
| Etwas auf die lange Bank schieben | To keep putting something off | Common idioms | ||
| Das Handtuch werfen | To throw in the towel | Common idioms | ||
| Über den Tellerrand schauen | To look beyond your own field / To think outside the box | Common in work talk — thinking past your own department or field | Common idioms | |
| Das ist nicht das Gelbe vom Ei | It is not exactly ideal | Common idioms | ||
| Da ist der Wurm drin | There is something wrong with it | For a plan, a device or a project that keeps going wrong | Common idioms | |
| Zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe schlagen | To kill two birds with one stone | Literal: "To hit two flies with one swat" | Common idioms | |
| Den Kopf in den Sand stecken | To bury your head in the sand | Literal: the same picture as the English | Common idioms | |
| Jemandem auf den Keks gehen | To get on someone's nerves | Colloquial | Common idioms | |
| Jemanden auf die Palme bringen | To drive someone up the wall | Literal: "To bring someone up the palm tree" | Common idioms | |
| Das Kind mit dem Bade ausschütten | To throw the baby out with the bathwater | Literal: the same picture as the English | Common idioms | |
| Jemandem reinen Wein einschenken | To be straight with someone | Literal: "To pour someone pure wine" | Common idioms | |
| Halt die Ohren steif! | Hang in there! | A warm way to say goodbye to someone facing something hard | Common idioms | |
| Zwei linke Hände haben | To be all thumbs | Literal: "To have two left hands" | Common idioms | |
| Jemanden um den kleinen Finger wickeln | To wrap someone around your little finger | Literal: the same picture as the English — "kleinen Finger" is the little finger | Common idioms | |
| Sich ins Zeug legen | To really put your back into it | Colloquial and approving — throwing yourself into a task | Common idioms | |
| Na ja... | Well... / I mean... | Hesitation or mild resignation | Conversational filler | |
| Weißt du... | You know... | Conversational filler | ||
| Und so weiter | And so on / et cetera | Conversational filler | ||
| Wie gesagt | As I said / As I mentioned | Conversational filler | ||
| Unter uns gesagt | Between you and me / Just between us | Conversational filler | ||
| Mal ehrlich | Honestly / To be frank | Conversational filler | ||
| Ehrlich gesagt | To be honest / Frankly speaking | Conversational filler | ||
| So was | Something like that | Conversational filler | ||
| Tja | Well... (resigned, accepting) | Acknowledges a difficult or ironic situation — somewhere between "well" and "what can you do" | Conversational filler | |
| Na? | Well? / So? (prompt for a response) | Used to prompt someone — "Na, wie war's?" = "So, how was it?" | Conversational filler | |
| Also | So... / Well... | The single most common German sentence-opener; it does not mean "also" | Conversational filler | |
| Ähm | Um... / Er... | The German hesitation sound — worth learning because "um" marks you as English-speaking | Conversational filler | |
| Ich meine | I mean | Conversational filler | ||
| Sagen wir mal so | Let us put it this way | Conversational filler | ||
| Wie soll ich sagen | How should I put it | Conversational filler | ||
| Irgendwie | Somehow / kind of | A one-word hedge used alone as a complete answer, as well as inside a sentence | Conversational filler | |
| Genau genommen | Strictly speaking | Conversational filler | ||
| Im Endeffekt | At the end of the day | Conversational filler | ||
| Mehr oder weniger | More or less | Conversational filler | ||
| Das ist halt so | That is just how it is | "halt" is a particle with no translation — it adds a shrug. Very common in southern Germany and Austria | Conversational filler | |
| Eben | Exactly / precisely that | Agrees with what was just said, often with a note of "and that is my point" | Conversational filler | |
| Was weiß ich | How should I know / who knows | Said with a shrug — dismissive, so tone matters | Conversational filler | |
| Wie auch immer | Anyway / whatever | Conversational filler | ||
| Nicht wahr? | Is that not so? | Correct but slightly bookish — in everyday speech Germans tag on "oder?" or "ne?" instead | Conversational filler | |
| Quasi | Sort of | A very common spoken hedge; overusing it is a standing joke in German | Conversational filler | |
| Also gut | All right then | Marks that you are giving in or moving on; the bare "Also" just opens a thought | Conversational filler | |
| Verstehst du? | You know what I mean? | du form; checks the listener is still with you | Conversational filler | |
| Wenn du so willst | If you want to put it that way | Conversational filler | ||
| Ist ja auch egal | Anyway, it does not matter | Waves a side point away and gets back to the main one | Conversational filler | |
| Wo war ich? | Where was I? | Said after losing the thread mid-story | Conversational filler | |
| Jedenfalls | Anyway | Picks the main point back up after a digression | Conversational filler | |
| So gesehen | Looked at that way | Conversational filler | ||
| Das Ding ist... | The thing is... | Colloquial opener for the real problem — a continuation follows | Conversational filler | |
| Wie dem auch sei | Be that as it may | A step more formal than "Wie auch immer"; at home in writing and in careful speech | Conversational filler | |
| Moment mal | Hang on a second | Buys a beat to think, or flags that you want to object to what was just said | Conversational filler | |
| Lass mich überlegen | Let me think | du form; to a group "Lasst mich überlegen" | Conversational filler | |
| Sag mal,... | Say,... / Tell me,... | du form; to a group "Sagt mal". A casual way to open a question | Conversational filler | |
| Hör mal,... | Listen,... | du form; to a group "Hört mal". Calls the listener's attention before a point | Conversational filler | |
| Pass auf,... | Look,... / Now listen,... | du form; to a group "Passt auf". Flags that something important follows | Conversational filler | |
| Weißt du was? | You know what? | Opens an idea or a decision you have just landed on, before you say it | Conversational filler | |
| oder so | or something like that | Tacked on to leave a figure or detail approximate | Conversational filler | |
| oder? | right? / isn't it? | Tag added to the end of a statement to check the listener agrees | Conversational filler | |
| ne? | right? / no? | The casual spoken cousin of "oder?" — more common in the north and in relaxed speech | Conversational filler | |
| so ungefähr | roughly / something like that | Conversational filler | ||
| gewissermaßen | in a way / to a certain extent | A touch more formal than "quasi" or "sozusagen" | Conversational filler | |
| im Prinzip | in principle / basically | Signals the general case, often before naming an exception | Conversational filler | |
| Dingsbums | thingamajig / whatsit | Colloquial placeholder for a thing whose name you cannot recall; "Dings" is the shorter variant | Conversational filler | |
| Wie heißt das noch mal? | What is it called again? | Said while groping for a word or name | Conversational filler | |
| und so | and stuff like that | Colloquial; a clipped, more casual cousin of "und so weiter" | Conversational filler | |
| Übrigens | By the way | Single-word sentence adverb that opens a clause on its own | Transitions in speech | |
| Außerdem | Besides / Furthermore / Also | Single-word sentence adverb that opens a clause on its own | Transitions in speech | |
| Sonst | Otherwise / Else / Apart from that | Single-word sentence adverb that opens a clause on its own | Transitions in speech | |
| Trotzdem | Nevertheless / Still / Anyway | Single-word sentence adverb that opens a clause on its own | Transitions in speech | |
| Einerseits... andererseits... | On one hand... on the other hand... | Transitions in speech | ||
| Zum einen... zum anderen... | For one thing... for another... | Transitions in speech | ||
| Sozusagen | So to speak / As it were | Single-word sentence adverb used parenthetically on its own | Transitions in speech | |
| Beziehungsweise (bzw.) | Respectively / Or rather / That is to say | Very common in written German, less so in speech | Transitions in speech | |
| Im Großen und Ganzen | On the whole / By and large | Transitions in speech | ||
| Was mich betrifft | As far as I'm concerned / For my part | Transitions in speech | ||
| Das erinnert mich an... | That reminds me of... | Transitions in speech | ||
| Kommen wir zurück zum Thema | Let us get back to the topic | Transitions in speech | ||
| Ganz zu schweigen von... | Not to mention... | Transitions in speech | ||
| Wo wir gerade davon sprechen | While we are on the subject | Transitions in speech | ||
| Das heißt | That is to say / meaning | Often shortened to "d. h." in writing | Transitions in speech | |
| Anders gesagt | Put another way | Transitions in speech | ||
| Zum Beispiel | For example | Written "z. B." — with a space between the letters in careful German | Transitions in speech | |
| Vor allem | Above all / especially | Transitions in speech | ||
| Zum Schluss | Finally / to close | Transitions in speech | ||
| Alles in allem | All in all | A shorter, more spoken twin of "Im Großen und Ganzen" | Transitions in speech | |
| Deshalb | That is why / therefore | The verb comes straight after it: "Deshalb bleibe ich zu Hause" | Transitions in speech | |
| Erstens... zweitens... | Firstly... secondly... | Transitions in speech | ||
| Nebenbei bemerkt | Incidentally | More formal than "Übrigens" — fits writing better than chat | Transitions in speech | |
| Kurz gesagt | In short | Transitions in speech | ||
| Was ich sagen wollte | What I wanted to say | Picks up a thought you were interrupted in — not a correction of your own wording | Transitions in speech | |
| Zunächst einmal | First of all | Transitions in speech | ||
| Darüber hinaus | What is more | More formal than "Außerdem" — common in writing and in a prepared talk | Transitions in speech | |
| Im Gegensatz dazu | By contrast | Transitions in speech | ||
| Das führt mich zu... | That brings me to... | Transitions in speech | ||
| Um darauf zurückzukommen... | To come back to that... | Transitions in speech | ||
| Abgesehen davon | Apart from that | It can set the previous point aside or add a further consideration — the context decides which | Transitions in speech | |
| Wie bereits erwähnt | As already mentioned | The written twin of the spoken "Wie gesagt" | Transitions in speech | |
| Und zwar... | And specifically... | Announces the detail that follows; English has no single word for it, so it often disappears in translation | Transitions in speech | |
| Nicht nur das... | Not only that... | Leads into a further, often stronger point that follows | Transitions in speech | |
| Hinzu kommt, dass... | On top of that... | Adds a further point; the "dass" sends the verb to the end of the clause that follows | Transitions in speech | |
| Aus diesem Grund | For this reason | Transitions in speech | ||
| Folglich | Consequently | A step more formal than "Deshalb" — at home in writing and careful speech | Transitions in speech | |
| Dementsprechend | Accordingly | A one-word sentence adverb that opens a clause on its own and forces verb-second order | Transitions in speech | |
| Infolgedessen | As a result | Formal; more at home in writing than in everyday speech | Transitions in speech | |
| Genauer gesagt | More precisely | Sharpens what you just said to something more exact | Transitions in speech | |
| Im Grunde genommen | Basically / When it comes down to it | Transitions in speech | ||
| Um ein Beispiel zu nennen... | To give an example... | Transitions in speech | ||
| Zusammenfassend gesagt | To sum up | Transitions in speech | ||
| Um es auf den Punkt zu bringen... | To put it in a nutshell... | Transitions in speech | ||
| Letzten Endes | When all is said and done | Transitions in speech | ||
| Um das Ganze abzurunden... | To round things off... | Transitions in speech | ||
| So viel dazu | So much for that | Closes off a topic; tone decides whether it sounds neutral or dismissive | Transitions in speech | |
| Apropos | Speaking of which | Often followed straight by the new topic — "Apropos Urlaub..." | Transitions in speech | |
| Bevor ich es vergesse... | Before I forget... | Transitions in speech | ||
| Ich komme gleich darauf zurück | I will come back to that in a moment | Transitions in speech | ||
| Wenn ich kurz einhaken darf... | If I could just jump in for a second... | A polite way to break into a conversation; "einhaken" is to interject | Transitions in speech | |
| Das sehe ich anders | I see it differently | The standard polite disagreement — direct without being rude | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Das finde ich eine gute Idee! | I think that is a good idea! | Agreeing & disagreeing | ||
| Da hast du recht | You are right there | du form — with friends, family, colleagues you are on first-name terms with | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Da haben Sie recht | You are right there | Sie form — the same sentence for strangers, officials, customers | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Da bin ich ganz bei dir | I am completely with you on that | Warm, informal du agreement — very common in spoken German | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Sehe ich genauso | I see it exactly the same way | Short for "Das sehe ich genauso" — the object "das" is dropped, which is normal in speech and informal writing | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Dem kann ich nur zustimmen | I can only agree with that | A notch more formal — fits meetings and written replies | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| So ist es | That is exactly how it is | Agreeing & disagreeing | ||
| Da ist was dran | There is something to that | Half-agreement — you concede the point without fully signing up to it | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Das stimmt schon, aber... | That is true, but... | The standard way to disagree without a fight — agree first, then object | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Im Prinzip ja | In principle, yes | Signals a "but" is coming | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Jein | Yes and no | A real German word, ja + nein fused — the honest answer when neither fits | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Da bin ich mir nicht so sicher | I am not so sure about that | Agreeing & disagreeing | ||
| Das würde ich so nicht sagen | I would not put it that way | Softest full disagreement — you reject the wording, not the person | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Da muss ich widersprechen | I have to disagree there | Clear and firm — fine in a meeting, a bit heavy among friends | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Ich bin ganz deiner Meinung | I completely agree with you | du form | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Ich bin ganz Ihrer Meinung | I completely agree with you | Sie form — the polite twin of the line above | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Einverstanden | Agreed / Fine by me | Closes a negotiation — "deal" | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Ich bin dagegen | I am against it | Agreeing & disagreeing | ||
| Ich bin dafür | I am in favour of it | Agreeing & disagreeing | ||
| Da gehe ich mit | I am on board with that | Colloquial, common in work talk | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Das kann man so sehen | You could see it that way | Usually polite distance rather than agreement — but it can be cautious agreement too; tone decides | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Kann sein, aber... | Maybe, but... | Agreeing & disagreeing | ||
| Das ist Ansichtssache | That is a matter of opinion | Agreeing & disagreeing | ||
| Nicht unbedingt | Not necessarily | Agreeing & disagreeing | ||
| Auf keinen Fall | No way / Absolutely not | Agreeing & disagreeing | ||
| Das glaube ich nicht | I do not believe that | Agreeing & disagreeing | ||
| Da täuschst du dich | You are mistaken there | du form, and blunt — fine with friends, sharp with a colleague | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Wie du meinst | If you say so / Suit yourself | Ends the argument by giving up on it — mildly dismissive, not neutral | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Meinetwegen | Fine by me / If you insist | Reluctant agreement — you are allowing it, not endorsing it | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Von mir aus | Fine by me / I do not mind | Neutral-to-indifferent agreement, more relaxed than "Meinetwegen" | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Ich stimme dir zu | I agree with you | du form — slightly bookish in casual chat, normal at work | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Ich stimme Ihnen zu | I agree with you | Sie form | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Das leuchtet mir ein | That makes sense to me | Agreeing & disagreeing | ||
| Da hast du nicht ganz unrecht | You are not entirely wrong there | Grudging agreement through a double negative — very German | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Genau meine Rede! | Exactly what I have been saying | Colloquial — avoid in formal settings | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Damit kann ich leben | I can live with that | Accepting a compromise you did not want | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Das finde ich nicht | I do not think so | Agreeing & disagreeing | ||
| Ich bin da skeptisch | I am sceptical about that | Agreeing & disagreeing | ||
| Da bin ich anderer Meinung | I take a different view there | Agreeing & disagreeing | ||
| Ich sehe da kein Problem | I do not see a problem with that | Agreeing & disagreeing | ||
| Das überzeugt mich nicht | That does not convince me | Agreeing & disagreeing | ||
| Da hast du was falsch verstanden | You have misunderstood something there | du form; "was" here is spoken short for "etwas" | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Ich sehe das ähnlich | I see it much the same way | Agreeing & disagreeing | ||
| Da sind wir uns einig | We agree on that | Agreeing & disagreeing | ||
| Da gehen die Meinungen auseinander | Opinions differ on that | Agreeing & disagreeing | ||
| Absolut! | Absolutely! | Single-word agreement used alone as a complete reply, not an abbreviation of a longer phrase | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Wir sind uns nicht einig | We do not agree on this | Agreeing & disagreeing | ||
| Da lässt sich drüber streiten | That is debatable | Spoken form — "drüber" is the everyday contraction of "darüber" | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Ich gebe dir recht | You are right about that | Agrees with one specific point; mid-argument it can read as conceding ground, but it is not grudging in itself | Agreeing & disagreeing | |
| Einigen wir uns darauf | Let us settle on that | Agreeing & disagreeing | ||
| Ich bleibe bei meiner Meinung | I am sticking to my view | Agreeing & disagreeing | ||
| Können Sie mir bitte weiterhelfen? | Could you help me with this, please? | Sie form; "weiterhelfen" means help me get further, not just help — the normal phrase at a counter or hotline | Asking for help | |
| Kann ich Ihnen helfen? | Can I help you? | Sie form — offering, not asking; what staff say to you | Asking for help | |
| Soll ich dir helfen? | Do you want me to help? | du form — offering help to a friend | Asking for help | |
| Kannst du mir kurz helfen? | Can you give me a hand for a second? | "kurz" is the politeness — it promises you will not take long | Asking for help | |
| Hättest du mal kurz Zeit? | Do you have a minute? | du form; the Konjunktiv "hättest" is what makes it a request rather than a demand | Asking for help | |
| Haben Sie kurz Zeit für mich? | Do you have a moment for me? | Sie form | Asking for help | |
| Darf ich Sie kurz stören? | May I bother you for a moment? | Standard office opener — heard as a courtesy, not as a real apology | Asking for help | |
| Ich hätte eine Frage | I have a question | The Konjunktiv "hätte" is not hypothetical here, just polite — "Ich habe eine Frage" is blunter | Asking for help | |
| Ich habe da ein Problem | I have a problem here | Asking for help | ||
| Ich komme hier nicht weiter | I am stuck | Asking for help | ||
| Ich weiß nicht mehr weiter | I am at my wits' end | Stronger than being stuck — signals real distress, not a small hitch | Asking for help | |
| Könntest du mir einen Gefallen tun? | Could you do me a favour? | du form | Asking for help | |
| Könnten Sie mir einen Gefallen tun? | Could you do me a favour? | Sie form | Asking for help | |
| Könntest du das für mich übernehmen? | Could you take that on for me? | Asking for help | ||
| Ich bräuchte deine Hilfe | I could use your help | The Konjunktiv "bräuchte" softens the ask; the plain "Ich brauche deine Hilfe" is more direct | Asking for help | |
| Ich schaffe das nicht allein | I cannot manage this on my own | Asking for help | ||
| Wie funktioniert das? | How does this work? | Asking for help | ||
| Kannst du mir das erklären? | Can you explain that to me? | du form | Asking for help | |
| Können Sie mir das genauer erklären? | Could you explain that in more detail? | Sie form; "genauer" asks for more, not for a repeat | Asking for help | |
| Wo finde ich...? | Where do I find...? | Asking for help | ||
| An wen kann ich mich wenden? | Who should I turn to? | The phrase for offices and authorities — asks to be pointed at the right person | Asking for help | |
| Wer ist dafür zuständig? | Who is responsible for that? | Asking for help | ||
| Das ist mir noch nicht klar | That is not clear to me yet | "noch nicht" keeps the door open — you are still following, just not there | Asking for help | |
| Könntest du mir das noch mal zeigen? | Could you show me that once more? | Asking for help | ||
| Zeig mir mal, wie das geht | Show me how that works | du imperative, casual — for anyone you are on du terms with; too direct in a Sie relationship | Asking for help | |
| Ich bin auf deine Hilfe angewiesen | I am relying on your help | Heavy — says you have no alternative, so keep it for when that is true | Asking for help | |
| Kannst du da mal draufschauen? | Can you take a look at it? | Colloquial and very common at work; avoid in writing to a stranger | Asking for help | |
| Hast du eine Idee? | Do you have an idea? / Any suggestions? | Asking for help | ||
| Was würdest du machen? | What would you do? | Asking for help | ||
| Ich brauche kurz deinen Rat | I need a quick word of advice | "kurz" promises the request will be short — it does not say the advice is temporary | Asking for help | |
| Könnten Sie mir das bitte zeigen? | Could you show me that, please? | Sie form | Asking for help | |
| Ich komme damit nicht klar | I cannot deal with this | Colloquial and a little emotional — not a neutral status report | Asking for help | |
| Das schaffe ich nicht rechtzeitig | I will not get this done in time | Asking for help | ||
| Kannst du mir das abnehmen? | Can you take that off my hands? | Asking for help | ||
| Ich wäre dir sehr dankbar, wenn... | I would be really grateful if... | du form; swap "dir" for "Ihnen" in the Sie version. It needs the wenn-clause — on its own it is an unfinished request | Asking for help | |
| Wenn es dir nichts ausmacht | If you do not mind | du form — normally tacked onto a request rather than said on its own | Asking for help | |
| Nur wenn es dir passt | Only if it suits you | Asking for help | ||
| Frag ruhig! | Go ahead and ask! | "ruhig" here does not mean quietly — it means feel free, no need to hesitate | Asking for help | |
| Sag Bescheid, wenn du was brauchst | Let me know if you need anything | Spoken "was" is short for "etwas"; write "etwas" in an email | Asking for help | |
| Ich kümmere mich darum | I will take care of it | The helper's reply, not the request — what you say after someone has asked you for help | Asking for help | |
| Ich habe eine Bitte an dich | I have a favour to ask you | Asking for help | ||
| Darf ich dich was fragen? | Can I ask you something? | Casual du form; "was" is the spoken short form of "etwas" | Asking for help | |
| Ich habe eine dumme Frage | This might be a silly question | A set softener before a basic question — it is not really an apology | Asking for help | |
| Wo muss ich mich melden? | Where do I need to check in? | At a reception desk, an office or an appointment | Asking for help | |
| Was soll ich jetzt machen? | What should I do now? | Asking for help | ||
| Kannst du mir einen Tipp geben? | Can you give me a tip? | Asking for help | ||
| Lass mich das machen | Let me do that | du form; offers to take the job off someone | Asking for help | |
| Ich mache das für dich | I will do that for you | Asking for help | ||
| Ich schaffe das schon | I will manage | Turns help down without shutting the person out — the particle "schon" carries the confidence | Asking for help | |
| Nein danke, ich komme klar | No thanks, I am fine | Asking for help | ||
| Was kann ich für Sie tun? | What can I do for you? | Sie form — how a company answers the phone | Phone & email | |
| Wie ist Ihre Telefonnummer? | What is your phone number? | Phone & email | ||
| Können Sie Ihren Nachnamen buchstabieren? | Could you spell your surname? | You will be asked this a lot if your name is not German | Phone & email | |
| Könnten Sie das bitte prüfen? | Could you check that, please? | Phone & email | ||
| Für Rückfragen stehe ich Ihnen gerne zur Verfügung | I am happy to answer any further questions | Formal email closer — standard in business writing, out of place in a text message | Phone & email | |
| Leider muss ich Ihnen mitteilen, dass... | I regret to inform you that... | The formal bad-news opener — a rejection or a cancellation follows | Phone & email | |
| Ich möchte meine Mitgliedschaft kündigen | I would like to cancel my membership | German contracts are cancelled in writing — this is the sentence you send | Phone & email | |
| Bitte bestätigen Sie meine Kündigung | Please confirm my cancellation | Worth adding when you cancel in writing — the confirmation is your proof the contract ended | Phone & email | |
| Haben Sie die Bestellnummer zur Hand? | Do you have the order number handy? | Phone & email | ||
| Hallo, hier spricht... | Hello, this is... speaking | Germans name themselves first when they call — the caller identifies, then explains | Phone & email | |
| Worum geht es denn? | What is it regarding? | What a receptionist asks before putting you through | Phone & email | |
| Einen Moment, ich verbinde Sie | One moment, I will put you through | Phone & email | ||
| Er ist gerade nicht am Platz | He is not at his desk right now | Office standard; swap "Er" for "Sie" as needed | Phone & email | |
| Kann ich etwas ausrichten? | Can I take a message? | Phone & email | ||
| Möchten Sie eine Nachricht hinterlassen? | Would you like to leave a message? | Phone & email | ||
| Ich rufe später noch mal an | I will call back later | Phone & email | ||
| Können Sie mich zurückrufen? | Could you call me back? | Phone & email | ||
| Ich habe Sie leider nicht verstanden | Sorry, I did not catch that | Phone & email | ||
| Die Verbindung ist schlecht | The line is bad | Phone & email | ||
| Ich höre Sie kaum | I can barely hear you | Phone & email | ||
| Können Sie lauter sprechen? | Could you speak up? | Phone & email | ||
| Bleiben Sie bitte dran | Please hold | "dranbleiben" is the phone verb — it does not mean stay on topic here | Phone & email | |
| Danke für den Rückruf | Thanks for calling back | Phone & email | ||
| Ich melde mich | I will be in touch | Deliberately vague about when — that vagueness is the point | Phone & email | |
| Ich melde mich morgen bei dir | I will get in touch with you tomorrow | du form; "bei Ihnen" in the Sie version | Phone & email | |
| Sorry, ich bin gerade unterwegs | Sorry, I am out at the moment | Colloquial — "Sorry" really is normal spoken German now, but write "Entschuldigung" in an email | Phone & email | |
| Passt es gerade? | Is now a good time? | Phone & email | ||
| Ich rufe wegen... an | I am calling about... | Separable verb — "an" jumps to the end, so the reason sits in the middle | Phone & email | |
| Wir haben telefoniert | We spoke on the phone | A plain factual sentence pointing back to a call, not a set email formula — in writing Germans soften it to "Wir hatten ja telefoniert". It does NOT mean "as agreed"; that is "Wie telefonisch besprochen" | Phone & email | |
| Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren | Dear Sir or Madam | Formal email opener when you do not know the name; a comma follows and the next line starts lower-case | Phone & email | |
| Mit freundlichen Grüßen | Yours sincerely | The formal sign-off. No comma after it in German | Phone & email | |
| Viele Grüße | Best wishes | The safe middle sign-off — fine for colleagues and most business email | Phone & email | |
| Liebe Grüße | Warm regards / Best wishes | Informal — friends, family and colleagues you know well. Too familiar for a landlord, an office or a formal business mail | Phone & email | |
| Vielen Dank im Voraus | Thanks in advance | Phone & email | ||
| Anbei finden Sie... | Please find attached... | Phone & email | ||
| Ich hänge die Datei an | I am attaching the file | The plain spoken version of "anbei" | Phone & email | |
| Ich melde mich, sobald ich mehr weiß | I will get back to you as soon as I know more | Phone & email | ||
| Entschuldigen Sie die späte Antwort | Sorry for the late reply | Phone & email | ||
| Ich komme auf Ihre E-Mail zurück | I am following up on your email | Phone & email | ||
| Wie besprochen | As discussed | Email shorthand that refers back to a call or meeting | Phone & email | |
| Können Sie mir das per Mail schicken? | Could you send me that by email? | Germans say "Mail" far more often than "E-Mail" in speech | Phone & email | |
| Ich habe Ihre E-Mail erhalten | I have received your email | Phone & email | ||
| Ich habe deine Nachricht bekommen | I got your message | du form, spoken; "bekommen" is the everyday word, "erhalten" the written one | Phone & email | |
| Schreib mir einfach | Just message me | du imperative, casual | Phone & email | |
| Ich habe dich nicht erreicht | I could not get hold of you | Phone & email | ||
| Ich halte dich auf dem Laufenden | I will keep you posted | Phone & email | ||
| Ich leite es weiter | I will forward it | Phone & email | ||
| Ich setze dich in Kopie | I will copy you in | Office German — "in Kopie setzen" is what German uses where English says cc | Phone & email | |
| Ich kann gerade nicht sprechen | I cannot talk right now | Phone & email | ||
| Bitte antworten Sie bis Freitag | Please reply by Friday | Phone & email | ||
| Hast du meine Mail bekommen? | Did you get my email? | Phone & email | ||
| Ich habe hier keinen Empfang | I have no signal here | Phone & email | ||
| Entschuldigung, falsch verbunden | Sorry, wrong number | Said by the caller after reaching the wrong number; the person answering says "Da sind Sie falsch verbunden" | Phone & email | |
| Können Sie mich hören? | Can you hear me? | Sie form, on the phone or a call; the du twin is "Kannst du mich hören?" | Phone & email | |
| Ich rufe Sie gleich zurück | I will call you right back | Sie form; "gleich" means in a moment, so this promises soon, not later | Phone & email | |
| Wann sind Sie erreichbar? | When can I reach you? | Sie form; "erreichbar" is being reachable by phone | Phone & email | |
| Ist die E-Mail angekommen? | Did the email arrive? | Checks that a message got through; "ankommen" is the verb for something arriving | Phone & email | |
| Ich habe eine neue Handynummer | I have a new mobile number | "Handy" is German for a mobile phone, unrelated to English "handy" | Phone & email | |
| Ich schicke es Ihnen gleich per Mail | I will email it to you shortly | Sie form; "per Mail" is the everyday way to say by email | Phone & email | |
| Melden Sie sich einfach | Just get in touch | Sie imperative; the du twin is "Melde dich einfach" | Phone & email | |
| Ich schlage vor, dass wir... | I suggest that we... | Work & meetings | ||
| Können wir uns nächste Woche kurz treffen? | Could we meet briefly next week? | Work & meetings | ||
| Könnten Sie uns bitte Bescheid geben? | Could you let us know, please? | "Bescheid geben" is the everyday German for "let know" — learn it as one unit | Work & meetings | |
| Hiermit bewerbe ich mich um die Stelle als... | I am hereby applying for the position of... | The traditional cover-letter opener. Correct, but it now reads dated and school-formulaic — current applications open with "Ich bewerbe mich um die Stelle als..." or "Mit großem Interesse bewerbe ich mich um..." | Work & meetings | |
| Wann kann ich mit einer Antwort rechnen? | When can I expect to hear back? | Work & meetings | ||
| Was erwarten Sie von uns? | What do you expect from us? | Work & meetings | ||
| Fangen wir an | Let us get started | Work & meetings | ||
| Lass uns anfangen | Let us start | du form, addressed to ONE person. For a group it is "Lasst uns anfangen", or the neutral "Fangen wir an" | Work & meetings | |
| Ich fasse kurz zusammen | Let me quickly summarise | Work & meetings | ||
| Darf ich kurz etwas ergänzen? | May I add something briefly? | The polite way to interrupt in a German meeting — asking first is expected | Work & meetings | |
| Ich hätte da eine Anmerkung | I have a comment on that | Work & meetings | ||
| Kommen wir zum nächsten Punkt | Let us move on to the next point | Work & meetings | ||
| Das können wir später klären | We can sort that out later | Work & meetings | ||
| Das führt jetzt zu weit | That is taking us too far off topic | Work & meetings | ||
| Wer übernimmt das? | Who is taking that on? | Work & meetings | ||
| Ich übernehme das | I will take that on | Work & meetings | ||
| Bis wann brauchst du das? | By when do you need it? | du form; "bis wann" asks for a deadline, "wann" would ask for a moment | Work & meetings | |
| Bis wann brauchen Sie das? | By when do you need it? | Sie form | Work & meetings | |
| Ich schaffe das bis Ende der Woche | I will get it done by the end of the week | Work & meetings | ||
| Das steht auf meiner Liste | That is on my list | Work & meetings | ||
| Ich bin gerade im Homeoffice | I am working from home right now | "Homeoffice" is the normal German word for this — it is not English in German ears | Work & meetings | |
| Ich bin heute im Büro | I am in the office today | Work & meetings | ||
| Ich habe gleich einen Termin | I have an appointment coming up | "gleich" means in a few minutes, not immediately | Work & meetings | |
| Ich muss leider los | Sorry, I have to get going | Work & meetings | ||
| Können wir das verschieben? | Could we move that to another time? | Work & meetings | ||
| Passt es dir am Vormittag? | Does the morning work for you? | du form; "Vormittag" is roughly 9 to 12, not the whole morning | Work & meetings | |
| Ich schicke dir eine Einladung | I will send you a calendar invite | Work & meetings | ||
| Hörst du mich? | Can you hear me? | Video calls — the plain present is the usual form; "Kannst du mich hören?" is natural too | Work & meetings | |
| Ich glaube, dein Mikro ist aus | I think you are on mute | Work & meetings | ||
| Kannst du deinen Bildschirm teilen? | Can you share your screen? | Work & meetings | ||
| Ich habe eine kurze Frage dazu | I have a quick question about that | Work & meetings | ||
| Das hat für mich Priorität | That is a priority for me | Work & meetings | ||
| Wie ist der Stand? | Where do things stand? | Work & meetings | ||
| Da bin ich noch dran | I am still on it | Colloquial — fine in a team chat, too casual for a client email | Work & meetings | |
| Das ist erledigt | That is done | Work & meetings | ||
| Ich brauche noch etwas Zeit | I need a bit more time | Work & meetings | ||
| Können wir das kurz besprechen? | Could we talk that through briefly? | Work & meetings | ||
| Ich frage im Team nach | I will check with the team | Work & meetings | ||
| Vielen Dank für Ihre Zeit | Thank you for your time | Sie form — how you close an interview or a client call | Work & meetings | |
| Ich freue mich auf die Zusammenarbeit | I look forward to working together | Work & meetings | ||
| Ich bringe Erfahrung in dem Bereich mit | I bring experience in that area | Interview phrasing; "mitbringen" is the verb German uses for what you bring to a job | Work & meetings | |
| Was sind Ihre Stärken? | What are your strengths? | Work & meetings | ||
| Warum wollen Sie zu uns? | Why do you want to join us? | Work & meetings | ||
| Ich passe gut ins Team | I am a good fit for the team | Work & meetings | ||
| Ich kündige zum Monatsende | I am resigning effective at the end of the month | Work & meetings | ||
| Ich bin nächste Woche im Urlaub | I am on holiday next week | Work & meetings | ||
| Ich habe heute frei | I have the day off today | Work & meetings | ||
| Ich melde mich krank | I am calling in sick | Work & meetings | ||
| Ich bin krankgeschrieben | I am signed off sick | Means a doctor has certified it — German employers ask for the "Krankschreibung" | Work & meetings | |
| Wer macht das Protokoll? | Who is taking the minutes? | Work & meetings | ||
| Lass uns das kurz halten | Let us keep this short | du form, addressed to ONE person. For a group it is "Lasst uns das kurz halten", or the neutral "Halten wir das kurz" | Work & meetings | |
| Wir sind über der Zeit | We are over time | Work & meetings | ||
| Gibt es noch Fragen? | Any more questions? | Work & meetings | ||
| Damit wären wir durch | That covers everything | Closes the agenda at the end of a meeting | Work & meetings | |
| Ich mache jetzt Feierabend | I am calling it a day | "Feierabend" is the end of the working day — a noun English has no single word for | Work & meetings | |
| Ich schicke die Unterlagen nach | I will send the documents afterwards | "nachschicken" is to send something on later — here the papers follow after the meeting | Work & meetings | |
| Lass uns das offline besprechen | Let us take this offline | du form, addressed to ONE person; for a group it is "Lasst uns das offline besprechen". Borrowed office jargon ("take this offline"), at home in corporate meetings — outside them say "Das besprechen wir separat" | Work & meetings | |
| Da bin ich überfragt | That is beyond me / I could not tell you | A relaxed way to admit you do not know the answer, without sounding unprepared | Work & meetings | |
| Können wir einen Folgetermin machen? | Could we set up a follow-up? | "Folgetermin" is the follow-up meeting — one word for what English needs two for | Work & meetings | |
| Das müssen wir noch abstimmen | We still need to coordinate that | "etwas abstimmen" here is to agree the details between people; the same verb also means to vote | Work & meetings | |
| Ich stelle mich kurz vor | Let me quickly introduce myself | Meeting opener when some people there have not met you; "sich vorstellen" is the reflexive verb for introducing yourself | Work & meetings | |
| Wer fehlt noch? | Who is still missing? | Asked at the start while waiting for people to join a meeting | Work & meetings | |
| Treffen wir uns morgen Nachmittag? | Shall we meet tomorrow afternoon? | Appointments & time | ||
| Wann passt es dir? | When works for you? | du form; the Sie twin is "Wann passt es Ihnen?" | Appointments & time | |
| Wann passt es Ihnen? | When would suit you? | Sie form, for people you do not address by first name | Appointments & time | |
| Ich möchte einen Termin vereinbaren | I would like to make an appointment | The set phrase on the phone to a doctor's surgery, an office or a hairdresser | Appointments & time | |
| Haben Sie am Montag noch etwas frei? | Do you have anything free on Monday? | Appointments & time | ||
| Geht es auch früher? | Could we make it earlier? | Appointments & time | ||
| Geht es auch später? | Could we make it later? | Appointments & time | ||
| Wann hast du Zeit? | When are you free? | Appointments & time | ||
| Diese Woche wird bei mir schwierig | This week is tight for me | Appointments & time | ||
| Nächste Woche sieht besser aus | Next week looks better | Appointments & time | ||
| Ich muss noch mal in den Kalender schauen | I need to check my calendar first | Appointments & time | ||
| Ich habe an dem Tag schon etwas vor | I already have something on that day | Appointments & time | ||
| Da kann ich leider nicht | I am afraid I cannot make that | The everyday soft refusal of a proposed time; a reason usually follows | Appointments & time | |
| Da bin ich schon verplant | I am already booked up then | Casual — "verplant" is more colloquial than "Ich habe schon einen Termin" | Appointments & time | |
| Passt dir Dienstag um drei? | Does Tuesday at three work for you? | Appointments & time | ||
| Sagen wir um acht? | Shall we say eight? | Appointments & time | ||
| Um wie viel Uhr? | At what time? | Appointments & time | ||
| Wann genau? | When exactly? | Appointments & time | ||
| Wo treffen wir uns? | Where shall we meet? | Appointments & time | ||
| Ich bin pünktlich da | I will be there on time | Appointments & time | ||
| Ich bin gleich da | I will be there in a minute | "gleich" means very soon rather than this second — a few minutes is normal | Appointments & time | |
| Ich mache mich jetzt auf den Weg | I am setting off now | Appointments & time | ||
| Ich verspäte mich um zehn Minuten | I am going to be ten minutes late | Appointments & time | ||
| Es wird bei mir etwas später | I am going to be a bit late | Vaguer than naming the delay — useful when you do not know how late you will be | Appointments & time | |
| Warte kurz, ich bin fast da | Hang on, I am almost there | Appointments & time | ||
| Wir sind zu früh | We are too early | Appointments & time | ||
| Wir haben noch Zeit | We still have time | Appointments & time | ||
| Die Zeit wird knapp | We are running short of time | Appointments & time | ||
| Das dauert nicht lange | It will not take long | Appointments & time | ||
| Das dauert höchstens eine halbe Stunde | It will take half an hour at most | Appointments & time | ||
| Ich habe nur zehn Minuten | I only have ten minutes | Appointments & time | ||
| Ich muss den Termin leider absagen | I am afraid I have to cancel the appointment | Appointments & time | ||
| Können wir einen neuen Termin ausmachen? | Could we arrange a new time? | Appointments & time | ||
| Der Termin steht | The appointment is fixed | "stehen" here means settled — no longer up for discussion | Appointments & time | |
| Dann bleibt es dabei | Then we will stick with that | Closes an arrangement by confirming that nothing changes | Appointments & time | |
| Ich trage es mir ein | I will put it in my calendar | Appointments & time | ||
| Wann bist du zurück? | When are you back? | Appointments & time | ||
| Bis wann bist du im Büro? | How late are you in the office? | Appointments & time | ||
| Ich bin ab neun erreichbar | You can reach me from nine onwards | Appointments & time | ||
| Ich habe morgen den ganzen Tag Termine | I have appointments all day tomorrow | Appointments & time | ||
| Übermorgen wäre mir lieber | The day after tomorrow would suit me better | Appointments & time | ||
| Wir sehen uns dann am Freitag | See you on Friday then | Appointments & time | ||
| Wie lange bleibst du? | How long are you staying? | Appointments & time | ||
| Ich bin in einer halben Stunde fertig | I will be done in half an hour | Appointments & time | ||
| Kurz nach acht | Just after eight | Appointments & time | ||
| Punkt acht | Eight on the dot | "Punkt" marks the exact hour — say it when the start time really is not flexible | Appointments & time | |
| Halb sieben | Half past six | The classic trap: "halb sieben" is 6:30 — halfway TO seven, not half past seven | Appointments & time | |
| Viertel vor acht | Quarter to eight | Appointments & time | ||
| Wann fängt es an? | What time does it start? | Appointments & time | ||
| Ginge auch Samstag? | Would Saturday work as well? | The Konjunktiv "ginge" makes the suggestion tentative; "Geht auch Samstag?" is the plainer version | Appointments & time | |
| Ich hätte gern einen Termin | I would like an appointment | The short form you say at a reception desk; the fuller "Ich möchte einen Termin vereinbaren" suits a phone call | Appointments & time | |
| Können wir den Termin verschieben? | Could we move the appointment? | "verschieben" moves a date to a new one, unlike "absagen", which cancels it | Appointments & time | |
| Passt es Ihnen um drei? | Does three work for you? | Sie form; the du twin is "Passt es dir um drei?" | Appointments & time | |
| Ich bin etwas später dran | I am running a bit behind | "spät dran sein" is the everyday way to say you are running late — for a meeting, a train, or just the morning | Appointments & time | |
| Ich melde mich rechtzeitig | I will get in touch in good time | "sich melden" is to get in touch; "rechtzeitig" means early enough that it is not too late | Appointments & time | |
| Wie sieht es nächste Woche bei dir aus? | How does next week look for you? | du form; a relaxed way to ask about availability without naming a day | Appointments & time | |
| Sag mir Bescheid, wann es dir passt | Let me know when it works for you | du imperative; "Bescheid sagen" is the everyday German for letting someone know | Appointments & time | |
| Wie fühlst du dich? | How are you feeling? | du form; asks about health or mood, not about how the day went | Feelings | |
| Ich freue mich darauf! | I am looking forward to it! | "sich freuen auf" is about the future; "sich freuen über" is about something that already happened | Feelings | |
| Du siehst gestresst aus | You look stressed | Feelings | ||
| Ich bin müde | I am tired | Feelings | ||
| Ich bin fix und fertig | I am absolutely shattered | Colloquial; "fertig" here means worn out, not finished | Feelings | |
| Ich bin gestresst | I am stressed | Feelings | ||
| Mir ist alles zu viel | It is all too much for me | Feelings | ||
| Ich stehe unter Druck | I am under pressure | Feelings | ||
| Ich brauche eine Pause | I need a break | Feelings | ||
| Ich bin gut drauf | I am in a good mood | Colloquial; the twin is "Ich bin schlecht drauf" | Feelings | |
| Ich bin schlecht drauf | I am in a bad mood | Feelings | ||
| Mir geht es richtig gut | I am doing really well | Feelings | ||
| Ich bin glücklich | I am happy | "glücklich" is weightier than English "happy" — for an everyday good mood Germans tend to reach for "zufrieden" or "gut drauf" | Feelings | |
| Ich bin zufrieden | I am content | Feelings | ||
| Ich bin erleichtert | I am relieved | Feelings | ||
| Ich bin froh, dass es vorbei ist | I am glad it is over | Feelings | ||
| Ich bin traurig | I am sad | Feelings | ||
| Mir ist zum Heulen | I feel like crying | Strong — says you are close to tears | Feelings | |
| Ich bin enttäuscht | I am disappointed | Feelings | ||
| Das tut weh | That hurts | Works for physical pain and for a hurtful remark alike | Feelings | |
| Ich bin sauer | I am cross | Colloquial; sharper than "genervt", milder than "wütend" | Feelings | |
| Ich bin genervt | I am irritated | Feelings | ||
| Das nervt! | That is so annoying! | Feelings | ||
| Ich bin wütend | I am angry | Feelings | ||
| Ich bin am Boden zerstört | I am devastated | Very strong — keep it for real loss rather than an everyday setback | Feelings | |
| Ich habe Angst | I am scared | Feelings | ||
| Ich mache mir Sorgen | I am worried | Feelings | ||
| Ich bin nervös | I am nervous | Feelings | ||
| Mir ist unwohl dabei | I feel uneasy about it | Feelings | ||
| Ich bin überrascht | I am surprised | Feelings | ||
| Ich bin sprachlos | I am speechless | Feelings | ||
| Ich bin stolz auf dich | I am proud of you | Feelings | ||
| Ich schäme mich | I am ashamed | Covers real shame; for a merely awkward moment "Das ist mir peinlich" is the lighter option | Feelings | |
| Das ist mir peinlich | I am embarrassed / That is embarrassing | Feelings | ||
| Ich bin gerührt | I am touched | Feelings | ||
| Ich vermisse dich | I miss you | Feelings | ||
| Ich bin einsam | I am lonely | Feelings | ||
| Ich freue mich für dich | I am happy for you | Feelings | ||
| Du tust mir leid | I feel sorry for you | Sympathy, not an apology — "Es tut mir leid" is the apology | Feelings | |
| Ich kann das nachvollziehen | I can see why you feel that way | "nachvollziehen" is being able to follow or relate to someone's reasoning or feeling; "verstehen" is broader and more neutral | Feelings | |
| Wie geht es dir wirklich? | How are you really doing? | Signals you want a real answer rather than "Gut, danke" | Feelings | |
| Ist alles in Ordnung? | Is everything all right? | Asked when something looks wrong; the small-talk twin "Alles gut bei dir?" expects a light answer | Feelings | |
| Was ist denn los? | What is the matter? | The particle "denn" turns the question into concern; without it, "Was ist los?" can sound impatient | Feelings | |
| Kopf hoch! | Chin up! | Feelings | ||
| Das wird schon wieder | It will be all right | The everyday German reassurance — the particle "schon" is what carries the comfort | Feelings | |
| Lass den Kopf nicht hängen | Do not let it get you down | du form, addressed to ONE person; for a group it is "Lasst den Kopf nicht hängen" | Feelings | |
| Ich bin für dich da | I am here for you | Feelings | ||
| Das geht mir nah | That really gets to me | Feelings | ||
| Ich kann nicht mehr | I cannot take any more | Exhaustion at the end of your strength — also said lightly and jokingly after a long day | Feelings | |
| Mir ist langweilig | I am bored | The feeling takes the dative: "Mir ist langweilig". "Ich bin langweilig" says you are a boring person | Feelings | |
| Ich fühle mich wohl hier | I feel comfortable here | Feelings | ||
| Ich bin ganz aufgeregt | I am really excited | "aufgeregt" covers excited and worked-up nervous alike; the situation decides which | Feelings | |
| Ich bin erschöpft | I am exhausted | Stronger than "müde" — worn out rather than just sleepy | Feelings | |
| Ich fühle mich überfordert | I feel overwhelmed | "überfordert" says the demands are more than you can manage right now; the flip side is "unterfordert", under-challenged | Feelings | |
| Ich bin hin- und hergerissen | I am torn | Said when you cannot decide between two options you are drawn to | Feelings | |
| Mir fällt ein Stein vom Herzen | That is a huge weight off my mind | The set idiom for sudden relief; more vivid than "Ich bin erleichtert" | Feelings | |
| Ich bin dankbar | I am grateful | Feelings | ||
| Ich bin verwirrt | I am confused | Feelings | ||
| Es tut mir leid | I am sorry | The full apology; in speech the "Es" is often dropped — "Tut mir leid" | Apologising & thanking | |
| Das war mein Fehler | That was my mistake | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Ich wollte das nicht | I did not mean to | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Das war keine Absicht | It was not deliberate | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Ich habe es nicht so gemeint | I did not mean it like that | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Entschuldige bitte | Sorry about that | du form; the Sie twin is "Entschuldigen Sie bitte" | Apologising & thanking | |
| Entschuldigen Sie bitte | Please excuse me | Sie form — for strangers, officials and anyone you have not switched to du with | Apologising & thanking | |
| Verzeihung | Pardon me | A shade more formal and old-school than "Entschuldigung", but still in everyday use | Apologising & thanking | |
| Ich bitte um Entschuldigung | Please accept my apologies | Formal and set — written apologies and situations where a plain sorry is too light | Apologising & thanking | |
| Ich möchte mich entschuldigen | I would like to apologise | The "möchte" keeps it polite — "Ich will mich entschuldigen" would sound blunt | Apologising & thanking | |
| Das hätte ich nicht sagen sollen | I should not have said that | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Das war dumm von mir | That was stupid of me | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Ich habe Mist gebaut | I messed up | Colloquial — fine among friends and in a relaxed team, too casual for a client | Apologising & thanking | |
| Es wird nicht wieder vorkommen | It will not happen again | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Ich mache es wieder gut | I will make it up to you | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Wie kann ich das wiedergutmachen? | How can I make up for it? | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Sei mir nicht böse | Do not be cross with me | du form; softens a refusal or an inconvenience you are about to cause | Apologising & thanking | |
| Bist du mir böse? | Are you cross with me? | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Ich nehme es zurück | I take it back | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Da habe ich mich vertan | I got that wrong | "sich vertun" is the everyday word for a slip — a miscalculation, a wrong date | Apologising & thanking | |
| Ich habe dich falsch verstanden | I misunderstood you | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Entschuldigung für die Verspätung | Sorry for being late | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Ich habe es total vergessen | I completely forgot | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Ich bin selbst schuld | It is my own fault | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Da bin ich zu weit gegangen | I went too far there | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Nichts für ungut | No offence / No hard feelings | Softens a blunt remark — commonly right before it ("Nichts für ungut, aber...") but also after | Apologising & thanking | |
| Vielen Dank für alles | Thank you for everything | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Danke dir! | Thanks! | du form; adding "dir" makes a bare "Danke" a touch warmer and more personal | Apologising & thanking | |
| Ich danke Ihnen | Thank you | Sie form; more emphatic than a plain "Danke" — good at the end of a call or a meeting | Apologising & thanking | |
| Danke für deine Hilfe | Thanks for your help | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Danke für die Einladung | Thank you for the invitation | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Das ist sehr nett von dir | That is very kind of you | du form; the Sie twin is "Das ist sehr nett von Ihnen" | Apologising & thanking | |
| Das ist sehr nett von Ihnen | That is very kind of you | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Das wäre nicht nötig gewesen | You really should not have | The set reply to an unexpected gift — it is polite pleasure, not a complaint | Apologising & thanking | |
| Ich weiß das sehr zu schätzen | I really appreciate that | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Du hast mir sehr geholfen | You have been a great help | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Ohne dich hätte ich das nicht geschafft | I could not have done it without you | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Ich stehe in deiner Schuld | I am in your debt | Deliberately weighty, sometimes half-joking; the casual version is "Ich schulde dir was" | Apologising & thanking | |
| Gern geschehen | You are welcome | The standard reply to thanks | Apologising & thanking | |
| Sehr gerne | My pleasure | A warmer reply to thanks than a plain "Bitte" | Apologising & thanking | |
| Keine Ursache | Not at all | A neutral, everyday reply to thanks — literally "no cause"; "Gern geschehen" is the warmer alternative | Apologising & thanking | |
| Ich habe zu danken | No, I should be thanking you | Turns the thanks back — for when the other person did you the bigger favour | Apologising & thanking | |
| Danke, das hilft mir sehr | Thanks, that helps me a lot | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Danke für die schnelle Antwort | Thanks for the quick reply | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Herzlichen Dank | Many thanks | Warmer than "Vielen Dank"; common in writing and in a short speech | Apologising & thanking | |
| Tausend Dank! | Thanks a million! | Casual and enthusiastic | Apologising & thanking | |
| Danke, das ist sehr aufmerksam | Thank you, that is very thoughtful | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Ich weiß nicht, wie ich dir danken soll | I do not know how to thank you | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Entschuldigen Sie die Störung | Sorry to disturb you | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Kein Grund, sich zu entschuldigen | There is no need to apologise | Apologising & thanking | ||
| Wie sieht er aus? | What does he look like? | Describing people | ||
| Er ist groß und schlank | He is tall and slim | Describing people | ||
| Sie hat lange dunkle Haare | She has long dark hair | Describing people | ||
| Er hat einen Bart | He has a beard | Describing people | ||
| Sie trägt eine Brille | She wears glasses | Describing people | ||
| Er sieht gut aus | He is good-looking | Describing people | ||
| Sie sieht müde aus | She looks tired | Describing people | ||
| Du siehst heute gut aus | You look good today | Describing people | ||
| Er ist Mitte dreißig | He is in his mid-thirties | The set pattern is Anfang / Mitte / Ende plus the decade — "Anfang zwanzig", "Ende vierzig" | Describing people | |
| Sie ist etwa vierzig | She is about forty | Describing people | ||
| Er sieht jünger aus, als er ist | He looks younger than he is | Describing people | ||
| Sie ist einen Kopf größer als ich | She is a head taller than me | Describing people | ||
| Er hat ein freundliches Gesicht | He has a friendly face | Describing people | ||
| Wie ist er so? | What is he like? | The little "so" makes the question casual — it asks about character, not looks | Describing people | |
| Sie ist sehr nett | She is very nice | Describing people | ||
| Er ist ziemlich still | He is pretty quiet | Describing people | ||
| Sie ist total lustig | She is really funny | Colloquial — "total" as an intensifier belongs to spoken German | Describing people | |
| Er ist sehr hilfsbereit | He is very helpful | Describing people | ||
| Sie ist ehrgeizig | She is ambitious | "ehrgeizig" is largely neutral to positive in German; the negative shade sits in "übertrieben ehrgeizig" | Describing people | |
| Er ist zuverlässig | He is reliable | Describing people | ||
| Auf sie ist Verlass | You can count on her | Describing people | ||
| Er ist ein guter Zuhörer | He is a good listener | Describing people | ||
| Sie hat viel Humor | She has a good sense of humour | Describing people | ||
| Er nimmt kein Blatt vor den Mund | He does not mince his words | Describing people | ||
| Sie ist immer gut gelaunt | She is always in a good mood | Describing people | ||
| Er ist ein bisschen chaotisch | He is a bit all over the place | Describing people | ||
| Sie ist sehr direkt | She is very direct | Describing people | ||
| Er ist schwer einzuschätzen | He is hard to read | Describing people | ||
| Sie lässt sich nichts gefallen | She does not let people walk all over her | Describing people | ||
| Er meint es gut | He means well | Often said with a shrug — it excuses someone whose help missed the mark | Describing people | |
| Sie ist sehr geduldig | She is very patient | Describing people | ||
| Er ist manchmal etwas ungeduldig | He can be a bit impatient | Describing people | ||
| Sie ist die Ruhe selbst | Nothing rattles her | Literally "she is calmness itself" — a set phrase, said admiringly | Describing people | |
| Wir kennen uns schon lange | We have known each other a long time | Describing people | ||
| Er ist ein alter Freund von mir | He is an old friend of mine | Describing people | ||
| Wir verstehen uns gut | We get on well | Describing people | ||
| Wir sind nur Kollegen | We are just colleagues | Describing people | ||
| Sie ist meine beste Freundin | She is my best friend | "Freundin" also means girlfriend — "meine beste Freundin" or "eine Freundin von mir" keeps it plainly platonic | Describing people | |
| Er ist der Neue im Team | He is the new guy on the team | Describing people | ||
| Sie ist meine Chefin | She is my boss | German marks the gender: "Chefin" for a woman, "Chef" for a man | Describing people | |
| Er ist mein Nachbar | He is my neighbour | Describing people | ||
| Wir sind zusammen aufgewachsen | We grew up together | Describing people | ||
| Ich mag ihn | I like him | Describing people | ||
| Ich kann sie gut leiden | I am quite fond of her | "leiden können" usually appears with "gut" or with "nicht" — "Ich kann ihn nicht leiden" means I cannot stand him | Describing people | |
| Er geht mir auf die Nerven | He gets on my nerves | Describing people | ||
| Sie ist mir sympathisch | I find her likeable | The person is the subject and you are the dative — German says the liking happens to you | Describing people | |
| Mit ihm komme ich gut klar | I get along fine with him | Describing people | ||
| Er ist mir zu laut | He is too loud for my taste | Describing people | ||
| Sie hat das Herz am rechten Fleck | Her heart is in the right place | Describing people | ||
| Er ist wie ein Bruder für mich | He is like a brother to me | Describing people | ||
| Es ist eiskalt draußen | It is freezing cold outside | Weather & nature | ||
| Es ist bitterkalt | It is bitterly cold | Weather & nature | ||
| Es ist drückend heiß | It is swelteringly hot | "drückend" is the heavy, airless kind of heat that presses down on you | Weather & nature | |
| Es ist schwül | It is muggy | Careful with the vowel: "schwül" (humid, muggy) differs from "schwul" (gay) by one umlaut | Weather & nature | |
| Es friert | It is freezing | Impersonal "es" reports the temperature dropping below zero; to say you personally feel cold, use "Mir ist kalt" | Weather & nature | |
| Es ist glatt draußen | It is icy outside | A winter warning — "glatt" here is the slippery, icy ground underfoot | Weather & nature | |
| Es schüttet | It is pouring | Colloquial and impersonal — stronger than "Es regnet", the rain is really coming down | Weather & nature | |
| Es regnet in Strömen | It is raining buckets | Set phrase — "in Strömen" is literally in torrents | Weather & nature | |
| Es nieselt | It is drizzling | Weather & nature | ||
| Es schneit | It is snowing | Weather & nature | ||
| Es hagelt | It is hailing | Weather & nature | ||
| Es blitzt und donnert | There is thunder and lightning | Weather & nature | ||
| Es ist neblig | It is foggy | Weather & nature | ||
| Es ist windig | It is windy | Weather & nature | ||
| Es stürmt | There is a gale blowing | Impersonal "es" — a real storm wind, more than just "windig" | Weather & nature | |
| Es ist wolkig | It is cloudy | Weather & nature | ||
| Es ist bedeckt | It is overcast | The weather-report word for a fully clouded-over sky | Weather & nature | |
| Der Himmel ist grau | The sky is grey | Weather & nature | ||
| Die Sonne scheint | The sun is shining | Weather & nature | ||
| Es ist stockdunkel draußen | It is pitch dark outside | Colloquial — the prefix "stock-" pushes "dunkel" up to pitch-black | Weather & nature | |
| Mir ist kalt | I am cold | The feeling takes the dative: "Mir ist kalt". "Ich bin kalt" describes a cold-hearted person | Weather & nature | |
| Mir ist warm | I am warm | Weather & nature | ||
| Mir ist heiß | I am hot | Weather & nature | ||
| So ein Sauwetter! | What foul weather! | Colloquial complaint — the prefix "Sau-" (literally sow) is a crude intensifier for something rotten | Weather & nature | |
| Was für ein herrlicher Tag! | What a glorious day! | Weather & nature | ||
| Was für ein Mistwetter! | What lousy weather! | Colloquial — "Mist-" is a milder gripe than "Sau-" | Weather & nature | |
| Endlich Sonne! | Finally some sun! | Weather & nature | ||
| Die Hitze ist kaum auszuhalten | The heat is almost unbearable | Weather & nature | ||
| Ich halte diese Kälte nicht mehr aus | I cannot stand this cold any longer | Weather & nature | ||
| Bei dem Wetter bleibe ich lieber drinnen | In this weather I would rather stay indoors | Weather & nature | ||
| Das Wetter spielt verrückt | The weather has gone crazy | Weather & nature | ||
| Was für ein Wetter! | Some weather we are having! | Tone decides it — delight at a lovely day or a groan at a miserable one | Weather & nature | |
| Es soll morgen regnen | It is supposed to rain tomorrow | "soll" here reports a forecast — what is predicted, not something certain | Weather & nature | |
| Es sieht nach Regen aus | It looks like rain | Weather & nature | ||
| Die Sonne kommt raus | The sun is coming out | Colloquial — "raus" is the common short form of "heraus" | Weather & nature | |
| Es klart auf | It is clearing up | Weather & nature | ||
| Es zieht sich zu | It is clouding over | "sich zuziehen" of the sky — the clouds are gathering | Weather & nature | |
| Es soll wärmer werden | It is supposed to get warmer | Weather & nature | ||
| Für morgen ist Regen angesagt | Rain is forecast for tomorrow | "angesagt" is the forecast word — rain has been announced | Weather & nature | |
| Ein Gewitter zieht auf | A thunderstorm is rolling in | "aufziehen" is what storms do as they build on the horizon | Weather & nature | |
| Es wird gleich regnen | It is about to rain | Weather & nature | ||
| Der Frühling ist da | Spring is here | Weather & nature | ||
| Der Herbst ist da | Autumn is here | Weather & nature | ||
| Es wird Winter | Winter is setting in | Weather & nature | ||
| Die Tage werden kürzer | The days are getting shorter | Weather & nature | ||
| Die Tage werden wieder länger | The days are getting longer again | Weather & nature | ||
| Es wird früh dunkel | It gets dark early | Weather & nature | ||
| Zieh dich warm an | Dress warmly | du form, one person; for a group it is "Zieht euch warm an" | Weather & nature | |
| Nimm einen Schirm mit | Take an umbrella with you | "mitnehmen" is separable, so "mit" lands at the end; "Schirm" is the common short form of "Regenschirm" | Weather & nature | |
| Vergiss deine Jacke nicht | Do not forget your jacket | Weather & nature | ||
| Zieh dir was Warmes an | Put on something warm | Colloquial — "was" stands in for "etwas" | Weather & nature | |
| Die Blätter fallen | The leaves are falling | Weather & nature | ||
| Die Blumen blühen | The flowers are in bloom | Weather & nature | ||
| Es taut | It is thawing | Impersonal "es" — snow and ice are melting as it warms above zero | Weather & nature | |
| Der Schnee schmilzt | The snow is melting | Weather & nature | ||
| Lass uns an die frische Luft gehen | Let us go out for some fresh air | Set phrase — "an die frische Luft gehen" is stepping outside for some air | Weather & nature | |
| Es riecht nach Regen | It smells like rain | Weather & nature | ||
| Die Vögel zwitschern | The birds are chirping | Weather & nature | ||
| Hast du Lust auf einen Kaffee? | Do you fancy a coffee? | "Lust haben auf" + a thing (a coffee, a film) is the everyday way to suggest doing something together; with a thing as its object it carries none of the sense the English cognate suggests | Plans & invitations | |
| Wollen wir uns treffen? | Shall we meet up? | Plans & invitations | ||
| Ich komme gern! | I would be happy to come! | Plans & invitations | ||
| Leider kann ich nicht kommen | Unfortunately I cannot come | Germans expect a reason to follow — a bare no reads as cold | Plans & invitations | |
| Soll ich etwas mitbringen? | Should I bring anything? | Plans & invitations | ||
| Wie wäre es mit...? | How about...? | Plans & invitations | ||
| Kannst du heute Abend kommen? | Can you come this evening? | Plans & invitations | ||
| Was willst du am Wochenende machen? | What do you want to do at the weekend? | Plans & invitations | ||
| Ich lade dich ein | It is my treat | On its own, especially when paying, "jemanden einladen" means the treat is on you; with an object ("Ich lade dich zum Essen ein") it is a full invitation | Plans & invitations | |
| Hast du am Freitag schon was vor? | Do you already have plans on Friday? | "etwas vorhaben" = to have plans; "schon was vor" asks whether that slot is already taken | Plans & invitations | |
| Kommst du mit? | Do you want to come along? | "mitkommen" = to come along; du form, addressed to one person | Plans & invitations | |
| Wir machen ein Picknick — bist du dabei? | We are having a picnic — are you in? | "dabei sein" = to be in on a plan or to join | Plans & invitations | |
| Möchtest du mitkommen? | Would you like to come along? | "Möchtest du" is a touch softer and more polite than a plain "Kommst du mit?" | Plans & invitations | |
| Ich würde mich freuen, wenn du kommst | I would be glad if you came | Plans & invitations | ||
| Wir feiern am Samstag — hast du Zeit? | We are having a party on Saturday — are you free? | Plans & invitations | ||
| Komm doch mal vorbei! | Drop by sometime! | "vorbeikommen" = to drop by; the particles "doch mal" make it a warm, casual invitation rather than a command | Plans & invitations | |
| Du bist herzlich eingeladen | You are warmly invited | Warm and slightly formal — the kind of line that goes on an invitation card | Plans & invitations | |
| Bring gern jemanden mit | Feel free to bring someone | "jemanden mitbringen" = to bring a person along, as opposed to "etwas mitbringen" for a thing | Plans & invitations | |
| Passt es dir am Samstag? | Does Saturday work for you? | "passen" takes the dative ("dir") and asks whether a time suits you | Plans & invitations | |
| Wann würde es dir passen? | When would suit you? | Plans & invitations | ||
| Wollen wir uns um sieben treffen? | Shall we meet at seven? | Plans & invitations | ||
| Passt dir der Termin? | Does that time work for you? | "Termin" is a fixed appointment or scheduled time, not a "terminal" | Plans & invitations | |
| Sollen wir was ausmachen? | Shall we arrange something? | "ausmachen" here = to arrange or agree on a plan, not "to switch off" | Plans & invitations | |
| Vormittags oder nachmittags? | Morning or afternoon? | Plans & invitations | ||
| Ich habe den ganzen Tag Zeit | I am free all day | Plans & invitations | ||
| Lass uns ins Kino gehen | Let us go to the cinema | "Lass uns" addresses one person; for a group it is "Lasst uns ins Kino gehen" | Plans & invitations | |
| Sollen wir spazieren gehen? | Shall we go for a walk? | Plans & invitations | ||
| Sollen wir etwas essen gehen? | Shall we go and get something to eat? | Plans & invitations | ||
| Hättest du Lust, ins Theater zu gehen? | Would you fancy going to the theatre? | "Hättest du Lust, ... zu ..." is a polite, warm way to suggest an activity | Plans & invitations | |
| Wir könnten auch einfach zu Hause bleiben | We could also just stay in | Plans & invitations | ||
| Was hältst du von einem Filmabend? | What do you think about a movie night? | "Was hältst du von..." = what do you think of...; "von" takes the dative | Plans & invitations | |
| Lasst uns etwas zusammen unternehmen | Let us do something together | "lasst" addresses a group (for one person: "Lass uns..."); "unternehmen" = to do an activity together | Plans & invitations | |
| Wollen wir zusammen kochen? | Shall we cook together? | Plans & invitations | ||
| Wollen wir etwas trinken gehen? | Shall we go for a drink? | Plans & invitations | ||
| Sehr gerne! | I would love to! | Plans & invitations | ||
| Ich bin dabei | I am in | Plans & invitations | ||
| Klingt super! | Sounds great! | Plans & invitations | ||
| Ja, super Idee! | Yes, great idea! | Plans & invitations | ||
| Das lasse ich mir nicht entgehen | I would not miss it | Idiom: "sich etwas entgehen lassen" = to let something slip by, so this says you will not miss out | Plans & invitations | |
| Ich freue mich schon! | I am already looking forward to it! | The particle "schon" adds the sense of "already" — the anticipation has started | Plans & invitations | |
| Ich kann leider nicht | I am afraid I cannot | Plans & invitations | ||
| Diesmal schaffe ich es nicht | I cannot make it this time | Plans & invitations | ||
| Ich muss leider absagen | I am afraid I have to cancel | "absagen" = to cancel or call off a plan you had already agreed to | Plans & invitations | |
| Vielleicht ein anderes Mal | Maybe another time | Plans & invitations | ||
| Ich habe schon etwas vor | I already have plans | Plans & invitations | ||
| Das wird bei mir leider nichts | It is not going to work out for me, I am afraid | Colloquial; "das wird nichts" = it is not going to happen or work out | Plans & invitations | |
| Passt dir ein anderer Tag? | Does another day suit you? | Plans & invitations | ||
| Mir ist leider etwas dazwischengekommen | Something has come up, I am afraid | Idiom: "dazwischenkommen" = for something to come up unexpectedly and get in the way | Plans & invitations | |
| Lass uns das auf nächste Woche verschieben | Let us move it to next week | Plans & invitations | ||
| Sollen wir einen anderen Termin finden? | Shall we find another time? | Plans & invitations | ||
| Bitte senden Sie mir einen Ersatz | Please send me a replacement | Problems & complaints | ||
| Das funktioniert nicht | That is not working | Problems & complaints | ||
| Das funktioniert nicht mehr | It is not working anymore | Problems & complaints | ||
| Das Gerät ist kaputt | The device is broken | "kaputt" is the everyday word for broken; a shop or repair form is more likely to say "defekt" | Problems & complaints | |
| Da stimmt etwas nicht | Something is not right | Problems & complaints | ||
| Es geht nicht mehr an | It will not turn on anymore | "angehen" is intransitive — the device comes on by itself; switching it on yourself is "anmachen" or "einschalten". "Es geht nicht mehr aus" is the opposite complaint | Problems & complaints | |
| Der Aufzug ist außer Betrieb | The lift is out of order | "außer Betrieb" is the standard sign wording for a machine or lift that is out of service | Problems & complaints | |
| Mein Handy lädt nicht | My phone is not charging | Problems & complaints | ||
| Die Verbindung bricht dauernd ab | The connection keeps dropping | Problems & complaints | ||
| Das WLAN funktioniert nicht | The Wi-Fi is not working | Problems & complaints | ||
| Der Drucker macht Probleme | The printer keeps giving me trouble | Problems & complaints | ||
| Ich möchte mich beschweren | I would like to make a complaint | Problems & complaints | ||
| Ich möchte mich über den Service beschweren | I would like to complain about the service | "sich beschweren über" takes the accusative | Problems & complaints | |
| Ich hätte gerne eine Rückerstattung | I would like a refund | Problems & complaints | ||
| Ich verlange mein Geld zurück | I demand my money back | "verlangen" is firm and demanding; "Ich hätte gern mein Geld zurück" is the softer request | Problems & complaints | |
| Ich bestehe auf einer Lösung | I insist on a solution | "bestehen auf" takes the dative here: "auf einer Lösung" | Problems & complaints | |
| Das ist inakzeptabel | That is unacceptable | Problems & complaints | ||
| Ich möchte mit dem Geschäftsführer sprechen | I would like to speak to the manager | Problems & complaints | ||
| Kann ich bitte den Filialleiter sprechen? | Could I speak to the store manager, please? | "jemanden sprechen" takes a direct object with no "mit" — the set, slightly formal way to ask to be put through or shown to someone; "mit dem Filialleiter sprechen" is the everyday alternative | Problems & complaints | |
| So kann das nicht weitergehen | This cannot go on like this | Problems & complaints | ||
| Ich erwarte eine Erklärung | I expect an explanation | Problems & complaints | ||
| Das lasse ich mir nicht gefallen | I will not stand for this | From the idiom "sich etwas gefallen lassen" — to put up with something | Problems & complaints | |
| Ich bin sehr unzufrieden | I am very dissatisfied | Problems & complaints | ||
| Damit bin ich nicht einverstanden | I am not okay with this | "einverstanden sein mit" — to be okay with or agree to something | Problems & complaints | |
| Da muss ein Fehler vorliegen | There must be a mistake | "vorliegen" is the formal verb for a mistake or problem being present | Problems & complaints | |
| Das war so nicht abgesprochen | That is not what we agreed | Problems & complaints | ||
| Das entspricht nicht der Bestellung | This does not match the order | "entsprechen" takes the dative: "der Bestellung" | Problems & complaints | |
| Das habe ich so nicht bestellt | This is not what I ordered | Problems & complaints | ||
| Die Rechnung stimmt nicht | The bill is wrong | Problems & complaints | ||
| Sie haben mir zu viel berechnet | You have overcharged me | "berechnen" here is to charge an amount; "zu viel berechnet" means overcharged | Problems & complaints | |
| Da ist Ihnen ein Fehler unterlaufen | It seems a mistake has slipped in on your end | "unterlaufen" with a dative person is a gentle way to say someone made the mistake, softer than blaming them directly | Problems & complaints | |
| Ich habe die falsche Bestellung bekommen | I got the wrong order | Problems & complaints | ||
| Ich möchte das reklamieren | I would like to report a fault with this | "reklamieren" is the set consumer word for complaining about a faulty product; "sich beschweren" is complaining in general | Problems & complaints | |
| Ich möchte das umtauschen | I would like to exchange this | Problems & complaints | ||
| Ich möchte das zurückgeben | I would like to return this | Problems & complaints | ||
| Die Ware ist beschädigt angekommen | The goods arrived damaged | Problems & complaints | ||
| Das Paket ist beschädigt | The parcel is damaged | Problems & complaints | ||
| Der Artikel hat einen Mangel | The item has a defect | "Mangel" is the consumer-law word for a defect | Problems & complaints | |
| Habe ich darauf noch Garantie? | Is this still under warranty? | Problems & complaints | ||
| Ein Teil fehlt | A part is missing | Problems & complaints | ||
| Kann ich das ohne Kassenbon umtauschen? | Can I exchange this without the receipt? | "Kassenbon" (also "Bon" or "Kassenzettel") is the till receipt | Problems & complaints | |
| Ich habe den Kassenbon nicht mehr | I do not have the receipt anymore | Problems & complaints | ||
| Können Sie bitte leiser sein? | Could you please be quieter? | Problems & complaints | ||
| Könnten Sie bitte die Musik leiser machen? | Could you please turn the music down? | Problems & complaints | ||
| Es ist viel zu laut hier | It is far too loud in here | Problems & complaints | ||
| Das geht so nicht | That will not do | A firm everyday "this cannot stay like this" | Problems & complaints | |
| Ich habe schon eine Stunde gewartet | I have already been waiting for an hour | Problems & complaints | ||
| Das dauert viel zu lange | This is taking far too long | Problems & complaints | ||
| Entschuldigung, ich war zuerst dran | Excuse me, it was my turn | "dran sein" means it is your turn — the queue phrase | Problems & complaints | |
| Können Sie sich bitte hinten anstellen? | Could you please go to the back of the queue? | "sich anstellen" means to queue up | Problems & complaints | |
| Das kann doch nicht wahr sein | I cannot believe this | Disbelief that this is really happening; the twin "Das darf doch nicht wahr sein!" is the more common set exclamation and leans further towards anger | Problems & complaints | |
| Jetzt reicht es mir aber | I have really had enough now | From the idiom "es reicht mir" — I have reached the end of my patience | Problems & complaints | |
| Ich möchte eine schriftliche Bestätigung | I would like written confirmation | Problems & complaints | ||
| An wen kann ich mich mit einer Beschwerde wenden? | Who can I take a complaint to? | "sich wenden an" takes the accusative: "an wen" | Problems & complaints | |
| Wer ist dafür verantwortlich? | Who is responsible for this? | Asks who is accountable, with an edge of blame; "Wer ist dafür zuständig?" just asks whose job it is to handle it | Problems & complaints | |
| Ich möchte eine Beschwerde einreichen | I would like to file a complaint | "eine Beschwerde einreichen" is the formal set phrase, more official than "sich beschweren" | Problems & complaints | |
| Ich warte immer noch auf eine Antwort | I am still waiting for a reply | Problems & complaints | ||
| Und was hast du dann gemacht? | And what did you do then? | Keeps someone telling their story — the listener move German conversation expects | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Ich muss dir was erzählen | I have to tell you something | "was" here is the casual short form of "etwas" (something) | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Du glaubst nicht, was mir passiert ist! | You will not believe what happened to me! | Stories & anecdotes | ||
| Stell dir vor... | Picture this... | Pulls the listener in at the start; literally "imagine (it)" | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Rate mal, was passiert ist! | Guess what happened! | "Rate mal" means have a guess; it sets up a surprise | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Weißt du, was mir letztens passiert ist? | Do you know what happened to me the other day? | "letztens" means recently, the other day | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Neulich ist mir was Verrücktes passiert | The other day something crazy happened to me | "neulich" points to the recent past — a day, or a few weeks, ago | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Ich erzähl dir mal, was passiert ist | Let me tell you what happened | "erzähl" is the spoken short form of "erzähle"; "mal" softens it to "let me just..." | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Pass auf, das wird gut | Listen to this, it is a good one | "Pass auf" (pay attention) flags that the good part is coming | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Das musst du dir anhören! | You have to hear this! | "sich etwas anhören" takes the dative "dir" — you listen to it for yourself | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Es war einmal... | Once upon a time... | The set opening of German fairy tales — playful if you use it for a real anecdote | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Also, das war so... | So, here is how it went... | "Also" is a filler start here, not the English "also" | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Da fällt mir was ein | That reminds me of something | "einfallen" means to come to mind; the person it occurs to takes the dative "mir" | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Ich hab da eine Geschichte für dich | I have a story for you | Stories & anecdotes | ||
| Kennst du das, wenn...? | You know that feeling when...? | Opens with something relatable before the story itself | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Und dann... | And then... | Stories & anecdotes | ||
| Ganz plötzlich... | All of a sudden... | Stories & anecdotes | ||
| Aus dem Nichts... | Out of nowhere... | Stories & anecdotes | ||
| Wie aus dem Nichts... | As if out of nowhere... | The "wie" softens it to "as if" — the thing seemed to come with no cause | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Ich schwöre dir... | I swear... | Colloquial emphasis that what follows really is true | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Jetzt kommt der beste Teil | Now comes the best part | Stories & anecdotes | ||
| Und jetzt halt dich fest | And now brace yourself | "sich festhalten" means to hold on tight; here it warns a surprising part is coming | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Kaum zu glauben, aber... | Hard to believe, but... | Stories & anecdotes | ||
| Ich konnte es nicht fassen | I could not believe it | "etwas fassen" here means to grasp or take in | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Ich dachte, ich seh nicht richtig | I could not believe my eyes | Literally "I thought I was not seeing right" — said when something is unbelievable | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Und ich so... | And I was like... | Colloquial quote frame — "so" stands in for "said"; "Und ich so: Was?!" = "And I was like: What?!" | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Und er so... | And he was like... | Same colloquial quote frame as "Und ich so"; use "Und sie so..." for she | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Und keiner hat damit gerechnet | And nobody saw it coming | "mit etwas rechnen" means to expect or reckon with something | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Und das war noch nicht alles | And that was not even all of it | Stories & anecdotes | ||
| Und das Beste kommt noch | And the best part is yet to come | Stories & anecdotes | ||
| Um es kurz zu machen... | To make a long story short... | Stories & anecdotes | ||
| Lange Rede, kurzer Sinn... | Long story short... | A fixed saying — keep the comma; literally "long speech, short meaning" | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Egal, jedenfalls... | Anyway, so... | "egal" (whatever) drops the tangent and gets back to the point | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Und am Ende... | And in the end... | Stories & anecdotes | ||
| Und weißt du, was dann war? | And do you know what happened then? | Stories & anecdotes | ||
| Das war der Moment, als... | That was the moment when... | "als" (not "wenn") marks a single moment in the past | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Und so kam es, dass... | And that is how it came about that... | Stories & anecdotes | ||
| Und seitdem... | And ever since... | Stories & anecdotes | ||
| Am Ende ist alles gut gegangen | In the end it all worked out | "gut gehen" means to turn out well | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Das war vielleicht ein Chaos! | What a mess that was! | "vielleicht" here is not "maybe" — it intensifies, roughly "what a ...!" | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Und die Moral von der Geschichte... | And the moral of the story... | Often said with a wink about an everyday mishap, echoing a fable ending | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Und das war dann auch schon alles | And that was pretty much all of it | A light, offhand way to wrap a story up | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Tja, so ist das | Well, that is how it is | "Tja" is the little resigned sigh Germans use to round off a story | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Und dann? | And then? | The shortest nudge to keep someone talking | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Und was ist dann passiert? | And what happened then? | Stories & anecdotes | ||
| Und was hast du gesagt? | And what did you say? | Stories & anecdotes | ||
| Erzähl weiter! | Go on! / Keep going! | du form; to a group it is "Erzählt weiter!" | Stories & anecdotes | |
| Nein, wirklich? | No, really? | Stories & anecdotes | ||
| Das glaubt mir sowieso keiner | No one believes me anyway | A closer that plays up how unbelievable the story was | Stories & anecdotes |
Phrases to avoid overusing
Every language has patterns that reveal a non-native speaker — not because they're wrong, but because they're used too much. Watch out for:
- Ich meine... Used too often sounds uncertain and apologetic — commit to your opinion
- Genau (every sentence) Agreeing with everything sounds sycophantic — save it for genuine agreement
- Krass (in formal settings) Sounds juvenile in professional or formal contexts
- Ich finde das... (repeatedly) Signals a lack of confidence — use more direct phrasing when you're sure
