Needs and opinions in German (polite requests)
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Needs and opinions in German (polite requests)
In this chapter you will learn how to make polite requests in German, as well as how to agree and disagree in a discussion.
Lesson Outline
HideMaking polite requests in German
Here are some key-phrases you need to know to be polite while making requests in German. Notice, that often times the Subjunctive is used, in order to make the phrase sound nicer.
| Phrase | Translation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Kannst du bitte...? | Can you please...? |
Kannst du mir das bitte nochmal erklären? (Can you please explain that to me again?) |
|
Könntest du bitte...? (The same as the one before, only in Subjunctive) |
Could you pease...? |
Könntest du bitte deutlicher reden? (Could you please talk more clearly?) |
| Würdest du bitte...? | Would you please...? |
Würdest du bitte den Müll rausbringen? (Would you please bring out the trash?) |
| Ich wäre dir sehr dankbar, wenn.... | Ich would be very gratefule to you, when... |
Ich wäre dir sehr dankbar, wenn du mich morgen wecken könntest (I would be very grateful to you, if you could wake me up tomorrow) |
| Ich hätte eine Bitte.... | I have one request.... |
Ich hätte eine Bitte, kannst du mich morgen zum Flughafen fahren? (I have one request, could you drive me to the airport tomorrow?) |
|
Was...? (whether or not this sounds polite is dependent on the rest of the sentence) |
What...? |
Was war nochmal das Wort dafür? (What was the word for this again?) |
Excuse me in German
To get the attention of the person you are making the request to, there are several German equivalents in German
- Entschuldigung (literally: Apologies)
- Entschuldigen Sie (most literal to 'excuse me' - note that the German form of politeness 'Sie' is used to address the person)
- Verzeihung (literally: forgiveness)
- Pardon (in the French pronunciation - however these days not so common anymore)
- Wie bitte? (used when you didn't understand, what a person said - equivalent to 'come again?')
Expressing opinions, agreeing and disagreeing
When having a discussion in German these are a few important phrases, that you might need
| Phrase | Translation |
|---|---|
| Ich sehe das genauso | I feel the same way |
| Ich stimme dir zu | I agree |
| Ich kann dir nicht zustimmen | I can't agree with you |
| Im Gegenteil | In the contrary |
| Wenn du mich fragst | If you ask me |
| Meiner Meinung nach | In my opinion |
| Entweder...oder... | Either...or... |
| Was bedeutet das? | What is the meaning of this? |
| Was denkst du über...? | What do you think about...? |
Exercises
Translate these expressions of needs and wishes into German
Assign the correct German translation of expressing opinions to the correct translations!
Fill in the correct German word to complete these needs
Complete this debate by filling in the correct German word!
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