Needs and opinions in German (polite requests)
Exercises
- Translate these expressions of needs and wishes into German Score -/-
- Assign the correct German translation of expressing opinions to the correct translations! Score -/-
- Fill in the correct German word to complete these needs Score -/-
- Complete this debate by filling in the correct German word! Score -/-
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...? |
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