Modern German Grammar: A Practical Guide, Second Edition

Vati, kann ich mit Elli spielen? – Ja, meine Kleine, das darfst du schon. Daddy, can I play with Elli? – Yes, little one, of cou ...

(Das) stimmt (ja)! That’s right! (e) Reservation can be indicated in a variety of ways. In approximate order of forcefulness: na ...

(b) Alternatively nicht verstehen or nicht mit*bekommen can be used: (Es tut mir Leid.) Das habe ich nicht verstanden. (I am sor ...

A slightly more elaborate way of saying this is: Worauf wollen Sie hinaus? What is the point you are trying to make? These are r ...

Könnten Sie das bitte anders sagen/formulieren? Could you please say/formulate that in another way? 118.3 ‘Please spell!’ (a) Th ...

(c) Note that the following German letters can sound misleadingly like English letters: [ah] is a German A (not an R) [e:] is a ...

(b) A speaker can use one of the following to expand on what s/he has been saying and to introduce a new point: und zwar (see 11 ...

Das hatten wir schon. We’ve already covered that. Ja, ja, das weiß ich (doch) (alles) schon! Yes, yes, I know all that! (Aber) i ...

More impatiently, one could say: Aber könnten wir jetzt mal endlich zum Thema zurückkommen! But could we now please finally get ...

(ganz) besonders ‘especially/in particular’ insbesondere ‘especially/in particular’ vor allem ‘above all/especially’ und zwar/nä ...

(c) When asking for more detailed information about something, the adjectives weiter and näher are often used: Haben Sie weitere ...

Das hat [/] damit zu tun... (dass sie nicht zu Hause war). It has to do with the fact that (she was not at home). [/] Damit häng ...

Of course, a direct question is usually an open invitation to respond: Sie langweilen sich, nicht? You are bored, aren’t you? Ic ...

Alternatively, a more assertive intervention uses a falling intonation, inviting the other person to stop and listen: (Ja) dazu ...

121.2 Opening words
 See 34.7d (p. 73). (a) The first word may be an introductory ‘filler’ (see 116 ) such as also, nun, or ev ...

Ich möchte Ihnen für Ihre Aufmerksamkeit danken. I would like to thank you for giving me your attention. Using sich bei jmdm. fü ...

(c) Other ways of saying what will come first are Als Erstes, Gleich am Anfang and In dem ersten Teil. Any combination of the fo ...

Another reason for excluding something is that it is not sufficiently relevant: ... weil X hier uns nur am Rande interessiert. . ...

...

Index NOTE The references are to sections, not to pages a 22 ab 19.4 abbreviations for literature references 84.5b; abbreviated ...