Hello! Ready for short, useful phrases you can use right away in shops, offices, or with friends? This lesson focuses on quick ways to interrupt, ask someone to wait, or say you'll be back soon. Have fun practicing!
Level A1: In Lesson 143 we'll practice six Germany-specific conversation-management phrases for interrupting politely, asking someone to wait, and saying you'll be back soon. You'll hear the phrases, try them in a short dialogue, and practice with quizzes and speaking prompts — CEFR-aligned and just right for beginners.
After this lesson you'll be able to:
Recognize and use six polite and casual phrases for brief interruptions and short absences.
Understand when to use polite vs. casual forms in everyday situations.
Practice speaking each phrase out loud to build confidence (Level A1).
Ready? Let's go!
When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.
1. Reading + Listening Practice
Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.
Darf ich kurz stören?
May I interrupt for a moment?
Meaning: May I interrupt for a moment?
When to use: Polite way to get someone's attention; works with both du and Sie contexts.
Darf ich kurz stören? Ich habe eine Frage.
May I interrupt for a moment? I have a question.
Entschuldigung, darf ich kurz stören? Ist das ein guter Zeitpunkt?
Excuse me, may I interrupt for a moment? Is this a good time?
Einen Moment, bitte.
One moment, please.
Meaning: One moment, please.
When to use: Polite fixed phrase; often used in shops, offices, and on the phone.
Einen Moment, bitte. Ich hole das Formular.
One moment, please. I'll fetch the form.
Können Sie warten? Einen Moment, bitte, ich kläre das schnell.
Can you wait? One moment, please, I'll clarify this quickly.
Warte mal kurz.
Wait a second.
Meaning: Wait a second.
When to use: Informal du command; formal: “Warten Sie bitte kurz.”
Tip: Don't use this with strangers or in formal situations; use the formal version instead.
Warte mal kurz, ich bin gleich fertig.
Wait a second, I'll be finished soon.
Warte mal kurz! Ich zeige dir schnell etwas.
Wait a second! I'll quickly show you something.
Ich bin gleich zurück.
I'll be right back.
Meaning: I'll be right back.
When to use: Useful when leaving briefly; “gleich” means very soon.
Ich bin gleich zurück, ich muss nur kurz telefonieren.
I'll be right back, I just need to make a quick call.
Keine Sorge, ich bin gleich zurück mit den Tickets.
Don't worry, I'll be right back with the tickets.
Ich komme gleich.
I'll come in a moment / I'm coming.
Meaning: I'll come in a moment / I'm coming.
When to use: Common response when someone is waiting for you.
Warten Sie kurz? Ich komme gleich.
Are you waiting? I'll come in a moment.
Einen Moment, ich komme gleich – ich bin fast fertig.
One moment, I'm coming – I'm almost done.
Ich bin kurz weg.
I'll be away for a moment.
Meaning: I'll be away for a moment.
When to use: Casual spoken phrase when stepping away briefly.
Tip: In very formal contexts prefer 'Ich bin gleich zurück' or a polite explanation.
Ich bin kurz weg, mach die Tür zu, bitte.
I'll be away for a moment, please close the door.
Ich bin kurz weg, gleich bin ich wieder da.
I'll be away for a moment, I'll be back soon.
2. Conversational Listening Practice
Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.
At the office: Anna needs to check something and David is waiting.
Who asks to interrupt at the start?
Anna
Darf ich kurz stören? Ich habe eine Frage zum Bericht.
May I interrupt for a moment? I have a question about the report.
David
Einen Moment, bitte. Ich schließe nur das Fenster.
One moment, please. I'm just closing the window.
Anna
Okay, danke. Warte mal kurz, ich hole die Unterlagen.
Okay, thanks. Wait a second, I'll fetch the documents.
David
Ich bin kurz weg, ich bringe Kaffee.
I'll be away for a moment, I'm bringing coffee.
Anna
Gut, ich komme gleich, dann können wir zusammen schauen.
Good, I'll come in a moment, then we can look together.
3. Guided Practice
Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.
Which German phrase politely asks to interrupt someone?
How do you say 'One moment, please.' in German?
Which phrase is informal and suited for a friend?
Which phrase would you use to say 'I'll be right back' when leaving briefly?
In the office the colleague says: 'I'll be away for a moment, I'm quickly getting the documents.'
Im Büro sagt der Kollege: '____, ich hole schnell die Unterlagen.'
At the counter the salesperson says: 'One moment, please, I'll check the stock.'
An der Theke sagt die Verkäuferin: '____, ich prüfe den Lagerbestand.'
To a friend: 'Wait a second! I need to fetch something quickly.'
Zu einem Freund: '____! Ich muss kurz etwas holen.'
Match the core phrases
Match the extra phrases
4. Speaking Practice
Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).
Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.
