German - Agreement & Disagreement

Lesson 31 of 158

Learner practicing polite agreement and disagreement phrases in German — short helpful lesson for A2 learners.

Goal: Phrases to agree, partly agree, and disagree politely

Free German lessons with guided practice, audio, and speaking support.

Welcome! Ready to practice how to agree or disagree in German without sounding rude? This short lesson helps you say yes, no, and a lot of in-betweens.

Listen, repeat, and use these phrases in small conversations — a friendly way to make your opinion heard.

Level A2: In this lesson you'll learn common German phrases to agree, partly agree, and disagree politely (for example: Ich stimme dir teilweise zu; Da muss ich dir leider widersprechen). You'll practice hearing them in a short dialogue and then use quizzes and speaking prompts to make them yours. This CEFR-aligned lesson focuses on real conversational moves.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Recognize and use polite disagreement phrases in everyday talk.
  • Say partial agreement and limit agreement in clear, friendly ways.
  • Practice A2-level phrases in a short dialogue and speaking prompts.
Two colleagues discussing a project deadline using phrases for partly agreeing and disagreeing in German.

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.

Vielleicht, aber ___.

Maybe, but ___.

Meaning: Maybe, but ___.

When to use: Use this to partly agree and then add a contrasting point or concern.

Vielleicht, aber wir sollten zuerst das Budget prüfen.
Maybe, but we should check the budget first.
Vielleicht, aber dann ist es für manche zu spät.
Maybe, but then it's too late for some people.

Da bin ich mir nicht sicher.

I'm not sure about that.

Meaning: I’m not sure about that.

When to use: Use this as a gentle way to question or express doubt about a statement.

Da bin ich mir nicht sicher; können wir das noch einmal prüfen?
I'm not sure about that; can we check it again?
Da bin ich mir nicht sicher. Habe ich das richtig verstanden?
I'm not sure about that. Did I understand correctly?

Ich sehe das anders.

I see it differently.

Meaning: I see it differently.

When to use: Say this when your opinion is different but you want to stay calm and clear.

Ich sehe das anders: für mich ist die Lösung zu teuer.
I see it differently: for me the solution is too expensive.
Ich sehe das anders. Wir sollten zuerst Nutzer fragen.
I see it differently. We should ask users first.

Ich stimme dir teilweise zu.

I partly agree.

Meaning: I partly agree.

When to use: Use this to show you agree with part of a statement but not everything.

Tip: Beginners sometimes say full agreement (Ich stimme dir zu) instead of partially agreeing.

Ich stimme dir teilweise zu, aber es gibt noch andere Faktoren.
I partly agree with you, but there are other factors.
Ich stimme dir teilweise zu. Der Plan ist gut, aber zu teuer.
I partly agree. The plan is good, but too expensive.

Bei ___ stimme ich dir zu, aber ___.

I agree about ___, but ___ .

Meaning: I agree about ___, but ___.

When to use: Agree with a specific point, then add a limitation or different idea.

Tip: Remember 'bei' takes dative (bei diesem Punkt).

Bei diesem Punkt stimme ich dir zu, aber die Frist ist unrealistisch.
I agree with you on that point, but the deadline is unrealistic.
Bei der Funktion stimme ich dir zu, aber nicht beim Preis.
I agree about the feature, but not the price.

Das klingt richtig.

That sounds right.

Meaning: That sounds right.

When to use: Use this to accept a point as reasonable or correct.

Das klingt richtig — das könnten wir so machen.
That sounds right — we could do it that way.
Das klingt richtig. Die Zahlen passen zusammen.
That sounds right. The numbers add up.

Ja und nein.

Yes and no.

Meaning: Yes and no.

When to use: Use to show mixed agreement and disagreement in one short response.

Ja und nein — das Konzept ist gut, aber die Umsetzung fehlt.
Yes and no — the concept is good, but the implementation is missing.
Ja und nein. Manche Punkte stimmen, andere nicht.
Yes and no. Some points are right, others are not.

Da muss ich widersprechen.

I have to disagree.

Meaning: I have to disagree.

When to use: Use to disagree politely but clearly.

Da muss ich widersprechen; das löst nicht das Problem.
I have to disagree; that doesn't solve the problem.
Da muss ich widersprechen. Wir brauchen mehr Daten.
I have to disagree. We need more data.

Da muss ich dir leider widersprechen.

I'm afraid I disagree.

Meaning: I’m afraid I disagree.

When to use: A softer, polite way to express disagreement.

Tip: Don't forget 'leider' makes disagreement softer.

Da muss ich dir leider widersprechen; das funktioniert so nicht.
I'm afraid I disagree; that doesn't work like that.
Da muss ich Ihnen leider widersprechen. Es gibt bessere Optionen.
I'm afraid I disagree (formal). There are better options.

Das stimmt nicht immer.

That's not always true.

Meaning: That’s not always true.

When to use: Use this to say a general claim or rule doesn't always apply.

Das stimmt nicht immer; in manchen Fällen ist es anders.
That's not always true; in some cases it's different.
Das stimmt nicht immer. Beispiele zeigen Ausnahmen.
That's not always true. Examples show exceptions.

Ich bin da anderer Meinung.

I have a different opinion.

Meaning: I have a different opinion.

When to use: Use to state clearly that your opinion differs from someone else's.

Ich bin da anderer Meinung; ich würde lieber testen.
I have a different opinion; I'd rather test.
Ich bin da anderer Meinung. Das Risiko ist zu groß.
I have a different opinion. The risk is too high.

Ich verstehe dich, aber ___.

I understand, but ___ .

Meaning: I understand, but ___.

When to use: Show understanding before adding a contrasting point or disagreement.

Ich verstehe dich, aber wir haben nicht genug Zeit.
I understand you, but we don't have enough time.
Ich verstehe dich, aber das kostet zu viel.
I understand you, but that costs too much.

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Anna and David discuss extending a project deadline.

Anna and David having a short German conversation about a deadline, using polite disagreement and partial agreement phrases.

Who suggests extending the deadline?

Portrait of Anna in a German lesson dialogue

Anna

Vielleicht, aber wir sollten die Abgabefrist verlängern.

Maybe, but we should extend the deadline.

Portrait of David in a German lesson dialogue

David

Da bin ich mir nicht sicher. Haben wir genug Gründe?

I'm not sure about that. Do we have enough reasons?

Portrait of Anna in a German lesson dialogue

Anna

Ich stimme dir teilweise zu, aber das Team braucht mehr Zeit.

I partly agree with you, but the team needs more time.

Portrait of David in a German lesson dialogue

David

Ich sehe das anders. Wir können die Prioritäten ändern.

I see it differently. We can change priorities.

Portrait of Anna in a German lesson dialogue

Anna

Ja und nein. Prioritäten helfen, aber die Qualität könnte leiden.

Yes and no. Priorities help, but quality could suffer.

Portrait of David in a German lesson dialogue

David

Ich verstehe dich, aber ich muss dir leider widersprechen. Qualität ist wichtig.

I understand you, but I'm afraid I disagree. Quality is important.

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which phrase means 'I partly agree.'?

Which phrase matches 'Maybe, but ___.'?

Which phrase is a gentle way to express doubt: 'I’m not sure about that.'?

How do you say 'That’s not always true.'?

I understand you, but we need to discuss resources.

Anna: The plan could work, but we lack time. David: ___ we need to discuss resources.

I agree about that point, but the cost is high.

Colleague: I like that feature. You: ___ the idea, but the cost is high.

That's not always true; there are other issues too.

Friend: Recycling solves all problems. You: ___; there are other issues, too.

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.

Say this phrase out loud:

Vielleicht, aber ___.

Maybe, but ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

Da bin ich mir nicht sicher.

I'm not sure about that.

Say this phrase out loud:

Ich sehe das anders.

I see it differently.

Say this phrase out loud:

Ich stimme dir teilweise zu.

I partly agree.

Say this phrase out loud:

Bei ___ stimme ich dir zu, aber ___.

I agree about ___, but ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

Das klingt richtig.

That sounds right.

Say this phrase out loud:

Ja und nein.

Yes and no.

Say this phrase out loud:

Da muss ich widersprechen.

I have to disagree.

Say this phrase out loud:

Da muss ich dir leider widersprechen.

I'm afraid I disagree.

Say this phrase out loud:

Das stimmt nicht immer.

That's not always true.

Say this phrase out loud:

Ich bin da anderer Meinung.

I have a different opinion.

Say this phrase out loud:

Ich verstehe dich, aber ___.

I understand you, but ___.