German course

Lesson 164 of 240

New here? This is lesson 164 of a free 240-lesson German course.

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Soften the no in German

Deniz is sure the old key in the Fundkiste is treasure. At the bakery counter he says it out loud, and Priya does not want a fight.

She cushions the no: she agrees in part, asks to add a thought, and leaves him a way out.

You'll learn six lines that soften disagreement so nobody loses face.

Keep the hard no for later. Here you pad the landing first.

By the end of this lesson

Soften a disagreement so nobody loses face.

  • Ich stimme dir zum Teil zu.I agree with you up to a point.
  • Kann ich kurz was dazu sagen?Can I add something quickly?
  • Vielleicht irre ich mich, aber ___.I might be wrong, but ___.
  • Ich verstehe, aber ich habe das Gefühl, ___.I understand, but I have a feeling ___.
  • Ich bin nicht sicher, ob das stimmt.I'm not sure that's right.
  • Ich will das nur ergänzen.I just want to add something.

Scene — the bakery counter

Saturday afternoon at Bäckerei Krause. Deniz has walked over from the Späti and is talking about the key in the Fundkiste.

Priya is at the counter. Renate wipes flour from her hands. Anton sits at the corner table with his unfinished Milchkaffee.

Priya, Renate, and Deniz share the bakery space as Deniz gestures toward the small found-box.

Learn — cushion before the no

Six lines let you agree in part, ask to speak, and add a thought before you say no.

You keep the other person's face, then you place your doubt.

  1. Priya raises an open palm toward Deniz as she prepares to add a careful qualification.

    Ich stimme dir zum Teil zu.

    I agree with you up to a point.

    When to use it: Use this when you share part of a friend's view, then you will differ.

    The prefix zu sits at the end of the clause.

    Say it: Stimme puts the stress on the first syllable.

  2. Renate wipes the counter and pauses to listen while the discussion continues nearby.

    Kann ich kurz was dazu sagen?

    Can I add something quickly?

    When to use it: Ask this before you add a thought, so you do not cut in.

    In a yes-no question the verb comes first.

  3. Anton lifts a foreleg cautiously beside his unfinished Milchkaffee.

    Vielleicht irre ich mich, aber ___.

    I might be wrong, but ___.

    When to use it: Use this to leave room before you offer a different take.

    The verb stays second: irre comes right after Vielleicht.

  4. Deniz gestures toward himself and glances at the key in the found-box while Priya listens.

    Ich verstehe, aber ich habe das Gefühl, ___.

    I understand, but I have a feeling ___.

    When to use it: Say this when you hear them, then you still doubt the claim.

    Say you understand first; the feeling comes after aber.

    Say it: Gefühl has a rounded ü sound in the second half.

  5. Priya pauses with a thoughtful, doubtful look as she considers Deniz's claim.

    Ich bin nicht sicher, ob das stimmt.

    I'm not sure that's right.

    When to use it: Use this when you doubt a claim without calling it false.

    After ob, the verb goes last in that clause.

    Say it: Sicher uses the soft ch, as in ich, not the ach sound.

  6. Renate rests her forearms on the counter and indicates the found-box while Deniz listens.

    Ich will das nur ergänzen.

    I just want to add something.

    When to use it: Use this when you add a fact, not a hard no.

    The verb will stays second; ergänzen waits at the end.

    Say it: The ä in ergänzen is a short open e.

Story — not a fight

Deniz is sure the key is treasure. Watch Priya pad her no so that nobody at the counter loses face.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. Deniz leans on the counter and nods at the Fundkiste.
  2. DenizDas ist ganz klar ein Schatz.That's clearly a treasure.
  3. PriyaKann ich kurz was dazu sagen?Can I add something quickly?
  4. DenizKlar, sag ruhig.Sure, go ahead.
  5. PriyaIch stimme dir zum Teil zu.I agree with you up to a point.
  6. Renate wipes the counter and waits.
  7. PriyaIch verstehe, aber ich habe das Gefühl, dass niemand es weiß.I understand, but I have a feeling that nobody knows.
  8. DenizNein, das steht doch fest.No, that's settled.
  9. PriyaIch bin nicht sicher, ob das stimmt.I'm not sure that's right.
  10. AntonVielleicht irre ich mich, aber da steht fast nichts drauf.I might be wrong, but there's almost nothing on it.
  11. PriyaIch will das nur ergänzen.I just want to add something.
  12. DenizWas denn?What then?
  13. PriyaEs liegt da schon lange. Mehr wissen wir nicht.It has been lying there a long time. We don't know more.
  14. AntonIch kann beide Seiten verstehen.I can see both sides.
  15. RenateWatt, ihr zwei. Trinkt erst mal Kaffee.Come on, you two. Drink some coffee first.
  16. DenizJa und nein. Ich bleibe trotzdem dabei.Yes and no. I still stand by it.

Practice — pad the landing

Ten quick rounds wait here. You'll listen, fill a gap, swap a word, and build a line.

They stay short, so you can hear the cushion before the no.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    German

    Kann ich kurz was dazu sagen?Drop the English here
    Vielleicht irre ich mich, aber ___.Drop the English here
    Ich verstehe, aber ich habe das Gefühl, ___.Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its German, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    Deniz just claimed the key is treasure. You want to speak without cutting him off.

  4. Fill the gap

    I might be wrong, but ___.

    Vielleicht ____ ich mich, aber ___.

  5. What does it mean?

    Ich bin nicht sicher, ob das stimmt.

  6. Swap the word

    Deniz is sure. Soften your doubt about the claim now, in the present.

    Ich ____ nicht sicher, ob das stimmt.

  7. Build the line

    I just want to add something.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  8. True or false?

    This line asks if you can add something quickly.

  9. True or false?

    Use this when part of you agrees and part of you does not.

  10. Which one doesn’t belong?

  11. What do you say?

    You see Deniz's view and Priya's doubt. You want both on the table.

Say it — say it softly

Now you are Priya at the bakery counter this afternoon. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. DenizDas ist ganz klar ein Schatz.That's clearly a treasure.
  2. Priya (you)Ask if you can add something quickly.

    Kann ich kurz was dazu sagen?

    Can I add something quickly?

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

GermanEnglish
Ich stimme dir zum Teil zu.I agree with you up to a point.
Kann ich kurz was dazu sagen?Can I add something quickly?
Vielleicht irre ich mich, aber ___.I might be wrong, but ___.
Ich verstehe, aber ich habe das Gefühl, ___.I understand, but I have a feeling ___.
Ich bin nicht sicher, ob das stimmt.I'm not sure that's right.
Ich will das nur ergänzen.I just want to add something.
Next: lesson 165Going along with it

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to keep these cushions handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps your soft no ready for the counter.

Open Yak Cards