Welcome! This short lesson helps you sound natural when you need to pause, think, or gently correct yourself. Try listening, repeating, and using these little phrases in real talk — they’re the glue of casual conversation.
Level A2: In Lesson 84 you'll practice common German filler phrases like Moment, ich überlege kurz; Na ja, ...; and Das ist eine gute Frage. These handy bits help you buy time, organize your thoughts, and stay polite when you aren't sure what to say. Think of them as tiny conversational tools you can use right away — a little Yak Yack to keep chat smooth.
After this lesson you'll be able to:
Recognize and repeat 13 common German fillers used in everyday speech.
Use fillers to pause, clarify, or soften answers in short conversations.
Practice A2-level spoken strategies for buying time and organizing thoughts.
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.
Moment, ich überlege kurz.
Let me think.
Meaning: Let me think.
When to use: When you need a short pause to think about an answer.
Moment, ich überlege kurz. Sollten wir am Samstag gehen oder Sonntag?
Let me think for a moment; should we go Saturday or Sunday?
Moment, ich überlege kurz — wie lange dauert der Film?
Let me think for a second — how long is the movie?
Einen Moment.
Just a moment.
Meaning: Just a moment.
When to use: To ask someone to wait for a very short time.
Einen Moment, ich hole schnell meinen Schlüssel.
Just a moment, I'll quickly get my key.
Einen Moment, ich bin gleich zurück.
Just a moment, I'll be right back.
Eine Sekunde.
One second.
Meaning: One second.
When to use: Informal quick pause when you need a tiny amount of time.
Eine Sekunde, ich prüfe das kurz auf meinem Handy.
One second, I'll quickly check that on my phone.
Sekunde, ich schreibe die Adresse auf.
One second, I'm writing down the address.
Wie sag ich das?
How can I say this?
Meaning: How can I say this?
When to use: When searching for the right words during speech.
Wie sag ich das? Es war eher... kompliziert.
How can I say this? It was kind of... complicated.
Wie sag ich das — er war sehr freundlich, aber zurückhaltend.
How can I say this — he was very friendly but reserved.
Ich meine, ___.
I mean, ___.
Meaning: I mean, ___.
When to use: To clarify or rephrase what you just said.
Tip: Beginners sometimes forget the comma and use wrong word order in the clause.
Ich meine, er hat wirklich geholfen, nicht nur gesagt, dass er helfen würde.
I mean, he really helped, not just said he would.
Ich meine, das Restaurant ist teuer, aber das Essen ist sehr gut.
I mean, the restaurant is expensive, but the food is very good.
Na ja, ___.
Well, ___.
Meaning: Well, ___.
When to use: At the start of an answer when you are thinking or hesitating.
Na ja, ich habe nicht so viel Erfahrung damit.
Well, I don't have much experience with that.
Na ja, vielleicht sollten wir später darüber sprechen.
Well, maybe we should talk about it later.
Eigentlich ___.
Actually, ___.
Meaning: Actually, ___.
When to use: To introduce a correction or contrast with what was expected.
Tip: Don't drop the verb later in the sentence; keep normal German word order after ‚eigentlich‘.
Eigentlich wollte ich früher kommen, aber der Zug hatte Verspätung.
Actually, I wanted to come earlier, but the train was delayed.
Eigentlich ist das Museum am Montag geschlossen.
Actually, the museum is closed on Monday.
Also, ___.
So, ___.
Meaning: So, ___.
When to use: To continue or organize your next point in conversation.
Also, wir treffen uns um acht und gehen dann essen.
So, we meet at eight and then go to eat.
Also, was denkst du über den Plan?
So, what do you think about the plan?
Die Sache ist, ___.
The thing is, ___.
Meaning: The thing is, ___.
When to use: To softly introduce the main point or a concern.
Die Sache ist, ich habe morgen schon einen Termin.
The thing is, I already have an appointment tomorrow.
Die Sache ist, das Auto ist nicht sehr zuverlässig.
The thing is, the car isn't very reliable.
Ich bin mir nicht sicher, aber ___.
I'm not sure, but ___.
Meaning: I'm not sure, but ___.
When to use: When you want to give an uncertain answer but still contribute.
Ich bin mir nicht sicher, aber ich glaube, der Kurs beginnt im September.
I'm not sure, but I think the course starts in September.
Ich bin mir nicht sicher, aber vielleicht ist das die bessere Option.
I'm not sure, but maybe that's the better option.
Das ist eine gute Frage.
That's a good question.
Meaning: That's a good question.
When to use: To buy time before you answer a question or when you want to acknowledge a thoughtful question.
Das ist eine gute Frage — ich muss kurz nachdenken.
That's a good question — I have to think for a moment.
Das ist eine gute Frage. Wie hätten Sie das gerne gelöst?
That's a good question. How would you like that solved?
Was wollte ich gerade sagen?
What was I saying?
Meaning: What was I saying?
When to use: When you lose your train of thought and want to recover the idea.
Was wollte ich gerade sagen? Ach ja, das Wetter nächste Woche.
What was I saying? Oh yes, the weather next week.
Was wollte ich gerade sagen — es war etwas Wichtiges zum Meeting.
What was I saying — it was something important about the meeting.
Wo war ich?
Where was I?
Meaning: Where was I?
When to use: To return to your previous point after a pause or interruption.
Wo war ich? Ah, richtig, das neue Budget.
Where was I? Ah, right, the new budget.
Wo war ich? Ich wollte noch sagen, dass wir das Projekt verschieben.
Where was I? I wanted to say that we will postpone the project.
2. Conversational Listening Practice
Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.
Anna asks about plans and David uses fillers to think and answer.
Who needs a moment to think before answering?
Anna
Das ist eine gute Frage. Wann wollen wir fahren?
That's a good question. When do we want to go?
David
Moment, ich überlege kurz. Hm ...
Let me think for a moment. Hm ...
Anna
Na ja, vielleicht am Samstag?
Well, maybe on Saturday?
David
Eigentlich wäre Sonntag besser. Ich bin mir nicht sicher, aber am Sonntag ist es ruhiger.
Actually Sunday would be better. I'm not sure, but Sunday is quieter.
Anna
Also, wir sagen Sonntag. Was wollte ich gerade sagen? Ach ja, Hotel buchen.
So, we say Sunday. What was I saying? Oh right, book the hotel.
David
Einen Moment, ich schreibe das auf.
Just a moment, I'll write that down.
3. Guided Practice
Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.
Which phrase would you use to politely buy a little time before answering?
Which filler best introduces a small correction or contrast?
If you lose your train of thought, which phrase helps you get back on track?
Which phrase organizes your next point or continues your thought?
Just a moment, I'll be right there.
You want someone to wait very briefly: "___, ich bin gleich da."
Actually, I meant Saturday, not Sunday.
You want to correct yourself: "___, ich wollte am Samstag, nicht Sonntag."
Where was I? — ah, that's what I wanted to say.
You lost your thought during a talk and want to recover: "___ — ach, das wollte ich sagen."
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.
