Question about German
-
Theodisce
- Orange Belt
- Posts: 239
- Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2015 9:18 am
- Location: Krakauer Baggersee
- Languages: Polish (native), speaks: English, Czech, German, Russian, French, Spanish, Italian. Writes in: Latin, Portuguese. Understands: Ancient Greek, Modern Greek, Slovak, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Serbian/Croatian. Studies for passive competence in: Romanian, Slovene, Bulgarian.
- Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1435
- x 471
Question about German
What do I say to a person I'm letting go ahead of me in the queue? I mean the whole sentence and not just "bitte" accompanied by an appropriate gesture.
0 x
BCS 400+ :
RUS 2800+ :
SPA 1500+ :
CZE 1900+ :
RUS 2800+ :
SPA 1500+ :
CZE 1900+ :
-
Finolia
- Yellow Belt
- Posts: 52
- Joined: Wed Mar 22, 2017 1:21 pm
- Location: Germany
- Languages: German (N), English (C1), French (B2), Spanish (A2), Vietnamese (beginner)
- Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... php?t=7587
- x 97
Re: Question about German
It depends on the situation 
You could simply say "Nach Ihnen", as you would when you let someone through a door before you go. Or "Sie können vor, wenn Sie möchten." "Möchten Sie vor?" "Gehen Sie ruhig vor." etc. In the supermarket you could accompany it by the reason, e.g. "Sie haben nur so wenig, möchten Sie vor?" or "Sie können gerne vorgehen, ich habe Zeit/ ich habe es nicht so eilig" or "Sie haben nicht viel, wollen Sie zuerst?"... There are probably a lot more 
You could simply say "Nach Ihnen", as you would when you let someone through a door before you go. Or "Sie können vor, wenn Sie möchten." "Möchten Sie vor?" "Gehen Sie ruhig vor." etc. In the supermarket you could accompany it by the reason, e.g. "Sie haben nur so wenig, möchten Sie vor?" or "Sie können gerne vorgehen, ich habe Zeit/ ich habe es nicht so eilig" or "Sie haben nicht viel, wollen Sie zuerst?"... There are probably a lot more
6 x
Please feel free to correct whatever I write
Elementary Vietnamese:
Elementary Vietnamese:
-
Theodisce
- Orange Belt
- Posts: 239
- Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2015 9:18 am
- Location: Krakauer Baggersee
- Languages: Polish (native), speaks: English, Czech, German, Russian, French, Spanish, Italian. Writes in: Latin, Portuguese. Understands: Ancient Greek, Modern Greek, Slovak, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Serbian/Croatian. Studies for passive competence in: Romanian, Slovene, Bulgarian.
- Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1435
- x 471
Re: Question about German
Thank you very much! Kommen Sie bitte nach vorne does not work in this context, right? (BTW, I was thinking about the way one does express this idea in my native language and could not find anything apart from the Polish equivalent to "bitte").
0 x
BCS 400+ :
RUS 2800+ :
SPA 1500+ :
CZE 1900+ :
RUS 2800+ :
SPA 1500+ :
CZE 1900+ :
-
Josquin
- Blue Belt
- Posts: 646
- Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 2:38 pm
- Location: Germany
- Languages: German (native); English (advanced fluency); French (basic fluency); Italian, Swedish, Russian, Irish (intermediate); Dutch, Icelandic, Japanese, Portuguese, Scottish Gaelic (beginner); Latin, Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew, Sanskrit (reading only)
- Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=737
- x 1764
Re: Question about German
No, "Kommen Sie (bitte) nach vorne" could be said by the person at the desk but not by someone standing in the queue. Or maybe, it could be said by the first person in the queue, but that would mean the person could skip the whole queue.
I'd probably just ask "Möchten Sie vor?" with an inviting hand gesture.
I'd probably just ask "Möchten Sie vor?" with an inviting hand gesture.
3 x
Oró, sé do bheatha abhaile! Anois ar theacht an tsamhraidh.
-
Theodisce
- Orange Belt
- Posts: 239
- Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2015 9:18 am
- Location: Krakauer Baggersee
- Languages: Polish (native), speaks: English, Czech, German, Russian, French, Spanish, Italian. Writes in: Latin, Portuguese. Understands: Ancient Greek, Modern Greek, Slovak, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Serbian/Croatian. Studies for passive competence in: Romanian, Slovene, Bulgarian.
- Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1435
- x 471
Re: Question about German
Josquin wrote:No, "Kommen Sie (bitte) nach vorne" could be said by the person at the desk but not by someone standing in the queue. Or maybe, it could be said by the first person in the queue, but that would mean the person could skip the whole queue.
I'd probably just ask "Möchten Sie vor?" with an inviting hand gesture.
Thank you, Josquin! Actually, today I was one of the only two persons in the queue, so it would theoretically apply. However, I got "Wohin" als an answer and repeated "nach vorne" while pointing the direction with my hand.
0 x
BCS 400+ :
RUS 2800+ :
SPA 1500+ :
CZE 1900+ :
RUS 2800+ :
SPA 1500+ :
CZE 1900+ :
-
Josquin
- Blue Belt
- Posts: 646
- Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 2:38 pm
- Location: Germany
- Languages: German (native); English (advanced fluency); French (basic fluency); Italian, Swedish, Russian, Irish (intermediate); Dutch, Icelandic, Japanese, Portuguese, Scottish Gaelic (beginner); Latin, Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew, Sanskrit (reading only)
- Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=737
- x 1764
Re: Question about German
Well, it would only work if there was a real queue of several people, you being the first and the other person being last or at least near the end of the queue. "Kommen Sie nach vorne" implies that the person is "hinten", otherwise it makes no sense.
As I said, the best option would be asking "Möchten Sie vor?" or saying something like "Bitte nach Ihnen".
As I said, the best option would be asking "Möchten Sie vor?" or saying something like "Bitte nach Ihnen".
2 x
Oró, sé do bheatha abhaile! Anois ar theacht an tsamhraidh.
Return to “Practical Questions and Advice”
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests