Making Requests
Learn to ask for things politely in various situations.
Polite Requests
| English | German |
|---|---|
| Could you…? | Könntest du…? |
| Would you mind…? | Würde es dir etwas ausmachen…? |
| Would it be possible to…? | Wäre es möglich…? |
| I was wondering if you could… | Ich fragte mich, ob du… könntest |
| Do you think you could…? | Denkst du, du könntest…? |
Informal Requests
| English | German |
|---|---|
| Can you…? | Kannst du…? |
| Will you…? | Wirst du…? |
| Do me a favor? | Mir einen Gefallen tun? |
| Give me a hand? | Mir helfen? |
Responding to Requests
| English | German |
|---|---|
| Sure, no problem. | Klar, kein Problem. |
| Of course! | Natürlich! |
| I’d be happy to. | Gerne! |
| I’m afraid I can’t. | Leider kann ich nicht. |
| Sorry, I’m busy right now. | Tut mir leid, ich bin gerade beschäftigt. |
Example Dialogues
Formal:
Could you please send me the report by tomorrow? Of course, I’ll have it on your desk by noon.
Informal:
Hey, can you help me move this weekend? Sure, what time?
The more indirect a request, the more polite it sounds. Could you possibly… is more polite than Can you…, which is more polite than Do this. Match your level of formality to the situation.