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How to Say ‘That was too fast for me.’ in German

Das war zu schnell für mich.

dahs vah tsoo shnel fyr mikh

[dahs vah tsoo shnel fyr mikh]

🇩🇪 In Germany: Saying plainly that something went too fast is normal and not rude in Germany. Directness about not understanding is usually appreciated over nodding along.

Phrase Breakdown

Das war zu schnell

dahs vah tsoo shnel

That was too fast

'zu' is pronounced 'tsoo'. Stress 'schnell'.

Example

Das war zu schnell erklärt.

That was explained too quickly.

Words in this phrase

Das

[dahs]

that / it

Neutral pronoun/article referring to the situation or test result.

Example

Wir beobachten das nur.

We are just monitoring that.

war

[vah]

was

Past tense of 'is', used to describe something that happened or existed in the past.

Example

Er war ein großer Krieger.

He was a great warrior.

[tsoo]

too

Used with 'spät' to mean 'too late'.

Example

In Ich bin zu spät. verstärkt zu das Wort spät.

In I am too late., zu intensifies the word spät.

schnell

[shnel]

fast

means quick or fast

Example

Nach der Ansage geht es schnell.

After the announcement, it goes quickly.

für mich.

fyr mikh

for me.

Round your lips for the 'ü'. 'für' takes the accusative, so it is 'mich'.

Example

Ist das für mich?

Is that for me?

Words in this phrase

für

[fyr]

for

A preposition indicating purpose or destination.

Example

Das ist für dich.

This is for you.

mich

[mikh]

The pronoun 'mich' in accusative form.

Example

Hast du etwas für mich?

Do you have something for me?

Guides for German learners

Duolingo vs Pimsleur: Tapping on a Screen or Talking Out Loud?Duolingo vs Pimsleur: five minutes of tapping versus thirty minutes of speaking. What each is good at, what each costs, and which to pick for your goal.

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