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How to Say ‘Please step onto the scale for a moment.’ in German

Stellen Sie sich bitte kurz auf die Waage.

SHTEL-len zee zikh BEE-tuh koorts owf dee VAH-geh

[SHTEL-len zee zikh BEE-tuh koorts owf dee VAH-geh]

🇩🇪 In Germany: kurz "briefly" softens a request. Staff use it all the time to make instructions sound less like orders.

Phrase Breakdown

Stellen Sie sich

SHTEL-len zee zikh

Stand / place yourself (formal)

Formal request using 'sich stellen'. Say 'SHTEL-len zee zich'.

Example

Stellen Sie sich in die Reihe.

Get in line.

Words in this phrase

Stellen

[SHTEL-len]

stand (yourself)

With 'sich', means to go and stand somewhere.

Example

Stellen Sie sich an die Wand.

Stand against the wall.

Sie

[zee]

You (formal)

Formal second-person pronoun.

Example

Denken Sie, dass Netzwerken wichtig ist?

Do you think networking is important?

sich

[zikh]

yourself

A reflexive pronoun meaning 'yourself' or 'oneself.'

Example

Wie sehen Sie sich in der Zukunft?

How do you see yourself in the future?

bitte kurz

BEE-tuh koorts

please, briefly

'kurz' here means 'for a moment'. It makes the request polite.

Example

Kommen Sie bitte kurz.

Please come for a moment.

Words in this phrase

bitte

[BEE-tuh]

please

Bitte is used to make a polite request.

Example

Könnten Sie mir bitte helfen?

Could you please help me?

kurz

[koorts]

briefly; short

Kurz means short or briefly, depending on context.

Example

Bitte antworten Sie kurz.

Please answer briefly.

auf die Waage.

owf dee VAH-geh

onto the scale

'auf' plus the accusative shows movement onto something. Say 'auf dee VAA-ge'.

Example

Stell den Koffer auf die Waage.

Put the suitcase on the scale.

Words in this phrase

auf

[owf]

Used to denote a position above something.

Example

Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch.

The book is on the table.

die

[dee]

the

Definite article used to specify something already known.

Example

Die Katze ist süß.

The cat is cute.

Waage

[VAH-geh]

scale

Device for measuring weight; feminine noun.

Example

Die Waage steht im Bad.

The scale is in the bathroom.

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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