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How to Say ‘Hi, do you have a minute?’ in German

Hallo, hast du kurz Zeit?

HAH-loh hahst doo koorts tsayt

[HAH-loh hahst doo koorts tsayt]

🇩🇪 In Germany: Many German offices, especially younger or international ones, use du between colleagues. In a more traditional workplace, you would ask Haben Sie kurz Zeit? instead.

Phrase Breakdown

Hallo,

HAH-loh

Hello,

A standard friendly greeting. Stress the first syllable: HA-llo.

Example

Hallo, wie geht's?

Hello, how are you?

Words in this phrase

Hallo

[HAH-loh]

hello

A common informal greeting in German, used like 'hello' or 'hi'.

Example

Hallo, schön dich zu sehen.

Hello, nice to see you.

hast du kurz Zeit?

hahst doo koorts tsayt

do you have a moment?

Informal request for someone's time. 'Zeit' starts with a 'ts' sound and rhymes with English 'bite'.

Example

Hast du kurz Zeit für mich?

Do you have a moment for me?

Words in this phrase

hast

[hahst]

have

The verb 'haben' in second person singular form.

Example

Hast du Hunger?

Are you hungry?

[doo]

you (singular/informal)

Used when speaking to one person informally.

Example

Wie fühlst du dich heute Abend?

How do you feel this evening?

kurz

[koorts]

briefly / short

Adverb or adjective meaning for a short time or in a short way.

Example

Können wir nur kurz über den Preis sprechen?

Can we just briefly talk about the price?

Zeit

[tsayt]

time

Refers to the concept of time.

Example

Ich habe keine Zeit.

I have no time.

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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