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How to Say ‘Excuse me, may I ask you something quickly?’ in German

Entschuldigung, darf ich Sie kurz was fragen?

ent-SHOOL-dee-goong darf ikh zee koorts vas FRAH-gen

[ent-SHOOL-dee-goong darf ikh zee koorts vas FRAH-gen]

🇩🇪 In Germany: This is the standard polite way to stop a stranger in the street. kurz reassures them you won't take much of their time, which makes people more willing to stop, even in a busy carnival crowd.

Phrase Breakdown

Entschuldigung,

ent-SHOOL-dee-goong

Excuse me,

The standard polite way to get a stranger's attention. Stress the second syllable: ent-SCHUL-di-gung.

Example

Entschuldigung, wo ist der Bahnhof?

Excuse me, where is the station?

Words in this phrase

Entschuldigung

[ent-SHOOL-dee-goong]

excuse me / sorry

Used to get attention politely or to apologize for a small mistake.

Example

Entschuldigung, wo ist der Bahnhof?

Excuse me, where is the train station?

darf ich Sie

darf ikh zee

may I (ask) you

Polite request with the formal 'Sie'. Link the words smoothly: 'darf-ich-Sie'.

Example

Darf ich Sie etwas fragen?

May I ask you something?

Words in this phrase

darf

[darf]

may / am allowed to

A polite modal verb used to ask permission.

Example

Bevor ich nach der Unternehmenskultur frage, sage ich: Darf ich fragen?

Before I ask about company culture, I say: May I ask?

ich

[ikh]

The pronoun 'ich' in nominative form.

Example

Ich bin da.

I am here.

Sie

[zee]

you

The formal 'you' used in polite professional conversations.

Example

Ich freue mich, Sie hier auf der Jobmesse zu sehen.

I am pleased to see you here at the job fair.

kurz was fragen?

koorts vas FRAH-gen

quickly ask something?

Colloquial 'was' stands for 'etwas'. Let your voice rise at the end, because it's a question.

Example

Darf ich kurz was sagen?

May I quickly say something?

Words in this phrase

kurz

[koorts]

briefly, for a moment

Means short; as an adverb, for a short time.

Example

Kann ich kurz telefonieren?

Can I make a quick call?

was

[vas]

something

Colloquial short form of 'etwas'.

Example

Ich muss dir was sagen.

I have to tell you something.

fragen

[FRAH-gen]

ask

Infinitive verb meaning to ask a question; used after modal verbs like 'darf'.

Example

Ich möchte dich etwas fragen.

I'd like to ask you something.

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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