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How to Say ‘I'm afraid it's cash only.’ in German

Geht leider nur bar.

geht LY-dair noor bahr

[geht LY-dair noor bahr]

💬 Usage Tip: geht "goes" is used to say whether something is possible: Geht das? "Is that possible?" Leaving out es at the start is normal in casual speech.

Phrase Breakdown

Geht leider

geht LY-dair

Unfortunately it only works

This is a short colloquial form of 'Es geht leider…'. Here 'geht' means 'works' or 'is possible'.

Example

Geht leider nicht.

Unfortunately that's not possible.

Words in this phrase

Geht

[geht]

goes

Used inquiring about condition.

Example

Wie geht dein Tag bisher?

How is your day going so far?

leider

[LY-dair]

unfortunately

Adds mock regret. In playful flirting, it often sounds dramatic rather than serious.

Example

Leider bist du gerade interessant genug geworden, dass ich bleiben muss.

Unfortunately, you’ve just become interesting enough that I have to stay.

nur bar.

noor bahr

with cash only.

'bar' means 'in cash'. 'nur' means 'only'.

Example

Hier zahlt man nur bar.

Here you pay in cash only.

Words in this phrase

nur

[noor]

only

No more than; exclusively.

Example

Nur du kannst das tun.

Only you can do that.

bar

[bahr]

cash

Used to mean payment in cash, not by card.

Example

Ich zahle bar.

I pay in cash.

Guides for German learners

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