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How to Say ‘Couldn't you get me a bit closer somehow?’ in German

Ginge es nicht doch irgendwie näher dran?

GING-eh es nicht doch EER-gent-vee NAY-er drahn

[GING-eh es nicht doch EER-gent-vee NAY-er drahn]

🇩🇪 In Germany: Pushing back gently like this is fine. Expect a firm no if stopping there is genuinely forbidden.

Phrase Breakdown

Ginge es nicht

GING-eh es nicht

Wouldn't it be possible

This polite subjunctive opens the question.

Example

Ginge es nicht schneller?

Couldn't it go faster?

Words in this phrase

Ginge

[GING-eh]

would it work / would it go

Subjunctive of 'gehen'; politely asks if something is possible.

Example

Ginge es auch morgen?

Would tomorrow work too?

[es]

A neutral pronoun used to refer to a thing previously mentioned.

Example

Es ist ein schöner Tag.

It is a beautiful day.

nicht

[nicht]

not

Used to negate a sentence.

Example

Dieses Angebot gibt's nicht mehr.

This offer no longer exists.

doch irgendwie

doch EER-gent-vee

somehow after all

'doch' adds persistence and hope, and 'irgendwie' means 'somehow'.

Example

Es geht doch irgendwie.

It works somehow after all.

Words in this phrase

doch

[doch]

after all

Used to imply that something is expected or should not be surprising.

Example

Das ist doch klar.

That is clear after all.

irgendwie

[EER-gent-vee]

somehow

In some way, not specified.

Example

Das schaffen wir irgendwie.

We'll manage it somehow.

näher dran?

NAY-er drahn

closer to it?

'näher' means 'closer'. 'dran' is colloquial for 'daran' (to it). The 'ä' sounds like a long 'e'.

Example

Können wir näher dran parken?

Can we park closer?

Words in this phrase

näher

[NAY-er]

closer

Comparative of 'nah' (near).

Example

Kommen Sie bitte näher.

Please come closer.

dran

[drahn]

to it / near it

Short for 'daran'; here, close to the place.

Example

Wir sind schon nah dran.

We're already close to it.

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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