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How to Say ‘Only a little German’ in German

Nur ein bisschen Deutsch

noor ine BISS-khen doytch

[noor ine BISS-khen doytch]

Phrase Breakdown

Nur ein

noor ine

Only a

'Nur' means 'only'. The 'u' is long, like 'noor'. It flows straight into the next part.

Example

Nur ein Kaffee, bitte.

Just one coffee, please.

Words in this phrase

Nur

[noor]

only; just

Limits the meaning to one thing.

Example

Nur dein Getränk sieht so unbeaufsichtigt aus, nicht dein Charme.

Only your drink looks so unattended, not your charm.

ein

[ine]

The indefinite article 'ein'.

Example

Ich brauche ein Auto.

I need a car.

bisschen Deutsch

BISS-khen doytch

little German

'Ein bisschen' means 'a little'. 'Deutsch' sounds like 'doytsh'.

Example

Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch.

I speak a little German.

Words in this phrase

bisschen

[BISS-khen]

little bit

Used to ask for a small amount of something, such as milk or sugar.

Example

Nur ein bisschen Milch, bitte.

Just a little milk, please.

Deutsch

[doytch]

German

The German language; written with a capital letter as a noun.

Example

Deutsch ist eine schöne Sprache.

German is a beautiful language.

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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