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How to Say ‘Shall we share a starter?’ in German

Wollen wir eine Vorspeise teilen?

VOL-en veer EYE-nuh FOR-shpy-zeh TY-len

[VOL-en veer EYE-nuh FOR-shpy-zeh TY-len]

💬 Usage Tip: Wollen wir...? is a friendly way to suggest something, like "Shall we...?". The second verb goes to the end: Wollen wir gehen?

🇩🇪 In Germany: Suggesting a shared starter is a warm, low-pressure move on a date. Germans often share starters but rarely share mains.

Phrase Breakdown

Wollen wir

VOL-en veer

Shall we

'Wollen wir...?' is a common way to suggest something: 'Shall we...?' Both 'W's sound like 'v'.

Example

Wollen wir gehen?

Shall we go?

Words in this phrase

Wollen

[VOL-en]

want (to); shall we

Form of 'wollen'; with 'wir' it makes a polite suggestion like 'shall we'.

Example

Wollen wir etwas trinken?

Shall we have something to drink?

wir

[veer]

Pronoun for a group including the speaker.

Example

Wir arbeiten gern zusammen.

We like working together.

eine Vorspeise teilen?

EYE-nuh FOR-shpy-zeh TY-len

share a starter?

'Die Vorspeise' is a starter. 'Teilen' means 'to share' and goes to the end. The 'V' in 'Vorspeise' sounds like 'f', and 'sp' sounds like 'shp'.

Example

Wir können die Pizza teilen.

We can share the pizza.

Words in this phrase

eine

[EYE-nuh]

The feminine accusative article before 'Frage.'

Example

Ich möchte Ihnen eine Frage zur Arbeitskultur stellen.

I would like to ask you a question about work culture.

Vorspeise

[FOR-shpy-zeh]

starter, appetizer

The small dish eaten before the main course; literally 'before-food'.

Example

Als Vorspeise nehme ich eine Suppe.

As a starter I'll have a soup.

[TY-len]

to share

A verb meaning to give or exchange something with others, such as ideas or information.

Example

Auf Karrieremessen ist Teilen von Erfahrungen oft sehr hilfreich.

At career fairs, sharing experiences is often very helpful.

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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