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How to Say ‘I can hardly understand you.’ in German

Ich verstehe dich kaum.

ikh fer-SHTAY-uh dikh kowm

[ikh fer-SHTAY-uh dikh kowm]

💬 Usage Tip: German needs no word for "can" here. Ich verstehe dich kaum works on its own, and kaum simply goes after the person: Ich höre dich kaum "I can hardly hear you".

Phrase Breakdown

Ich verstehe

ikh fer-SHTAY-uh

I understand

Stress the middle syllable: ver-STE-he. The 'st' at the start of a stem sounds like 'sht'.

Example

Ich verstehe das nicht.

I don't understand that.

Words in this phrase

Ich

[ikh]

The pronoun 'ich' in nominative form.

Example

Ich bin da.

I am here.

verstehe

[fer-SHTAY-uh]

I understand

A polite response meaning you understand what the other person said.

Example

Verstehe, Sie brauchen also ein leises Gerät.

I understand, so you need a quiet unit.

dich kaum.

dikh kowm

you hardly

'kaum' means 'hardly' or 'barely'. It rhymes with English 'come' said as 'cowm'.

Example

Ich habe kaum Zeit.

I hardly have time.

Words in this phrase

dich

[dikh]

you (singular/informal, accusative/reflexive)

Used for one person informally, often as the object or in reflexive verbs.

Example

Ich sehe dich morgen.

I will see you tomorrow.

kaum

[kowm]

hardly, barely

Adverb meaning almost not, only with difficulty.

Example

Ich habe kaum geschlafen.

I barely slept.

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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