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How to Say ‘To be honest, I'm sleeping badly at the moment.’ in German

Ehrlich gesagt schlafe ich gerade schlecht.

AIR-likh ge-zahkt SHLAH-feh ikh guh-RAH-duh shlekht

[AIR-likh ge-zahkt SHLAH-feh ikh guh-RAH-duh shlekht]

💬 Usage Tip: When ehrlich gesagt opens the sentence, the verb comes next and ich follows it: schlafe ich, not ich schlafe.

Phrase Breakdown

Ehrlich gesagt

AIR-likh ge-zahkt

Honestly / to be honest

A common opener. It takes the first position, so the verb follows next. 'Ehr-' has a long e.

Example

Ehrlich gesagt habe ich keine Lust.

To be honest, I don't feel like it.

Words in this phrase

Ehrlich

[AIR-likh]

honest(ly)

Adjective/adverb for being truthful.

Example

Sei ehrlich zu mir.

Be honest with me.

gesagt

[ge-zahkt]

said

The past form of 'say'.

Example

Du hast gesagt, es sei richtig.

You said it was right.

schlafe ich

SHLAH-feh ikh

I sleep

The verb comes second and the subject third (inversion). Link the two words smoothly.

Example

Hier schlafe ich gut.

I sleep well here.

Words in this phrase

schlafe

[SHLAH-feh]

sleep

Form of 'schlafen' for 'ich'.

Example

Ich schlafe acht Stunden.

I sleep eight hours.

ich

[ikh]

The pronoun 'ich' in nominative form.

Example

Ich bin da.

I am here.

gerade schlecht.

guh-RAH-duh shlekht

badly at the moment

'gerade' means 'right now'. 'schlecht' ends in 'cht', with the soft ch as in 'ich'.

Example

Das passt gerade schlecht.

That's not a good time right now.

Words in this phrase

gerade

[guh-RAH-duh]

currently; right now

Indicates that something is the case at the present moment.

Example

In Es gibt gerade ähnliche Stellen. bedeutet gerade „im Moment“.

In 'Es gibt gerade ähnliche Stellen.' 'gerade' means 'at the moment'.

schlecht

[shlekht]

bad

Adjective or adverb meaning bad or poorly; the opposite of gut.

Example

Das Wetter ist heute schlecht.

The weather is bad today.

Guides for German learners

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