👂⏳

How to Say ‘Listen up for a moment!’ in German

Hört mal kurz her!

hurt mahl koorts hair

[hurt mahl koorts hair]

💬 Usage Tip: mal and kurz soften the command, so it sounds friendly rather than bossy. The verb is herhören, and her goes to the end.

Phrase Breakdown

Hört mal

hurt mahl

Listen

An informal command to a group. 'mal' softens it. Round your lips for the 'ö'.

Example

Hört mal, die Musik!

Listen, the music!

Words in this phrase

Hört

[hurt]

listen (you all)

Plural informal imperative of 'hören'; with 'her' it means 'listen up'.

Example

Kinder, hört gut zu!

Kids, listen carefully!

mal

[mahl]

(softener) just

A small particle that makes a request or question sound casual and friendly.

Example

Komm mal her!

Come here for a sec!

kurz her!

koorts hair

for a moment!

'kurz' means briefly. 'her' completes the verb 'herhören', which means to listen up.

Example

Schau mal kurz her!

Look over here for a moment!

Words in this phrase

kurz

[koorts]

briefly, for a moment

Means short; as an adverb, for a short time.

Example

Kann ich kurz telefonieren?

Can I make a quick call?

her

[hair]

here (toward the speaker)

Adverb showing movement toward the speaker.

Example

Komm sofort her!

Come here right now!

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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