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How to Say ‘Just hold it to the reader.’ in German

Einfach ans Gerät halten.

INE-fakh ans ge-RAIT HAL-ten

[INE-fakh ans ge-RAIT HAL-ten]

💬 Usage Tip: ans is a squeezed form of an das "onto the". German often merges these: am for an dem, zum for zu dem.

Phrase Breakdown

Einfach

[INE-fakh]

just

Softens a suggestion, meaning 'just go ahead and'.

Example

Komm einfach vorbei.

Just come by.

ans Gerät halten.

ans ge-RAIT HAL-ten

hold [it] to the device.

'Ans' is short for 'an das'. 'Gerät' means 'device', such as a card reader. Using the infinitive at the end gives a short, polite instruction.

Example

Die Karte ans Gerät halten.

Hold the card to the device.

Words in this phrase

ans

[ans]

to the / against the

Contraction of 'an das'.

Example

Ich gehe ans Fenster.

I go to the window.

Gerät

[ge-RAIT]

device; card reader

General word for a machine or appliance.

Example

Das Gerät ist kaputt.

The device is broken.

halten

[HAL-ten]

hold

Verb meaning to keep something in a position, e.g. a card near a reader.

Example

Bitte die Karte ans Gerät halten.

Please hold the card to the device.

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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