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How to Say ‘What time had you thought of?’ in German

An welche Uhrzeit hatten Sie denn gedacht?

ahn VEL-khuh OOR-tsite HAH-ten zee guh-DAHKHT

[ahn VEL-khuh OOR-tsite HAH-ten zee guh-DAHKHT]

💬 Usage Tip: "To think of" is denken an, so an comes at the very start of the question. The denn adds a friendly, interested tone rather than any meaning.

Phrase Breakdown

An welche Uhrzeit

ahn VEL-khuh OOR-tsite

Of what time

'denken an' means 'to think of', and it takes the accusative. 'Uhrzeit' means 'time of day'. Say it as one smooth phrase.

Example

An welche Uhrzeit denken Sie?

What time are you thinking of?

Words in this phrase

[ahn]

about

Used to express relation or connection.

Example

Er redet an mich vorbei.

He talks past me.

welche

[VEL-khuh]

which

Question word used to ask about a choice among options.

Example

Welche Firmen möchten Sie besuchen?

Which companies would you like to visit?

Uhrzeit

[OOR-tsite]

time (of day)

The clock time something happens.

Example

Um welche Uhrzeit kommen Sie?

At what time are you coming?

hatten Sie denn gedacht?

HAH-ten zee guh-DAHKHT

had you thought?

The particle 'denn' makes the question sound friendly and interested. Stress falls on 'gedacht'.

Example

Was hatten Sie denn gedacht?

What had you thought, then?

Words in this phrase

hatten

[HAH-ten]

had

Past tense of 'haben'.

Example

Wir hatten Glück.

We were lucky.

Sie

[zee]

you (formal)

Formal pronoun Sie used to address one person politely.

Example

Kommen Sie bitte herein.

Please come in.

denn

gedacht

[guh-DAHKHT]

thought

Past form of think; considered or regarded.

Example

Er dachte, es wäre einfach.

He thought it would be easy.

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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