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How to Say ‘Provisionally for now’ in German

Schon mal vorläufig

shohn mahl FOR-loy-fikh

[shohn mahl FOR-loy-fikh]

💬 Usage Tip: schon mal here doesn't mean "already once". It means "for now, as a first step", as in Ich bestelle schon mal "I'll go ahead and order".

Phrase Breakdown

Schon

[shohn]

already

By this time; prior to a specified time.

Example

Er ist schon weg.

He is already gone.

mal

[mahl]

just / for now

A softening particle; together with 'schon' it means 'in the meantime, in advance'.

Example

Ich deck schon mal den Tisch.

I'll just set the table in the meantime.

vorläufig

[FOR-loy-fikh]

provisionally

For now, not yet final or confirmed.

Example

Der Termin ist vorläufig gebucht.

The date is provisionally booked.

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