Moving a Report Deadline | Learn German in English

About This Lesson

Use Moving a Report Deadline to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Ich brauche mehr Zeit für den Bericht.

ikh BROW-khuh mair TSYTE fyoor den beh-RIKHT. I need more time for the report.

Was hält die Arbeit auf?

vahs helt dee AR-bite owf? What's slowing things down?

Einige Informationen fehlen noch.

EYE-ni-guh in-for-mah-TSYOH-nen FAY-len nokh. Some information is still missing.

Wie viel mehr Zeit brauchst du?

vee feel mair TSYTE browkhst doo? How much more time do you need?

Könnten wir die Frist auf einen späteren Zeitpunkt in dieser Woche verschieben?

KUERN-ten veer dee FRIST owf EYE-nen SHPAY-ter-en TSYTE-poongkt in DEE-zer VO-khuh fer-SHEE-ben? Could we move the deadline to later this week?

Das passt, aber schick dem Team ein kurzes Update.

dahs pahst, AH-ber shik daym teem eye-n KOOR-tses UP-dayt. That works, but send the team a short update.

Ich erkläre, was fertig ist und was noch fehlt.

ikh air-KLAY-ruh, vahs FAIR-tikh ist oont vahs nokh faylt. I'll explain what is ready and what is still missing.

So können alle die Verzögerung einplanen.

zoh KURN-en AH-luh dee fer-TSUR-guh-roong EYE-nplah-nen. That will help everyone plan around the delay.

Word by Word

Ich Ich means “I” and is the speaker doing the action in “Ich brauche”. It is used as the subject before a verb; new example: “Ich lerne Deutsch.”

brauche brauche means “need” in “Ich brauche mehr Zeit”. This is the form used with Ich; a reusable pattern is “Ich brauche ...” followed by the thing needed.

mehr mehr means “more” or “additional” in “mehr Zeit”. It shows that the speaker needs an amount greater than what is currently available; a reusable pattern is “mehr + noun”, such as “mehr Informationen”.

Zeit Zeit means “time” in “mehr Zeit für den Bericht”. It names the additional time needed for the report; a reusable pattern is “Zeit für ...” when specifying what the time is needed for.

für für means “for” in “für den Bericht” and links the needed time to the report. A reliable reuse pattern is “Zeit für + noun”, as in “Zeit für die Aufgabe” in a new example.

den den means “the” in “für den Bericht”. Here it introduces the specific report being discussed; the reusable phrase is “für den ...” before a masculine noun in this kind of phrase.

Bericht Bericht means “report” in “den Bericht”. It is the document for which more time is needed; a reusable pattern is “einen Bericht schreiben” in a new example.

Was Was means “what” in the question “Was hält die Arbeit auf?”. The lowercase form “was” also introduces the content clause in “was fertig ist und was noch fehlt”; use it to ask about or introduce information.

hält hält means “holds up” or “slows down” as part of “hält die Arbeit auf”. It is separated from “auf” in this question; a reusable pattern is “Was hält ... auf?” when asking what is causing a delay.

die die means “the” in “die Arbeit”. It identifies the specific work that is being held up; here it comes directly before “Arbeit” as the subject of the question.

Arbeit Arbeit means “work” in “die Arbeit”. It is what is being slowed down in the conversation; a reusable pattern is “die Arbeit machen” in a new example.

auf auf completes the separated expression “hält die Arbeit auf”, meaning that something slows the work down. Keep it at the end of the main clause in a pattern such as “Das hält mich auf” in a new example.

Einige Einige means “some” in “Einige Informationen”. It introduces an unspecified part of the information; a reusable pattern is “Einige + plural noun”, such as “Einige Fragen” in a new example.

Informationen Informationen means “information” in the plural phrase “Einige Informationen”. These are the pieces of information that are still missing; a reusable pattern is “Informationen fehlen” when information is not available.

fehlen fehlen means “are missing” in “Informationen fehlen noch”. The missing things are the subject of this expression, so the sentence presents the information as absent; a reusable pattern is “Mir fehlen ...” in a new example.

noch noch means “still” in “fehlen noch”, showing that the information remains missing at this point. A reusable pattern is “noch fehlen”, as in “Einige Angaben fehlen noch” in a new example.

Wie Wie means “how” in “Wie viel mehr Zeit brauchst du?”. Together with “viel” it asks about the amount of time needed; a reusable pattern is “Wie viel ...?” for asking about an amount.

viel viel means “much” in “Wie viel mehr Zeit”. It helps ask for the amount of additional time; use “Wie viel + noun” with an amount, as in “Wie viel Zeit?” in a new example.

brauchst brauchst means “need” in “brauchst du”. It is the form used when addressing one person with du; a reusable question pattern is “Wie viel ... brauchst du?”.

du du means “you” in “brauchst du”. It identifies the person whose needed amount of time is being asked about; it is used for directly addressing one person in an informal context.

Könnten Könnten means “could” in the polite suggestion “Könnten wir ... verschieben?”. It makes the request less direct; a reusable pattern is “Könnten wir ...?” when proposing a joint action.

wir wir means “we” in “Könnten wir”. It presents the proposed action as something the speaker and listener might do together; a reusable pattern is “Wir können ...” for a shared possibility.

Frist Frist means “deadline” in “die Frist ... verschieben”. It is the time limit that the speakers want to move; a reusable pattern is “eine Frist verschieben” in a new example.

einen einen means “a” or “an” in “einen späteren Zeitpunkt”. It introduces one possible later point in time; here it comes before “späteren Zeitpunkt” in the proposed scheduling phrase.

späteren späteren means “later” in “einen späteren Zeitpunkt”. It describes the point in time as later than the current planned one; a reusable pattern is “ein späterer Zeitpunkt” in a new example.

Zeitpunkt Zeitpunkt means “point in time” in “einen späteren Zeitpunkt”. It specifies when the deadline should be moved to; a reusable pattern is “zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt” in a new example.

in in means “in” in “in dieser Woche”. It places the proposed point in the time period of this week; a reusable pattern is “in + time period”, such as “in diesem Monat” in a new example.

dieser dieser means “this” in “dieser Woche”. It points to the particular week that includes the current conversation; a reusable pattern is “in dieser Woche” when referring to the current week.

Woche Woche means “week” in “dieser Woche”. It gives the time period within which the later point should fall; a reusable pattern is “diese Woche” in a new example.

verschieben verschieben means “move” or “postpone” in “die Frist ... verschieben”. It describes changing the deadline to a later point; after “Könnten wir”, the infinitive “verschieben” stays at the end of the question.

Das Das means “that” in “Das passt”. It refers to the suggested change of deadline and presents it as acceptable; a reusable pattern is “Das passt” when agreeing that an arrangement works.

passt passt means “works” or “suits” in “Das passt”. It expresses acceptance of the proposed time; a reusable expression is “Das passt für mich” in a new example.

aber aber means “but” in “Das passt, aber ...”. It connects agreement with an additional request or condition; a reusable pattern is “..., aber ...” when adding a limitation.

schick schick means “send” in the direct request “schick dem Team ein kurzes Update”. It addresses one person informally and asks for an action; a reusable pattern is “Schick jemandem etwas” in a new example.

dem dem means “the” or “to the” in “dem Team”. It marks the team as the recipient of the update; a reusable pattern is “jemandem etwas schicken”, with the recipient before the thing sent.

Team Team means “team” in “dem Team”. It is the group that should receive the short update; a reusable pattern is “dem Team Bescheid geben” in a new example.

ein ein means “a” or “an” in “ein kurzes Update”. It introduces one update that should be sent; here it comes before the description “kurzes” and the noun “Update”.

kurzes kurzes means “short” in “ein kurzes Update”. It describes the update as brief; a reusable pattern is “ein kurzes + noun”, such as “ein kurzes Gespräch” in a new example.

Update Update means “update” in “ein kurzes Update”. It is the brief information the team should receive about the delay; a reusable pattern is “ein Update schicken” in a new example.

erkläre erkläre means “explain” in “Ich erkläre”. It states that the speaker will give information about what is ready and missing; a reusable pattern is “Ich erkläre, was ...” when introducing an explanation.

fertig fertig means “ready” or “finished” in “was fertig ist”. It describes the work that has been completed; a reusable pattern is “etwas ist fertig” when saying that something is ready.

ist ist means “is” in “was fertig ist”. It links the subject of the clause with the description “fertig”; a reusable pattern is “etwas ist fertig” in a new example.

und und means “and” in “was fertig ist und was noch fehlt”. It joins the information about what is ready with the information about what is missing; use it to connect two related parts.

fehlt fehlt means “is missing” in “was noch fehlt”. It describes the information or item that is still not available; a reusable pattern is “was noch fehlt” when explaining an unfinished task.

So So means “so” or “in this way” in “So können alle ...”. It introduces the result of giving the update; a reusable pattern is “So können ...” when explaining how an action enables a result.

können können means “can” in “können alle ... einplanen”. It expresses that everyone will be able to plan for the delay; a reusable pattern is “So können wir ...” for describing what an action makes possible.

alle alle means “everyone” or “all” in “alle ... einplanen”. It refers to all the people involved in the work; a reusable pattern is “alle können ...” when describing what the whole group can do.

Verzögerung Verzögerung means “delay” in “die Verzögerung einplanen”. It names the delayed progress that everyone should take into account; a reusable pattern is “eine Verzögerung einplanen” in a new example.

einplanen einplanen means “plan for” or “schedule” in “die Verzögerung einplanen”. It describes including the delay in everyone’s planning; after “können”, the infinitive “einplanen” remains at the end of the clause.

Grammar Points

aufhalten → hält ... auf

Die Verzögerung hält die Arbeit auf.

dee fer-TSUR-guh-roong helt dee AR-bite owf.

The delay holds up the work.

In a main clause, the separable prefix auf moves to the end of the sentence.

fehlen + Dativ

Die Information fehlt mir.

dee in-for-mah-TSYOHN faylt meer.

I am missing the information.

With fehlen, the missing thing is the subject; the person affected is expressed in the dative.

German Vocabulary

Arbeit noun

AR-bite work

die Arbeit

aufhalten verb

OWF-hahl-ten to slow down; to hold up hält ... auf

Was hält die Arbeit auf?

Bericht noun

beh-RIKHT report

für den Bericht

brauchen verb

BROW-khen to need brauche

Ich brauche mehr Zeit

erklären verb

air-KLAY-ren to explain erkläre

Ich erkläre

fehlen verb

FAY-len to be missing

Informationen fehlen noch

Frist noun

FRIST deadline

die Frist ... verschieben

Information noun

in-for-mah-TSYOHN information

Einige Informationen

Update noun

UP-dayt update

ein kurzes Update

verschieben verb

fer-SHEE-ben to move; to postpone

die Frist ... verschieben

Zeit noun

TSYTE time

mehr Zeit

Zeitpunkt noun

TSYTE-poongkt point in time; time

einen späteren Zeitpunkt

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

What's slowing things down?

Show Answer

Was hält die Arbeit auf?

Some information is still missing.

Show Answer

Einige Informationen fehlen noch.

How much more time do you need?

Show Answer

Wie viel mehr Zeit brauchst du?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

time

Show Answer

Zeit

work

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Arbeit

information

Show Answer

Information

to need

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brauche