Explaining Where the Line Starts | Learn German in English

About This Lesson

Use Explaining Where the Line Starts to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Entschuldigung, ich glaube, die Schlange beginnt hinter dieser Frau.

ent-SHOOL-di-goong, ikh GLOW-buh, dee SHLAHNG-uh beh-GINNT HIN-ter DEE-zer frow. Excuse me, I think the line starts behind that woman.

Mir war nicht klar, dass alle anstehen.

meer vahr nikht klahr, dahss AH-luh AHN-shtay-en. I did not realize everyone was waiting in line.

Es ist etwas unklar, weil die Leute mit Abstand stehen.

ess ist ET-vahs oon-KLAHR, vyle dee LOY-tuh mit AHP-shtahnt SHTAY-en. It is a bit unclear because people are standing apart.

Soll ich dann ans Ende gehen?

zohl ikh dahn ahns EN-duh GAY-en? Should I go to the back, then?

Bitte tun Sie das. Alle warten, bis sie an der Reihe sind.

BIT-tuh toon zee dahs. AH-luh VAR-ten, biss zee ahn day RYE-uh zint. Please do. Everyone has been waiting for their turn.

Ich gehe nach hinten. Ich habe nur nicht gesehen, wo die Schlange anfängt.

ikh GAY-uh nahkh HIN-ten. ikh HAH-buh noor nikht guh-ZAY-en, voh dee SHLAHNG-uh AHN-fayngt. I will move back. I just missed where the line began.

Das Ende der Schlange ist gleich hinter diesen Leuten.

dahs EN-duh dair SHLAHNG-uh ist glykh HIN-ter DEE-zen LOY-ten. The end of the line is just past those people.

Jetzt sehe ich es. Ich werde dort warten.

yetst ZAY-uh ikh ess. ikh VAIR-duh dort VAR-ten. I see it now. I will wait there.

Damit sollte die Reihenfolge klar bleiben.

dah-MIT ZOHL-tuh dee RYE-en-fol-guh klahr BLY-ben. That should keep the order clear.

Ich habe die Situation falsch verstanden, aber ich kann das in Ordnung bringen.

ikh HAH-buh dee zee-too-ah-TSYOHN FAHLSH fer-SHTAHN-den, AH-ber ikh kahn dahs in ORT-noong BRING-en. I misunderstood the situation, but I can fix it.

Word by Word

Entschuldigung “Entschuldigung” is a polite way to get someone’s attention before speaking, here before correcting the line position. It is useful when addressing an unfamiliar person in a public place.

ich “ich” means “I” and identifies the speaker as the person giving the opinion. It commonly appears before a verb when the speaker describes their own thought or action.

glaube “glaube” means “think” or “believe” in “ich glaube”. It presents the statement as the speaker’s view rather than as a forceful claim. Use “ich glaube” when giving a careful opinion in conversation.

die In “die Schlange”, “die” marks the specific line being discussed. It appears directly before the noun. This pattern is useful when referring to a known person, place, or thing.

Schlange “Schlange” means “line” or “queue” here, not an animal. In “die Schlange beginnt”, it names the queue whose starting point is being explained. Use it when talking about a public line.

beginnt “beginnt” means “starts” or “begins” in “die Schlange beginnt”. It is the verb form of beginnen used with the singular subject “die Schlange”. Use it to identify where an event, route, or line starts.

hinter “hinter” means “behind” and places one person or thing relative to another. In “hinter dieser Frau”, it identifies the position behind the woman. Use it with a person or place when explaining a location.

dieser “dieser” means “this” and points to the particular woman being indicated. In “dieser Frau”, it works together with the noun to identify someone nearby. Use it when distinguishing one specific person from others.

Frau “Frau” means “woman” in “dieser Frau”. It identifies the person used as the reference point for the line. Use it when referring to an adult woman in a neutral way.

Mir “Mir” means “to me” and identifies the person for whom something was or was not clear. In “Mir war nicht klar”, it introduces the speaker’s understanding of the situation. This pattern is useful for saying that something was clear or unclear to someone.

war “war” means “was” in “Mir war nicht klar” and describes an earlier state of understanding. It is a form of sein. Use it to describe what a situation was like in the past.

nicht “nicht” means “not” and negates the idea that the situation was clear. In “nicht klar”, it makes the statement negative. Use it directly before the part of the sentence being denied.

klar “klar” means “clear” in the sense of understandable or obvious. In “nicht klar”, it describes the speaker’s understanding of the queue. Use it when information or a situation is easy to understand.

dass “dass” means “that” and introduces the information that was not clear to the speaker. In “dass alle anstehen”, it connects the main statement with the situation being described. It commonly introduces a clause containing a complete statement.

alle “alle” means “everyone” or “all” and refers here to all the people in the queue. In “dass alle anstehen”, it is the subject of the following action. Use it when referring to every person in a relevant group.

anstehen “anstehen” means “wait in line” in “dass alle anstehen”. It names the activity that everyone was doing. The exact form is the infinitive used after “dass” in this clause. Use it when describing waiting in an organized queue.

Es “Es” means “it” and refers generally to the situation being discussed. In “Es ist etwas unklar”, it introduces an assessment of that situation. Use it as the subject when describing a general condition.

ist “ist” means “is” in “Es ist etwas unklar” and describes the situation’s current condition. It is a form of sein. Use it to connect “Es” with a description such as “unklar”.

etwas “etwas” means “somewhat” or “a little” here and softens the description “unklar”. It shows that the situation is not completely clear, without making the criticism too strong. Use it before an adjective when describing a small degree.

unklar “unklar” means “unclear” and describes why the queue is difficult to recognize. In “etwas unklar”, it gives a mild assessment of the situation. Use it when information or an arrangement is difficult to understand.

weil “weil” means “because” and introduces the reason the situation is unclear. In “weil die Leute mit Abstand stehen”, it connects the assessment with its explanation. It is useful when giving a reason for an observation.

Leute “Leute” means “people” and refers to the people standing in the public line. In “die Leute mit Abstand stehen”, it is the group whose position explains the confusion. Use it for people considered as a group in everyday speech.

mit “mit” means “with” and forms the expression “mit Abstand” in this dialogue. Together, “mit Abstand” describes people standing with space between them. Use “mit” to connect something with another person, thing, or circumstance.

Abstand “Abstand” means “distance” or “space” in “mit Abstand”. It describes the space separating the people in the line. Use it when explaining that people or objects are not close together.

stehen “stehen” means “stand” in “mit Abstand stehen”. It describes the people’s position while they are waiting. The form is also the infinitive used in the clause introduced by “weil”. Use it when describing people or objects being upright in a place.

Soll “Soll” asks whether the speaker should take the proposed action. In “Soll ich dann ans Ende gehen?”, it introduces a polite request for guidance. It is a form of sollen and is followed here by “gehen”.

dann “dann” means “then” or “in that case” and connects the suggested action with the previous explanation. In the question, it asks whether going to the end is the correct next step. Use it when responding to information about what should happen next.

ans “ans” means “to the” in “ans Ende”. It is the contracted form of an and das and marks movement toward the end of the line. Use it before a destination when describing movement to that place.

Ende “Ende” means “end” in “ans Ende”. Here it refers to the back end of the queue, where the speaker should go. Use it when identifying the final point of a line, route, or process.

gehen “gehen” means “go” and describes the movement toward the back of the line. In “ans Ende gehen”, it follows the modal verb “Soll”. Use it with a destination when saying where someone should move.

Bitte “Bitte” means “please” and makes the reply a polite request. In “Bitte tun Sie das”, it introduces the requested action. Use it when asking someone courteously to do something.

tun “tun” means “do” in the polite request “Bitte tun Sie das”. It refers back to the action of going to the end of the line. Use it when the action is already clear from the preceding conversation.

Sie “Sie” means formal “you” and addresses one person politely. In “Bitte tun Sie das”, it is the person being asked to move to the back. Use this capitalized form with unfamiliar adults or in formal situations.

das “das” means “that” or “it” and refers here to the action just requested. In “tun Sie das”, it avoids repeating the full action. Use it when the thing or action being referred to is already clear.

warten “warten” means “wait” in “Alle warten”. It describes what the people in the line are doing until their turn. The dialogue also uses the pattern “warten, bis” to specify the point when waiting ends.

bis “bis” means “until” and introduces the point at which each person’s waiting ends. In “bis sie an der Reihe sind”, it connects waiting with taking one’s turn. Use it before an event that marks an endpoint.

an der Reihe sind “an der Reihe sind” means “are having their turn” or “are next”. The whole expression describes the point when someone is entitled to act: “an” links the person to the turn, “der” is part of the expression, “Reihe” means the turn or order, and “sind” is the form of sein used in the clause. Use this expression when people act one after another, such as in a line.

gehe “gehe” means “go” or “move” in “Ich gehe nach hinten”. It is the form of gehen used with “ich” and describes the speaker’s own movement. Use it when saying that you are moving to another position.

nach “nach” contributes the direction in “nach hinten”, meaning toward the back. The complete phrase identifies where the speaker will move. Use it with a directional expression when describing movement toward a location.

hinten “hinten” means “at or toward the back” in “nach hinten”. It identifies the rear position of the line. Use it when directing someone to the back or describing a rear area.

habe “habe” means “have” and functions here with “gesehen” to describe an earlier perception. It is the form of haben used with “ich”. Use it with a past participle when saying that you have seen or noticed something.

nur “nur” means “just” or “only” and softens the speaker’s explanation of the mistake. In “nur nicht gesehen”, it presents the missed information as the limited reason. Use it to restrict or soften what you are saying.

gesehen “gesehen” means “seen” in “habe ... gesehen”. It is the past participle of sehen and describes noticing where the line began. Use it with a form of haben to talk about something noticed earlier.

wo “wo” means “where” and introduces the location the speaker failed to notice. In “wo die Schlange anfängt”, it asks about the starting point of the line indirectly. Use it when referring to or asking about a place.

anfängt “anfängt” means “starts” or “begins” in “wo die Schlange anfängt”. It is the form of anfangen used with “die Schlange”. Use it to describe the point where an activity, route, or line starts.

gleich “gleich” means “just” or “immediately” in “gleich hinter diesen Leuten”. It shows that the end of the line is very close beyond those people. Use it to indicate that a place is immediately next to or beyond another reference point.

diesen “diesen” means “these” and points to the particular people being indicated. In “hinter diesen Leuten”, it identifies the nearby group that serves as the location reference. Use it when directing attention to specific people or things.

Leuten “Leuten” means “people” in “diesen Leuten”. It refers to the group just beyond which the end of the line can be found. This is the form of Leute used in this phrase. Use it when referring to a group of people in a location.

Jetzt “Jetzt” means “now” and marks the speaker’s current recognition. In “Jetzt sehe ich es”, it contrasts the present understanding with the earlier confusion. Use it when something becomes clear at the present moment.

sehe “sehe” means “see” or “recognize” in “Jetzt sehe ich es”. It is the form of sehen used with “ich” and expresses that the speaker now notices the correct place. Use it when reporting current visual recognition or understanding.

werde “werde” means “will” in “Ich werde dort warten”. It is the form of werden used with “ich” to express a future action. It is followed by the infinitive “warten”. Use it when stating what you intend to do.

dort “dort” means “there” and refers to the location just identified as the end of the line. In “dort warten”, it tells where the speaker will wait. Use it when pointing back to a known location.

Damit “Damit” means “with that” or “by doing that” and links the move to the expected result. In “Damit sollte die Reihenfolge klar bleiben”, it refers to standing in the correct place. Use it to explain what a previous action will achieve.

sollte “sollte” means “should” in “Damit sollte die Reihenfolge klar bleiben”. It expresses an expected or intended result rather than asking a question. It is a form of sollen. Use it when saying what is likely or intended to happen.

Reihenfolge “Reihenfolge” means “order” or “sequence”. In “die Reihenfolge klar bleiben”, it refers to the order in which people will be served. Use it when the correct sequence of people or actions matters.

bleiben “bleiben” means “remain” or “stay” in “klar bleiben”. It describes the order continuing to be clear after the person moves. Use it after a modal expression when describing a condition that continues.

Situation “Situation” means “situation” and refers to the circumstances surrounding the line. In “die Situation falsch verstanden”, it is the thing the speaker misunderstood. Use it when referring generally to the circumstances of an event.

falsch “falsch” means “wrongly” or “incorrectly” in “falsch verstanden”. It shows that the speaker’s understanding did not match the actual situation. Use it with an understanding or interpretation when acknowledging a mistake.

verstanden “verstanden” means “understood” in “falsch verstanden”. It is the past participle of verstehen and forms the past statement with “habe”. Together with “falsch”, it means that the speaker misunderstood the situation. Use it when explaining what you did or did not understand.

aber “aber” means “but” and contrasts the speaker’s earlier mistake with the ability to correct it. In this sentence, it introduces a constructive next point. Use it to connect two contrasting statements.

kann “kann” means “can” and expresses the speaker’s ability to correct the situation. It is a form of können and is followed by the infinitive phrase “in Ordnung bringen”. Use it when saying that someone is able to do something.

in Ordnung bringen “in Ordnung bringen” means “fix” or “put right” as a complete expression. In this phrase, “in” marks movement into a state, “Ordnung” means order, and “bringen” means bring; together they describe correcting a problem. The dialogue uses it after “das” and “kann”, as in “das in Ordnung bringen”. Use it when taking action to correct a mistake or problem.

Grammar Points

Trennbare Verben: Verbzusatz am Satzende

Alle stehen mit Abstand an.

AH-luh SHTAY-en mit AHP-shtahnt AHN.

Everyone waits in line with some distance apart.

With separable verbs, the prefix moves to the end in a main clause: anstehen → stehen ... an.

an der Reihe sein

Alle sind gleich an der Reihe.

AH-luh zint glykh ahn day RYE-uh.

Everyone will have their turn shortly.

The fixed phrase an der Reihe sein means “to be one’s turn”; sein changes with the subject.

German Vocabulary

alle pron

AH-luh everyone; everybody; all

dass alle anstehen

anstehen verb

AHN-shtay-en to wait in line; to queue

dass alle anstehen

beginnen verb

beh-GIN-nen to begin; to start beginnt

die Schlange beginnt

die Frau noun

dee frow the woman Frau

hinter dieser Frau

die Leute noun

dee LOY-tuh the people

die Leute ... stehen

die Schlange noun

dee SHLAHNG-uh the line; queue

die Schlange beginnt

Entschuldigung intj

ent-SHOOL-di-goong excuse me

Entschuldigung, ich glaube ...

etwas adv

ET-vahs a little; somewhat

etwas unklar

glauben verb

GLOW-ben to think; to believe glaube

ich glaube

hinter prep

HIN-ter behind

hinter dieser Frau

klar adj

klahr clear

Mir war nicht klar

unklar adj

oon-KLAHR unclear

Es ist etwas unklar

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Should I go to the back, then?

Show Answer

Soll ich dann ans Ende gehen?

That should keep the order clear.

Show Answer

Damit sollte die Reihenfolge klar bleiben.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to wait in line; to queue

Show Answer

anstehen

everyone; everybody; all

Show Answer

alle

clear

Show Answer

klar

to think; to believe

Show Answer

glaube