Managing a Long Wait | Learn German in English

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Use Managing a Long Wait to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Ich bin wohl noch lange nicht an der Reihe.

ikh bin vohl nokh LAHNG-uh nikht ahn dair RY-uh My turn still seems a long way off.

Ich muss bald woanders sein.

ikh moos bahlt voh-AHN-dairs zाइन I need to be somewhere else soon.

Lass mich dir erklären, wie es in der Schlange weitergeht, bevor du entscheidest, ob du bleibst.

lahss mikh deer air-KLEHR-en, vee ess in dair SHLAHNG-uh VY-ter-gayt, beh-FOHR doo ent-SHY-dest, ohp doo blypst Let me explain how the queue is moving before you decide whether to stay.

Geht es gleichmäßig voran?

gayt ess GLYKH-mess-ikh foh-RAHN Is it moving at a steady pace?

Heute geht es nicht gleichmäßig voran. Einige Anfragen dauern länger als erwartet.

HOY-tuh gayt ess nikht GLYKH-mess-ikh foh-RAHN. EYE-ni-guh AHN-frah-gen DOW-ern LENG-er ahls air-VAR-tet The pace is uneven today. Some requests are taking longer than expected.

Wenn ich kurz weggehe, kann ich dann an dieselbe Stelle zurückkommen?

venn ikh koorts VEG-gay-uh, kahn ikh dahn ahn DEE-zel-buh SHTEL-luh tsoo-RUEK-kom-en If I step away for a moment, can I come back to the same place?

Du kannst deinen Platz nur behalten, wenn du in der Nähe der Warteschlange bleibst.

doo kahnst DOY-nen plahts noor beh-HAHL-ten, venn doo in dair NAY-uh dair VAR-tuh-shlahng-uh blypst You can only keep your place if you stay close to the line.

Dann muss ich entscheiden, ob das warten kann.

dahn moos ikh ent-SHY-den, ohp dahs VAR-ten kahn Then I need to decide whether this can wait.

Wenn dieser Service heute wichtig ist, ist es sicherer, in der Nähe zu bleiben.

venn DEE-zer ZUR-viss HOY-tuh VIKH-tikh ist, ist ess ZIKH-er-er, in dair NAY-uh tsoo BLY-ben If this service is important today, staying close is the safer choice.

Ich kann der anderen Person schreiben und die Verspätung erklären.

ikh kahn dair AHN-dair-en pair-ZOHN SHRY-ben oont dee fair-SHPAY-toong air-KLEHR-en I can message the other person and explain the delay.

Das sollte der anderen Person helfen zu verstehen, warum du spät dran bist.

dahs ZOL-tuh dair AHN-dair-en pair-ZOHN HEL-fen tsoo fer-SHTAY-en, vah-ROOM doo shpayt drahn bist That should help them understand why you are running late.

Word by Word

Ich “Ich” means “I” and identifies the speaker in “Ich bin wohl noch lange nicht an der Reihe.” It is used as the subject before a verb, as in “Ich muss bald woanders sein” in the dialogue. In a new example, “Ich warte hier” means “I am waiting here.”

bin “bin” says that the speaker is in a certain situation in “Ich bin wohl noch lange nicht an der Reihe.” It is the form of “sein” used with “Ich”; a reliable pattern is “Ich bin …”. In a new example, “Ich bin bereit” means “I am ready.”

wohl “wohl” expresses a probable assessment in “Ich bin wohl noch lange nicht an der Reihe,” meaning that the speaker probably still has a long wait. Here it softens the statement rather than giving complete certainty. It can be reused in a new example such as “Das ist wohl richtig,” meaning “That is probably correct.”

noch “noch” means “still” in “noch lange nicht an der Reihe,” showing that the situation has not changed yet. It commonly appears with a continuing state or condition. In a new example, “Ich bin noch hier” means “I am still here.”

lange “lange” means “for a long time” in “noch lange nicht an der Reihe,” describing how far away the speaker’s turn seems. It can modify a duration in patterns such as “lange warten.” In a new example, “Wir müssen lange warten” means “We have to wait for a long time.”

nicht “nicht” negates the phrase “an der Reihe” in “noch lange nicht an der Reihe,” so the speaker is not due to be served yet. Its position before the relevant phrase makes the negative meaning clear. A reusable pattern is “nicht an der Reihe sein”; a new example is “Sie ist nicht an der Reihe.”

an der Reihe “an der Reihe” is the whole expression for being the person whose turn has come; “noch lange nicht an der Reihe” means the speaker’s turn is still far away. In this expression, “an” forms the link to “Reihe,” “der” is the article, and “Reihe” refers to the sequence of people waiting. A reusable new example is “Du bist an der Reihe,” meaning “It is your turn.”

muss “muss” expresses that the speaker needs to do something in “Ich muss bald woanders sein.” It is used with another verb in its base form, here “sein,” to state a necessity. A reusable pattern is “Ich muss …”; a new example is “Ich muss jetzt gehen.”

bald “bald” means “soon” in “Ich muss bald woanders sein,” referring to a time in the near future. It commonly appears with an action or state that will happen shortly. In a new example, “Ich komme bald zurück” means “I will come back soon.”

woanders “woanders” means “somewhere else” in “Ich muss bald woanders sein,” indicating a different location from the current one. It can be used directly before or after a verb of movement or being. In a new example, “Sie arbeitet woanders” means “She works somewhere else.”

sein “sein” means “to be” in “Ich muss bald woanders sein,” describing the place where the speaker needs to be. After “muss,” it remains in its base form at the end of the clause. A reusable pattern is “muss … sein”; a new example is “Er muss zu Hause sein.”

Lass “Lass” introduces a request or invitation in “Lass mich dir erklären,” meaning “Let me explain to you.” It is used here to tell another person to allow the speaker to do something. A reusable pattern is “Lass mich …”; a new example is “Lass mich kurz nachsehen.”

mich “mich” refers to the speaker as the person who is allowed to act in “Lass mich dir erklären.” It follows “Lass” as the person affected by the request. A reusable pattern is “Lass mich …”; a new example is “Lass mich helfen.”

dir “dir” means “to you” in “Lass mich dir erklären,” identifying the person who receives the explanation. It commonly appears with verbs that communicate something to someone. A reusable pattern is “dir erklären”; a new example is “Ich möchte dir etwas erklären.”

erklären “erklären” means “to explain” in “Lass mich dir erklären, wie es in der Schlange weitergeht.” It introduces information that makes a situation clearer, here followed by “wie … weitergeht.” A reusable pattern is “jemandem etwas erklären”; a new example is “Ich erkläre dir den Weg.”

wie “wie” means “how” in “wie es in der Schlange weitergeht,” introducing an explanation of the way something develops. It is followed here by a clause with its verb at the end. A reusable pattern is “erklären, wie …”; a new example is “Sie erklärt, wie das Gerät funktioniert.”

es “es” functions as the subject in “wie es in der Schlange weitergeht,” referring to how things are progressing in the queue without naming a separate object. It appears before the other clause elements here. A common reusable pattern is “wie es weitergeht,” meaning how things continue.”

in “in” means “in” or “within” in “in der Schlange,” locating the progress inside the queue. Here it is part of the expression for what happens while people are waiting in line. A reusable pattern is “in der Schlange stehen”; a new example is “Wir stehen in der Schlange.”

der “der” means “the” in “in der Schlange,” referring to the specific queue being discussed. It appears together with the noun “Schlange” in this location phrase. A reusable pattern is “in der Schlange”; a new example is “Er wartet in der Schlange.”

Schlange “Schlange” means “queue” or “line” in “in der Schlange,” the place where the people are waiting. In this dialogue it refers to an organized line for a service. A reusable pattern is “in der Schlange warten”; a new example is “Ich warte in der Schlange.”

weitergeht “weitergeht” describes how the queue continues to move in “wie es in der Schlange weitergeht.” It combines the idea of continuing with movement and appears at the end of the subordinate clause. A reusable pattern is “wie es weitergeht”; a new example is “Wir sehen, wie es weitergeht.”

bevor “bevor” means “before” in “bevor du entscheidest, ob du bleibst,” placing the decision after the explanation. It introduces a clause whose verb appears at the end. A reusable pattern is “bevor du …”; a new example is “Ruf mich an, bevor du gehst.”

du “du” means “you” in “bevor du entscheidest,” referring to the person who must make the decision. It is the subject of the clause and comes before the verb here. In a new example, “Du wartest hier” means “You are waiting here.”

entscheidest “entscheidest” means “decide” in “bevor du entscheidest, ob du bleibst,” describing the listener’s choice. It is used with “du” and is followed by “ob” to introduce what the decision concerns. A reusable pattern is “du entscheidest, ob …”; a new example is “Du entscheidest, ob du kommst.”

ob “ob” means “whether” in “ob du bleibst,” introducing the alternative that the listener has to decide about. It starts an embedded question or choice clause, with the verb at the end. A reusable pattern is “entscheiden, ob …”; a new example is “Ich muss entscheiden, ob ich warte.”

bleibst “bleibst” means “stay” or “remain” in “ob du bleibst,” referring to remaining near the queue. It is used with “du” and appears at the end of the clause introduced by “ob.” A reusable pattern is “ob du bleibst”; a new example is “Ich weiß nicht, ob du bleibst.”

Geht “Geht” asks whether the queue is progressing in “Geht es gleichmäßig voran?” Here “es geht … voran” describes how something moves forward. A reusable pattern is “Wie geht es voran?”; a new example is “Die Arbeit geht gut voran.”

gleichmäßig “gleichmäßig” means “steadily” or “evenly” in “Geht es gleichmäßig voran?” It describes progress that happens at a consistent pace. A reusable pattern is “gleichmäßig vorangehen”; a new example is “Der Prozess geht gleichmäßig voran.”

voran “voran” means “forward” or “along” in “Geht es gleichmäßig voran?” Together with “geht,” it describes progress rather than ordinary movement to a particular place. A reusable pattern is “vorankommen” or “vorangehen”; a new example is “Wir kommen langsam voran.”

Heute “Heute” means “today” in “Heute geht es nicht gleichmäßig voran,” locating the uneven progress in the current day. It can be placed at the beginning of a sentence to set the time context. In a new example, “Heute habe ich Zeit” means “Today I have time.”

Einige “Einige” means “some” or “several” in “Einige Anfragen,” referring to a part of the requests rather than all of them. It appears directly before the plural noun it describes. A reusable pattern is “einige + plural noun”; a new example is “Einige Kunden warten.”

Anfragen “Anfragen” means “requests” in “Einige Anfragen dauern länger als erwartet,” referring to service requests being processed. It is the plural noun that acts as the subject of “dauern.” A reusable pattern is “eine Anfrage bearbeiten”; a new example is “Wir bearbeiten mehrere Anfragen.”

dauern “dauern” means “take” or “last” in “Einige Anfragen dauern länger als erwartet,” describing the amount of time the requests require. It is used with a duration or comparison such as “länger.” A reusable pattern is “etwas dauert …”; a new example is “Die Prüfung dauert eine Stunde.”

länger “länger” means “longer” in “dauern länger als erwartet,” comparing the actual duration with what was expected. It commonly appears with “als” when making this comparison. A reusable pattern is “länger als …”; a new example is “Der Weg ist länger als gedacht.”

als “als” means “than” in “länger als erwartet,” introducing the point of comparison. It follows a comparative form such as “länger.” A reusable pattern is “mehr als …” or “länger als …”; a new example is “Es dauert länger als geplant.”

erwartet “erwartet” means “expected” in “länger als erwartet,” referring to the anticipated duration. It leaves the person or group doing the expecting understood from the context. A reusable pattern is “wie erwartet”; a new example is “Alles lief wie erwartet.”

Wenn “Wenn” means “if” in “Wenn ich kurz weggehe” and introduces the condition for the question that follows. In the dialogue it frames a possible temporary departure from the queue. A reusable pattern is “Wenn …, kann ich …?”; a new example is “Wenn ich fertig bin, rufe ich an.”

kurz “kurz” means “briefly” in “kurz weggehe,” limiting the duration of the speaker’s absence. It commonly modifies an action to show that it lasts only a short time. A reusable pattern is “kurz weggehen”; a new example is “Ich gehe kurz nach draußen.”

weggehe “weggehe” means “step away” or “leave” in “Wenn ich kurz weggehe,” describing movement away from the queue. It appears in the conditional clause with “ich.” A reusable pattern is “Wenn ich weggehe …”; a new example is “Wenn ich kurz weggehe, kannst du mich anrufen.”

kann “kann” expresses ability or permission in “kann ich dann an dieselbe Stelle zurückkommen?” Here the speaker asks whether returning is allowed or possible. It is followed by another verb in its base form, “zurückkommen.” A new example is “Kann ich hier warten?”

dann “dann” means “then” in “kann ich dann an dieselbe Stelle zurückkommen,” linking the possible departure with the later return. It highlights what would happen after that condition. A reusable pattern is “Wenn …, dann …”; a new example is “Wenn ich gehe, komme ich dann zurück.”

an “an” is part of the location phrase “an dieselbe Stelle zurückkommen,” meaning to return to the same spot. Here it links the movement of returning with the destination. A reusable pattern is “an eine Stelle zurückkommen”; a new example is “Sie kommt an ihren Platz zurück.”

dieselbe “dieselbe” means “the same” in “an dieselbe Stelle,” showing that the speaker wants to return to exactly the previously occupied spot. It directly describes “Stelle.” A reusable pattern is “dieselbe Stelle”; a new example is “Wir treffen uns an derselben Stelle.”

Stelle “Stelle” means “place” or “spot” in “an dieselbe Stelle,” referring to the speaker’s position in the queue. It is used here for a specific location rather than a general area. A reusable pattern is “an derselben Stelle”; a new example is “Er wartet an derselben Stelle.”

zurückkommen “zurückkommen” means “come back” in “an dieselbe Stelle zurückkommen,” describing a return to the earlier position. After “kann,” it stays in its base form and comes at the end of the question. A reusable pattern is “zu einem Ort zurückkommen”; a new example is “Ich komme später zurück.”

kannst “kannst” expresses what the listener is able or permitted to do in “Du kannst deinen Platz nur behalten.” It is used with “du” and is followed by another verb in its base form, “behalten.” A new example is “Du kannst hier warten.”

deinen “deinen” means “your” in “deinen Platz,” identifying the place that belongs to the listener in the queue. It appears directly before the noun it describes. A reusable pattern is “deinen Platz behalten”; a new example is “Du findest deinen Platz wieder.”

Platz “Platz” means “place” or “position” in “deinen Platz behalten,” referring to the listener’s position in the queue. With “behalten,” it means retaining that position. A reusable pattern is “seinen Platz behalten”; a new example is “Sie behält ihren Platz.”

nur “nur” means “only” in “Du kannst deinen Platz nur behalten, wenn …,” limiting the condition under which the place can be kept. It emphasizes that staying close is required. A reusable pattern is “nur wenn …”; a new example is “Du kannst bleiben, nur wenn du Zeit hast.”

Nähe “Nähe” means “vicinity” or “proximity” in “in der Nähe der Warteschlange” and “in der Nähe zu bleiben,” referring to being close to the queue. It commonly appears with “in der Nähe” to describe location. A reusable pattern is “in der Nähe bleiben”; a new example is “Bleib bitte in der Nähe.”

Warteschlange “Warteschlange” means “waiting line” or “queue” in “in der Nähe der Warteschlange,” naming the line that the person must stay close to. It is a compound word referring specifically to people waiting. A reusable pattern is “in der Warteschlange stehen”; a new example is “Wir stehen in der Warteschlange.”

das “das” means “that” in “ob das warten kann,” referring to the matter or service being discussed. It functions as the subject of “warten kann.” A reusable pattern is “ob das … kann”; a new example is “Ich weiß nicht, ob das warten kann.”

warten “warten” means “wait” in “ob das warten kann,” asking whether the matter can be postponed. After “kann,” it appears in its base form at the end of the clause. A reusable pattern is “etwas kann warten”; a new example is “Der Termin kann warten.”

dieser “dieser” means “this” in “dieser Service,” pointing to the particular service currently being considered. It appears directly before the noun it describes. A reusable pattern is “dieser Service ist …”; a new example is “Dieser Service ist kostenlos.”

Service “Service” means “service” in “dieser Service heute wichtig ist,” referring to the service the person is waiting to receive. It is the subject of the conditional clause. A reusable pattern is “einen Service nutzen”; a new example is “Ich nutze diesen Service oft.”

wichtig “wichtig” means “important” in “dieser Service heute wichtig ist,” expressing the value or urgency of the service. It appears after “ist” as a description of the service. A reusable pattern is “etwas ist wichtig”; a new example is “Diese Information ist wichtig.”

ist “ist” means “is” in “dieser Service heute wichtig ist” and “ist es sicherer,” linking a subject with a description. It is the form of “sein” used with a singular subject here. A reusable pattern is “Das ist wichtig”; a new example is “Der Termin ist heute.”

sicherer “sicherer” means “safer” in “ist es sicherer, in der Nähe zu bleiben,” comparing the choice of staying close with another possible choice. It describes the option as having less risk. A reusable pattern is “Es ist sicherer, …”; a new example is “Es ist sicherer, hier zu bleiben.”

zu “zu” introduces the infinitive phrase “zu bleiben” in “ist es sicherer, in der Nähe zu bleiben.” Together with the infinitive it presents the action being judged as safer. A reusable pattern is “Es ist besser, zu …”; a new example is “Es ist besser, zu warten.”

bleiben “bleiben” means “stay” or “remain” in “in der Nähe zu bleiben,” describing not leaving the area near the queue. With “zu,” it forms the infinitive phrase that is the safer choice. A reusable pattern is “in der Nähe bleiben”; a new example is “Ich möchte hier bleiben.”

anderen “anderen” means “other” in “der anderen Person,” identifying someone different from the speaker. It directly describes “Person” in the phrase for the message’s recipient. A reusable pattern is “mit einer anderen Person sprechen”; a new example is “Ich spreche mit einer anderen Person.”

Person “Person” means “person” in “der anderen Person,” referring to the individual who is waiting for an explanation about the delay. In “der anderen Person schreiben,” it is the recipient of the message. A reusable pattern is “einer Person schreiben”; a new example is “Ich schreibe einer Person.”

schreiben “schreiben” means “write” or “message” in “der anderen Person schreiben,” describing sending that person a written message. It is used with the recipient in the dative phrase “der anderen Person.” A reusable pattern is “jemandem schreiben”; a new example is “Ich schreibe meiner Schwester.”

und “und” means “and” in “schreiben und die Verspätung erklären,” joining two actions by the speaker. It connects “schreiben” with “erklären.” A reusable pattern is “etwas tun und etwas erklären”; a new example is “Ich rufe an und erkläre die Situation.”

die “die” means “the” in “die Verspätung erklären,” referring to the specific delay caused by the long wait. It appears directly before “Verspätung.” A reusable pattern is “die Verspätung erklären”; a new example is “Sie erklärt die Verspätung.”

Verspätung “Verspätung” means “delay” in “die Verspätung erklären,” referring to the speaker arriving or proceeding later than planned. It is the thing that the speaker explains to the other person. A reusable pattern is “wegen einer Verspätung”; a new example is “Ich komme wegen einer Verspätung später.”

sollte “sollte” expresses an expectation or likely helpful result in “Das sollte der anderen Person helfen,” meaning that this ought to help. It is followed by “helfen” in its base form. A reusable pattern is “Das sollte helfen”; a new example is “Das sollte helfen, die Situation zu klären.”

helfen “helfen” means “help” in “Das sollte der anderen Person helfen zu verstehen,” describing assistance given to the other person. It is followed here by “zu verstehen,” which states what the help enables. A reusable pattern is “jemandem helfen, etwas zu verstehen”; a new example is “Ich helfe dir, die Aufgabe zu verstehen.”

verstehen “verstehen” means “understand” in “zu verstehen, warum du spät dran bist,” describing the other person’s grasp of the reason for the delay. With “zu,” it explains the purpose or result of the help. A reusable pattern is “helfen, etwas zu verstehen”; a new example is “Das hilft mir, den Plan zu verstehen.”

warum “warum” means “why” in “warum du spät dran bist,” introducing the reason the other person should understand. It starts an embedded question with the verb at the end. A reusable pattern is “erklären, warum …”; a new example is “Ich erkläre, warum ich später komme.”

spät dran “spät dran” is the expression for “running late” in “warum du spät dran bist,” describing that the listener is behind schedule. The whole expression contributes the meaning; “spät” gives the idea of lateness and “dran” completes this fixed usage. A reusable new example is “Ich bin heute spät dran,” meaning “I am running late today.”

bist “bist” means “are” in “warum du spät dran bist,” linking “du” with the expression “spät dran.” It is the form of “sein” used with “du” and appears at the end of the embedded question. A reusable pattern is “Du bist …”; a new example is “Du bist spät dran.”

Grammar Points

an der Reihe sein

Du bist wohl bald an der Reihe.

doo bist vohl bahlt ahn dair RY-uh

You will probably be next soon.

This fixed expression means that it is someone’s turn. Use sein with the phrase.

Trennbare Verben: weggehen / zurückkommen

Ich gehe kurz weg und komme bald zurück.

ikh GAY-uh koorts vek oont KOM-uh bahlt tsoo-RUEK

I’ll step away briefly and come back soon.

In a main clause, the prefix moves to the end: gehe ... weg, komme ... zurück.

German Vocabulary

an der Reihe phrase

ahn dair RY-uh one's turn

Anfragen noun

AHN-frah-gen requests

bald adv

bahlt soon

erklären verb

air-KLEHR-en to explain

erwartet verb

air-VAR-tet expected

gleichmäßig adv

GLYKH-mess-ikh steadily

länger adj

LENG-er longer

Schlange noun

SHLAHNG-uh queue

voran adv

foh-RAHN forward

weitergeht verb

VY-ter-gayt is moving forward

woanders adv

voh-AHN-dairs somewhere else

wohl adv

vohl probably

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I need to be somewhere else soon.

Show Answer

Ich muss bald woanders sein.

Is it moving at a steady pace?

Show Answer

Geht es gleichmäßig voran?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

is moving forward

Show Answer

weitergeht

soon

Show Answer

bald

queue

Show Answer

Schlange

somewhere else

Show Answer

woanders