Troubleshooting an Unstable Internet Connection | Learn German in English

Sentence explanations

1. Die Internetverbindung ist seit heute Morgen instabil.

   The internet connection has been unstable since this morning.

   Internetverbindung

   internet connection

   ist

   is

   instabil

   unstable

   seit heute Morgen

   since this morning

   More detail

   Internetverbindung means “internet connection” here. It is a compound noun: Internet + Verbindung. The noun is feminine, as shown by die Internetverbindung; its plural is Internetverbindungen. The compound refers to the connection itself, not to the later video call. ist is the present-tense form of sein (“to be”) for a singular subject such as die Internetverbindung. The pattern X ist Y describes X as Y: Die Verbindung ist stabil. means “The connection is stable.” instabil describes the connection’s condition and means “unstable.” It is a predicative adjective after ist, so it does not take an ending here. Its useful opposite is stabil (“stable”): Die Verbindung ist stabil. means “The connection is stable.” seit heute Morgen gives the starting point for the condition: “since this morning.” German uses seit for a situation that began at a point in the past and continues up to the reference time. seit governs the dative; heute Morgen is the time expression in this phrase. For example, Ich arbeite seit heute Morgen. means “I have been working since this morning.” Together, Die Internetverbindung ist instabil. states the current condition of the internet connection, and seit heute Morgen adds that this continuing instability began this morning. The complete meaning is: “The internet connection has been unstable since this morning.”

2. Mein Videoanruf beginnt bald.

   My video call starts soon.

   Mein

   my

   Videoanruf

   video call

   beginnt

   starts; begins

   bald

   soon

   More detail

   Mein means “my” here and is the possessive determiner agreeing with the masculine noun Videoanruf in the nominative singular. The form changes with the noun’s grammatical gender, case, and number: for example, mein Videoanruf (“my video call”), but meine Verbindung (“my connection”) with a feminine noun. Possessive determiners identify a possessor; they do not by themselves say that the possessor is the speaker’s only call. Videoanruf is a masculine compound noun: Video + Anruf, meaning “video call.” German compounds are written as one word, and the final part, Anruf, determines the compound’s grammatical gender, so it is der Videoanruf. Example: Der Videoanruf beginnt um acht. — “The video call starts at eight.” beginnt is the third-person singular present form of beginnen (“to begin; to start”). Its subject is Videoanruf, so the verb agrees with a singular third-person subject. The present tense can describe a scheduled or expected near-future event, not only something happening at this exact moment. Compare Der Anruf beginnt (“The call starts”) with Die Anrufe beginnen (“The calls start”); the plural form is beginnen. bald is an adverb meaning “soon,” indicating that the beginning is expected in the near future. It does not specify an exact time. Example: Der Film beginnt bald. — “The film starts soon.” Together, Mein Videoanruf is the subject, beginnt says that this singular call will start, and bald places that start in the near future. The complete utterance therefore means “My video call starts soon.”

3. Schau nach, ob gerade ein anderes Gerät zu viel Bandbreite nutzt.

   See if another device is using too much bandwidth right now.

   Schau nach

   check

   gerade

   right now

   ein anderes

   another

   Gerät

   device

   zu viel

   too much

   Bandbreite

   bandwidth

   nutzt

   uses

   More detail

   Schau nach is the informal singular imperative of the separable verb nachschauen (“to check/look something up”). In this sentence it means “check” and takes the question introduced by ob: Schau nach, ob ... = “Check whether ...”. Compare the infinitive nachschauen with the present form ich schaue nach; the prefix moves to the end in a main-clause finite form. gerade is an adverb meaning “right now” here. It places the possible bandwidth use at the current moment. In another context, gerade can have other functions, but here the time meaning is supported by the translation. ein anderes means “another” in ein anderes Gerät. anderes is the neuter singular nominative form of the attributive adjective andere after the indefinite article ein. The phrase identifies an unspecified device other than the one already relevant; it does not identify which specific device. Gerät is the neuter noun das Gerät, “device”. Its plural is die Geräte. The phrase ein anderes Gerät gives the reusable pattern “another + neuter singular noun”: ein anderes Problem = “another problem”. zu viel means “too much”, expressing an excessive amount rather than merely a large amount. With a mass noun such as Bandbreite, German uses zu viel Bandbreite; viel Bandbreite would mean “a lot of bandwidth” without necessarily saying that the amount is excessive. Bandbreite is the feminine noun die Bandbreite, “bandwidth”. In this technical context it is treated as an uncountable amount, so the phrase is zu viel Bandbreite, not a plural count of bandwidth units. nutzt is the third-person singular present form of nutzen, “to use”. The subject is ein anderes Gerät, so the verb has the form nutzt: Das Gerät nutzt viel Bandbreite. = “The device uses a lot of bandwidth.” Together, Schau nach gives the informal command, and ob introduces what should be checked. In the subordinate clause, gerade marks the current time, ein anderes Gerät identifies an unspecified device different from the relevant one, and zu viel Bandbreite nutzt says that this device is using an excessive amount of bandwidth. Because ob introduces a subordinate clause, the finite verb nutzt appears at the end: “Check whether another device is using too much bandwidth right now.” This is an informal singular instruction.

4. Das Tablet lädt gerade Updates herunter, also könnte das erklären, warum alles langsam wirkt.

   The tablet is downloading updates, so that might explain why everything feels slow.

   Tablet

   tablet

   lädt … herunter

   downloads

   gerade

   right now

   Updates

   updates

   also

   so

   könnte

   might / could

   das

   that

   erklären

   explain

   warum

   why

   alles

   everything

   langsam

   slow

   wirkt

   seems / feels

   More detail

   Tablet is the noun “tablet.” In the sentence it appears with Das, the definite article for this noun in the subject form: Das Tablet = “the tablet.” The article is not part of the noun itself. lädt ... herunter is the separable verb herunterladen, “to download.” lädt is the present-tense third-person singular form used with Das Tablet; the prefix herunter appears at the end of the main clause. A reusable pattern is X lädt Y herunter = “X downloads Y.” Example: Der Computer lädt eine Datei herunter. — “The computer is downloading a file.” gerade means “right now” here. It presents the downloading as currently in progress, rather than simply stating it as a general fact. Updates is the plural of Update, meaning “updates.” It is the thing being downloaded. The plural ending is visible in Updates; the word is a borrowed noun used in German. also connects the first statement to a conclusion: “so” or “therefore.” It does not itself express the degree of certainty in the conclusion; that is supplied by könnte. könnte is the third-person singular form of können in the Konjunktiv II form. With an infinitive, it expresses a possible explanation: “might be able to” or, in this sentence, simply “might.” The form is compatible with the subject das: Das könnte helfen. — “That might help.” das means “that” here and refers to the preceding situation as a whole—the tablet downloading updates. As a pronoun, it is distinct from the definite article das in Das Tablet; its role and meaning come from its position and context. erklären is the infinitive “to explain.” After the modal könnte, it stays in the infinitive and comes at the end of the main clause: Das könnte ... erklären = “That might explain ...” warum introduces an embedded question meaning “why.” It introduces the reason that might be explained. In this subordinate clause, the finite verb comes at the end: warum alles langsam wirkt. alles means “everything.” It is an indefinite pronoun, not a noun naming one particular object. Here it is the subject of the embedded clause. langsam means “slow” in this use. It is a predicate adjective after wirkt, describing how everything appears. Example: Der Download wirkt langsam. — “The download seems slow.” wirkt is the third-person singular present form of wirken, “to seem” or “to appear” here. The subject is alles, so the verb is singular. This use describes an impression; it does not by itself assert that everything is objectively slow. Together, Das Tablet lädt gerade Updates herunter says “The tablet is downloading updates right now.” also könnte das erklären adds the tentative conclusion “so that might explain,” and warum alles langsam wirkt gives the embedded reason-question “why everything feels slow.” The complete meaning is: “The tablet is downloading updates, so that might explain why everything feels slow.”

5. Pausiere das Update und starte dann den Router neu, wenn das Signal immer noch aussetzt.

   Pause the update, then restart the router if the signal still drops.

   Pausiere

   pause

   das Update

   the update

   und starte

   and start

   dann

   then

   den Router

   the router

   neu

   anew

   wenn

   if

   das Signal

   the signal

   immer noch

   still

   aussetzt

   drops out

   More detail

   Pausiere is the informal singular imperative of pausieren (“to pause”). It addresses one person: “Pause!” A more formal address would use a different imperative construction, so do not treat this form as a general command for every listener. das Update means “the update.” Update is a neuter loanword in German, so the definite article is das; here it is the object being paused. For example: Ich installiere das Update. — “I am installing the update.” und starte joins a second command and uses the informal singular imperative of starten (“to start”). The subject is understood as “you,” as with Pausiere; German commands commonly omit this pronoun. starten can be used for devices, programs, or processes. dann means “then” and places the second action after the first one. It does not itself express a condition; the condition comes later with wenn. den Router means “the router.” Router is masculine in German, and den marks it as the accusative object of starte. Compare the nominative form der Router: Der Router funktioniert. — “The router works.” neu means “anew” or “again” here. Together with starte ... neu, it forms the separable verb neu starten (“to restart”). In this command, the verb part starte appears before the object and the particle neu appears at the end of the main clause. The pattern is Starte [something] neu. — “Restart [something].” wenn introduces a condition: “if” or, in some contexts, “when.” Here it introduces the condition under which the restart should happen. A German subordinate clause introduced by wenn places its finite verb at the end. das Signal means “the signal.” Signal is neuter, which is why the definite article is das. In this sentence it is the subject of the conditional clause, not the object of another action. immer noch means “still.” It describes a situation that continues despite the earlier action or expectation. For example: Das Signal ist immer noch schwach. — “The signal is still weak.” aussetzt is the finite form of the separable verb aussetzen, used here for a signal that cuts out or drops. In the wenn clause, the verb appears at the end and its parts are written together: wenn das Signal aussetzt. The form aussetzt is third-person singular because its subject, das Signal, is singular. This verb can have other meanings in other contexts, but here the intended meaning is that the signal continues to drop out. Together, Pausiere das Update gives the first command, “Pause the update.” und starte dann den Router neu adds the ordered second command, “then restart the router.” The final clause, wenn das Signal immer noch aussetzt, makes that second action conditional: “if the signal still drops.” The complete utterance therefore means: “Pause the update, then restart the router if the signal still drops.”

6. Ich habe außerdem den Hotspot meines Handys als Backup, obwohl er langsamer ist.

   I also have my phone's hotspot as a backup, although it is slower.

   Ich habe

   I have

   außerdem

   also; additionally

   Hotspot

   hotspot

   Handys

   phone; mobile phone

   als Backup

   as a backup

   obwohl

   although

   er

   it

   langsamer

   slower

   More detail

   Ich habe is the first-person singular present form of haben. Here it expresses having or keeping something available: “I have …”. The subject Ich is the speaker, and habe agrees with this singular subject. Example: Ich habe eine Alternative. — “I have an alternative.” außerdem adds another point: “also” or “in addition”. It commonly introduces information that supplements what has already been said. Example: Außerdem ist das Gerät klein. — “The device is small as well.” Hotspot is a masculine noun: der Hotspot. It refers here to a phone-based internet access point. The noun can be used with a different article in other grammatical cases, for example mit dem Hotspot — “with the hotspot.” Handys is the genitive singular form of Handy, meaning “mobile phone” or “cell phone”. In meines Handys, the form marks the phone as belonging to or being associated with the hotspot: “my phone’s”. The genitive singular of many masculine and neuter nouns has an -s or -es ending, as in des Handys — “of the phone.” The possessive form meines agrees with the neuter noun Handy in this genitive phrase; Handys itself is the noun carrying the genitive ending. als Backup presents the role or function in which something is used: “as a backup”. als in this pattern does not assert that there are a particular number of backups; it assigns a role. Example: Sie nutzt das Tablet als Ersatz. — “She uses the tablet as a substitute.” obwohl introduces a concessive subordinate clause, meaning “although” or “even though”. In standard German, the finite verb goes to the end of an obwohl clause. Thus the clause continues with er langsamer ist, not with the finite verb in the position typical of a main clause. er is a masculine third-person singular pronoun. In this sentence, it refers to the masculine noun Hotspot, matching the intended translation “it” for the hotspot. Its grammatical form comes from the noun’s gender, not from the phone noun in meines Handys. langsamer is the comparative form of the adjective langsam, “slow”: langsam → langsamer → am langsamsten (“slow” → “slower” → “slowest”). It compares the hotspot’s speed with a relevant alternative or reference point understood from the situation. Because langsamer is used as a predicate adjective after ist, it has no additional adjective ending here. Example: Der zweite Weg ist langsamer. — “The second route is slower.” Together, Ich habe außerdem says “I also have”, while den Hotspot meines Handys identifies what is available: “my phone’s hotspot”. als Backup gives its role, “as a backup”. The subordinate clause obwohl er langsamer ist adds the concession “although it is slower”, with er referring to the hotspot and ist placed at the end because of obwohl. The whole utterance means: “I also have my phone’s hotspot as a backup, although it is slower.”

7. Wenn der Hotspot während des Meetings instabil wird, schalte nur auf Audio um.

   If the hotspot gets shaky during the meeting, switch to audio only.

   Wenn

   if / when

   der Hotspot

   the hotspot

   während

   during

   Meetings

   meeting

   instabil

   unstable

   wird

   becomes

   schalte … um

   switch over

   nur

   only

   auf Audio

   to audio

   More detail

   Wenn introduces a condition: “if” or “when.” In a subordinate clause beginning with wenn, the finite verb normally comes at the end. Here, the condition is that the hotspot becomes unstable; it is not presented as a separate completed event. der Hotspot means “the hotspot.” Hotspot is a masculine noun, so the definite article is der in the subject form. In the earlier context, the phone’s hotspot is the backup connection, but this sentence does not need to repeat “my phone’s.” während means “during” and introduces a time expression. In this sentence it is followed by des Meetings: während des Meetings means “during the meeting.” Meetings is the singular noun “meeting” in a form used after this preposition; the -s ending marks the genitive form here. instabil means “unstable” or “unreliable.” It describes the condition of the hotspot. The opposite is stabil, “stable.” Example: Die Verbindung ist instabil. — “The connection is unstable.” wird is the third-person singular present form of werden, “to become” here. The pattern etwas wird + adjective means that something becomes or gets a certain quality: Der Ton wird leiser. — “The sound gets quieter.” Do not confuse this use of werden with its use in some future or passive constructions; the adjective instabil makes the change-of-state meaning clear here. schalte ... um is the separable verb umschalten, meaning “to switch over” or “to switch.” In the imperative addressing one person, schalte is the command form, while the separable prefix um moves to the end: Schalte auf Audio um. — “Switch to audio.” The lexical verb is umschalten, not an invented form built from schalte alone. nur means “only” and limits the requested switch: the instruction is to use audio and not another mode. Its exact scope is clarified by the following phrase auf Audio. auf Audio means “to audio” in the target sentence: it names the mode to which the connection should be switched. With umschalten, the reusable pattern is auf + mode umschalten, for example auf Lautsprecher umschalten — “switch to speakers.” Together, Wenn der Hotspot während des Meetings instabil wird means “If the hotspot gets unstable during the meeting.” The main-clause imperative schalte nur auf Audio um then gives the instruction “switch to audio only.” The complete utterance is therefore: “If the hotspot gets shaky during the meeting, switch to audio only.”

8. Soll ich das Team warnen, bevor der Anruf beginnt?

   Should I warn the team before the call begins?

   Soll ich

   Should I…?

   Team

   team

   warnen

   warn

   bevor

   before

   Anruf

   call

   beginnt

   begins

   More detail

   Soll ich puts the finite verb before the subject in a yes/no question. soll is the first-person singular present form of sollen; with ich, the pattern Soll ich ...? asks whether I ought to do something. The following verb stays in the infinitive: Soll ich warten? — “Should I wait?” Team is the noun das Team, meaning “team” here. Its plural is die Teams. The article das in the sentence shows the noun’s neuter grammatical gender; it does not express a number by itself. warnen is the infinitive “to warn.” After the modal verb soll, it remains in this infinitive form. warnen normally takes the person or group being warned as an accusative object: Ich warne den Fahrer. — “I warn the driver.” bevor means “before” and introduces a subordinate time clause. In this clause, the finite verb goes to the end: Ruf mich an, bevor du gehst. — “Call me before you leave.” Anruf is the masculine noun der Anruf, meaning “call” in the sense of a phone call. Its plural is die Anrufe. In the sentence, der Anruf is the subject of the clause introduced by bevor. beginnt is the third-person singular present form of beginnen, “to begin.” Its subject here is der Anruf: Der Kurs beginnt um neun. — “The course begins at nine.” Together, Soll ich asks about the speaker’s action, das Team warnen names that action and its object, and bevor der Anruf beginnt sets the time limit for it. The whole utterance therefore means: “Should I warn the team before the call begins?”

9. Eine kurze Nachricht würde ihnen helfen zu verstehen, was gerade passiert.

   A short message would help them understand what is happening.

   kurze

   short

   Nachricht

   message

   würde

   would

   ihnen

   them

   helfen

   help

   zu verstehen

   to understand

   was

   what

   gerade

   currently; right now

   passiert

   is happening

   More detail

   kurze describes Nachricht here as “short.” It is the inflected form of kurz; the ending agrees with the feminine noun Nachricht after the indefinite article eine. The same adjective appears in other forms, for example: ein kurzer Text — “a short text.” Nachricht means “message” here. Its plural is Nachrichten. It is a feminine noun, so the phrase uses eine Nachricht in the singular. würde is the conditional form of werden used with an infinitive to express “would”: würde helfen — “would help.” The infinitive helfen supplies the action; würde marks the hypothetical or conditional framing. This is different from wurde, which is a past form of werden and does not mean “would.” ihnen is the dative plural pronoun meaning “to them” or, with helfen, simply “help them.” The verb helfen requires a dative recipient, so German uses ihnen, not the accusative form sie. helfen means “to help.” Its base form is helfen; in the present tense, ich helfe means “I help,” while sie helfen means “they help.” In this sentence it follows würde, so it remains an infinitive: würde helfen. zu verstehen means “to understand.” verstehen is the infinitive “understand,” and zu verstehen is the zu-infinitive. After helfen, this construction states what the help enables them to do: Das hilft mir, die Regel zu verstehen. — “That helps me understand the rule.” was introduces the content of understanding: “what.” Here it begins a subordinate clause, not a question asking for a specific object. A useful pattern is Ich weiß, was passiert. — “I know what is happening.” gerade means “currently” or “right now” in this sentence. It places the event around the present moment. Its meaning here is temporal; in other contexts, gerade can also describe something straight or emphasize exactness. passiert means “is happening” here. It is the third-person singular present form of passieren, “to happen”: was passiert — “what is happening.” The form is singular because the event introduced by was is treated as the subject of passiert. Together, Eine kurze Nachricht is the subject, and würde ihnen helfen says that it would help them. zu verstehen gives the action they would be helped to carry out. The subordinate clause was gerade passiert identifies the content: what is currently happening. The complete meaning is: “A short message would help them understand what is happening.”

10. Ich kann sagen, dass ich vielleicht das Netzwerk wechsle, wenn der Anruf hängen bleibt.

    I can say I may switch networks if the call freezes.

    Ich kann

    I can

    sagen

    say

    dass

    that

    vielleicht

    perhaps

    Netzwerk

    network

    wechsle

    switch

    wenn

    if

    Anruf

    call

    hängen bleibt

    freezes

    More detail

    Ich kann expresses the speaker’s ability or possibility: “I can.” kann is the first-person singular present form of können; with a second verb, German places that verb in the infinitive, as in Ich kann warten (“I can wait”). Here, sagen is that infinitive and means “to say.” sagen means “to say” here. A useful pattern is sagen, dass ... (“say that ...”), with the content introduced by dass. dass introduces a subordinate content clause, equivalent here to “that.” In a German dass clause, the finite verb normally moves to the end: Ich weiß, dass er kommt (“I know that he is coming”). vielleicht means “perhaps” or “maybe.” It marks the statement as possible rather than certain. In this sentence it applies to the possible network change. Netzwerk means “network.” The full noun phrase is das Netzwerk; das marks this noun as neuter in the form used here. The noun remains useful in compounds such as Netzwerkverbindung (“network connection”), though the exact compound meaning depends on context. wechsle means “switch” here. It is the first-person singular present form of wechseln (“to switch” or “to change”): ich wechsle, du wechselst, er/sie wechselt. The form agrees with the understood subject ich in the dass clause. das Netzwerk wechselt would instead mean “the network switches,” with a third-person singular subject. wenn introduces a condition: “if” here. It starts a subordinate clause, so its finite verb comes at the end. A reusable pattern is wenn X passiert, ... (“if X happens, ...”). Anruf means “call,” specifically the noun for a telephone call in this sentence. The phrase der Anruf uses the masculine singular form with the definite article der; the article identifies the noun phrase as definite, not a numerical quantity. hängen bleibt means “gets stuck” or “freezes” in this context. It is the finite form of the separable verb hängen bleiben (“to remain stuck”): der Anruf bleibt hängen, but in a subordinate clause the finite part comes at the end as ... wenn der Anruf hängen bleibt. The bleibt form agrees with the singular subject der Anruf. Together, Ich kann sagen, dass ... means “I can say that ...”. Inside that content clause, ich ... wechsle says that the speaker may switch networks, with vielleicht expressing possibility. The final wenn clause gives the condition: this may happen if der Anruf hängen bleibt, “the call freezes.” The complete meaning is: “I can say I may switch networks if the call freezes.”

11. Das sollte verhindern, dass die Leute denken, du hättest den Anruf plötzlich verlassen.

    That should keep people from thinking you suddenly left.

    Das sollte

    that should

    verhindern

    prevent

    die Leute

    the people

    denken

    think

    du hättest

    you had

    den Anruf

    the call

    plötzlich

    suddenly

    verlassen

    leave

    More detail

    Das sollte combines das (“that”) with sollte, the third-person singular preterite form of sollen. In this sentence, sollte expresses an expected or intended effect, so the pattern Das sollte + infinitive means “That should ...”. Das refers to the relevant situation or action, without the sentence specifying a single noun as its antecedent. verhindern is the infinitive meaning “prevent” or “keep from happening”. After the modal verb sollte, the lexical verb stays in the infinitive: Das sollte verhindern .... A useful pattern is etwas verhindern (“prevent something”) or verhindern, dass jemand etwas tut (“prevent someone from doing something”). To express stopping a person directly, German commonly uses jemanden daran hindern, etwas zu tun. die Leute means “the people” here. Leute is a plural noun; its singular counterpart is die Person or, in a different lexical choice, der Mensch, not a singular form of Leute. In this sentence, die Leute is the subject inside the dass clause, and the plural form is visible in the article and noun. denken means “think”. It introduces the content of what the people might think: verhindern, dass die Leute denken, ... means “prevent the people from thinking that ...”. In a subordinate clause introduced by dass, the finite verb is placed at the end: ..., dass die Leute denken, .... du hättest consists of du, the informal singular “you”, and hättest, the second-person singular Konjunktiv II form of haben. Together with the later participle verlassen, it forms a past irrealis or reported hypothetical: du hättest ... verlassen means “you had left ...” in the thought being attributed to the people. The form hättest is not the ordinary past form hattest; the subjunctive form presents the content as someone’s supposed or imagined view rather than asserting it directly. den Anruf means “the call”. Anruf is a masculine noun, and den marks its accusative form after verlassen, because it is the thing being left. The nominative article is der Anruf, while the accusative is den Anruf. plötzlich means “suddenly”. It modifies the leaving event and says that, in the imagined interpretation, the leaving happened unexpectedly or abruptly. Its form does not change here because it is an adverb. verlassen means “leave” in this context. It is the infinitive of the strong verb verlassen; its important forms are verlassen (infinitive), verließ (simple past), and hat verlassen (perfect). The verb takes an accusative object, hence den Anruf. Here, “leave the call” is the intended meaning fixed by the translation; the sentence does not assert that the speaker actually left. Together, Das sollte verhindern gives “That should prevent”, and the following dass clause identifies what should be prevented: die Leute denken (“the people thinking”). Inside that thought, du hättest den Anruf plötzlich verlassen presents the supposed past event (“you had suddenly left the call”). The complete meaning is: “That should keep people from thinking you suddenly left.”