A useful reset with a short walk | Learn German in English

Sentence explanations

1. Ich kann mich nicht entscheiden, welche Version des Designs besser funktioniert.

   I can't decide which version of the design works better.

   Ich kann

   I can

   mich

   myself

   nicht

   not

   entscheiden

   decide

   welche

   which

   Version

   version

   des Designs

   of the design

   besser

   better

   funktioniert

   works

   More detail

   Ich kann means “I can” here. kann is the first-person singular present form of können; the infinitive of the main verb comes later in a clause with this modal: Ich kann warten. — “I can wait.” mich belongs to the reflexive expression sich entscheiden (“to decide”). With ich, the reflexive form is mich: Ich entscheide mich. — “I decide.” The form changes with the subject, for example Du entscheidest dich — “You decide.” nicht negates the decision expressed by mich entscheiden: Ich kann mich nicht entscheiden means “I can’t decide.” It is not part of the meaning of kann alone; the neighboring words show what is being negated. entscheiden is the infinitive “to decide.” Its useful present-tense pattern is ich entscheide mich, du entscheidest dich, er/sie entscheidet sich. In this sentence it remains an infinitive because kann is the conjugated modal verb. Example: Wir können später entscheiden. — “We can decide later.” welche introduces the choice being considered: “which.” It agrees with the noun Version in gender, number, and case here: feminine, singular, nominative. This is an indirect question, so the finite verb of that clause appears at the end: Ich weiß, welche Version funktioniert. — “I know which version works.” Version is a feminine noun meaning “version.” Its plural is Versionen: zwei Versionen — “two versions.” In this sentence, Version is the subject of funktioniert, not the object of entscheiden; the speaker is deciding between possible versions. des Designs means “of the design.” Design is a neuter noun, and des plus Designs marks the genitive relation: the design is associated with or belongs to the version. The genitive singular adds -s here: die Farbe des Designs — “the color of the design.” besser means “better.” It is the comparative form of gut: gut — “good,” besser — “better,” am besten — “best.” Here besser compares how well the version functions, so it is used adverbially rather than describing the noun Version directly. Example: Diese Lösung funktioniert besser. — “This solution works better.” funktioniert means “works” in this context, from funktionieren (“to work” or “to function”). It is the third-person singular present form, agreeing with the singular subject welche Version: Die Version funktioniert. — “The version works.” In the indirect question, it comes at the end: welche Version besser funktioniert — “which version works better.” Together, Ich kann mich nicht entscheiden says “I can’t decide,” and welche Version des Designs besser funktioniert specifies what the decision concerns: which version of the design functions better. The complete utterance therefore means, “I can’t decide which version of the design works better.”

2. Gehen wir für ein paar Minuten nach draußen und besprechen wir es.

   Let's step out for a few minutes and talk it through.

   Gehen wir

   let’s go

   für ein paar Minuten

   for a few minutes

   nach draußen

   outside

   besprechen

   discuss; talk through

   es

   it

   More detail

   Gehen wir means “let’s go.” German uses the finite verb form with wir in this verb-first pattern to make a first-person-plural suggestion or exhortation: Gehen wir! = “Let’s go!” This differs from the ordinary statement order Wir gehen = “We are going / We go.” für ein paar Minuten means “for a few minutes.” für marks a time span here, and ein paar means “a few” without specifying an exact number. Minuten is the plural of Minute; after ein paar, the noun is plural. Example: Wir bleiben für zehn Minuten. — “We’ll stay for ten minutes.” nach draußen means “outside” with movement to the outside. draußen by itself describes being outside: Wir sind draußen. — “We are outside.” Thus nach draußen gehen means “go outside,” not merely “be outside.” besprechen means “discuss” or “talk through.” Here it is the finite first-person-plural form used in the coordinated suggestion besprechen wir. It looks identical to the infinitive besprechen, but its role here is finite: the subject wir is stated after the verb. besprechen is its own verb; sprechen is not its base form. Example: Wir besprechen den Plan. — “We discuss the plan.” es means “it.” It is a third-person singular neuter pronoun used here as the object of besprechen. The sentence does not identify the antecedent, but the form itself is neuter singular. In Wir besprechen es, es occupies the object position; context supplies what “it” refers to. Together, Gehen wir für ein paar Minuten nach draußen proposes going outside for a short period. und besprechen wir es coordinates a second first-person-plural suggestion: discussing the matter. The complete utterance therefore means, “Let’s step out for a few minutes and talk it through.”

3. Frische Luft könnte helfen, aber ich möchte nicht zu viel Zeit verlieren.

   Fresh air might help, but I don't want to lose too much time.

   Frische

   fresh

   Luft

   air

   könnte

   might; could

   helfen

   help

   möchte

   want; would like

   zu viel

   too much

   Zeit

   time

   verlieren

   lose

   More detail

   Frische describes Luft here. It is the feminine nominative form of frisch, agreeing with the feminine noun Luft; the adjective’s base form is frisch. Compare frische Luft with frischer Wind (“fresh wind”), where the adjective ending changes with the noun phrase. Luft means “air.” It is a feminine noun: die Luft. In this sentence it is the subject, the thing that might help. Example: Die Luft ist kalt. — “The air is cold.” könnte means “might” here. It is the first-person/third-person singular form of the Konjunktiv II of können (“can; be able to”), but with Frische Luft as the subject it is understood as “might be able to” or simply “might.” This form presents help as a possibility rather than a fact. Compare kann helfen (“can help”) with könnte helfen (“might help”). helfen is the infinitive “to help.” With the modal verb könnte, the infinitive stays at the end of this clause: X könnte helfen — “X might help.” The verb helfen can also take a dative person: Ich helfe ihm. — “I help him.” That dative pattern is separate from the subject pattern in the fixed sentence. möchte means “would like” or, in this context, “want.” It is the first-person singular form of the Konjunktiv II of mögen (“like”), commonly used to express a present wish politely: Ich möchte gehen. — “I would like to go.” It is not the simple present form mag (“like”); Ich mag gehen does not normally express the same straightforward wish. zu viel means “too much.” It marks an excessive amount, not merely a large amount: viel Zeit is “a lot of time,” while zu viel Zeit is “too much time.” Here it modifies the following noun phrase Zeit. Zeit means “time.” It is a feminine noun: die Zeit. In zu viel Zeit verlieren, it is the object of verlieren, so the phrase means “lose too much time.” Example: Wir haben wenig Zeit. — “We have little time.” verlieren means “to lose.” It is the infinitive required after möchte: Ich möchte ... verlieren — “I want to lose ...” In the fixed sentence, negation makes the intended meaning “I do not want to lose too much time.” The verb can also describe losing an object or a contest, for example Sie verliert den Schlüssel. — “She loses the key.” The first clause combines Frische Luft as the subject, könnte as the possibility marker, and helfen as the infinitive: “Fresh air might help.” Aber connects it to the second clause. There, ich möchte expresses the speaker’s wish, nicht negates that wish, and zu viel Zeit verlieren identifies what the speaker does not want: “but I don’t want to lose too much time.”

4. Wir können einfach um den Block gehen und uns auf die wichtigste Entscheidung konzentrieren.

   We can just circle the block and focus on the main decision.

   Wir können

   we can

   einfach

   just; simply

   um den Block

   around the block

   gehen

   go

   wichtigste

   most important

   Entscheidung

   decision

   konzentrieren

   focus

   More detail

   Wir können combines wir (“we”) with the modal verb können (“can; be able to”). können is the first-person plural present form; its infinitive is also können. With a modal verb, the other verb normally appears as an infinitive at the end of the clause: Wir können warten. — “We can wait.” einfach is an adverb meaning “simply” or, here, “just,” making the suggested action sound straightforward. It is not part of the meaning of können itself. um den Block expresses movement around a block: um is used here with the accusative, shown by den before masculine Block. The compact pattern um den Block gehen is reusable for “walk/go around the block.” gehen means “go” or “walk” in this context. Its base form is the infinitive gehen; after können, it stays in that infinitive form rather than being conjugated. Example: Wir können um den See gehen. — “We can walk around the lake.” wichtigste is the superlative form of wichtig (“important”): wichtig — important, wichtiger — more important, am wichtigsten — most important when used independently, and wichtigste in this noun phrase. Here it agrees with the definite article and the feminine noun Entscheidung; die wichtigste Entscheidung is accusative after auf in the construction sich auf etwas konzentrieren. The translation’s “main decision” conveys the intended meaning here, while the form literally identifies the decision as the most important one. Entscheidung is a feminine noun meaning “decision.” Its plural is Entscheidungen. The phrase eine Entscheidung treffen is another common way to say “make a decision.” Example: Wir müssen eine Entscheidung treffen. — “We have to make a decision.” konzentrieren means “focus” here. The reusable construction is sich auf etwas konzentrieren, “to focus on something.” In this sentence, uns is the first-person plural reflexive form matching wir, and auf die wichtigste Entscheidung names what receives the focus. konzentrieren is an infinitive because it follows können. Example: Ich konzentriere mich auf die Aufgabe. — “I am focusing on the task.” Together, Wir können ... gehen gives the possibility or suggestion “we can go ...”; einfach adds “just”; um den Block gehen supplies the route; and uns auf die wichtigste Entscheidung konzentrieren supplies the purpose or second coordinated action. The complete utterance therefore means: “We can just circle the block and focus on the main decision.”

5. Das würde mir eine Pause geben, ohne das Problem ganz aus den Augen zu verlieren.

   That would give me a break without dropping the problem completely.

   Das würde

   that would

   mir

   to me

   Pause

   break

   geben

   give

   ohne

   without

   Problem

   problem

   ganz

   completely

   aus den Augen zu verlieren

   lose sight of it

   More detail

   Das würde expresses a hypothetical or proposed result: “That would …”. würde is the Konjunktiv II form of werden used here with the infinitive geben; the infinitive stays at the end of this clause. Das means “that” here, while the exact thing it refers to is not named in this sentence. mir is the first-person singular dative pronoun, “to me” or “for me”. It marks the person who would receive the benefit. Compare mir “to me” with dir “to you” and ihm “to him” in the same dative role. Pause is the feminine noun “break” or “pause”. In the sentence, the full noun phrase is eine Pause; eine is the feminine accusative form of the indefinite article after geben. German commonly uses jemandem etwas geben (“give someone something”): the recipient is dative (mir), and the thing given is accusative (eine Pause). Example: Das gibt mir Zeit. — “That gives me time.” geben means “to give”. Its base form is the infinitive; after würde, it remains geben, producing würde ... geben (“would give”). The order is therefore Das würde ... eine Pause geben, with the infinitive at the end of the main clause. ohne introduces an accompanying circumstance that does not happen: “without”. With a verb, German uses ohne ... zu plus the infinitive. Here, ohne begins that construction, and zu verlieren completes it later. Problem is the neuter noun “problem”. The phrase das Problem uses the neuter definite article in the accusative here, because it is the object of verlieren. The form of the article is the same as nominative for a neuter noun, so the case is understood from its role in the construction. ganz means “completely” or “entirely” here. It strengthens the extent of verlieren: the meaning is not merely failing to keep the problem in mind, but losing sight of it completely. aus den Augen zu verlieren is the reusable idiom etwas aus den Augen verlieren, literally “to lose something out of one’s eyes”, meaning “to lose sight of something” or “to lose track of something”. zu verlieren is the zu-infinitive of verlieren; verlieren means “to lose”. Example: Verliere das Ziel nicht aus den Augen. — “Don’t lose sight of the goal.” Together, ohne das Problem ganz aus den Augen zu verlieren means “without completely losing sight of the problem”. The complete utterance combines the hypothetical result Das würde mir eine Pause geben (“That would give me a break”) with this ohne ... zu clause: “That would give me a break without completely losing sight of the problem.”

6. Manchmal fühlt sich eine Entscheidung leichter an, wenn man sich bewegt.

   Sometimes moving around makes the decision feel easier.

   Manchmal

   sometimes

   fühlt sich … an

   feels

   Entscheidung

   decision

   leichter

   easier

   wenn

   when

   man

   one; you in general

   sich bewegt

   moves around

   More detail

   Manchmal means “sometimes.” It places the statement in the category of occasional situations, not something that happens every time. Example: Manchmal arbeite ich abends. — “Sometimes I work in the evenings.” fühlt sich ... an is the separated form of sich anfühlen, “to feel” or “to seem.” In this sentence, eine Entscheidung is what has the feeling: the decision feels easier. The verb is separable, so an appears at the end of the main clause. Example: Der Plan fühlt sich gut an. — “The plan feels good.” Entscheidung means “decision.” Its base form is the feminine noun die Entscheidung; here, eine Entscheidung is the indefinite form used as the subject. The noun refers to the decision itself, not to the act of deciding. Example: Das ist eine schwierige Entscheidung. — “That is a difficult decision.” leichter is the comparative form of leicht, “easy” or “light” depending on context. Here it means “easier,” and it describes Entscheidung. The basic comparison is leicht — leichter — am leichtesten: “easy” — “easier” — “easiest.” The comparative says that the decision feels easier than before or than in another condition; the comparison point is understood rather than stated. wenn introduces a subordinate clause meaning “when” here. In a German subordinate clause introduced by wenn, the finite verb normally moves to the end. Example: Ich gehe spazieren, wenn ich Zeit habe. — “I go for a walk when I have time.” man is an impersonal pronoun meaning “one,” or “you” in a general sense. It does not identify a particular person. Its form is fixed; the verb after it is third-person singular. Do not confuse it with Mann, “man” as an adult male. Example: Man lernt durch Übung. — “You learn through practice.” sich bewegt comes from sich bewegen, “to move” or, in this context, “to move around.” bewegt is the third-person singular present form after man, and sich marks the reflexive construction. Because this clause follows wenn, the finite verb bewegt comes last. Example: Man bewegt sich regelmäßig. — “You move around regularly.” Together, wenn man sich bewegt means “when one moves around.” The main clause fühlt sich eine Entscheidung leichter an says that a decision feels easier, and Manchmal limits this to some occasions. The whole utterance therefore means: “Sometimes moving around makes the decision feel easier.”

7. Ich nehme mein Handy mit, falls wir das Mock-up prüfen müssen.

   I'll bring my phone in case we need to check the mockup.

   nehme … mit

   bring along

   Handy

   mobile phone

   falls

   in case

   Mock-up

   mockup

   prüfen

   check

   müssen

   have to

   More detail

   nehme ... mit is the split form of mitnehmen, “to take/bring along.” In the sentence, nehme is the first-person singular present form of nehmen, and the separable prefix mit appears at the end of the main clause: Ich nehme ... mit. This pattern is reusable: Ich nehme meinen Regenschirm mit. — “I’m taking my umbrella along.” Handy means “mobile phone” in this sentence. It is a noun; its base form is Handy, and the possessive word mein shows that the phone belongs to the speaker. Example: Mein Handy ist leer. — “My phone is out of battery.” falls introduces a condition that is presented as possible: “in case” or “if.” It starts the subordinate clause here. In German, the finite verb normally goes to the end of a falls-clause, as in falls wir Zeit haben — “if we have time.” Mock-up is the noun for a preliminary model or representation of something being designed. Here it is the object of prüfen; the fixed translation identifies it as “the mockup.” prüfen means “to check” or “to inspect.” It is an infinitive here, placed at the end of the subordinate clause because it follows the modal verb müssen. Example: Wir prüfen den Plan. — “We check the plan.” müssen means “to have to” or “must.” It is the infinitive form of the modal verb whose first-person singular present form is muss; with wir, the finite form is also müssen: wir müssen. In a subordinate clause with another verb, müssen comes after the other infinitive: weil wir den Plan prüfen müssen — “because we have to check the plan.” Together, Ich nehme mein Handy mit means “I’ll bring my phone along.” The clause falls wir das Mock-up prüfen müssen adds the condition “in case we need to check the mockup.” Thus the whole utterance means: “I’ll bring my phone in case we need to check the mockup.”

8. Lass uns in einem ruhigen Tempo gehen, damit es nicht zu einer weiteren Aufgabe wird.

   Keep the pace relaxed so it doesn't turn into another task.

   Lass uns

   let's

   ruhigen

   relaxed

   Tempo

   pace

   gehen

   go; walk

   damit

   so that

   weiteren

   another; additional

   Aufgabe

   task

   More detail

   Lass uns is the common German way to make a suggestion meaning “let’s …”. Lass is the singular informal imperative of lassen (“let”); uns is the first-person plural object form (“us”). The construction is followed by an infinitive: Lass uns warten. — “Let’s wait.” ruhigen means “relaxed” here. Its base form is the adjective ruhig (“calm, quiet, relaxed”). In in einem ruhigen Tempo, ruhigen has the ending required by the noun phrase: Tempo is neuter, einem is dative singular, and the adjective therefore appears as ruhigen. The adjective describes the pace, not the act of walking itself. Tempo means “pace” or “speed of movement.” It is a neuter noun: das Tempo. The phrase in einem ruhigen Tempo means “at a relaxed pace.” Example: Wir arbeiten in einem ruhigen Tempo. — “We work at a relaxed pace.” gehen means “go” or, in this context, “walk.” It is the infinitive after Lass uns; the suggestion is therefore “let’s go/walk.” Example: Lass uns langsam gehen. — “Let’s walk slowly.” damit introduces a subordinate purpose clause, meaning “so that” or “so that … does not.” In German, the conjugated verb goes to the end of a damit clause. Here, wird is therefore at the end: damit es nicht zu einer weiteren Aufgabe wird. weiteren means “another” or “additional” here. Its base form is the adjective weiter (“further”); in this noun phrase it has the inflected form weiteren. einer weiteren Aufgabe means “another/additional task.” Example: Wir brauchen keine weitere Erklärung. — “We do not need another explanation.” Aufgabe means “task” or “assignment.” It is a feminine noun: die Aufgabe. In zu einer weiteren Aufgabe, the phrase uses zu with a dative noun phrase: einer and weiteren are the corresponding forms. The pattern zu etwas werden means “become something” or “turn into something.” Together, Lass uns in einem ruhigen Tempo gehen means “Let’s go at a relaxed pace.” The purpose clause damit es nicht zu einer weiteren Aufgabe wird adds “so that it does not turn into another task.” The whole utterance is therefore: “Keep the pace relaxed so it doesn't turn into another task.”

9. Nach einem kurzen Spaziergang können wir zurückkommen und eine Richtung wählen.

   After a short walk, we can come back and choose one direction.

   Nach

   after

   kurzen

   short

   Spaziergang

   walk

   können wir

   we can

   zurückkommen

   come back

   Richtung

   direction

   wählen

   choose

   More detail

   Nach introduces the time point or period after which something happens. Here it is followed by the dative phrase einem kurzen Spaziergang. A reusable pattern is nach + dative: Nach dem Essen gehe ich spazieren. — “After the meal, I go for a walk.” kurzen means “short” here and describes Spaziergang. Its base form is kurz; the ending -en appears because the adjective is in a masculine dative phrase after einem: nach einem kurzen Spaziergang. The adjective agrees with the noun phrase’s grammatical features; it is not the noun’s base form. Spaziergang is a masculine noun meaning “walk” or “stroll.” Its compound structure does not change the fact that the whole noun is masculine: der Spaziergang, ein Spaziergang. Example: Der Spaziergang war kurz. — “The walk was short.” können wir means “we can.” können is the modal verb können, with wir as its subject. In a main-clause question or statement, the finite modal is placed in the relevant clause position and the other verb normally appears as an infinitive at the end: Wir können morgen kommen. — “We can come tomorrow.” Here, können expresses ability or possibility supported by the fixed translation, not a command. zurückkommen means “come back” or “return.” It is an infinitive with the separable verb zurückkommen; in a finite main clause, the parts separate: Wir kommen zurück. With the modal, the infinitive remains together at the end: Wir können zurückkommen. Richtung means “direction.” It is a feminine noun: die Richtung, eine Richtung. The phrase eine Richtung uses an indefinite article; the article does not by itself assert a numerical count. In this sentence, the fixed translation presents the intended meaning as choosing one direction. Example: Welche Richtung ist richtig? — “Which direction is right?” wählen means “choose” or “select.” Its base form is the infinitive wählen, and the umlaut is part of this verb’s spelling. After the modal können, it stays in the infinitive: Wir können eine Richtung wählen. — “We can choose a direction.” Together, Nach einem kurzen Spaziergang sets the time: “After a short walk.” können wir zurückkommen says that returning is possible for “us,” and und eine Richtung wählen adds a coordinated action: choosing a direction. The complete utterance therefore means: “After a short walk, we can come back and choose one direction.”

10. Ein kurzer Neustart könnte uns eine weitere Stunde des Überdenkens ersparen.

    A short reset might save us from another hour of overthinking.

    kurzer

    short

    Neustart

    reset; restart

    könnte

    might; could

    uns

    us

    weitere

    another; additional

    Stunde

    hour

    Überdenkens

    overthinking

    ersparen

    to spare; save from

    More detail

    kurzer means “short” here and is the attributive form of kurz. It has the masculine singular nominative ending -er because it describes Neustart in the subject phrase after the indefinite article ein. Useful forms are kurz (short), kürzer (shorter), and am kürzesten (shortest). Neustart is a masculine noun meaning “reset” or “restart”: der Neustart. The compound combines neu (“new”) with Start (“start”), but it functions as one noun. Here it names the proposed action. könnte is the third-person singular Konjunktiv II form of können. Here it presents a tentative possibility, naturally “might” or “could,” rather than a definite result. For example: Das könnte uns helfen. — “That could help us.” uns means “us” and is the first-person plural dative pronoun here. It marks the people who would be spared something. In the example Das könnte uns helfen., it likewise refers to the people who could be helped. weitere modifies Stunde in eine weitere Stunde. It means “another” or “additional” here and is the feminine singular accusative form agreeing with Stunde after eine. For example: Wir brauchen eine weitere Minute. — “We need another minute.” Stunde is the feminine noun die Stunde, “hour.” Here it is the accusative object of ersparen, the thing that could be spared. Its plural is Stunden (“hours”). Überdenkens is the genitive form of the nominalized infinitive das Überdenken, meaning “overthinking” or “reconsidering.” In eine weitere Stunde des Überdenkens, the genitive phrase identifies what the additional hour would involve. The noun carries the genitive ending -s, as shown in Überdenkens, while des is the genitive form of the article. ersparen means “to spare someone something” or “to save someone from something.” A useful pattern is jemandem etwas ersparen: the person is in the dative, and the thing spared is in the accusative. Thus uns is the person being spared, while eine weitere Stunde des Überdenkens is what they might be spared. Example: Das erspart mir viel Arbeit. — “That saves me a lot of work.” Together, Ein kurzer Neustart is the subject, “a short reset.” könnte presents the possible result, and uns identifies the people who would benefit. eine weitere Stunde des Überdenkens is the thing that could be avoided, and ersparen completes the pattern jemandem etwas ersparen. The whole utterance means: “A short reset might save us from another hour of overthinking.”