Handling a Frozen Maintenance Request App | Learn German in English

Sentence explanations

1. Die App für Wartungsanfragen ist eingefroren, nachdem ich auf Senden gedrückt habe.

   The maintenance request app froze after I pressed send.

   App

   app

   Wartungsanfragen

   maintenance requests

   eingefroren

   froze

   auf Senden

   on Send

   gedrückt

   pressed

   More detail

   App means “app” here. German nouns are capitalized, and die App is feminine. The article and any adjective or pronoun referring to it would follow feminine forms; the noun itself does not change in this sentence. Wartungsanfragen means “maintenance requests.” It is the plural of Wartungsanfrage: Wartung (maintenance) + Anfrage (request). In für Wartungsanfragen, für introduces the intended purpose or type, and its object is plural; the plural form happens to have no visible ending here. Example: Das Formular ist für technische Anfragen. — “The form is for technical requests.” eingefroren is the past participle of einfrieren, “to freeze” or, for software, “to freeze/become unresponsive.” The fixed sentence uses it with ist: ist eingefroren, describing the app’s resulting state in the past context. The verb’s forms include einfrieren (base), fror ein (simple past), and eingefroren (past participle). In this technical use, it does not mean that the app became physically frozen. auf Senden is the reusable pattern “on Send,” as in pressing a button labeled Senden. Senden is a nominalized infinitive, so it is capitalized; the word itself means “sending” or “Send” in this button-label use. German commonly uses auf etwas drücken for pressing a surface or button: Drück auf den Knopf. — “Press the button.” gedrückt is the past participle of drücken, “to press.” In the fixed sentence it appears in the perfect construction gedrückt habe, whose subject is ich: literally, “I have pressed.” The subordinate-clause form keeps the finite auxiliary habe at the end, while gedrückt remains before it. Compare Ich habe auf Senden gedrückt. — “I pressed Send.” Together, Die App für Wartungsanfragen identifies the app, and ist eingefroren says that it froze. The subordinate clause nachdem ich auf Senden gedrückt habe places that freezing after the speaker pressed Send. The complete meaning is: “The maintenance request app froze after I pressed send.”

2. Prüf, ob die Anfrage in deinem Verlauf erscheint, bevor du es noch einmal versuchst.

   Check whether the request appears in your history before you try again.

   Prüf

   check

   ob

   whether

   Anfrage

   request

   Verlauf

   history

   erscheint

   appears

   bevor

   before

   noch einmal

   again

   versuchst

   try

   More detail

   Prüf is the informal singular imperative of prüfen (“to check”). It addresses one person directly; the final -f is part of the imperative form. Example: Prüf die Einstellungen. — “Check the settings.” ob introduces an indirect yes/no question and means “whether” here. In the clause it introduces, German places the finite verb at the end: ob die Anfrage ... erscheint. Anfrage means “request” here, specifically the request being looked for in the app. Its base form is the feminine noun die Anfrage; its plural is die Anfragen. Example: Die Anfrage ist gespeichert. — “The request is saved.” Verlauf means “history” here, such as a record of earlier activity. It is the masculine noun der Verlauf. In in deinem Verlauf, in describes a location, so the noun phrase is in the dative: deinem is the dative masculine/neuter form of the possessive determiner based on dein, while Verlauf itself does not change. erscheint is the third-person singular present form of erscheinen (“to appear”). Its subject is die Anfrage, so the verb has the singular form: die Anfrage erscheint. The same form can describe something becoming visible or showing up in a record. bevor means “before” and introduces a subordinate clause. Here it sets the checking as something to do earlier than the action in the following clause; the finite verb of that clause comes at the end. noch einmal means “again” or “once more.” Together, the two words express repetition; noch alone does not mean “again” in this construction. Example: Versuch es noch einmal. — “Try it again.” versuchst is the second-person singular present form of versuchen (“to try”). The subject du is stated explicitly, and versuchst agrees with it. es is the object of versuchen; in this sentence, the fixed translation supports the general meaning “try it again,” without requiring a more specific identification of what es refers to. Together, Prüf, ob ... erscheint means “Check whether ... appears.” die Anfrage in deinem Verlauf identifies the request and the history in which it should appear. bevor du es noch einmal versuchst adds the timing: perform that check before trying it again. The complete meaning is: “Check whether the request appears in your history before you try again.”

3. Die App lädt immer noch, und ich kann nicht erkennen, ob die Nachricht gesendet wurde.

   It is still loading, and I cannot tell if the message went through.

   App

   app

   lädt

   is loading

   immer noch

   still

   kann

   can; be able to

   nicht erkennen

   not recognize; not tell

   ob

   whether; if

   Nachricht

   message

   gesendet wurde

   was sent

   More detail

   App is a feminine noun meaning “app.” German nouns are capitalized, and the article or other modifier would show the noun’s gender in a fuller phrase. Example: Die App funktioniert. — “The app works.” lädt comes from laden and means “is loading” here. It is the present-tense third-person singular form, matching die App: die App lädt. The verb laden can also mean “to load” in other contexts, such as loading a vehicle, but here it describes an app loading data or content. Example: Die Seite lädt schnell. — “The page loads quickly.” immer noch means “still,” indicating that the loading continues at the relevant time. It is a reusable time expression, not part of the verb’s inflection. Example: Ich warte immer noch. — “I am still waiting.” kann is the first-person singular present form of the modal verb können, “can” or “be able to.” With ich, the form is ich kann; the following verb remains in the infinitive: ich kann erkennen. Example: Ich kann die Datei öffnen. — “I can open the file.” nicht erkennen means “not recognize” or, in this context, “not tell.” erkennen is the infinitive after the modal kann, while nicht negates the ability to determine something. In a different context, erkennen can mean recognizing a person or identifying something. Example: Ich kann den Text nicht erkennen. — “I cannot make out the text.” ob introduces an indirect yes-or-no question, meaning “whether” or “if.” In the clause introduced by ob, the finite verb goes to the end. This differs from a direct question such as Wurde die Nachricht gesendet? — “Was the message sent?” Example: Ich weiß nicht, ob es funktioniert. — “I do not know whether it works.” Nachricht means “message.” It is a feminine noun: die Nachricht; its plural is die Nachrichten. The noun is the thing whose sending is being considered here. Example: Die Nachricht ist kurz. — “The message is short.” gesendet wurde means “was sent.” gesendet is the past participle of senden, “to send,” and wurde is the third-person singular past form of werden used to form the simple past passive. In the ob clause, the participle comes before the finite auxiliary at the end: ob die Nachricht gesendet wurde. This passive construction focuses on the message being sent, without stating who sent it. Example: Die Datei wurde gespeichert. — “The file was saved.” Together, Die App lädt immer noch says “The app is still loading.” The conjunction und links this with ich kann nicht erkennen, “I cannot tell.” The final clause, ob die Nachricht gesendet wurde, specifies what cannot be determined: whether the message was sent. The complete utterance therefore means: “The app is still loading, and I cannot tell if the message went through.”

4. Mach einen Screenshot, damit du das Problem klar erklären kannst.

   Take a screenshot so you can explain the problem clearly.

   Mach

   take / make

   Screenshot

   screenshot

   damit du

   so that you

   Problem

   problem

   klar

   clearly

   erklären

   explain

   kannst

   can

   More detail

   Mach is the singular informal imperative of machen (“to do/make”): machen → du machst → Mach!. Here, the intended action is “take” a screenshot. The imperative addresses one person informally; a formal instruction uses Machen Sie .... Screenshot is a masculine noun meaning “screenshot,” and German nouns are capitalized. In einen Screenshot, einen marks the masculine noun as the direct object. The plural is Screenshots. damit du introduces a purpose clause: “so that you.” A reusable pattern is ..., damit + subject + ... + finite verb: Ich schreibe es auf, damit du es nicht vergisst. — “I write it down so that you do not forget it.” du is the informal singular form of “you.” Problem means “problem.” It is a neuter noun, which is why the definite article here is das: das Problem. Its plural is Probleme. klar means “clearly” here: it describes how the explaining is done. German uses the same form klar as an adjective in contexts such as ein klares Problem (“a clear problem”) and as an adverb here. Example: Bitte sprich klar. — “Please speak clearly.” erklären means “to explain.” It is the infinitive and can be used with an object: etwas erklären (“explain something”). Example: Sie erklärt den Fehler. — “She explains the error.” kannst is the second-person singular present form of the modal verb können (“can/be able to”): ich kann, du kannst, er/sie kann. With a modal verb, the other verb remains in the infinitive. In this subordinate clause, kannst comes at the end: Du kannst das Problem erklären. — “You can explain the problem.” The first part, Mach einen Screenshot, is an informal instruction to take a screenshot. The purpose clause damit du das Problem klar erklären kannst says that the screenshot enables the addressee to explain the problem clearly. The damit clause places the finite modal verb kannst at the end. Together, the utterance means: “Take a screenshot so you can explain the problem clearly.”

5. Ich möchte dieselbe Anfrage nicht noch einmal senden.

   I do not want to send the same request again.

   Ich möchte

   I want

   dieselbe

   the same

   Anfrage

   request

   nicht

   not

   noch einmal

   again

   senden

   send

   More detail

   Ich möchte means “I would like / I want” here. möchte is the form used with ich; it is followed by an infinitive when stating what someone wants to do. For example: Ich möchte warten. — “I want to wait.” dieselbe means “the same” and agrees with the feminine singular noun Anfrage in this sentence. The form changes with the noun’s grammatical case and gender; it is not the noun’s base form. dieselbe Anfrage refers to the identical request, not merely another request of the same type. Anfrage means “request” or “inquiry.” Its plural is Anfragen. The noun is feminine: die Anfrage. For example: Ich stelle eine Anfrage. — “I submit a request.” nicht supplies the negation. Here it negates the wanted action: the speaker does not want the sending to happen. Its exact scope can depend on placement, so it is useful to keep it near the part being negated. noch einmal is a reusable expression meaning “again” or literally “once more.” noch by itself has other uses, so the complete expression is what carries the repeated-action meaning here. For example: Bitte sag das noch einmal. — “Please say that again.” senden means “to send.” It is an infinitive here because it follows möchte. A common alternative is schicken, which also means “to send” in many everyday contexts; senden can sound somewhat more formal or technical. For example: Ich möchte die Datei senden. — “I want to send the file.” Together, Ich möchte ... senden forms “I want to send ...”; inserting nicht negates that action, and noch einmal specifies that the action would be repeated. The complete utterance therefore means: “I do not want to send the same request again.”

6. Warte kurz und überprüfe dann die App, bevor du eine neue Anfrage startest.

   Wait a short time, then check the app before starting a new request.

   Warte

   wait

   kurz

   briefly

   überprüfe

   check

   dann

   then

   App

   app

   bevor du

   before you

   neue

   new

   Anfrage

   request

   startest

   start

   More detail

   Warte is the informal singular imperative of warten (“to wait”). It addresses one person with du; the polite form is Warten Sie. Example: Warte hier! — “Wait here!” kurz modifies the waiting action here, so it means “for a short time” or “briefly.” The same form can also be an adjective: ein kurzer Anruf — “a short call.” In this sentence it is used adverbially, not to describe a noun. überprüfe is the informal singular imperative of überprüfen (“to check” or “to verify”). The form tells one person to perform the check. Example: Überprüfe die Adresse. — “Check the address.” dann marks the next step in time: “then.” It links the checking action to the preceding waiting action: wait first, check afterward. App is the German noun for “app.” It is feminine: die App. In this sentence it is the accusative object of überprüfe, and no article appears in the fixed wording. Example: Die App funktioniert. — “The app works.” bevor du introduces a time clause meaning “before you.” du is the informal singular subject pronoun. Here, the bevor clause names the later event: starting the request happens after the checking in the main clause. A clause beginning with bevor normally sends its finite verb to the end. neue is the form of the adjective neu (“new”) used with Anfrage in the accusative feminine singular phrase eine neue Anfrage. After the indefinite article eine, the adjective takes the ending -e here. Example: eine neue Datei — “a new file.” Anfrage is a feminine noun meaning “request” or “inquiry.” Its plural is Anfragen. Here it refers to a new request, matching the fixed translation. Example: Ich sende eine Anfrage. — “I send a request.” startest is the informal singular present-tense form of starten (“to start” or “to launch”). In the bevor clause it appears at the end: bevor du eine neue Anfrage startest — “before you start a new request.” The ending -st marks the du form; the verb itself is starten. Together, Warte kurz gives the first instruction, and und überprüfe dann die App gives the next one. The clause bevor du eine neue Anfrage startest says that checking the app must happen before the addressee starts a new request. Thus the whole utterance means: “Wait a short time, then check the app before starting a new request.”

7. Wenn sie weiterhin einfriert, soll ich direkt den Gebäudeservice kontaktieren?

   If it still freezes, should I contact building maintenance directly?

   Wenn

   if

   sie

   it

   weiterhin

   still

   einfriert

   freezes

   soll ich

   should I

   direkt

   directly

   Gebäudeservice

   building maintenance

   kontaktieren

   contact

   More detail

   Wenn introduces a condition: “if/when.” A reusable pattern is Wenn ..., ... for a conditional clause. In this sentence, the condition comes first, and the comma separates it from the main question. sie means “it” here, referring to the app identified by the fixed translation and context. The form is also used for feminine singular or plural referents, so its exact referent must come from context; here the intended meaning is singular “it.” weiterhin is an adverb meaning “still” or “continually.” It says that the situation continues rather than beginning anew. For example, Sie wartet weiterhin. means “She is still waiting.” einfriert comes from einfrieren, “to freeze.” It is the present-tense third-person singular form of the verb. In the subordinate clause after Wenn, the finite verb appears at the end: wenn sie einfriert. The related separable form is visible in another word order: Die App friert ein. means “The app freezes.” soll ich uses sollen, “should/be supposed to,” with the first-person singular subject ich. soll is the present-tense form for ich; the infinitive kontaktieren remains at the end of the main clause. In this question, soll ich ...? asks whether contacting someone is the appropriate action: “should I ...?” direkt means “directly.” It describes contacting the service without an intervening step. Its position before the object and infinitive gives the question the practical meaning “contact ... directly.” Gebäudeservice is a compound noun meaning “building service” or “building maintenance.” The noun is masculine: der Gebäudeservice. German compounds are written as one word, with Gebäude meaning “building” and Service meaning “service”; the final element determines the grammatical gender. kontaktieren means “to contact.” It is an infinitive, and after the modal verb sollen German uses the infinitive without zu: Ich soll den Service kontaktieren means “I should contact the service.” Together, Wenn sie weiterhin einfriert means “If it still freezes.” The main clause soll ich direkt den Gebäudeservice kontaktieren? asks whether the speaker should contact building maintenance directly. The complete utterance is therefore: “If it still freezes, should I contact building maintenance directly?”

8. Kontaktiere ihn direkt und erkläre, dass die App möglicherweise nicht funktioniert.

   Contact them directly and explain that the app may not be working.

   Kontaktiere

   contact; get in touch with

   ihn

   him; them

   direkt

   directly

   und erkläre

   and explain

   dass

   that

   App

   app

   möglicherweise

   possibly; perhaps

   nicht funktioniert

   does not work

   More detail

   Kontaktiere is the informal singular imperative of kontaktieren (“to contact”). It tells one person to make contact. Compare the reusable forms Du kontaktierst ihn (“You contact him”) and the command Kontaktiere ihn! (“Contact him!”). ihn is the accusative singular masculine personal pronoun, the object of kontaktiere. Its grammatical form identifies masculine singular. The English translation uses them, which can refer to one person or more than one person; it does not itself show the distinction expressed by German ihn. Compare ihn (“him,” accusative) with er (“he,” nominative). Example: Ich sehe ihn. — “I see him.” direkt means “directly” here: the contact should be made without an intermediate step. It is an adverb, so it does not change form in this use. Example: Ruf sie direkt an. — “Call her directly.” und erkläre joins a second command to the first. Erkläre is the informal singular imperative of erklären (“to explain”); und means “and.” The subject is understood as du, just as with Kontaktiere. Example: Komm herein und erkläre das Problem. — “Come in and explain the problem.” dass introduces a subordinate clause meaning “that.” In standard German, the finite verb in a dass clause normally comes at the end. Pattern: ..., dass [subject] [other information] [verb]. die App refers here to “the app.” App is a feminine noun, as shown by the article die; its plural is also die Apps, distinguished by context and the plural ending. Example: Die App ist neu. — “The app is new.” möglicherweise is an adverb meaning “possibly” or “perhaps.” It presents the following situation as uncertain rather than asserting it as a fact. Example: Möglicherweise kommt er später. — “He may come later.” nicht funktioniert means “does not work” in this clause. Funktioniert is the third-person singular present form of funktionieren, used with the singular subject die App; nicht negates the verb phrase. The base form is funktionieren: Die App funktioniert (“The app works”), Die App funktioniert nicht (“The app does not work”). With möglicherweise, the sentence expresses that the app may not be working. Together, Kontaktiere ihn direkt means “Contact them directly,” and und erkläre, dass die App möglicherweise nicht funktioniert means “and explain that the app may not be working.” The complete utterance is therefore a direct informal instruction to contact the person designated by ihn and explain the app’s possible malfunction.

9. Ich kann den Bildschirm geöffnet lassen, bis ich weiß, was passiert ist.

   I can keep the screen open until I know what happened.

   Ich kann

   I can

   Bildschirm

   screen

   geöffnet

   open

   lassen

   leave; let

   bis

   until

   weiß

   know

   passiert

   happens

   More detail

   Ich kann expresses present-tense ability or possibility: kann is the first-person singular present form of können. The subject is Ich, so the reusable pattern is Ich kann + infinitive, as in Ich kann warten. — “I can wait.” After a modal verb, the other verb stays in the infinitive and goes to the end of its clause. Bildschirm means “screen.” It is a masculine noun; in this sentence, the neighboring article den marks the masculine accusative singular object: den Bildschirm. The noun itself does not change between nominative and accusative singular. geöffnet describes the screen’s state here: “open.” It is the past participle of öffnen (“to open”), used adjectivally. The useful pattern is etwas geöffnet lassen, “keep something open,” where geöffnet describes the state maintained by lassen. For example, Lass die Tür geöffnet. — “Leave the door open.” lassen is an infinitive meaning “leave” or “let.” With an object and a state word, etwas ... lassen means to leave or keep something in that state. Here, den Bildschirm geöffnet lassen means to keep the screen open, not to cause a new opening at this moment. Because lassen depends on the modal kann, it remains infinitive. bis introduces the endpoint “until.” It begins a subordinate clause, and German places that clause’s finite verb at the end. The pattern is bis + subject + ... + finite verb, as in Ich bleibe, bis du kommst. — “I’ll stay until you come.” weiß means “know” here and is the first-person singular present form of wissen: ich weiß. Wissen is used for knowing a fact or piece of information; kennen is used for being familiar with a person, place, or thing. The clause bis ich weiß therefore means “until I know.” passiert means “happened” in this sentence. It is the past participle of passieren (“to happen”), not the present-tense form in this construction. In was passiert ist, the participle passiert combines with the auxiliary ist to form the perfect: literally “what has happened,” naturally “what happened.” The pattern was passiert ist is an indirect question embedded after weiß. Putting the parts together, Ich kann den Bildschirm geöffnet lassen means “I can keep the screen open.” bis ich weiß adds the endpoint “until I know,” and was passiert ist specifies what the speaker will know: “what happened.” The complete utterance means, “I can keep the screen open until I know what happened.”

10. Dann kann der Gebäudeservice den Screenshot benutzen, um zu verstehen, was schiefgelaufen ist.

    Then maintenance can use the screenshot to understand what went wrong.

    Dann

    then

    kann

    can

    Gebäudeservice

    building maintenance service

    Screenshot

    screenshot

    benutzen

    use

    um zu verstehen

    in order to understand

    was schiefgelaufen ist

    what went wrong

    More detail

    Dann means “then” here, linking this statement to the earlier situation. It can also introduce a consequence: Dann machen wir weiter. — “Then we’ll continue.” kann is the present-tense form of können for er/sie/es and sie (plural), and it expresses ability or possibility. The following infinitive stays at the end of the main clause: Der Service kann den Screenshot benutzen. — “The service can use the screenshot.” In this sentence, kann belongs to der Gebäudeservice, not to Screenshot. Gebäudeservice is a compound noun meaning a building-maintenance service. Its useful base word is Service; Gebäude specifies the area or kind of service. The definite article in the sentence, der, shows that this noun is masculine in German; it does not mean that there is more than one service. As a compound, Gebäudeservice is written as one word. Screenshot is the borrowed noun for an image captured from a screen. German nouns are capitalized, and this noun is masculine: der Screenshot. Example: Ich schicke einen Screenshot. — “I’m sending a screenshot.” benutzen means “to use.” It is the infinitive selected by the modal verb kann; the modal carries the finite position while benutzen remains in its infinitive form. A related but different verb is verwenden, also meaning “to use” in many contexts, often with a somewhat more formal tone. um zu verstehen is the purpose pattern um ... zu plus the infinitive verstehen: “in order to understand.” The subject of the understood action is normally the same as the subject of the main clause here: the building-maintenance service can use the screenshot in order to understand something. Example: Sie liest die Anleitung, um das Gerät zu verstehen. — “She reads the instructions in order to understand the device.” was schiefgelaufen ist is an embedded question meaning “what went wrong.” was asks about an unspecified thing or situation. schiefgelaufen is the past participle of schieflaufen, “to go wrong”; it is not formed from a separate verb laufen with the meaning “run” in this expression. ist is the present-tense form of sein, used here as the auxiliary for this perfect form. In the subordinate clause, the finite auxiliary comes at the end: was schiefgelaufen ist. Together, Dann kann der Gebäudeservice gives “Then the building-maintenance service can,” den Screenshot benutzen gives “use the screenshot,” and um zu verstehen, was schiefgelaufen ist gives “in order to understand what went wrong.” The complete meaning is: “Then maintenance can use the screenshot to understand what went wrong.”