Phrases Flashcards
I knew it / I thought so after all
Dachte ich es mir doch
The phrase “Dachte ich es mir doch” is a colloquial and somewhat playful expression in German. Let’s break it down:
- Dachte - This is the past tense of “denken,” which means “to think.” Here, it’s used in the first person singular past tense, so “dachte” translates to “I thought.”
- ich es mir - This is a reflexive construction. “Mir” is the reflexive pronoun for “myself.” So, “ich es mir” can be translated as “I thought to myself.”
- doch - This word is often used to express that something turns out as expected or to affirm something that was suspected. In this context, “doch” can be translated as “after all” or “indeed.”
So, “Dachte ich es mir doch” can be translated as “I thought so after all” or “I knew it .” It’s a way of playfully saying that something confirmed a suspicion or expectation the speaker had. This phrase is often used in informal, friendly conversations.
I‘ll probably be back home by then
Ich bin wahrscheinlich bis dahin schon wieder zu Hause.
This sentence is more colloquial and fluid. “Ich bin” means “I am,” “wahrscheinlich” translates to “probably,” “bis dahin” means “by then,” “schon wieder” conveys “already back,” and “zu Hause” is “at home.”
By then
Bis dahin
Already back
Schon wieder
According to plan
Nach plan
Not until
Erst
At first
Zuerst / Erst
As recently as
Erst
According to the schedule, I’ll only arrive at the main station at 20:45 anyway.
Ich komme nach Plan eh erst um 20:45 Uhr am Hauptbahnhof an”
- Ich komme - “I come” or “I am coming.” This is the subject and verb of the sentence, indicating the action and the person performing it.
- nach Plan - “according to the schedule.” This phrase specifies that the action of arriving is happening as per a predetermined schedule.
- eh - This is a colloquial German word often used to add emphasis, similar to “anyway” in English.
- erst - “only” or “not until.” It indicates that the action (in this case, arriving) is happening later than might be expected or is the first action in a sequence.
- um 20:45 Uhr - “at 20:45” or “at 8:45 PM.” This specifies the time of the action.
- am Hauptbahnhof - “at the main station” or “at the central station.” “Hbf” is an abbreviation for “Hauptbahnhof,” which means main or central train station in German.
- an - “arrive.” This verb is placed at the end of the sentence due to the sentence structure in German.
But
Doch
Never the less
Doch
Though
Doch
After all
Doch
All the same
Doch
Yet
Doch / dennoch / trotzdem
