fast da
/fast daː/word by word
In German, "almost there" is said as fast da.
The phrase fast da is used to indicate that someone is very close to reaching a physical destination or is close to completing a specific task or goal.
What does it mean word for word?
The expression consists of fast, meaning "almost" and da, meaning "there" or "here".
Which one should you use?
You may encounter bald da or gleich da which also convey the idea of being almost there.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adverbial phrase, fast da does not change based on the subject of the sentence. Only the accompanying verb (such as ist, sind or warst) conjugates to match the subject.
How do you pronounce it?
/fast daː/
Did you know?
- The German word fast is a cognate of the English word 'fast'. While the English word evolved to mean 'quick', it originally shared a root with fast meaning 'securely' or 'solidly'.
- The word da serves a dual purpose in German. It can mean 'there' in the context of a destination but it can also mean 'here' depending on the speaker's perspective.
Examples in context
- Tom ist fast da.Tom is almost there.This sentence shows how to use fast da with the third-person singular verb.Tatoeba #8865893 by wolfgangth, translation #2272914 by CK
- Wir sind fast da.We're almost there.This sentence shows how to use fast da with the first-person plural verb.Tatoeba #2075069 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #71664 by CK
- Du warst fast da.You were almost there.This sentence shows how to use fast da with the second-person singular verb in the past tense.Tatoeba #10088021 by wolfgangth, translation #3723261 by CM
- Sie sind beinahe da. Gehen Sie geradeaus und biegen Sie dann rechts ab.You are almost there. Go straight ahead, and then turn right.
- Der Bahnhof ist fast da. Sie können ihn schon sehen.The train station is almost there. You can already see it.
- Wir warten auf dich. Du bist bald da, oder?We're waiting for you. You're almost here, right?
- Komm schon, wir sind gleich da. Nur noch ein paar Minuten!Come on, we're almost there. Just a few more minutes!
- Wir sind fast bei der Zielgeraden.We're almost at the finish line.
- Hast du es bald geschafft?Are you almost done?
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Lukas are walking to a restaurant.
- JuliaHaben wir es bald geschafft?Are we almost there?
- LukasJa, ich glaube, wir sind fast da.Yes, I think we are almost there.
- JuliaIch sehe schon das Schild.I can already see the sign.
- LukasSiehst du, wir sind wirklich fast da.See, we really are almost there.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (fast, da) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries da, fast, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
