What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "I can only very little German", where kann (can) is used instead of weiß (know) to express linguistic ability.
Which one should you use?
While Ich kann nur sehr wenig Deutsch is a common way to express this, you can also use Ich spreche kaum Deutsch to say "I hardly speak any German", which is a slightly more concise way to express a similar level of very limited proficiency.
How does it change in a sentence?
In natural speech, the verb is often omitted, but you can add the verb sprechen (to speak) to the end of the sentence to be more explicit, as in Ich kann nur sehr wenig Deutsch sprechen.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying Ich weiß sehr wenig Deutsch. English speakers often mistakenly use weiß (to know a fact) instead of kann (to be able to/know a skill) when talking about language ability.
Did you know?
- The word sehr in sehr wenig shares a common ancestor with the English word 'sore', both originally relating to being 'injured' or 'wounded'.
Examples in context
- Wohin gehst du in deinem Urlaub?Where are you going for your vacation?
- Tut mir leid, ich kann nur sehr wenig Deutsch.I'm sorry, I know very little German.
- Ich kann nur sehr wenig Deutsch sprechen.I can only speak very little German.
Example conversation
Maximilian meets Laura for the first time in Berlin.
- MaximilianHallo Laura, freut mich dich kennenzulernen!Hello Laura, nice to meet you!
- LauraHallo Maximilian! Sprichst du gut Deutsch?Hello Maximilian! Do you speak German well?
- MaximilianNein, ich kann nur sehr wenig Deutsch.No, I know very little German.
- LauraKein Problem, wir können auch Englisch reden.No problem, we can also talk in English.
