weiter so
/ˈvaɪ̯tɐ zoː/
The English phrase "keep it up" is expressed in German as weiter so.
weiter so is used to encourage someone to maintain or continue a positive streak. You can also say Nur weiter so! to express a similar sentiment of encouragement, much like saying "Just keep it up!" or "Keep going like that!" Additionally, the informal expression Bleib dran! can be used to convey the same sentiment, meaning "Stay with it!"
Meaning: maintain or continue a positive streak (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase weiter so literally translates to "further so" or "continue like this".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes depending on who you are addressing: use Mach weiter so! to tell one person informally to keep it up, use Macht weiter so! when telling a group of people informally and use Machen Sie weiter so! to tell someone formally.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈvaɪ̯tɐ zoː/
Did you know?
- Depending on the tone, Mach weiter so! can be used sarcastically to tell someone that their bad behavior will lead to negative consequences, similar to saying 'Keep that up and see what happens'.
- The word weiter is the comparative form of weit, meaning 'far', which suggests that keeping something up is viewed as moving 'further' along a path.
- German has no single verb that perfectly captures the English 'to keep up' in all contexts, which is why it switches between weiter machen and dran bleiben depending on the goal.
Examples in context
- Nur weiter so!Keep it up!This sentence is useful for a short exclamation of encouragement.Tatoeba #5026246 by UliDolbarge, translation #45024 by CK
- Du machst das sehr gut. Mach weiter so!You are doing very well. Keep it up.This sentence shows how to use the phrase to tell someone they are doing well.Tatoeba #4206131 by raggione, translation #29963 by CC
- Sie machen das sehr gut. Machen Sie weiter so!You're doing very well. Keep it up.This sentence shows the formal way to use the phrase to tell someone they are doing well.Tatoeba #4206132 by raggione, translation #8980425 by CK
- Weiter so! Du machst großartige Arbeit!Keep it up! You're doing great work!
- Machen Sie weiter so! Ihre Fortschritte sind beeindruckend!Keep it up! Your progress is impressive!
- Mach weiter so! Du bist auf dem richtigen Weg.Keep it up! You're on the right track.
- Bleib dran! Gib nicht auf, du schaffst das!Stay with it! Don't give up, you can do it!
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laura and Maximilian are discussing his progress at the gym.
- LauraDein Training läuft wirklich gut.Your training is going really well.
- MaximilianDanke, ich versuche mein Bestes.Thanks, I am trying my best.
- LauraMach einfach weiter so!Just keep it up!
- MaximilianDas werde ich machen.I will do that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “keep it up” translations and entries weiter so, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
