bald
/balt/
The German word for soon is bald.
bald is an adverb used to describe something happening within a short time. Other ways to express this concept include demnächst, which refers to something happening in the near future and in wenigen Minuten, a casual way to say something will happen in a few minutes.
Meaning: within a short time (adv)
Which one should you use?
While bald refers to a general sense of soon, gleich is used when something will happen in a very short, specific amount of time, such as in a moment or immediately. demnächst is a synonym for bald that often implies a slightly more indefinite timeframe in the near future.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Bavarian German, the word glei is commonly used to express soon or in a short while.
How do you pronounce it?
/balt/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to confuse the German bald with the English word 'bald' (meaning hairless). In German, it means soon.
Did you know?
- Despite looking like the English word for hairless, bald actually shares an ancient ancestor with the English word 'bold'.
- In German, gleich can be used to mean 'soon' or 'immediately', but in certain contexts it also means 'the same'.
- The expression bis bald is the standard way to say 'see you soon' and is used even if the next meeting is not for several weeks.
Examples in context
- Sind wir bald da?Will we be there soon?This sentence shows how to ask if an arrival is happening soon using bald.Tatoeba #969370 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2546886 by CK
- Er kommt bald an.He'll arrive soon.This sentence uses bald to describe an imminent arrival.Tatoeba #10659369 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #10466897 by sundown
- Bald wird es hell.It's going to be light soon.This sentence uses bald to describe a change in light occurring soon.Tatoeba #7352647 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #6531284 by CK
- Wir werden Ihnen bald eine Antwort geben.We will give you an answer soon.
- Die Lieferung wird in Kürze eintreffen.The delivery will arrive soon.
- Ich bin gleich fertig.I'll be ready soon.
- Der Film beginnt in wenigen Minuten.The movie will start soon.
- Der neue Film wird demnächst herauskommen.The new movie will be released soon.
- Wir erwarten Sie in Bälde.We expect you shortly.
- 1362 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sarah and Felix are waiting for a train at a station.
- SarahKommt der Zug bald?Is the train coming soon?
- FelixJa, er kommt bald.Yes, it is coming soon.
- SarahDas ist gut.That is good.
- FelixIch bin bald fertig mit dem Gepäck.I will be finished with the luggage soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “soon” translations and entries bald, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bald, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
