Schlange stehen
[ˈʃlaŋə ˌʃteːən]
To stand in line in German is Schlange stehen.
The phrase is used to describe the act of waiting in a queue of people to receive a service or to enter a specific location.
What does it mean word for word?
The word Schlange literally means snake, which refers to the long, winding shape that a queue of people forms.
Which one should you use?
While Schlange stehen is a common phrase, you can also use the single-word separable verb anstehen to mean the same thing.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to say you are standing in the line using a prepositional object, such as in der Schlange stehen, the preposition in takes the dative case because it describes a stationary location.
Did you know?
- The word Schlange is a cognate of the Albanian word shlligë which refers to an 'adder'.
Examples in context
- Bitte stellen Sie sich in der Schlange an.Please stand in line.
- Bitte reihen Sie sich in die Warteschlange ein.Please join the queue.
- Bitte stellen Sie sich hinten an.Please stand at the back of the line.
- Wir müssen anstehen, um ins Kino zu kommen.We need to stand in line to get into the cinema.
- Du solltest dich frühzeitig in die Schlange einreihen, um gute Plätze zu bekommen.You should get in line early to get good seats.
- Wir mussten uns zwei Stunden anstellen, um die begehrten Konzertkarten zu bekommen.We had to stand in line for two hours to get the coveted concert tickets.
- Die Schüler stellten sich vor dem Klassenzimmer an, um den Lehrer hereinzulassen.The students lined up in front of the classroom to let the teacher in.
- Wir müssen an der Kasse Schlange stehen.We have to stand in line at the checkout.
- Muss man für das Ticket Schlange stehen?Do you have to stand in line for the ticket?
- Ich möchte nicht so lange Schlange stehen.I don't want to stand in line for so long.
Example conversation
Julian and Hannah are at a crowded cinema entrance.
- JulianSollen wir Schlange stehen?Should we stand in line?
- HannahJa, es ist sehr voll heute.Yes, it is very crowded today.
- JulianIst die Schlange hier sehr lang?Is the line long here?
- HannahJa, Julian, wir müssen geduldig sein.Yes, Julian, we have to be patient.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Schlange stehen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Schlange, stehen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
