warte mal
To say "wait up" in German, use warte mal.
Warte mal! is commonly used both to ask someone to physically slow down so you can catch up, and to ask someone to pause a conversation or thought.
Meaning: wait (verb)
Which one should you use?
While warte mal is used when addressing one person, wartet mal is the correct form when addressing a group of people.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form warte is the singular imperative (command) form of the verb warten.
Did you know?
- The word mal acts as a 'modal particle', a part of speech that exists in German to add flavor and attitude to a sentence but has no direct English translation.
- In very formal settings, such as with a stranger or a boss, warte mal would be replaced by Warten Sie bitte, as the imperative form used in warte mal is strictly for friends and family.
- The word mal in this phrase actually comes from the noun Mal, which originally meant 'a time' or 'an occurrence'.
Examples in context
- Warte mal!Wait up.This example shows the standalone command warte mal.Tatoeba #2095332 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2954108 by CK
- Hey, warte mal!Hey, wait up!This example shows how to use warte mal when calling out to someone.Tatoeba #1325370 by Zaghawa, translation #953322 by CK
- Warte mal kurz auf mich.Wait up for me for a second.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas is walking too fast through the park.
- JuliaLukas, warte mal!Lukas, wait up!
- LukasOh, Entschuldigung, Julia.Oh, sorry, Julia.
- JuliaDu bist viel zu schnell.You are much too fast.
- LukasAlles klar, ich gehe langsamer.All right, I will walk slower.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
