Making an Appointment
Making an Appointment
Booking an appointment in German pairs a specific noun-verb combination you need to learn as a unit, and reuses the dative-experiencer pattern from the health lesson to ask if a time suits someone.
Grammar Comparison
Grammar Comparison
einen Termin vereinbaren — a fixed collocation for booking
Ich möchte einen Termin vereinbaren. (I'd like to make an appointment.)
I'd like to make an appointment.
English 'make an appointment' uses the generic verb 'make'; German pairs Termin specifically with vereinbaren ('to arrange/agree on') — or with machen in casual speech, where einen Termin machen is also fine informally. vereinbaren is what you'll hear in more formal settings like a doctor's office. Treat Termin + vereinbaren as a fixed phrase to learn together.
Passt Ihnen...? — polite dative for asking if a time suits
Passt Ihnen Montag um 10 Uhr? (Does Monday at 10 work for you?)
Does Monday at 10 work for you?
passen ('to suit/fit') is another dative verb like gefallen: the person is the dative object, and the proposed time is the grammatical subject — literally 'Does Monday at 10 suit to-you?' The same dative-experiencer pattern from the health lesson (Mir tut... weh) shows up again here.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
| German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| der Termin | dair tair-MEEN | appointment |
| einen Termin vereinbaren | EYE-nen tair-MEEN fer-EYEN-bah-ren | to make an appointment |
| Passt Ihnen...? | pahst EE-nen | Does ... work for you? |
| Ich möchte einen Termin absagen. | ikh MERKH-teh EYE-nen tair-MEEN AHP-zah-gen | I'd like to cancel an appointment. |
| verschieben | fer-SHEE-ben | to reschedule / postpone |
| Wann haben Sie Zeit? | vahn HAH-ben zee tsyt | When do you have time? |
| Um wie viel Uhr? | oom vee feel oor | At what time? |
| Ich bin leider verhindert. | ikh bin LY-der fer-HIN-dert | Unfortunately I can't make it. |
| die Sprechstunde | dee SHPREKH-shtoon-deh | office hours / consultation hours |