German · Real conversations
Change a plan naturally in German
When a plan changes, state the change early. Ask for a new day, explain that you cannot attend, or give a realistic arrival time and check whether it works.
Three ways to say it
Könnten wir unser Treffen auf Freitag verschieben?
Could we move our meeting to Friday?
Request a new day for an existing meeting.
Es ist etwas dazwischengekommen. Ich kann heute nicht kommen.
Something has come up. I can't make it today.
Explain an unexpected commitment and decline today's arrangement.
Entschuldige, ich komme zehn Minuten später. Ist das okay?
I'm sorry, I'll be ten minutes late. Is that okay?
Give the expected delay and ask whether that is acceptable.
Avoid translating word by word
English 'something has come up' usually means an unexpected matter needs attention. It does not describe an object moving upward. The examples use a natural expression for an unexpected event or task.
See the difference in context
Moving a Thursday meeting
Passt Donnerstag noch?
Is Thursday still okay?
Könnten wir unser Treffen auf Freitag verschieben?
Could we move our meeting to Friday?
Changing an afternoon arrangement
Bis heute Nachmittag.
See you this afternoon.
Es ist etwas dazwischengekommen. Ich kann heute nicht kommen.
Something has come up. I can't make it today.
Your turn
Tell someone you will be ten minutes late. Apologize and ask whether the revised time is okay.
Reveal a sample reply
Entschuldige, ich komme zehn Minuten später. Ist das okay?
I'm sorry, I'll be ten minutes late. Is that okay?
This speaking goal in other languages
A note on speaking German
Use Sie for formal address and du with people you address informally. Könnten Sie …? is a useful polite request. Keep noun capitals and the verb position shown in each complete sentence.
The examples preserve German accents and ß. Read a full sentence before replacing a detail: a subordinate clause can move the verb to the end, and case can change an article or pronoun.
