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LEARNING GERMAN

German phrase of the day: Na klar

This is one of the most most common colloquial phrases you'll hear in German - but just what does it mean?

German phrase of the day: Na klar
Photo: Depositphotos

What does it mean?

The colloquial German phrase na klar is a combination of two common terms.

Na is often used to mean “well?” – for example, if one person is waiting for the other to respond.

It's also a typical greeting. “Na du” (Hey you), one good friend might say to the other when they meet up. 

Klar simply means clear, transparent, or obvious. By itself, klar can mean “sure”, or it can be utilized in the sense of “Der Himmel ist klar” (The sky is clear).

But when combined with na, it carried extra emphasis, and means “for sure” or “of course”. 

The phrase is technically considered slang, but it is used by all age groups and classes, not only teenagers.

How is it used?

This phrase is as an agreement to a question. For example, “Kommst du zu meinem Brunch am Samstag? Na klar!” (“Are you coming to my brunch on Saturday? Of course!”)

Often, the popular particles ja or doch will be added to the phrase to add emphasis to an agreement, or to point out that it's obvious that you will do the thing that was asked of you. 

READ ALSO: Das ist ja mal wichtig: The complete guide to German particles

Example uses:

Holst du mich von der Schule ab, Mama? Na klar doch.

(Are you picking me up from school, mom? Of course.)

Here, the mom adds doch, because she picks her child up from school everyday.

Magst du Kaffee? Ja, na klar! Wer denn nicht?

(Do you like coffee? Yeah, of course! Who doesn't?)

Here you would add ja to underline that you obviously like coffee.

Member comments

  1. ‘Na klar’ is the name of a sometime record company which produced records by Schlagerstar Wolfgang Petry. Anyone who’s heard Wolfgang Petry songs, and their texts, will find ‘Na Klar’ fits perfectly with many such cliches in his music. Other examples, being ‘Egal’, ‘Wahnsinn’, ‘Ganz oder Gar nicht’, ‘Einfach geil’ and ‘Scheissegal’.
    I would say Petry made an enormous contribution to me learning the language, as it wasn’t the German you learned in classes, but what you heard in bars, cafes and on the street.

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GERMAN WORD OF THE DAY

German word of the day: Vorstellen

Whether you can picture something in your mind's eye or are meeting a new acquaintance for the first time, this German word has several useful meanings you'll want to know.

German word of the day: Vorstellen

Why do I need to know vorstellen?

Because once you know vorstellen, we can guarantee that this verb is bound to become an indispensable part of your German vocabulary, coming in handy anywhere from job applications to casual conversation. 

What does it mean?

Depending on some small changes to grammar in the sentence, vorstellen (pronounced like this) can have completely different meanings.

The first, which is used with the object of the sentence, means to present or to introduce yourself – and this is the version you may have already heard in German meetings or when starting a new German course. 

It’s in this sense that the word is used in das Vorstellungsgespräch, which literally means introductory conversation and is the German word for job interview. In many ways, this a nice way to think about the process, especially if you’re feeling nervous: you’re not being grilled on your work history and qualifications, you’re really just getting to know each other! 

READ ALSO: 10 simple phrases to make your German sound more impressive

If you use the reflexive construction sich vorstellen and the dative (i.e. mir, dir, Ihnen), vorstellen means to imagine or envision something. 

This is often used by Germans to talk about something they do – or do not – find a realistic possibility, which also indicates whether they would – or would not – like to do something. 

For example, “Ich kann mir gut vorstellen, mit dir ins Ausland zu reisen”, would hint that the person speaking thinks travelling abroad with you might be quite a pleasant thing to do.  

Incidentally, there’s also a far more literal meaning of vorstellen, which quite literally means to set (stellen) something forwards (vor). This is the meaning you’ll need at least once a year at the start of summer when Europeans like to set their clocks forward by an hour. 

READ ALSO: German word of the day – Einbilden

Use it like this: 

Darf ich Herrn Stein kurz vorstellen? Er ist der neue Buchhalter. 

May I briefly introduce Mr Stein? He’s our new accountant.

So habe ich mir das nicht vorgestellt. 

That’s not how I imagined it. 

Jedes Jahr im März stellen wir die Uhr vor.

Every year in March, we set the clock forward. 

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