A line where you can't understand anything in German

1. 1
   Leitung/ˈlaɪ̯tʊŋ/

   linenoun

   A cable that carries power and signals.
2. 2
   verstehen/fɛɐ̯ˈʃteːən/

   to understandverb

   To catch what someone says.
3. 3
   wiederholen/viːdɐˈhoːlən/

   to repeatverb

   To say or do something once more.
4. 4

   Rauschenstatic

5. 5

   Funklochdead zone

6. 6

   Empfangreception

7. 7

   Störungdisruption

8. 8

   buchstabierento spell out

9. 9

   deutlichclearly

10. 10

    leisequiet

The sentences3 of 10

1. Es rauscht die ganze Zeit in der Leitung.

   There's crackling on the line the whole time.

2. Ich kann Sie leider nur sehr schlecht verstehen.

   I'm afraid I can barely understand you.

3. Können Sie das bitte noch einmal wiederholen?

   Could you please repeat that?

Pronunciation

• verstehen/fɛɐ̯ˈʃteːən/

  The st in the middle sounds like scht, and the stress is on stehen.

• wiederholen/viːdɐˈhoːlən/

  Stressed on -ho-, not on wie-; the ie is a long i.

Good to know

Sie

Landlords, property managers and tradespeople are usually addressed with Sie on the phone. People mostly switch to du only when the other side offers it.

Hausverwaltung

Many rented flats are looked after not by the owner but by a property management company, a Hausverwaltung. You can often reach it only during set office hours.

Name nennen

On the phone you first give your surname, usually with "Guten Tag, hier spricht …". If a name is unclear, people ask you to spell it.

Questions

What do I say in German if I can't understand someone on the phone?

You can say "Ich kann Sie leider nur sehr schlecht verstehen." To ask them to say it again: "Können Sie das bitte noch einmal wiederholen?"