Doesn't German do that too? "Ich würde gern..." Similarly, ... • Aaron Parecki

Johannes Ernst https://twitter.com/Johannes_Ernst • Oct 26
Tech support: "I'd be glad to assist you." You would if what? So this is kind of a conditional tech support line here, but you won't tell me what that depends on? What's wrong with present tense? (Or, better, drop the fluff and give everybody their life back?)

Doesn't German do that too? "Ich würde gern..."

Similarly, "I want to help you" sounds weirdly aggressive compared to "I would like to help you"

Portland, Oregon • 50°F

Tue, Oct 26, 2021 6:24am -07:00

6 replies
Have you written a response to this? Let me know the URL:
- Aaron Parecki twitter.com/aaronpk
  
  I just found this which seems like a reasonable explanation of the differences between the three. I'm excited that I get to practice this all in 2 weeks when I'm in Düsseldorf! german.stackexchange.com/questions/2256…
  
  Tue, Oct 26, 2021 5:20pm +00:00 (via brid.gy)
- Johannes Ernst twitter.com/Johannes_Ernst
  
  Not “würde”. “Eine Tasse Kaffee, bitte” would be the default. Maybe “ich hätte gerne eine Tasse Kaffee” (Note the default unit for the item Kaffee are different, as is the expected container… well, depending on the establishment.)
  
  Tue, Oct 26, 2021 4:47pm +00:00 (via brid.gy)
- Aaron Parecki twitter.com/aaronpk
  
  okay how about ordering at a coffee shop... I was always taught "Ich würde gern einen Kaffee" rather than "Ich möchte einen Kaffee". Same idea right?
  
  Tue, Oct 26, 2021 4:28pm +00:00 (via brid.gy)
- Johannes Ernst twitter.com/Johannes_Ernst
  
  “Ich helfe Ihnen gerne” or “ich kann Ihnen gerne helfen” is what I would expect. Although help is generally less generously offered :-) but that has less to do with grammar.
  
  Tue, Oct 26, 2021 4:24pm +00:00 (via brid.gy)
- Aaron Parecki twitter.com/aaronpk
  
  But isn't it also the same as: "Ich würde gern Ihnen helfen" vs "Ich will dir helfen" Or does being so direct in German sound less abrasive than in English?
  
  Tue, Oct 26, 2021 4:20pm +00:00 (via brid.gy)
- Johannes Ernst twitter.com/Johannes_Ernst
  
  The German is just like the English: “ich würde gerne mal diesen Berg besteigen” — “I’d love to climb this mountain some day” — lots of assumptions implied, and it may never happen. I’d like tech support be a bit more certain that they want to help.
  
  Tue, Oct 26, 2021 4:15pm +00:00 (via brid.gy)

Posted in /replies using indigenous.abode.pub/ios