The Annoyed Command
German modal particles add flavor and tone to a sentence. When patience runs out, the particle gefälligst turns a simple request into a severe demand.
| damn well | gefälligst |
While it historically relates to "pleasing" (as in "if you please"), today gefälligst expresses severe annoyance. It roughly translates to adding an angry "damn well" to an order, or a sharp, sarcastic "kindly."
| Damn well be quiet in the reading room! | Seien Sie gefälligst leise im Lesesaal! |
Using "Gefälligst" in Imperatives
Gefälligst usually sits right after the verb and subject pronoun in a command. It is highly effective when paired with the formal Sie to express cold, professional rage.
| Damn well spit out the chewing gum immediately! | Spucken Sie den Kaugummi gefälligst sofort aus! |
| Damn well refrain from rustling so loudly! | Unterlassen Sie es gefälligst, so laut zu rascheln! |
| Damn well pay the late fee for the late return now! | Bezahlen Sie jetzt gefälligst die Mahngebühr für die späte Rückgabe! |
Disguising Commands as Statements
You can also use gefälligst in regular declarative sentences to state how things are going to be. These function as absolute commands, leaving no room for argument.
| I am the librarian and you will damn well be quiet here! | Ich bin der Bibliothekar und Sie sind hier gefälligst leise! |
You can even pair it with the future tense (werden + infinitive) to issue a stern order about what someone will do.
| You will damn well refrain from that without complaining! | Sie werden es gefälligst unterlassen, ohne sich zu beschweren! |