Questions & Answers about Bis später! Ich arbeite jetzt.
Doesn't bis usually mean 'until'? Why is it translated as 'See you'?
Literally, Bis später means 'Until later'. However, Germans use it as a fixed phrase that means exactly what 'See you later' means in English. You will see bis used in many goodbye phrases, like Bis bald (See you soon) or Bis morgen (See you tomorrow).
Why doesn't the German sentence use extra words for 'am' and 'working' like in English?
In German, there is no separate 'is doing' or 'am doing' form. The simple present tense Ich arbeite translates to both 'I work' and 'I am working'. The word jetzt (now) makes it clear that the action is happening right at this moment.
Why does jetzt (now) come at the end of the sentence?
In a standard German sentence, the action or verb (arbeite) must be in the second position. Because the person doing the action (Ich) is in the first position, the time word jetzt comes after the verb. You could also flip it and say Jetzt arbeite ich, which perfectly keeps the verb in that strict second position!
What do the two dots over the 'a' in später do?
Those dots form an umlaut, which changes the pronunciation. Instead of a deep 'ah' sound, ä sounds more like the 'e' in the English word 'pet' or the 'ay' in 'say'. The word comes from spät (late), and the umlaut is required to spell and say it correctly.
Learn Bis später! Ich arbeite jetzt and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free