Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching German grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Warte ein bisschen!
Why is the verb Warte instead of Wartest?
This is the informal command (imperative) form. To tell one person you know informally to do something, you take the du form (wartest) and drop the -st and the du. Because the stem of warten ends in a t, we keep the e for easier pronunciation, making it Warte!.
We are learning about pronouns like einer and eins. Why isn't it eins bisschen?
Ein bisschen is a fixed phrase meaning a little or a bit. It acts as an adverb, not as a noun being replaced by a pronoun. Because it is a set phrase, the ein never changes endings to become einer, eins, or eine.
Is bisschen a noun here? Why isn't it capitalized?
In the set phrase ein bisschen, it is not treated as a standard noun, so it is written with a lowercase b. You only capitalize it if it is used as a true noun, such as when you add an adjective: ein kleines Bisschen (one little bit).
How would I say this to a stranger or someone I address formally?
If you are speaking to someone you address with Sie, you use the formal command form. You use the full verb and include the pronoun, giving you Warten Sie ein bisschen!.