Breakdown of Dieser Typ verspätet sich wohl wieder.
dieser
this / that (fem.: diese, neut.: dieses)
wieder
again
wohl
probably, I suppose
der Typ
the type; the guy
sich verspäten
to be delayed
Questions & Answers about Dieser Typ verspätet sich wohl wieder.
How does the word wohl change the meaning of this sentence?
Without wohl, the sentence is a stated fact: 'This guy is late again.' Adding the modal particle wohl turns it into an assumption or high probability: 'This guy is probably late again.' It lets you express your assumption naturally without needing clunky phrases like ich nehme an, dass (I assume that).
Could I use the future tense here to show that I'm making a guess about his arrival?
You could use Futur I (wird sich wohl wieder verspäten), but it is completely unnecessary. In German, using the present tense along with wohl is the most common and natural way to express a strong assumption about a current or upcoming situation.
Why does the sentence use the reflexive verspätet sich instead of just saying he is late?
The reflexive verb sich verspäten specifically means to be delayed or to run late. While you could say Dieser Typ ist wieder spät dran, sich verspäten focuses on the action of getting delayed and is the standard way to say someone is missing their scheduled time.
Is the word Typ commonly used in everyday German?
Yes, it is extremely common in spoken German and translates perfectly to 'guy' or 'dude' in English. It is strictly colloquial, so you wouldn't use it in formal situations, but it is exactly what a native speaker would say when casually complaining about someone.
Learn Dieser Typ verspätet sich wohl wieder 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