Breakdown of Bitte zieh die Sache nicht weiter in die Länge.
nicht
not
bitte
please
die Sache
the thing, the matter
weiter
further, on (continuing)
in die Länge ziehen
to drag out
Questions & Answers about Bitte zieh die Sache nicht weiter in die Länge.
Is 'weiter' in this sentence an example of the absolute comparative?
Yes, it is. The word weiter is the comparative form of weit (far/further). Here, it is used without a direct comparison (there is no als meaning 'than'). In this absolute comparative usage, it simply means 'any further' or 'to a greater degree' rather than comparing two specific lengths against each other.
What is the literal translation of the idiom 'in die Länge ziehen'?
It literally translates to 'to pull into the length.' Just like stretching a physical object, this fixed German expression is used to describe prolonging a process, delaying something, or 'dragging out' an event.
Why are 'nicht' and 'weiter' placed exactly where they are?
In German sentence structure, the core pieces of a verbal idiom (like the prepositional phrase in die Länge) usually go at the very end of the clause. The negation nicht and the comparative adverb weiter are placed right before it to modify that specific dragging-out action.
Why does the verb 'zieh' not have an 'e' at the end?
The formal singular imperative (the 'you' command) of ziehen is ziehe, but dropping that final -e is completely standard in everyday spoken and written German. Using zieh makes the command sound natural, conversational, and slightly less rigid.
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