Ich muss überlegen, ob ich heute noch spazieren gehe.

I have to consider whether I will still go for a walk today.

Breakdown of Ich muss überlegen, ob ich heute noch spazieren gehe.

• ich: I
• heute: today
• müssen: must
• noch: still
• überlegen: to consider
• ob: whether
• spazieren gehen: to go for a walk

Questions & Answers about Ich muss überlegen, ob ich heute noch spazieren gehe.

Why do we say muss überlegen instead of muss denken?

In German, überlegen often means to reflect on, to consider, or to think about more carefully. Denken is more general and literally means to think, so it would not capture the sense of carefully weighing something. Hence, Ich muss überlegen conveys that you need to ponder and make a decision, rather than just casually think.

What does ob mean here?

The word ob in German introduces a subordinate clause expressing whether or if. In this sentence, ob ich heute noch spazieren gehe is the clause you are reflecting on— you are deciding if you will still go for a walk today.

Why is the verb placed at the end in ob ich heute noch spazieren gehe?

In German subordinate clauses, the conjugated verb typically goes to the end. Since ob introduces a subordinate clause, the verb gehe is placed at the end of ob ich heute noch spazieren gehe.

What does heute noch imply?

Heute noch usually suggests later today or still today. It emphasizes that the walk would happen at some point before the day ends, not on a different day.

Could we say Ich muss überlegen, ob ich heute noch einen Spaziergang mache?

Yes, that would be perfectly acceptable. Einen Spaziergang machen also means to go for a walk, though spazieren gehen is a bit more common for this context. Both versions are understood and used interchangeably.