Möchtest du bar bezahlen?

you

Breakdown of Möchtest du bar bezahlen?

• möchten: would like to
• bezahlen: to pay
• bar: in cash

Questions & Answers about Möchtest du bar bezahlen?

What is the meaning of bar in Möchtest du bar bezahlen?

bar means in cash. It’s an adverb of manner that tells you how you want to pay, so bar bezahlen literally means “to pay in cash.”

Why is bezahlen placed at the end of the question?

Because möchten is a modal verb. In German main clauses with a modal verb, the finite verb (möchtest) goes in position 1 for questions, the subject (du) follows, other elements come next, and the infinitive (bezahlen) is pushed to the end:

1. Möchtest
2. du
3. bar
4. bezahlen

What’s the difference between Möchtest du and Willst du?

• Möchtest du (“would you like”) uses Konjunktiv II of mögen and sounds more polite or tentative.
• Willst du (“do you want”) uses the present of wollen and can sound more direct or even blunt in some contexts.

Can I use zahlen instead of bezahlen, and is there a nuance?