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Questions & Answers about Ich bitte um mehr Zeit.
What does the word bitte mean in this sentence?
Here bitte is the first‐person singular form of the verb bitten, which means “to request” or “to ask for.” It is not the standalone polite word please (although bitte can also mean “please” in other contexts, that’s a different usage).
Why is the preposition um used after bitte?
The verb bitten takes the preposition um when you ask someone for something. The structure is always jemanden um etwas bitten (“to ask someone for something”).
What case does Zeit have after um?
After the preposition um, the noun Zeit must be in the accusative case. Since Zeit is feminine, its form doesn’t change (it stays die Zeit → Zeit).
Why isn’t there an article before mehr Zeit? Shouldn’t it be die Zeit?
When you ask for an unspecified additional amount, German often drops the article. Here mehr (“more”) indicates an indefinite quantity, so mehr Zeit is equivalent to “more time” in English, not “the time.”
Why is mehr used instead of another word like viel?
Mehr means “more” in the sense of “an extra amount.” Viel means “a lot.” You could say viel Zeit (“a lot of time”), but mehr Zeit specifically requests additional time beyond what you already have or were given.
How would I turn this into a polite question, like “Could I have more time, please?”
A common way is: Könnte ich bitte mehr Zeit haben?
Here könnte is the polite subjunctive of können, ich is the subject, bitte adds politeness, and mehr Zeit haben is “to have more time.”
How do I say “I asked for more time” in German?
Use the perfect tense: Ich habe um mehr Zeit gebeten.
habe gebeten is the perfect form of bitten.
Could I use fragen instead of bitten here?
Not really. fragen means “to ask (a question),” and you would ask a question nach something (e.g. nach dem Weg fragen). To request something like time or money, German uses bitten um.
Why is bitte (the verb) in second position?
German main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb must be the second element. Here Ich is first, bitte (the conjugated verb) is second.
What’s the difference between Ich bitte um mehr Zeit and Ich brauche mehr Zeit?
Ich bitte um mehr Zeit means “I’m asking for more time” (you’re addressing someone). Ich brauche mehr Zeit means “I need more time” (a statement of need, not a request).