Wir sind jetzt an der Reihe.

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Breakdown of Wir sind jetzt an der Reihe.

• jetzt: now
• an der Reihe sein: to be next

Questions & Answers about Wir sind jetzt an der Reihe.

What does the idiom an der Reihe sein literally and idiomatically convey?

Literally, Reihe means “row/line/sequence,” so an der Reihe sein is “to be at the row/line.” Idiomatically, it means someone is up next or it’s their turn in a sequence (e.g., in a queue, a game, speaking order).

Why is it der (not die) in an der Reihe if Reihe is feminine?

Because an is a two-way preposition. With a static situation (no movement), it takes the dative case. The dative singular of feminine nouns is der. Hence: an der Reihe.

Why not say am Reihe?

am = an dem, which only works with masculine or neuter nouns. Reihe is feminine, so it must be an der, not am.

Can I say Wir sind jetzt dran instead?

Yes. dran is the colloquial contraction of daran and is very common: Wir sind (jetzt) dran. It’s slightly more informal than an der Reihe and is extremely frequent in everyday speech.

What’s the difference between an der Reihe sein, an die Reihe kommen, and ?