Breakdown of Lass uns doch eben die Daten sichern, dann gehen wir los.
wir
we
uns
us
dann
then
lassen
to let
die Daten
the data
sichern
to back up
doch
after all
eben
just
losgehen
to head out
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching German grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Lass uns doch eben die Daten sichern, dann gehen wir los.
What grammatical construction is used in Lass uns doch eben die Daten sichern?
It’s the suggestion/volitive construction with the imperative of lassen: lassen + accusative person + bare infinitive. Here: Lass (imperative) + uns (accusative) + sichern (infinitive) ≈ Let’s back up the data.
Is uns accusative or dative here?
Accusative. With lassen, the person being “let/caused” is in the accusative: Lass mich arbeiten, Lass uns gehen (not mir/uns in dative).
Why is there no zu before sichern?
After lassen, the infinitive is bare (no zu): Lass mich gehen, Lass uns anfangen. So, Lass uns … sichern, not zu sichern.
What nuance does the particle doch add? Can I drop it?
doch softens and makes the suggestion more encouraging or persuasive: “Come on, let’s …; this is a good idea.” It can also counter a perceived reluctance. You can drop it; the sentence then sounds more neutral.
What nuance does eben add? How is it different from kurz and mal?
- eben: casually “just/real quick, without fuss.” Not the English “even” (that’s sogar).
- kurz: emphasizes brevity (“briefly”).
- mal: softens/colloquial “let’s just/for a sec.” You often hear stacks like doch mal eben or mal eben kurz for a very casual “let’s just quickly …”
Can I reorder the particles (doch, eben, mal) freely?
Not entirely. Some orders sound more natural:
- Very natural: Lass uns doch mal eben … / Lass uns doch eben …
- Less usual or different in tone: Lass uns eben doch … (can sound like a resigned “fine, let’s do it after all”). If in doubt, stick to doch (mal) eben.
Why is it dann gehen wir los and not wir gehen los?
German main clauses are verb‑second. If you front dann (position 1), the finite verb must be in position 2: Dann gehen wir los. Without fronting, you’d say Wir gehen los. Both are correct; the given sentence links the two actions and places dann first for emphasis.
What’s going on with losgehen and gehen wir los?
losgehen is a separable verb (prefix los-). In main clauses, the prefix splits and goes to the end: wir gehen los. In subordinate/infinitive forms it stays attached: bevor wir losgehen, loszugehen.
Why is there a comma before dann?
These are two independent main clauses. dann is an adverb, not a conjunction, so German requires a comma: …, dann …. If you add und (…, und dann …), you normally don’t put a comma at all: Lass uns … sichern und dann gehen wir los.
What’s the difference between sichern and speichern with Daten?
- speichern: save/write data (e.g., click Save in a program).
- sichern: back up or secure (make a backup copy). For a backup, say Daten sichern or ein Backup machen/erstellen. Colloquially some say speichern for everything, but sichern is the precise IT term for backing up.
How formal is Lass uns …? What are the alternatives?
- Informal to one person (du‑context): Lass uns …
- Informal to a group (ihr): Lasst uns …
- Formal (Sie): Lassen Sie uns … More indirect options: Wir sollten …, Wollen wir …?, Könnten wir …?, Wie wäre es, wenn …?
Is Daten plural? Why die?
Yes. Daten is plural (of Datum) in everyday use. die Daten is nominative/accusative plural. Dative plural would be den Daten. Here it’s the direct object, so accusative plural: die Daten.
Can I say Sichern wir doch eben die Daten, dann gehen wir los?
Yes. Verb‑first with wir can express a suggestion. It sounds a bit more formal or rhetorical. In everyday speech, Lass uns … is more common.
Where does nicht go if I want to negate the first part?
- Negate the action: Lass uns die Daten nicht sichern, dann … (Let’s not back them up).
- Not now: Lass uns die Daten jetzt nicht sichern, dann …
- Negate the second part: …, dann gehen wir nicht los.
Can I use danach instead of dann?
Yes: …, danach gehen wir los. danach emphasizes temporal sequence (“after that”). dann is the more general “then/so”, and is extremely common.
Should it ever be wir gehen los dann?
No, sentence‑final dann sounds unidiomatic here. Use wir gehen dann los (mid‑field dann) or Dann gehen wir los (initial dann).
Would fahren wir los be better than gehen wir los?
Use losgehen for setting off on foot or in a general “get going” sense. Use losfahren when you’re leaving by vehicle. Pick the one that matches the situation.