Learn Hardcore German: Zögere nicht, wenn du Hilfe brauchst.

Zögere is the second-person singular imperative of zögern (to hesitate). In German, the imperative usually drops the pronoun: Zögere! = “Hesitate!” To make it negative, add nicht after the verb: Zögere nicht! = “Don’t hesitate!”

Why is it nicht and not kein?

Use nicht to negate verbs, adjectives, or whole clauses. Here you are negating the action “to hesitate,” so nicht is correct: Zögere nicht. You’d use kein to negate a noun phrase (e.g., kein Problem = “no problem”).

Why is there a comma before wenn?

German requires a comma between a main clause and a subordinate clause. wenn du Hilfe brauchst is a subordinate clause, so the comma is mandatory: Zögere nicht, wenn du Hilfe brauchst.

Why does the verb go to the end in wenn du Hilfe brauchst?

In subordinate clauses introduced by wenn, the finite verb goes to the end: … wenn du Hilfe brauchst. If you start the sentence with the wenn-clause, the main clause follows with normal verb-second order: Wenn du Hilfe brauchst, zögere nicht.

Does wenn mean “if” or “when” here? How is it different from wann, ob, and falls?

Here wenn means “if/whenever” (a condition or repeated situation).
wann asks about a point in time (“when?”) in questions: Wann kommst du?
ob means “whether/if” in indirect yes/no questions: Ich weiß nicht, ob er kommt.
falls also means “if/in case,” often sounding a bit more hypothetical than wenn: Falls du Hilfe brauchst…

Why is there no article before Hilfe?

Hilfe is an abstract, uncountable noun in this general sense, so no article is needed: Hilfe brauchen = “to need help.” You’d use an article when referring to specific help: die Hilfe, e.g., Danke für die Hilfe (“Thanks for the help”).

What case is Hilfe, and which verb governs it?

Hilfe is in the accusative as the direct object of brauchen: etwas (Akk.) brauchen. Here: du brauchst Hilfe.

How do I say this to more than one person or formally?

Informal singular (du): Zögere nicht, wenn du Hilfe brauchst.
Informal plural (ihr): Zögert nicht, wenn ihr Hilfe braucht.
Formal (Sie): Zögern Sie nicht, wenn Sie Hilfe brauchen.

Can I say Nicht zögern! instead of Zögere nicht!?

Yes. Nicht zögern! is also idiomatic, especially in instructions, ads, or signs. Zögere nicht! sounds a bit more personal and conversational (because it directly addresses “du”).

Is Zöger nicht (without the final -e) acceptable?

Dropping the final -e in the du-imperative is possible with some verbs, but with zögern it sounds unusual or clipped. The natural form is Zögere nicht. Stick with the -e.

How should I pronounce the tricky parts?

Z in Zögere = “ts” sound.
ö = rounded vowel (like the French “eu” in “peur”).
Zögere roughly: [TSØ-ge-re].
au in brauchst = “ow” as in “now.”
ch after au is the hard “ch,” like the “kh” in Scottish “loch.”
The cluster -chst in brauchst is pronounced [xst].

Why is the present tense used in wenn du Hilfe brauchst? Can it refer to the future?

Yes. German frequently uses the present for future meaning in time and conditional clauses. Wenn du Hilfe brauchst covers “if/whenever you need help (now or in the future).”

Can I specify what the person shouldn’t hesitate to do, like “to ask me”?

Absolutely. Common expansions are:

Zögere nicht, mich zu fragen. (“Don’t hesitate to ask me.”)
Zögere nicht, mich anzurufen. (“…to call me.”)
Zögere nicht, um Hilfe zu bitten. (“…to ask for help.”)

Should du be capitalized? And do I need an exclamation mark?

du is normally lowercase. In letters/emails addressed to someone, Du/Dich/Dein may be capitalized as a courtesy; both are acceptable.
An exclamation mark is typical with imperatives (Zögere nicht!), but a period is also possible in neutral prose.