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Questions & Answers about Lass uns in Verbindung bleiben.
What does the opening Lass uns mean, literally and grammatically?
- Literally: Lass uns = “let us.”
- Grammar: lass is the 2nd person singular imperative of lassen (to let/allow); uns is the accusative object (“us”) of lassen.
- Together, Lass uns + infinitive is the standard way to say “Let’s …” in German, e.g., Lass uns gehen. = “Let’s go.”
Why is it uns and not wir after lass?
Because lassen takes an accusative object for the person being “let/allowed.” Here, the object is “us” = uns (accusative), not the subject form wir. So:
- Correct: Lass uns in Verbindung bleiben.
- Incorrect: Lass wir in Verbindung bleiben.
How would I address more than one person, or be formal?
- Talking to one person (du): Lass uns in Verbindung bleiben.
- Talking to several people (ihr): Lasst uns in Verbindung bleiben.
- Formal (Sie): Lassen Sie uns in Verbindung bleiben.
Can I say Bleiben wir in Verbindung instead? What’s the nuance?
Yes. Bleiben wir in Verbindung. is the 1st‑person plural imperative formed by inversion. It’s a bit more formal or rhetorical. With a question mark, Bleiben wir in Verbindung?, it feels like “Shall we keep in touch?”
Is Bleib in Verbindung! also correct?
Grammatically yes (addressing one person: du-imperative). In everyday speech many prefer:
- Bleib in Kontakt!
- Meld dich (mal)!
- Lass uns in Kontakt bleiben. In Verbindung bleiben can sound slightly business-like; in Kontakt bleiben is very common and neutral.
Why is bleiben at the end?
In Lass uns … bleiben, the infinitive (bleiben) goes to the clause-final position. German typically sends non-finite verbs to the end in such constructions (similar to other modal/causative setups: Lass uns gehen / arbeiten / schauen).
Do I need a comma after Lass uns?
No. Write it straight: Lass uns in Verbindung bleiben. A comma here would be wrong in standard punctuation.
What case is used in in Verbindung?
- The preposition in takes dative for location/state and accusative for movement/direction. With bleiben (a state), it’s dative.
- There’s no article, so you don’t see the case ending, but conceptually it’s dative: “stay in (a state of) connection.”
Note: Forcing an article changes the meaning: in einer Verbindung bleiben would mean “to remain in a (student) fraternity,” which is not intended here.
Is Verbindung always capitalized? What about its gender and plural?
- Yes, Verbindung is a noun, so it’s capitalized.
- Gender: feminine (die Verbindung).
- Plural: die Verbindungen.
In this idiom, the singular without article is standard: in Verbindung bleiben.
What’s the difference between in Verbindung bleiben, in Kontakt bleiben, and Kontakt halten?
- in Verbindung bleiben: slightly formal/business-like; common in professional contexts.
- in Kontakt bleiben: very natural and neutral in everyday speech.
- Kontakt halten (often with article): den Kontakt halten / aufrechterhalten; a bit more formal or written.
All can mean “keep in touch,” with small register differences.
Can I soften or style the suggestion?
Yes:
- Softer: Lass uns doch/in Zukunft/gern in Kontakt bleiben.
- Continued contact: Lass uns weiterhin in Verbindung bleiben.
- More casual: Komm, wir bleiben in Kontakt. (colloquial filler komm = “come on/let’s”)
Are there common mistakes to avoid with this sentence?
- Spelling: Lass with double s (not “Las”).
- Don’t say Lass wir … (use uns).
- Word order: keep the infinitive at the end: … in Verbindung bleiben (not … bleiben in Verbindung in this pattern).
- Article trap: don’t say in einer Verbindung unless you mean a fraternity/association.
How would I say the same thing as a plain statement, not a suggestion?
- Wir bleiben in Verbindung. = “We’ll stay in touch.”
It’s a declarative sentence indicating intent/plan.
Any quick pronunciation tips?
- Lass uns: [lass ʊns]; the s-s is unvoiced; keep Lass short (not “Laahs”).
- Verbindung: stress on the second syllable: ver-BIN-dung; final -ung is [ʊŋ] (like “oong” but with a shorter, more closed vowel).
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German has four grammatical cases: nominative (subject), accusative (direct object), dative (indirect object), and genitive (possession). The case determines the form of articles and adjectives. For example, "the dog" is "der Hund" as a subject but "den Hund" as a direct object.
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