Sei nicht böse, ich komme später.

to be

Breakdown of Sei nicht böse, ich komme später.

• kommen: to come
• ich: I
• nicht: not
• später: later
• böse: angry

Questions & Answers about Sei nicht böse, ich komme später.

Why is it Sei and not Bist?

Because this is the imperative of sein (to be), which is irregular. Imperative forms:

• du: sei
• ihr: seid
• Sie: Seien Sie Bist is indicative (“you are”), not a command form.

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

• Informal plural: Seid nicht böse, ich komme später.
• Formal (one or more people): Seien Sie nicht böse, ich komme später.

Does böse mean “evil” here?

No. In this context böse means “angry,” “mad,” or “upset.” It can mean “evil” in other contexts, but with people’s feelings (e.g., böse auf mich) it means “angry.”

Is Sei mir nicht böse the same as Sei nicht böse?

Close, but Sei mir nicht böse specifically means “Don’t be mad at me.” The dative mir is idiomatic here. Another explicit option is Sei nicht böse auf mich (note: auf + Akkusativ, not “mit mir”).

Why is there a comma before ich komme später? Could it be two sentences?

German requires a comma between two main clauses if there’s no conjunction. You could also write two sentences: Sei nicht böse. Ich komme später. A semicolon is fine too.

Why isn’t ich capitalized after the comma?

In German, ich is only capitalized at the beginning of a sentence, not after a comma. (Unlike English, where “I” is always uppercase.)

Why use present tense (komme) to talk about the future?

German often uses the present for near-future plans: Ich komme später. You can use the future tense (Ich werde später kommen), but it’s usually not necessary here and can sound more formal or emphatic.

Can I change the word order in ich komme später?

The finite verb must be in second position in a main clause. So Ich komme später (subject first) or Später komme ich (adverb first) are both correct, but not Ich später komme.

Where does bitte go to make it politer?

Anywhere natural around the imperative:

• Bitte sei nicht böse, ich komme später.
• Sei bitte nicht böse, ich komme später.
• Sei nicht böse, bitte; ich komme später. All are fine; placement slightly changes emphasis, not meaning.

Why nicht and not kein?

Use nicht to negate verbs, adjectives, and specific adverbials: Sei nicht böse. Use kein to negate a noun with an indefinite sense: Ich habe keinen Termin.

What’s the difference between später, nachher, and bald?

• später: later (general, unspecified when)
• nachher: later/afterwards (usually same day, relatively soon)
• bald: soon (sooner than “later,” but still vague)

How do I say “Don’t be mad that I’m coming later”?

• Sei nicht böse, dass ich später komme.
• More explicitly about the speaker: Sei mir nicht böse, weil ich später komme. Note the subordinate clause verb at the end: komme.

Should I use ankommen instead of kommen?

Use ankommen when you mean “arrive” at a place: Ich komme später an (e.g., at the station). Kommen is broader (“come/visit/show up”) and is fine in general conversation.

Any pronunciation tips for these words?

• Sei: like English “sigh.”
• böse: ö is like the vowel in British “bird,” but with rounded lips; final -e is a schwa.
• ich: the ch is the soft “ich-sound” [ç], not the hard “k.”
• später: initial sp- is “shp-” in standard German; ä is like a long “eh.”

Are there softer or stronger alternatives to böse?

• Softer/colloquial: Sei nicht sauer, Nimm’s mir nicht übel.
• Neutral/formal: Sei nicht verärgert.
• Stronger: Sei nicht wütend (furious).