Learn Hardcore German: Könnten Sie mir bitte noch eine Rückfrage erlauben, auch wenn die Zeit knapp ist? - Could you please still allow me one more follow‑up question, even if time is short?

Können Sie mir bitte … erlauben?
→ Grammatically fine, polite, but more direct: “Can you please allow me…?”
Könnten Sie mir bitte … erlauben?
→ More indirect and therefore more polite, like “Could you please allow me…?” in English.

In German, using Konjunktiv II with modal verbs (könnten, möchten, würden, dürften) is a common way to sound very courteous and considerate, especially in formal contexts or when speaking to strangers, superiors, or customers.

Why is it mir and not mich in Könnten Sie mir bitte noch eine Rückfrage erlauben?

Mir is the dative form of ich; mich is the accusative form.

The verb erlauben in this structure normally takes:

someone in the dative (the person to whom you allow something)
something in the accusative (the thing that is allowed)

So the pattern is:

jemandem (Dativ) etwas (Akkusativ) erlauben
= to allow someone something

In the sentence:

mir = to me → dative object
noch eine Rückfrage = another follow-up question → accusative object
erlauben = to allow

Therefore mir is correct: “Could you please allow me another follow-up question…?”

What exactly does noch add in noch eine Rückfrage?

Noch here means “another” / “one more” and signals addition to something that has already happened.

eine Rückfrage = a follow‑up question
noch eine Rückfrage = another / one more follow‑up question

Nuances of noch in this context:

It implies that at least one question has already been asked.
It can also carry a slightly apologetic tone, like “just one more”.

Without noch, it would simply be “a follow‑up question”, without clearly indicating it’s an additional one.

What is the difference between Rückfrage and Frage?

Both are nouns meaning types of questions, but:

Frage
- General word for “question”
- Used in almost any context.
Rückfrage
- Literally “back-question”
- Means a follow-up question, a clarifying question, often in response to something that was just said or explained.
- Common in professional, bureaucratic, or formal settings.

In English, Rückfrage is somewhere between “follow‑up question” and “clarifying question”, not just any random question. Using Rückfrage here sounds more formal and precise than simply saying Frage.

Is Rückfrage feminine? Is that why it’s eine Rückfrage?

Yes. Rückfrage is a feminine noun in German:

die Rückfrage (singular, nominative)
eine Rückfrage (indefinite article, nominative or accusative singular)

In the sentence, noch eine Rückfrage is the direct object of erlauben, so it is in the accusative case. Feminine nouns use die/eine for both nominative and accusative, so the form eine Rückfrage doesn’t change.

Short version:

Gender: feminine
Case here: accusative
Correct article: eine → noch eine Rückfrage

Why is erlauben at the very end of the main clause?

Because of German word order rules with modal verbs and infinitives.

The main clause is:

Könnten Sie mir bitte noch eine Rückfrage erlauben … ?

Structure:

Könnten → conjugated verb (modal verb) in 2nd position
erlauben → infinitive verb at the end of the clause

In German main clauses, the conjugated verb must be in second position. Any additional infinitives (like erlauben) go to the end of the clause, after all objects and adverbs.

Pattern:

[conjugated verb – position 2] … [infinitive verb – clause-final]

So erlauben naturally gets pushed to the end.

Why is ist at the end of auch wenn die Zeit knapp ist?

Auch wenn introduces a subordinate clause (Nebensatz). In German subordinate clauses, the finite verb goes to the end.

Clause:

auch wenn die Zeit knapp ist

Here:

ist is the conjugated verb of sein
It must appear at the end of this subordinate clause.

General rule:

Main clause: verb in second position
Subordinate clause (introduced e.g. by wenn, weil, dass, auch wenn): verb at the very end

So auch wenn die Zeit knapp ist is correctly ordered: subject (die Zeit) – predicate complement (knapp) – verb (ist) at the end.

What is the nuance of auch wenn here? Could I use obwohl instead?

Auch wenn and obwohl are related but not identical.

auch wenn
- Literally “even if”
- Emphasizes a (possibly hypothetical) concession: even if time is short (whether or not that’s actually the case).
- Often a bit softer, can include a hypothetical element.
obwohl
- Means “although / even though”
- Refers to a real, known fact: time is short.

In this context:

… auch wenn die Zeit knapp ist
→ “… even if time is short.”
Sounds polite and slightly concessive.
… obwohl die Zeit knapp ist
→ “… although time is short.”
More like: “I know time is short, but I still want to…” Slightly stronger contrast.

Both are grammatically correct; auch wenn just sounds a bit more diplomatic and less confrontational.

Why is Sie capitalized? What’s the difference from sie?

In this sentence, Sie is the formal “you” (addressing one or more people politely). German distinguishes:

Sie (capital S)
- Formal you (singular or plural)
- Always capitalized in pronoun form
- Takes 3rd person plural verb forms: Sie könnten, Sie haben, etc.
sie (lowercase s)
Depending on context, can mean:
- she (3rd person singular feminine)
- they (3rd person plural)

In Könnten Sie mir bitte … erlauben, the capital Sie clearly signals formal address to “you”, not “she” or “they”. That’s why the verb is plural: könnten (not könntest).

Can bitte be placed somewhere else in this sentence, and would it change the tone?

Yes, bitte is fairly flexible in German word order. All of these are possible:

Könnten Sie mir bitte noch eine Rückfrage erlauben … ?
Könnten Sie mir noch eine Rückfrage bitte erlauben … ?
Bitte, könnten Sie mir noch eine Rückfrage erlauben … ?

Nuances:

Könnten Sie mir bitte … → Very standard, neutral politeness.
Könnten Sie mir noch eine Rückfrage bitte erlauben … → Also fine; sometimes sounds a touch more colloquial.
Bitte, könnten Sie … → Puts extra emphasis on bitte, can sound more urgent or pleading, depending on intonation.

The version in your sentence (… mir bitte noch eine Rückfrage …) is very natural and politely neutral for spoken and written formal German.

Could I say this in a simpler way, like Darf ich noch eine Frage stellen, auch wenn die Zeit knapp ist?? How does that differ in tone?

Yes, that alternative is correct and natural:

Darf ich noch eine Frage stellen, auch wenn die Zeit knapp ist?

Differences:

Original:
Könnten Sie mir bitte noch eine Rückfrage erlauben, auch wenn die Zeit knapp ist?
- More formal and indirect
- Uses formal Sie and erlauben (to allow)
- Uses Rückfrage (follow‑up / clarifying question)
Alternative:
Darf ich noch eine Frage stellen, auch wenn die Zeit knapp ist?
- Grammatically simpler
- Focuses on the speaker’s permission: Darf ich …? = “May I…?”
- Uses general Frage instead of Rückfrage
- Still polite, but slightly less bureaucratic-sounding, more neutral everyday politeness.

Both are polite; the original sounds especially formal and deferential, suitable for business, official correspondence, or very polite meetings. The Darf ich … version is easier to produce and perfectly fine in most situations.