What was that for

was kostet das? — how much is that?, what does or how much does that cost?

was ist or gibts? — what is it?, what's up?

was ist, kommst du mit? — well, are you coming?

sie kommt nicht – was? — she's not coming – what?

was hast du denn?, was ist denn los? — what's the matter (with you)?, what's wrong?

was willst or hast du denn? — what are you talking about?

was denn, bist du schon fertig? — what, are you finished already?

was lachst du denn so? — what are you laughing for?, why are you laughing?

was für... — what sort or kind of...

was für ein Haus hat er? — what sort or kind of (a) house does he have?

was für ein schönes Haus! — what a lovely house!

und was für ein Haus! — and what a house!

was für ein Wahnsinn! — what madness!

das, was... — that which..., what...

ich weiß, was ich/er tun soll — I know what I should do or what to do/what he should do

was auch (immer) — whatever

das ist etwas, was ich nicht verstehe — that is something (which) I don't understand

alles, was... — everything or all (that)...

das Beste/Schönste/wenige/Einzige, was ich... — the best/prettiest/little/only thing (that) I...

was du immer hast! — you do go on!

(na,) so was! — well I never!

so was von Blödheit — such stupidity

er ist so was von doof — he's so incredibly stupid

ist (mit dir) was? — is something the matter (with you)?

han står for mig — он стои́т передо мно́й

for en mǻned — на ме́сяц

for to dáge síden — два дня тому́ наза́д

det er for Dem — э́то для вас

for at — для того́, что́бы

skridt for skridt — шаг за ша́гом

for stor — сли́шком большо́й

for méget — сли́шком мно́го

for lǽnge — сли́шком до́лго

I didn't know what I was letting myself in for when I agreed to do that job.

Befehl, Verpflichtung, Plan was soll ich/er tun? — what shall or should I/should he do?

kannst du mir helfen? – klar, was soll ich tun? — can you help me? – of course, what shall I do?

soll ich Ihnen helfen? — can I help you?

soll ich dir mal sagen, wie...? — shall or will I tell you how...?

soll ich (gehen/singen)? – ja, du sollst (gehen/singen) — shall I (go/sing)? – yes, do

du weißt, dass du das nicht tun sollst — you know that you're not supposed to do that

er weiß nicht, was er tun soll — he doesn't know what to do

sie sagte ihm, er solle draußen warten — she told him (that he was) to wait outside

er wurde wütend, weil er draußen warten sollte — he was livid that he had to wait outside

sie sagte mir, was ich tun sollte/was ich alles tun soll — she told me what to do or what I should do/everything I should do

was ich (nicht) alles tun/wissen soll! — the things I'm meant or supposed to do/know!

es soll nicht wieder vorkommen — it won't happen again

er soll reinkommen — tell him to come in

der soll nur kommen! — just let him come!

und da soll man nicht böse werden/nicht lachen! — and then they expect you/me etc not to get cross/not to laugh

niemand soll sagen, dass... — let no-one say that...

ich soll Ihnen sagen, dass... — I've been asked to tell you that...

ich soll dir schöne Grüße von Renate bestellen — Renate asked me to give you her best wishes

so soll es sein — that's how it should be

das Haus soll nächste Woche gestrichen werden —

das Gebäude soll ein Museum werden — the building is (meant) to become a museum

konjunktivisch was sollte ich/er deiner Meinung nach tun? — what do you think I/he should do or ought to do?

das hättest du sehen sollen! — you should have seen it!

er hätte (gehen/singen) sollen — he should have (gone/sung)

du solltest lieber etwas früher kommen/zu Hause bleiben — it would be better if you came early/stayed at home

konditional sollte das passieren,... — if that should happen..., should that happen...

sollte ich unrecht haben, tut es mir leid — I'm sorry if I am wrong

er soll heute kommen — he should come today, he is supposed or meant to come today

sie soll krank/verheiratet sein — apparently she's ill/married

er soll angeblich sehr reich sein — he's supposed to be very rich

Xanthippe soll zänkisch gewesen sein — Xanthippe is supposed to have been quarrelsome

das soll gar nicht so einfach sein — they say it's not that easy

was soll das heißen? — what's that supposed to mean?

wer soll das sein? — who is that supposed or meant to be?

= können, mögen gut, Sie sollen recht haben! — all right, have it your own way (inf), all right, whatever you say

mir soll es gleich sein — it's all the same to me

so etwas soll es geben — these things happen

man sollte glauben, dass... — you would think that...

sollte das möglich sein? — is that possible?

in Prophezeihung geh er sollte sie nie wiedersehen — he was never to see her again

es hat nicht sollen sein — it wasn't to be

Jahre sollten vergehen, bevor... — years were to pass before...

es sollte nicht lange dauern, bis... — it was not to be long until...

was soll das? — what's all this?

was soll ich dort? — what would I do there?

das sollst/solltest du nicht — you shouldn't do that

das hast du nicht gesollt — you shouldn't have done that

solltest du nicht bei ihm anrufen? — were you not supposed to ring him?

was soll ich als nächstes tun? — what shall I do next?; what do you want me to do next?

[sagen Sie ihm,] er soll hereinkommen — tell him to come in

du sollst alles haben, was du brauchst — you shall have everything you require

das sollte ein Witz sein — that was meant to be a joke

was soll denn das heißen? — what is that supposed to mean?

was soll ich nur machen? — what am I to do?

was soll nur aus ihm werden? — what is to become of him?

du solltest dich schämen — you ought to be ashamed of yourself

das hättest du besser nicht tun sollen — it would have been better if you hadn't done that

er sollte seine Heimat nicht wieder sehen — he was never to see his homeland again

wenn du ihn sehen solltest, sage ihm bitte... — if you should see him, please tell him...

sollte das sein Ernst sein? — is he really being serious?

mir soll es gleich sein — it's all the same to me; it doesn't matter to me

man sollte glauben, dass... — you would think that...

was soll das? — what's the idea?

was soll ich dort? — what would I do there?

solltest du nicht bei ihm anrufen? — were you not supposed to ring him?

was soll ich als nächstes tun? — what shall I do next?; what do you want me to do next?

[sagen Sie ihm,] er soll hereinkommen — tell him to come in

du sollst alles haben, was du brauchst — you shall have everything you require

das sollte ein Witz sein — that was meant to be a joke

was soll denn das heißen? — what is that supposed to mean?

was soll ich nur machen? — what am I to do?

was soll nur aus ihm werden? — what is to become of him?

du solltest dich schämen — you ought to be ashamed of yourself

das hättest du besser nicht tun sollen — it would have been better if you hadn't done that

er sollte seine Heimat nicht wieder sehen — he was never to see his homeland again

wenn du ihn sehen solltest, sage ihm bitte... — if you should see him, please tell him...

sollte das sein Ernst sein? — is he really being serious?

mir soll es gleich sein — it's all the same to me; it doesn't matter to me

man sollte glauben, dass... — you would think that...

was soll das? — what's the idea?

was soll ich dort? — what would I do there?

tienen un perro como el nuestro — they've got a dog like ours

se portó como un imbécil — he behaved like an idiot

es como un pez — it's like a fish

sabe como a queso — it tastes a bit like cheese

blanco como la nieve — as white as snow

tuvo resultados como no se habían conocido antes — it had results such as had never been known before

hay peces, como truchas y salmones — there are fish, such as trout and salmon

lo hice como me habían enseñado — I did it as I had been taught

prefiero como lo haces tú — I prefer it the way you do it

la manera como sucedió — the way (in which) it happened

fue así como comenzó — that was how it began

lo levanté como pude — I lifted it as best I could

hazlo como puedas — do your best, do the best you can

tratan de mantenerse en el poder como sea — they will do whatever it takes to stay in power

está decidido a salvar como sea la vida del niño — he's determined to do whatever it takes to save the child's life

sea como sea — in any case

hay que evitar que nos eliminen sea como sea — we must avoid getting knocked out at all costs

lo usé como cuchara — I used it as a spoon

asistió como espectador — he attended as a spectator

lo dice como juez — he says it speaking as a judge

vale más como poeta — he is better as a poet

libre como estaba — free as he was

como dice mi profesor — as my teacher says

como se ve en el gráfico — as you can see from the diagram

tal como están los precios de las motos... — with motorbike prices as they are at the moment...

así como nos vio lanzó un grito — as soon as he saw us he shouted

verás como les ganamos — we'll beat them, you'll see

ya verás como no vienen — I bet they won't come

de tanto como odio a los dos, no sé a quien odio más — I hate them both so much, I don't know which I hate the most

como vengas tarde, no comes — if you're late you'll get nothing to eat

como sea cierto, ¡estamos perdidos! — if it's true, we're done for!

¡como lo pierdas! — you'd better not lose it!, don't you lose it!

no salimos, como no sea para ir al cine — we only go out if it's to go to the cinema, we don't go out unless it's to go to the cinema

• como que — as if

¡como que yo soy tonto y me creo esas mentiras! — as if I was stupid enough to believe lies like that!

¡como que te van a pagar! — don't tell me they're going to pay you!

hizo como que no nos veía — he pretended not to see us

al tragar nota como que le molesta — he shows discomfort when swallowing

• como si — as if, as though

• como para, ¡es como para denunciarlos! — it's enough to make you want to report them to the police!

tampoco es como para enfadarse tanto — there's no need to get so angry about it

quiero hablarte como amigo — I want to speak to you as a friend

el director tendrá como funciones... — the director's duties will be...

está considerado como lo mejor — he's considered (to be) the best

se la conoce como `flor de luz' — it's known as `flor de luz'

uno como el tuyo — one like yours

pienso como tú — I agree with you

fue ella, como que me llamo Beatriz — it was her, as sure as my name's Beatriz

me trata como a un imbécil — he treats me like an idiot

no hay nada como un buen coñac! — there's nothing like a good brandy!

como para + inf: es como para echarse a llorar it's enough to make you want to cry; fue como para pegarle — I could have hit him

tal como había prometido — just as he had promised

como era de esperar — as was to be expected

como dice el refrán — as the saying goes

no me gustó como lo dijo — I didn't like the way she said it

(tal y) como están las cosas — as things stand; (+ subj)

hazlo como quieras/como puedas — do it any way you like/as best as you can

como quiera que sea — no matter what

la buganvilla, o como quiera que se llame — bougainvillea or whatever it's called

como te pille... — if I catch you...

vimos como se los llevaban — we saw them being taken away

vas a ver como llega tarde — he'll be late, you'll see

está como a cincuenta kilómetros — it's about fifty kilometers away

un sabor como a almendras — a kind of almondy taste

me da como vergüenza... — I find it kind of embarrassing...

quiero hablarte como amigo — I want to speak to you as a friend

el director tendrá como funciones... — the director's duties will be...

está considerado como lo mejor — he's considered (to be) the best

se la conoce como `flor de luz' — it's known as `flor de luz'

uno como el tuyo — one like yours

pienso como tú — I agree with you

fue ella, como que me llamo Beatriz — it was her, as sure as my name's Beatriz

me trata como a un imbécil — he treats me like an idiot

no hay nada como un buen coñac! — there's nothing like a good brandy!

como para + inf: es como para echarse a llorar it's enough to make you want to cry; fue como para pegarle — I could have hit him

tal como había prometido — just as he had promised

como era de esperar — as was to be expected

como dice el refrán — as the saying goes

no me gustó como lo dijo — I didn't like the way she said it

(tal y) como están las cosas — as things stand; (+ subj)

hazlo como quieras/como puedas — do it any way you like/as best as you can

como quiera que sea — no matter what

la buganvilla, o como quiera que se llame — bougainvillea or whatever it's called

como te pille... — if I catch you...

vimos como se los llevaban — we saw them being taken away

vas a ver como llega tarde — he'll be late, you'll see

está como a cincuenta kilómetros — it's about fifty kilometers away

un sabor como a almendras — a kind of almondy taste

me da como vergüenza... — I find it kind of embarrassing...