German grammar · Upper intermediate (B2)
Modal particles: doch, ja, mal, halt, eben, denn
The small words that make spoken German sound natural: what doch, ja, mal, halt, eben, denn and schon add to a sentence.
What they do
Modal particles () are small, unstressed words that don't change the facts of a sentence but show the speaker's attitude: surprise, friendliness, impatience, resignation. English does this mainly with tone of voice or with words like “just”, “really” and “after all”.
They usually stand in the middle of the sentence, after the verb and pronouns. Without them, spoken German can sound abrupt: is an order, a friendly invitation.
The most common particles
Each particle has several uses; these are the ones you'll hear most.
| Particle | What it adds | Example |
|---|---|---|
| surprise or contradiction; makes a suggestion friendlier | / | |
| “as we both know”; also surprise | / | |
| softens a request or an instruction | ||
| / | “that's just how it is” | / |
| interest in a question | ||
| reassurance; “admittedly” | / … |
Where they go and how to learn them
Particles never start a sentence and are never stressed. If you stress , it becomes the “yes” to a negative question or means “after all”: Er ist doch gekommen (he came after all).
Don't try to translate them word for word. Notice them in conversations and films, and start with in requests, in suggestions and in questions.
- Mach dir mal keinen Kopf.Don't worry about it.
- Wo warst du denn?Where have you been?