Agreeing and Disagreeing

In any real conversation, you need to be able to agree, disagree, and find middle ground. German offers a rich set of expressions for all levels of agreement — from enthusiastic support to polite dissent. This lesson will help you navigate discussions with confidence.

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Expressing Agreement

German	English
Ja, genau!	Yes, exactly!
Stimmt! / Das stimmt.	That's right! / That's true.
Da haben Sie / hast du Recht.	You are right.
Ganz genau.	Exactly right.
Da bin ich ganz Ihrer / deiner Meinung.	I completely agree with you.
Ich bin einverstanden.	I agree. / I am in agreement.
Das finde ich auch.	I think so too.
Da stimme ich Ihnen / dir voll zu.	I fully agree with you.
Auf jeden Fall!	Absolutely! / Definitely!
Ohne Zweifel.	Without a doubt.
Das sehe ich genauso.	I see it the same way.
Das kann man wohl sagen!	You can say that again!

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Expressing Disagreement

Polite Disagreement

German	English
Da bin ich anderer Meinung.	I have a different opinion on that.
Das sehe ich anders.	I see that differently.
Ich bin mir da nicht so sicher.	I am not so sure about that.
Ja, aber...	Yes, but...
Das mag sein, aber...	That may be, but...
Ich verstehe Ihren Standpunkt, aber...	I understand your point of view, but...
Ich respektiere Ihre Meinung, aber...	I respect your opinion, but...
Nicht unbedingt.	Not necessarily.

Stronger Disagreement

German	English
Da muss ich widersprechen.	I have to disagree there.
Das stimmt so nicht.	That is not correct.
Das glaube ich nicht.	I do not believe that.
Das ist Unsinn.	That is nonsense.
Auf keinen Fall!	No way! / Absolutely not!
Da irren Sie sich.	You are mistaken.
Im Gegenteil!	On the contrary!

Cultural note: Germans are generally more direct in disagreement than the British. Saying "Da bin ich anderer Meinung" is perfectly normal and not considered rude. However, personal attacks are never acceptable. Disagree with the idea, not the person.

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Finding Middle Ground