6.19 Negotiating and making arrangements — Epoché
What you will be able to do Arrange a meeting and propose alternatives: Wann passt es Ihnen? Wie wäre es mit Freitag? Postpone or reschedule: Können wir das verschieben? Bargain politely at a flea market: Können Sie mit dem Preis runtergehen? Das ist mein letztes Angebot. Close a deal: Einverstanden. Abgemacht. Machen wir's so! Sentences from this lesson, before the explanation. Read the German aloud; all of them come back below. German English Verschieben wir’s doch auf nächste Woche! [1] Why don't we postpone this until next week? Wir werden dieses Treffen verschieben müssen. [2] We'll have to postpone the meeting. Sie können es sich noch immer anders überlegen. [3] They can still change their minds. Machen wir’s noch mal! [4] Let's do it again. Wann passt es dir zeitlich? [5] What time is good for you? Wie viel Rabatt können Sie geben? [6] How much of a discount can you give? Montag, Dienstag, Mittwoch, Donnerstag, Freitag, Samstag, Sonntag. [7] Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Das Treffen wurde auf nächsten Freitag verschoben. [8] The meeting was put off until next Friday. Prerequisites : 6.18 — you need disagreeing politely from 6.18 Conversation , the subjunctive Wie wäre es …? from 2.25 Grammar , and days, times and prices from 5.6 Vocabulary . Who is speaking to whom Three short negotiations. First, two business contacts, Frau Berg and Herr Novak, who say Sie , arrange a meeting. Then two friends, Lena and Tom, who say du , move a date. Finally, a customer bargains with a seller at a Sunday flea market over an old painting. Each situation has its own formulas, but the structure is always the same: a proposal, a counter-proposal, an agreement. Negotiating in German Proposals are questions. German speakers make proposals as questions, often with the subjunctive: Wie wäre es mit Montag? , Können wir uns Montag treffen? , Wann passt es Ihnen? The verb passen , to suit , takes the person in the dative: Passt es dir? , Das passt mir gut . It is the key verb for any arrangement. Calendars and punctuality. German professional life runs on appointments made well in advance, and a meeting fixed for 10 o'clock begins at 10 o'clock. Moving a meeting at short notice is possible but needs an apology and a reason. Among friends the rules are looser, yet still stricter than in many English-speaking circles: if you say you will come at eight, arriving at half past eight without a message is noticed. Bargaining has its places. In German shops prices are fixed and bargaining is unusual, except for large items such as cars and furniture. At a Flohmarkt , a flea market, it is expected. Be friendly and brief: ask whether the seller can lower the price, make an offer, and accept or walk away. Aggressive haggling is not part of the culture, and a friendly counter-offer usually works better. Abgemacht means it is binding. When a German speaker says Abgemacht! or Einverstanden , the deal is done. The saying Abgemacht ist abgemacht , a deal's a deal , reflects a strong expectation that agreements are kept, whether it is a meeting time, a price or a promise. Exchange one — arranging a meeting Wann passt es Ihnen? [9] When is a good time for you? Können wir uns Montag treffen? [10] Can we meet on Monday? Wie wäre es mit Freitag? [11] How about Friday? Einverstanden. Abgemacht. [12] All right. It's a deal. Frau Berg does not reject Monday; she simply proposes Friday. A counter-proposal without a refusal is the most polite way to say no. Exchange two — moving a date Können wir das verschieben? [13] Can we reschedule? Wann passt es dir? [14] When is it convenient for you? Können wir uns nächstes Wochenende treffen? [15] Could we get together next weekend? Abgemacht! Wir treffen uns vor dem Kino! [16] Great! We'll meet at the movie theater. verschieben means to postpone or to move ; it is the standard word for rescheduling. Tom confirms with Abgemacht! , agreed! , and names the meeting place, which is a good habit: vor dem Kino is in front of the cinema . Exchange three — at the flea market Können Sie mit dem Preis runtergehen? [17] Can you lower the price? Das ist ein guter Preis. [18] That's a good price. Ich biete für dieses Stilleben 200 Euro. [19] I'm offering two hundred euros for that still life. Ich überlege es mir noch mal. [20] I'll think it over. runtergehen is colloquial for heruntergehen , to go down . The corpus sentence spells the painting Stilleben , the spelling before the 1996 reform; today it is written with three l . Exchange four — the deal Das ist mein letztes Angebot. [21] This is my last offer. Machen wir’s so! [22] Let's do it this way. Ich nehme es. [23] I will take it. Abgemacht ist abgemacht. [24] A deal's a deal. Machen wir's so! is the everyday way to accept a proposal; Ich nehme es is what you say when you buy something. A negotiation, step by step Every negotiation in this lesson has four moves. Ask for the other side's position: Wann passt es Ihnen? or the price. Make a proposal as a question: Wie wäre es mit Freitag? , Können Sie mit dem Preis runtergehen? Answer a proposal you cannot accept with a counter-proposal rather than a plain no. And close clearly, repeating the result: Abgemacht, Freitag um zehn . If you need time, say so: Ich überlege es mir noch mal . These moves are the same in business and in private life; only du and Sie change. Word list Word (article, plural) Meaning Notes verschieben de to postpone, to reschedule; to move Gender / part of speech inseparable verb How English differs Strong: verschob, verschoben . Also moving furniture. Wir müssen die Sitzung verschieben. [25] We have to postpone the meeting. zeitlich de in terms of time, time-wise Gender / part of speech adjective, adverb How English differs Wann passt es dir zeitlich? asks only about time. Wann passt es Ihnen zeitlich? [26] What time is good for you? der Vorschlag（¨-e） de suggestion, proposal Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs The noun of v