Meaning
To be obliged to remain in a place until something happens.
Cultural Background
The 'Wartenummer' system is ubiquitous in public offices. You take a ticket and wait for your number to appear on a screen. It's considered very rude to try and skip the line. Punctuality is even more strictly observed here. If a train is 2 minutes late, people already feel they 'warten müssen' excessively. The 'Kaffeehauskultur' (coffee house culture) makes waiting more pleasant. It's socially acceptable to sit for hours with one cup of coffee, effectively 'waiting' for the day to pass. In the era of high-speed internet, Germans use 'warten müssen' to complain about slow 'WLAN' (Wi-Fi) just as much as anyone else.
The 'Auf' Rule
Always pair 'warten' with 'auf' if you are waiting for something specific. It's the most common mistake for beginners!
Word Order
Don't forget to kick 'warten' to the end of the sentence when using 'muss'.
Meaning
To be obliged to remain in a place until something happens.
The 'Auf' Rule
Always pair 'warten' with 'auf' if you are waiting for something specific. It's the most common mistake for beginners!
Word Order
Don't forget to kick 'warten' to the end of the sentence when using 'muss'.
Polite Waiting
If you are late and someone waited for you, say: 'Danke fürs Warten!' (Thanks for waiting!)
DB Complaints
If you want to bond with Germans, complain about having to wait for the train. It's a national pastime.
Test Yourself
Fill in the correct form of 'müssen'.
Ich ____ auf {den|m} Bus warten.
The subject is 'Ich', so the verb 'müssen' becomes 'muss'.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
Waiting for the doctor.
The modal verb is in 2nd position, the preposition is 'auf', and the infinitive 'warten' is at the end.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Kommst du jetzt? B: Nein, mein Auto ist kaputt. Ich ____ ____ ____ ____ (must wait for the taxi).
You need the conjugated 'muss', the preposition 'auf', the article 'das', and the infinitive 'warten'.
Match the German phrase to its English meaning.
Phrases:
These are the basic variations of the phrase across tenses and persons.
In which situation do you 'warten müssen'?
Situations:
A delay (Verspätung) is the most common reason you 'warten müssen'.
🎉 Score: /5
Visual Learning Aids
Common things we wait for
Transport
- • {der|m} Zug
- • {der|m} Bus
- • {das|n} Taxi
People
- • {der|m} Freund
- • {die|f} Ärztin
- • {der|m} Chef
Practice Bank
5 exercisesIch ____ auf {den|m} Bus warten.
The subject is 'Ich', so the verb 'müssen' becomes 'muss'.
Waiting for the doctor.
The modal verb is in 2nd position, the preposition is 'auf', and the infinitive 'warten' is at the end.
A: Kommst du jetzt? B: Nein, mein Auto ist kaputt. Ich ____ ____ ____ ____ (must wait for the taxi).
You need the conjugated 'muss', the preposition 'auf', the article 'das', and the infinitive 'warten'.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
These are the basic variations of the phrase across tenses and persons.
Situations:
A delay (Verspätung) is the most common reason you 'warten müssen'.
🎉 Score: /5
Frequently Asked Questions
5 questionsNo, that's a literal translation from English. You must use 'auf' + Accusative: 'Ich muss auf den Bus warten'.
'Warten' is just staying in place. 'Abwarten' implies waiting for a specific result or to see how a situation develops before acting.
No, you can just say 'Ich warte'. Adding 'muss' emphasizes that you have no choice in the matter.
You can say 'Ich habe das Warten satt' or 'Ich habe keine Lust mehr zu warten'.
Yes, in a technical context, 'eine Maschine warten' means to service or maintain it. But 'warten müssen' almost always refers to time.
Related Phrases
Geduld haben
similarTo have patience
Abwarten
specialized formTo wait and see
Jemanden warten lassen
builds onTo keep someone waiting
Erwarten
contrastTo expect
In der Schlange stehen
similarTo stand in line
