time to think / thinking time
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time to think
A period of time that you are given or take for yourself to think about an important decision before making it.
Der Arbeitgeber gab mir eine Woche Bedenkzeit, bevor ich den Vertrag unterschreiben musste.
The employer gave me a week to think before I had to sign the contract.
This word is a clear compound of the verb 'bedenken' (to think something over) and the noun 'die Zeit' (time). So the meaning is literally 'time to think'.
Bitte geben Sie mir etwas Zeit, um das Angebot zu bedenken.
Please give me some time to think over the offer.
Common verbs used with 'Bedenkzeit' (time to think) are 'jemandem Bedenkzeit geben' (to give someone time to think), 'sich Bedenkzeit erbitten' (to ask for time to think), or 'Bedenkzeit brauchen' (to need time to think).
Ich brauche noch etwas Bedenkzeit, bevor ich mich entscheide.
I still need some time to think before I decide.
You can recognize the meaning in the context of games like chess from words such as 'Uhr' (clock), 'Zug' (move), 'Spieler' (player), or 'Partie' (game). Here, 'Bedenkzeit' (thinking time) is the officially allotted time for the moves.
Dem Spieler lief die Bedenkzeit davon und er verlor die Partie.
The player's thinking time was running out, and he lost the game.
playing time / season
'die Spielzeit' and 'die Bedenkzeit' both refer to a period of time, but they belong to different situations. 'Die Spielzeit' is the time during which playing happens, for example the duration of a sports game, a theater season, or children's free time for playing. 'Die Bedenkzeit' is time to think before making a decision or a move, for example in chess. The words can be confused especially in games: 'Spielzeit' belongs to the game as a whole, while 'Bedenkzeit' belongs to a player's thinking.
Beim Schach lief ihre Bedenkzeit fast ab, bevor sie den nächsten Zug machte.
In chess, her thinking time almost ran out before she made the next move.
Nach der Spielzeit dürfen die Kinder noch zehn Minuten im Garten bleiben.
After playtime, the children may stay in the garden for another ten minutes.