mal
just
Used colloquially as a particle to make a request, question, or statement sound friendlier, more casual, or less direct.
EXAMPLE
Kannst du mir mal bitte das Salz geben?
Could you just pass me the salt, please?
mal
once / times
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Meanings
mal
times
Used in mathematics and everyday language for multiplication.
EXAMPLE
Fünf mal fünf ist fünfundzwanzig.
Five times five is twenty-five.
schon mal
ever before
Asks whether something has already happened at some point in the past; ever before.
EXAMPLE
Warst du schon mal in Paris?
Have you ever been to Paris before?
erst mal
first / for now
Means 'first' or 'for the moment' and expresses an order or a temporary action.
EXAMPLE
Ich trinke jetzt erst mal einen Kaffee, bevor ich anfange.
I'm going to have a coffee first before I start.
mal … mal
sometimes … sometimes
Expresses a change or alternation between two or more states, places, or actions.
EXAMPLE
Sein Deutsch ist mal gut, mal schlecht, je nachdem, wie er sich fühlt.
His German is sometimes good, sometimes bad, depending on how he feels.
auf einmal
suddenly
Means 'suddenly' or 'unexpectedly'.
EXAMPLE
Auf einmal ging das Licht aus.
Suddenly the light went out.
Usage tips
Short form of 'einmal'
The word 'mal' is a colloquial short form of 'einmal' (once). In spoken language, the short form 'mal' is almost always used, except when the number 'eins' (one) should be emphasized.
EXAMPLE
Kommst du mal her?
Could you come here for a second?
Friendly request
As a particle, 'mal' makes a request or question friendlier and less direct. Without 'mal', a sentence can sound like a command.
EXAMPLE
Gib mir bitte mal den Stift.
Please just give me the pen.
Colloquial usage
The use of 'mal' as a particle is typical of spoken language and informal texts. It is usually avoided in very formal or official texts.
EXAMPLE
Ich geh mal schnell einkaufen.
I'm just going to quickly go shopping.
Context: mathematics
When 'mal' (times) stands between two numbers, it indicates multiplication. In this context, it is often used like 'x' in a formula.
EXAMPLE
Was ist sieben mal acht?
What is seven times eight?
Asking about experiences
The combination 'schon mal' (ever before) is very often used in questions in the present perfect to ask about past experiences. The typical sentence structure is: 'Hast/Bist du schon mal ...?' (Have you ever ...?).
EXAMPLE
Hast du schon mal Sushi gegessen?
Have you ever eaten sushi before?
Sentence structure: 'mal … mal'
The structure 'mal ... mal ...' (sometimes ... sometimes ...) connects two alternating or contrasting qualities or actions. The parts of the sentence that follow 'mal' often have a parallel grammatical structure.
EXAMPLE
Das Wetter ist heute komisch, mal scheint die Sonne, mal regnet es.
The weather is strange today: sometimes the sun shines, sometimes it rains.
Word order with 'auf einmal'
The fixed expression 'auf einmal' (suddenly) often stands at the beginning of a sentence to emphasize a sudden change. In this case, the verb follows directly after it (position 2).
EXAMPLE
Wir saßen im Garten und auf einmal fing es an zu regnen.
We were sitting in the garden, and suddenly it started to rain.
Compare with
mal vs bitte
please
Mal and bitte can make a request sound less harsh. Mal mainly makes it sound casual and offhand, while bitte explicitly expresses politeness. In a familiar conversation, mal is suitable; for a clearly polite request, use bitte.
mal
Komm mal kurz ins Büro.
Come by the office for a moment.
bitte
Komm bitte kurz ins Büro.
Please come by the office for a moment.
In real life
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