nu
now
A colloquial, regionally widespread form of „nun“ (now), meaning „jetzt“ (now) or „in diesem Augenblick“ (at this moment).
EXAMPLE
Nu musst du dich aber entscheiden.
Now you really have to decide.
nu
now
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Meanings
nu
well / so
A colloquial, regionally widespread form of „nun“ used to express a transition, conclusion, or prompt; depending on the context, it means roughly „also“ (so), „dann“ (then), or „na gut“ (all right, then).
EXAMPLE
Nu, dann fangen wir eben ohne ihn an.
Well, then we'll just start without him.
Usage tips
Regional colloquial language
„Nu“ is part of colloquial, regionally marked language and is especially widespread in varieties of northern and eastern Germany. In formal texts and official situations, it usually sounds inappropriate.
EXAMPLE
Nu, das war ja ein aufregender Tag!
Well, that was quite an exciting day!
Word order
As a conversational particle, „nu“ often appears at the beginning of a sentence and is separated by a comma. When it has a temporal meaning, it is integrated into the sentence and appears without a comma before the finite verb or in another suitable position in the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Nu, was machen wir mit dem kaputten Fahrrad?
Well, what are we going to do with the broken bicycle?
Nu beginnt die Besprechung.
Now the meeting begins.
Transition in conversation
In its transitional or prompting use, „nu“ often introduces a reaction, a decision, or the next step in the conversation. It is often followed directly by a question, a prompt, or a conclusion.
EXAMPLE
Nu, wie geht es jetzt weiter?
So, what happens next?
Nu, mach schon, wir warten!
Come on, get on with it—we're waiting!
In real life
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