German · Krankmeldung / Urlaub
You ask your manager for leave: what to say in German
You ask your manager for leave.
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How it's done. Leave (Urlaub) is usually agreed in advance with your manager or in a system; ask: Kann ich vom ... bis ... Urlaub nehmen?Prepared by the Movko team, November 2026. This is language help, not legal or medical advice: check the rules with the office itself.
Cheat sheet for your visit
The first phrase is open: tap ▶ to listen, or “Show” to show it to the other person. The rest of the dialogue is in the course in the app.
1
YOU START
Entschuldigung, kann ich im August zwei Wochen Urlaub nehmen?
Aynt-SHOOL-dee-goong, kahn eekh eem ow-GOOST tsvigh VOH-khayn OOR-lowp NEH-mayn?
Excuse me, can I take two weeks of holiday in August?
Or say:Hätten Sie kurz Zeit? Ich möchte Urlaub beantragen.
KHEH-tayn zee koorts tsight? Eekh MYOKH-teh OOR-lowp beh-AHN-truh-gayn.
THEY SAY
Welche Wochen möchten Sie nehmen?VEL-kheh VOH-khayn MYOKH-tayn zee NEH-mayn?
Which weeks would you like to take?
They might also say:
Von wann bis wann denn?
Fohn vahn bees vahn dayn?
From when to when?
2
YOU REPLY
Vom fünften bis zum neunzehnten August.
Fom FYOONF-tayn bees tsoom NOYN-tsayn-tayn ow-GOOST.
From the fifth to the nineteenth of August.
THEY SAY
Ich schaue im Kalender nach. Das sollte gehen.Eekh SHOW-eh eem kuh-LAYN-duh nahkh. Dahs ZOL-teh GEH-ayn.
I'll check the calendar. That should work.
3
YOU FINISH
Vielen Dank!
FEE-layn dahnk!
Thank you very much!
The course is in the app
This dialogue is part of the course “German for life in Germany”: 416 situations with audio, a pronunciation guide and spaced review.
On the website the first dialogue, the 112 category, the rescue phrases and the “Basics” are fully open.
Words worth knowing
kann
kahn
verb
can
August
ow-GOOST
noun
August
Wochen
VOH-khayn
noun
weeks
Urlaub
OOR-lowp
noun
holiday, leave
nehmen
NEH-mayn
verb
to take
möchten
MYOKH-tayn
verb
would like
19 more words, with explanations, base forms and tap-a-word help, are in the app.
If you did not understand
Können Sie das bitte wiederholen?
KYOH-nayn zee dahs BEE-teh vee-dehr-KHOH-layn?
Can you repeat that, please?
Was bedeutet das?
Vahs beh-DOY-tet dahs?
What does this mean?
Similar situations
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