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dabei is pointing to what preposition or fact “Ich war gerade dabei die Tür abzuschliessen. Da hast du angerufen.”

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1

I was reading the sentence

Ich war gerade dabei die Tür abzuschliessen. Da hast du angerufen.

and I worked out that it meant roughly

I was just about to close the door. While doing that, you called me.

I want to ask about the function of the word "dabei"

I know that dabei can be pointing to a specific noun (i.e. as it was happening)

but what is the specific use of dabei here? Is dabei pointing to anything in the first sentence?

grammar-identification

share|improve this question

asked 5 hours ago

Bob SmithBob Smith

4648

add a comment | 

1

I was reading the sentence

Ich war gerade dabei die Tür abzuschliessen. Da hast du angerufen.

and I worked out that it meant roughly

I was just about to close the door. While doing that, you called me.

I want to ask about the function of the word "dabei"

I know that dabei can be pointing to a specific noun (i.e. as it was happening)

but what is the specific use of dabei here? Is dabei pointing to anything in the first sentence?

grammar-identification

share|improve this question

asked 5 hours ago

Bob SmithBob Smith

4648

add a comment | 

I was reading the sentence

Ich war gerade dabei die Tür abzuschliessen. Da hast du angerufen.

and I worked out that it meant roughly

I was just about to close the door. While doing that, you called me.

I want to ask about the function of the word "dabei"

I know that dabei can be pointing to a specific noun (i.e. as it was happening)

but what is the specific use of dabei here? Is dabei pointing to anything in the first sentence?

grammar-identification

share|improve this question

asked 5 hours ago

Bob SmithBob Smith

4648

share|improve this question

asked 5 hours ago

Bob SmithBob Smith

4648

share|improve this question

asked 5 hours ago

Bob SmithBob Smith

4648

asked 5 hours ago

Bob SmithBob Smith

4648

asked 5 hours ago

Bob SmithBob Smith

4648

2 Answers
2

active

oldest

votes

2

"Dabei" is expressing what the continuous form in English does - As German doesn't have that, we need to express concurrency of events using this (or other) adverbs.

A proper translation to English would be

I was closing the door when you called.

share|improve this answer

answered 5 hours ago

tofrotofro

43.7k146132

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  is this similar to "dabei sein"
  
  – Bob Smith
  4 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

2

Dabei is derived from the preposition bei. Here, dabei refers to the following infinitive clause: die Tür abzuschließen.

An alternative wording is:

Ich war beim Abschließen der Tür.

Dafür and dagegen can be used in the same way:

Ich war dafür, die Tür abzuschließen.

I was in favor of closing the door.

share|improve this answer

answered 4 hours ago

RHaRHa

6,8341527

add a comment | 

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2

"Dabei" is expressing what the continuous form in English does - As German doesn't have that, we need to express concurrency of events using this (or other) adverbs.

A proper translation to English would be

I was closing the door when you called.

share|improve this answer

answered 5 hours ago

tofrotofro

43.7k146132

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  is this similar to "dabei sein"
  
  – Bob Smith
  4 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

2

"Dabei" is expressing what the continuous form in English does - As German doesn't have that, we need to express concurrency of events using this (or other) adverbs.

A proper translation to English would be

I was closing the door when you called.

share|improve this answer

answered 5 hours ago

tofrotofro

43.7k146132

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  is this similar to "dabei sein"
  
  – Bob Smith
  4 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

"Dabei" is expressing what the continuous form in English does - As German doesn't have that, we need to express concurrency of events using this (or other) adverbs.

A proper translation to English would be

I was closing the door when you called.

share|improve this answer

answered 5 hours ago

tofrotofro

43.7k146132

share|improve this answer

answered 5 hours ago

tofrotofro

43.7k146132

answered 5 hours ago

tofrotofro

43.7k146132

answered 5 hours ago

tofrotofro

43.7k146132

2

Dabei is derived from the preposition bei. Here, dabei refers to the following infinitive clause: die Tür abzuschließen.

An alternative wording is:

Ich war beim Abschließen der Tür.

Dafür and dagegen can be used in the same way:

Ich war dafür, die Tür abzuschließen.

I was in favor of closing the door.

share|improve this answer

answered 4 hours ago

RHaRHa

6,8341527

add a comment | 

2

Dabei is derived from the preposition bei. Here, dabei refers to the following infinitive clause: die Tür abzuschließen.

An alternative wording is:

Ich war beim Abschließen der Tür.

Dafür and dagegen can be used in the same way:

Ich war dafür, die Tür abzuschließen.

I was in favor of closing the door.

share|improve this answer

answered 4 hours ago

RHaRHa

6,8341527

add a comment | 

Dabei is derived from the preposition bei. Here, dabei refers to the following infinitive clause: die Tür abzuschließen.

An alternative wording is:

Ich war beim Abschließen der Tür.

Dafür and dagegen can be used in the same way:

Ich war dafür, die Tür abzuschließen.

I was in favor of closing the door.

share|improve this answer

answered 4 hours ago

RHaRHa

6,8341527

share|improve this answer

answered 4 hours ago

RHaRHa

6,8341527

answered 4 hours ago

RHaRHa

6,8341527

answered 4 hours ago

RHaRHa

6,8341527