German word of the day: Eile

Why do I need to know Eile?

This helpful noun is a great way to communicate a sense of urgency in your day to day life and potentially get people to hurry things along. At times when you're feeling more relaxed, though, it can also help you communicate the opposite.

What does it mean?

Die Eile (pronounced like this) basically means a rush or a hurry in German. Just like you can talk about being in a hurry in English, in German you can tell people you are currently "in Eile" when you're late for an appointment or need to get something done very quickly.

Commonly, you'll also talking about people having a hurry - i.e. Eile haben - which emphasises that the situation is an urgent one. If you want to say you'll get something done as quickly as possible, you can also use the reflexive verb, "sich beeilen", which means to hurry up.

You may also encounter the word Eile as a prefix to various nouns, indicating that something is immediate, quick or urgent. For example, the word Eilmeldung is used to communicate breaking news on a German media site, an Eilbrief is a letter sent by priority post, and an Eilklage is an urgent legal challenge submitted to a court with the hope of a quick resolution. 

Eile can also be helpful in more relaxed situations, too. If you ask someone to do you a favour but don't want them to feel stressed or hurried, a simple: "Keine Eile" - no rush - can be a polite way to express this. 

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The oxymoronic saying, "Eile mit Weile", which translates as something like "haste with delay", also communicates the truism that rushing things can often make them take longer - similar to the English idiom, "more haste, less speed".

Saying it to a friend or colleague can be a helpful reminder for them to take their time and stay calm - even if they're on a tight deadline. 

Use it like this: 

Ich habe keine Eile, nach Hause zu gehen. Ich kann noch ein bisschen bei euch bleiben. 

I'm in no hurry to go home. I can stay with you guys a little longer.

Hast du es Eilig? Ok, dann beeile ich mich! 

Are you in a hurry? Ok, then I'll hurry up!