German Phrase
Hast du kurz Zeit, mir zu helfen?
Meaning
Literally, “Do you have a short time to help me?” It is a polite, informal way to ask someone if they can spare a moment to assist you. The phrase assumes the listener is a peer or someone you address with ‘du’.
When to use
Use this sentence in casual settings—among friends, classmates, or coworkers you know well. It works well when you need a quick favor and want to emphasize that you won’t take up much of the other person’s time.
✦Grammar Breakdown
HastdukurzZeit,mirzuhelfen?
Verb haben (2nd person singular)
‘Hast’ is the present‑tense form of ‘haben’ used with ‘du’ to ask if someone possesses something—in this case, time.
Adverb ‘kurz’
‘kurz’ modifies ‘Zeit’ and means ‘a short amount of’, softening the request by implying only a brief moment is needed.
Infinitive clause with ‘zu’
After nouns like ‘Zeit’ you can attach an infinitive clause introduced by ‘zu’: ‘mir zu helfen’ = ‘to help me’.
Word order
German main clause comes first (question), then the infinitive clause follows the comma. The subject ‘mir’ is dative because ‘helfen’ takes a dative object.
🗨In Conversation
Hast du kurz Zeit, mir zu helfen?
Do you have a moment to help me?
Klar, worum geht’s?
Sure, what’s it about?
✕Common Mistakes
Hast du **kurze** Zeit, mir zu helfen?
‘kurze Zeit’ would mean ‘a short period of time’ in a general sense; here we need the adverb ‘kurz’ to modify the noun ‘Zeit’.
Hast du kurz Zeit, **mir helfen**?
The infinitive clause after ‘Zeit’ requires ‘zu’; omitting it is ungrammatical.
**Du hast** kurz Zeit, mir zu helfen?
In a yes/no question the verb precedes the subject: ‘Hast du…’, not ‘Du hast…’.
Hast du kurz Zeit, **zu helfen mir**?
The dative object ‘mir’ must come before the infinitive ‘zu helfen’.
↔Alternatives
Hast du einen Moment, um mir zu helfen?
Do you have a moment to help me?
Könntest du mir kurz helfen?
Could you help me briefly?
Hast du kurz Zeit, mir zu helfen?
Do you have a short time to help me?
Cultural Tip
German speakers value efficiency, so mentioning ‘kurz’ signals that you respect the other person’s time. In formal contexts you would switch to ‘Sie’ and say ‘Haben Sie kurz Zeit, mir zu helfen?’; the informal ‘du’ version is common among peers and in many workplaces that have a relaxed atmosphere.