German Phrase
Die Glocke wird gleich läuten.
Meaning
The sentence means ‘The bell will ring soon.’ It uses the simple future tense (werden + infinitive) to indicate an event that is about to happen. ‘Gleich’ adds the nuance of immediacy, suggesting the ringing will occur in the next few seconds or minutes.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to inform listeners that a bell—such as a school, church, or factory bell—is about to sound. It works well in announcements, classroom settings, or any situation where a timed signal is expected.
✦Grammar Breakdown
DieGlockewirdgleichläuten.
Die (definite article)
‘Die’ is the nominative feminine singular article, matching ‘Glocke’.
Glocke (noun)
‘Glocke’ is a feminine noun meaning ‘bell’; its plural is ‘Glocken’.
wird (auxiliary verb)
‘wird’ is the 3rd‑person singular of ‘werden’ and forms the future tense with an infinitive.
gleich (adverb)
‘gleich’ means ‘in a moment, soon, immediately’ and modifies the verb phrase.
läuten (infinitive verb)
‘läuten’ means ‘to ring (a bell)’; in the future construction it stays in the infinitive.
🗨In Conversation
Die Glocke wird gleich läuten.
The bell will ring soon.
Gut, dann mache ich mich fertig für die Pause.
Great, then I’ll get ready for the break.
✕Common Mistakes
Die Glocke ist gleich läuten.
‘sein’ is a stative verb and cannot form the future tense here; you need ‘wird’ (werden).
Die Glocke wird jetzt gleich läuten.
‘jetzt’ means ‘now’; using it with ‘gleich’ creates redundancy.
Die Glocke läutet gleich.
Using the present tense changes the meaning to a habitual action rather than an imminent one.
↔Alternatives
Die Glocke läutet gleich.
The bell is ringing soon.
Bald läutet die Glocke.
Soon the bell will ring.
Die Glocke wird in Kürze läuten.
The bell will ring in a short while.
Cultural Tip
In German‑speaking countries bells have a strong cultural presence: church bells mark the hour, school bells signal class changes, and factory bells announce shift changes. The phrase is neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, but avoid overly casual slang when speaking to teachers or officials.