German Phrase
Die sind gerade in einer Besprechung.
Meaning
The sentence states that a group of people (they) are currently inside a meeting. It conveys that they are occupied at the moment and likely unavailable for other tasks.
When to use
Use this phrase in a workplace or office setting when someone asks where a colleague or a team is, or when you need to explain why a person cannot be reached right now.
✦Grammar Breakdown
DiesindgeradeineinerBesprechung
Pronoun "die" (they)
"Die" is the plural personal pronoun for "they" in nominative case.
Verb "sein" (to be) – present tense
"sind" is the 3rd person plural present form of "sein".
"gerade" (right now)
"gerade" is an adverb indicating that the action is happening at this very moment.
Preposition "in" + dative
When "in" indicates location, it governs the dative case; hence "einer Besprechung".
Indefinite article "eine" → dative "einer"
Feminine nouns in dative singular take the article "einer".
Noun "Besprechung" (meeting)
"Besprechung" is a feminine noun meaning a meeting or discussion.
🗨In Conversation
Wo sind die?
Where are they?
Die sind gerade in einer Besprechung.
They are currently in a meeting.
✕Common Mistakes
Der sind gerade in einer Besprechung.
"Der" is the masculine singular pronoun; the correct plural pronoun for "they" is "die".
Die sind jetzt in einer Besprechung.
While "jetzt" also means "now", it does not convey the same immediacy as "gerade" in this construction.
Die sind gerade in einen Besprechung.
"in" with location requires dative, so the article must be "einer", not accusative "einen".
↔Alternatives
Sie sind gerade in einer Besprechung.
They are currently in a meeting.
Sie befinden sich gerade in einer Besprechung.
They are currently in a meeting.
Sie sind momentan in einer Besprechung.
They are at the moment in a meeting.
Cultural Tip
In German companies, "Besprechung" can refer to anything from a quick stand‑up to a formal board meeting. Using "gerade" stresses that the meeting is happening right now, which is useful when you want to politely indicate that the persons are unavailable. In more formal contexts you might prefer "Sie befinden sich...".