German Phrase
Meine Autobatterie ist leer. Kannst du mir Starthilfe geben?
Meaning
‘My car battery is dead. Can you give me a jump‑start?’ The speaker’s vehicle won’t start because the battery has lost its charge, and they are asking someone nearby for assistance.
When to use
Use this sentence when you’re stranded with a car that won’t start due to a dead battery and you need a passer‑by, a friend, or a roadside service to connect a booster cable.
✦Grammar Breakdown
MeineAutobatterieistleer.KannstdumirStarthilfegeben?
Possessive Pronoun (Meine)
‘Meine’ is the feminine singular possessive pronoun matching ‘Autobatterie’, which is a feminine noun.
Verb ‘sein’ (ist)
‘ist’ is the third‑person singular present of ‘sein’, used here as a copula linking the subject to the adjective ‘leer’.
Adjective as Predicate (leer)
When an adjective follows ‘sein’, it stays in its base form without an ending.
Modal Question (Kannst du …?)
‘Kannst du …?’ forms a polite request; the verb ‘können’ is conjugated to match ‘du’ and the infinitive ‘geben’ moves to the end.
Dative Pronoun (mir)
‘mir’ is the dative form of ‘ich’, required because ‘Starthilfe geben’ takes a dative object (the person receiving help).
Noun ‘Starthilfe’
A compound noun meaning ‘jump‑start’; it is feminine, but here it functions as the direct object of ‘geben’.
🗨In Conversation
Meine Autobatterie ist leer. Kannst du mir Starthilfe geben?
My car battery is dead. Can you give me a jump‑start?
Klar, ich habe ein Starthilfekabel. Lass uns das Auto anschließen.
Sure, I have a jumper cable. Let’s connect it to the car.
✕Common Mistakes
Kannst du mir Start hilfe geben?
Do not split the compound; it must stay together as ‘Starthilfe’.
Kannst du mir Starthilfe geben?
When speaking to strangers or in a formal context, use ‘Sie’ and conjugate the verb accordingly.
Meine Autobatterie ist leere.
‘Leer’ is correct as a predicate adjective after ‘sein’; do not add an ending like ‘leere’.
↔Alternatives
Meine Batterie ist leer. Kannst du mir helfen, das Auto zu starten?
My battery is dead. Can you help me start the car?
Die Autobatterie ist leer. Hast du ein Starthilfekabel?
The car battery is dead. Do you have a jumper cable?
Könntest du mir bitte Starthilfe geben?
Could you please give me a jump‑start?
Cultural Tip
In German‑speaking countries it’s common to say ‘Starthilfe geben’ or simply ‘jemandem Starthilfe geben’. When speaking to strangers or in a formal setting, use the polite ‘Sie’: ‘Könnten Sie mir bitte Starthilfe geben?’ Also, offering a drink or a thank‑you after receiving help is considered courteous.