German Phrase
Heute sind sie nicht im Büro.
Meaning
The sentence states that the people being referred to are not present in the office today. It can also be understood as ‘They are not in the office today.’ The focus is on the location (or lack thereof) rather than the activity.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to inform someone that a group of colleagues, a team, or a client is absent from the office on a particular day. It’s common in workplace conversations, email updates, or when answering a colleague’s question about whereabouts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
HeutesindsienichtimBüro
Verb position (V2 rule)
In main clauses the finite verb (sind) occupies the second position, after the first element (Heute).
Negation with nicht
‘nicht’ negates the predicate and is placed directly before the phrase it negates – here the prepositional phrase ‘im Büro’.
Prepositional contraction
‘im’ is a contraction of ‘in dem’, used with masculine/neuter nouns like ‘Büro’.
Pronoun case
‘sie’ is the nominative plural pronoun meaning ‘they’; it is the subject of the sentence.
🗨In Conversation
Wo ist das Team heute?
Where is the team today?
Heute sind sie nicht im Büro.
They are not in the office today.
✕Common Mistakes
Heute nicht sind sie im Büro.
‘nicht’ must stay after the verb phrase, not between the adverb and the verb.
Heute sind sie nicht in das Büro.
The correct contraction is ‘im’, not ‘in das’, when the article is definite.
Heute sind Sie nicht im Büro.
Capitalizing ‘Sie’ changes the meaning to the formal ‘you’; here we mean ‘they’.
↔Alternatives
Sie sind heute nicht im Büro.
They are not in the office today.
Heute arbeiten sie nicht im Büro.
They are not working in the office today.
Heute sind sie nicht im Bürogebäude.
They are not in the office building today.
Cultural Tip
In German office culture, it’s common to give a brief status update when colleagues are absent, especially if their work impacts others. Use a polite tone and, if you’re speaking to a client, you might add a reason (e.g., ‘Heute sind sie wegen einer Schulung nicht im Büro.’). Remember that ‘sie’ (they) is lowercase; the formal ‘Sie’ (you) would be capitalized and change the meaning entirely.