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German Phrase

Ich muss meinen Termin verschieben.

/ɪç mʊs ˈmaɪ̯nən ˈtɛʁmiːn fɛɐ̯ˈʃiːbən/
Meaning"I have to reschedule my appointment."
💡

Meaning

Literally: ‘I have to move my appointment.’ It conveys a clear sense of obligation to change the time or date of a scheduled meeting.

🎯

When to use

Use this sentence when you need to tell a colleague, client, or friend that you cannot keep the originally agreed time and must arrange a new one. It works in both formal (Sie) and informal (du) contexts, though the rest of the conversation may need to match the register.

✦Grammar Breakdown

IchmussmeinenTerminverschieben

1

Ich (personal pronoun)

First‑person singular pronoun, always in nominative case.

2

muss (modal verb)

Present tense of müssen; expresses necessity or obligation. It is followed by a bare infinitive.

3

meinen (accusative masculine)

Possessive article ‘mein’ declined for masculine accusative singular because Termin is the direct object.

4

Termin (noun)

Masculine noun meaning ‘appointment’ or ‘date’; takes the article ‘der’ in the nominative.

5

verschieben (separable verb)

Verb meaning ‘to shift, to postpone’. In the main clause the prefix ‘ver‑’ separates and moves to the end.

🗨In Conversation

A

Ich muss meinen Termin verschieben.

I have to reschedule my appointment.

Kein Problem, wann passt es Ihnen?

No problem, when would suit you?

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Ich muss mein Termin verschieben.

    ‘Termin’ is the direct object, so the possessive article must be in accusative masculine: ‘meinen’.

  • Ich muss zu verschieben meinen Termin.

    After a modal verb you use the bare infinitive, not ‘zu + infinitive’.

  • Ich muss verschieben meinen Termin.

    In a main clause the separable prefix ‘ver‑’ must move to the end of the sentence.

↔Alternatives

  • Ich muss meinen Termin verlegen.

    I have to move my appointment.

  • Ich muss meinen Termin neu planen.

    I need to plan my appointment anew.

  • Ich muss den Termin verschieben.

    I have to postpone the appointment.

de

Cultural Tip

Punctuality is highly valued in German‑speaking business culture. If you must change a meeting, inform the other party as early as possible, suggest alternative dates, and use a polite form (Sie) unless you know the person well enough for du. Adding a brief apology (Entschuldigung) is also common etiquette.