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  3. General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters

keep your options open

German translation: Halte Dir alle Moeglichkeiten offen.

02:33 Dec 7, 2001
English to German translations [Non-PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / conversation of a letter
English term or phrase: keep your options open
Something to say to a person when (s)he is uncertain about the future and you don't want him/her to decide what kind of life to pursue without realy knowing what (s)he wants to do.
Amy
German translation:Halte Dir alle Moeglichkeiten offen.
Explanation:
that's the informal version.
Formal: Halten Sie sich alle Moeglichkeiten offen.

native speaker
Selected response from:

Anita Menhofer (X)
Grading comment
Danke fuer Ihre Hife!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5Halte Dir alle Moeglichkeiten offen.
Anita Menhofer (X)
5..seine Möglichkeiten...
ChristinaT
5Verbau Dir Deinen Weg nicht.
Karin Walker (X)
4Alternativen...
Tanja Wohlgemuth


  

Answers


11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
Halte Dir alle Moeglichkeiten offen.


Explanation:
that's the informal version.
Formal: Halten Sie sich alle Moeglichkeiten offen.

native speaker

Anita Menhofer (X)
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
Grading comment
Danke fuer Ihre Hife!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Wirbeleit
1 min
agree  Elke Schröter (X)
9 mins
agree  Sabine Tietge
13 mins
agree  HMN.Berlin (X)
59 mins
agree  Claudia Tomaschek
1 hr
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

16 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
..seine Möglichkeiten...


Explanation:
seine Möglichkeiten offen halten

example: Er hat nicht zugestimmt, da er seine Möglichkeiten offen halten wollte.

He didn't agree, because he wanted to keep his options open.


This is a fairly common expression in German. There are other ways to say the same thing, but this is the first one that came to my mind.

Hope it helps!


ChristinaT
Local time: 09:19
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
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21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Verbau Dir Deinen Weg nicht.


Explanation:
Just another way of saying it.

Karin Walker (X)
Germany
Local time: 09:19
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
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23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Alternativen...


Explanation:
I'd write something like "Lass Dir doch ein paar Alternativen offen!" or change it completely into sth. like "Du musst Dich doch nicht unbedingt jetzt schon entscheiden!" oder "Heb Dir doch die Entscheidung für später auf!"


    my good old brain
Tanja Wohlgemuth
Germany
Local time: 09:19
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 3
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