dabei
German, adverb/daˑˈbaɪ̯/
dabei is spelled D-A-B-E-I (5 letters) and appears 631 times per million words in written German, the 153rd most frequent German word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). Dabei is a German adverb meaning “with one, on one” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). It is also a pronominal adverb of bei (replaces bei + demonstrative or personal pronoun…. The German Wiktionary defines it as “in örtlicher Nähe”.
What does dabei mean in English?
adverb
- 1
pronominal adverb of bei (replaces bei + demonstrative or personal pronoun, unless referring to people)
- 2
with one, on one
Hast du Geld dabei?
- 3
indeed, (but) actually (expressing a contradiction)
Er will einkaufen gehen. Dabei ist heute Sonntag.
- 4
in the process of
Ich bin dabei, meine Wohnung zu streichen.
- 5
in the process
Sie fuhren mit dem Traktor über die Wiese und zerstörten sie dabei.
- 6
thereby, thus
Saatgut und Pollen können dabei über weite Distanzen verschleppt werden.
Source: English Wiktionary, German section, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
How German dictionaries define it
adverb: 1. in örtlicher Nähe 2. bezeichnet eine zeitgleiche untergeordnete, kürzere oder resultierende Handlung 3. leitet eine dem zuvor Gesagten widersprechende Aussage ein
The definition in the German Wiktionary, in German.
Source: German Wiktionary, dump of September 1, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org.
Forms of dabei
- dabey alternative obsolete
- darbey alternative obsolete
- darbei alternative obsolete
Source: English Wiktionary and German Wiktionary (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026).
How do you pronounce dabei?
- /daˑˈbaɪ̯/
- [daˈbaɪ̯]
- [ˈdaːbaɪ̯]
Sources: English Wiktionary, German Wiktionary (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026); recordings from Wikimedia Commons.
English words that translate to dabei
Source: the translation tables of the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026.
How common is dabei in German?
dabei appears 631 times per million words in written German.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).