Dabei

Dabei is a German adverb and particle with several closely related meanings. It is formed from da (there) and bei (at, with) and historically marks presence at a situation or involvement in it. In use, it covers both spatial and abstract senses, from physical presence to participation in an event or activity.

The most common meanings are: presence or participation, accompaniment, and simultaneity. For presence, dabei often answers questions about being involved in an event: Ich bin dabei (I’m in / I’m participating). Wir waren dabei (We were there / involved). Seien Sie doch dabei (Please be there). For accompaniment or being with something, dabei denotes having something with you: Ich habe den Schlüssel dabei (I have the key with me). Hast du den Ausweis dabei? (Do you have your ID with you?). For simultaneity, dabei links two actions as occurring at the same time: Ich lese, dabei höre ich Musik (I read while listening to music).

Dabei can also introduce a progressive or successive action with the infinitive clause: Ich bin dabei, etwas zu tun (I am in the process of doing something). This construction is common in spoken and written German and signals that the second action is underway or planned.

Usage notes and frequency: dabei is versatile and widely used across registers, from colloquial speech to formal writing. It often appears in fixed phrases and collocations such as dabei bleiben (to stay with it), dabei helfen (to help with it), or simply in questions about presence or belongings.

Overall, dabei is a multifunctional particle that conveys being present, being accompanied, or performing actions concurrently, making it a key element of everyday German expression.