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The only option that comes to my mind is Bist du bereit?, which is the literal translation. Are there other commony used ways to express a similar meaning?

I ask this because I’m following a software course in German. It’s step by step and every now and then the professor says something like:

Habs’ du das? Kann ich weitergehen?

He definitely wants to check if we are all following and understanding the steps, but I don't know how to translate the sentence. I’m not even sure if I got it right. I thought that it may be a shorter Hast du es verstanden?.

It is a regional idiom, his own personal habit or something common?

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    I'm pretty sure "Habs' du das?" is not what he's saying, except he speaks a very strong dialect (whichever that may be). Either "Hast du das" or "Habt ihr das", though both still sounds kinda blunt.
    – Em1
    Commented Nov 27, 2015 at 8:13
  • I've written it in the way I hear it, but yes it' very likely to be "Hast du das" even if I still hear that "b" sound. And he usually speaks not that clearly fort me to understeand, so probably he has a strong regional accent. Anyway I'm in Saxony-Anhalt, if it helps.
    – Cindie
    Commented Nov 27, 2015 at 8:54

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There are lots of ways to translate that, especially because it differs in dialects.

First of all, I think your professor rather said

Hast du das? / Habt ihr das?

what most possibly means “Did you get it?”, or “Did you write that down?” (Technically, “Hast du das?” is only “Did you”, it’s an incomplete question.)

Kann ich weitergehen?

might be some personal habit, weitermachen would fit better than weitergehen.

Other ways of asking “are you ready?”:

  • Seid ihr so weit?
  • Seid ihr fertig? / Fertig? (Are you finished?)
  • Habt ihrs? (not official language, short form of “Habt ihr das?”)
  • Können wir? (Can we?, meaning “Can we go on/start/leave/etc.”)
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  • Thanks! I'm pretty sure that is "du" and not "ihr" even if we are many. And the way I've written it is just the way I hear it. Maybe I can try to listen more carefuly the next time I'll have lesson. It's computer stuff, not writing, but repeating what he is doing. The "did you get it?" seems to me a very good translation. Anyway check also my other comment under the question.
    – Cindie
    Commented Nov 27, 2015 at 9:02
  • Seems like this professor has some very unique habits :D. Nevertheless, all the questions work also with du: "Bist du fertig?", "Bist du so weit?", "Hast dus?". Sadly I can't say much about his dialect, I'm from Bavaria and have not heard "sächsisch" often
    – Breeze
    Commented Nov 27, 2015 at 9:14
  • ahah yes probably ;) I've heard this only from him, but I'm in Germany since just a few weeks so... I will definitely try to ask the same question to some of the other students, even if most of them are from other parts of Germany.
    – Cindie
    Commented Nov 27, 2015 at 9:20
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    In fact, "so weit sein" and "fertig sein" are the suggested translations in several dictionaries, e.g. dict.cc. These translations should get promoted from "other ways" to "most common ways" or "recommended ways". That being said, OPs translation "bereit sein" is very common, too, but has a slightly different meaning. When I prepared myself for doing something, I can say that I'm both "bereit" and "fertig". In context of school (writing down, reading, etc) usually only "fertig" works. Hence, your translations are spot on.
    – Em1
    Commented Nov 27, 2015 at 10:02
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I would like to add some less used as they are more related and used to ask if people have understood!

Alles klar?

(Everything is fine?)

“Alles klar so weit?”, or very short “klar so weit?”

(Everything is fine for now? meaning “until now you don’t have any problems following me?”)

Maybe a bit more in use should be this one:

Können wir weitermachen? (can we go ahead?)

But some teachers would also ask if there are still some open Questions like:

Habt ihr noch Fragen?

Ist irgendetwas noch unklar?

Gibt es noch Fragen?

Noch Fragen?

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