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So you're saying ich möchte gern... is something of a fixed phrase, not really an idiom but not to be taken too literally either. The politics of dürfen seem a bit unusual. I gather it's not an issue between equals, but it may be problematic if used by someone in a more powerful position (e.g. doctor) with someone in a less powerful position (patient).
– RDBury
Commented Oct 23, 2021 at 18:38
@RDBury I'm not sure whether it technically qualifies as an idiom or not. Regarding the power difference, you've got it about right. If you're in a position of power, like a doctor towards a patient, you're expected to be more restrained and to not steamroll people, compared to a "normal", everyday situation. For comparison: I recently heard a meditation teacher speaking. He didn't say, "Now, open your eyes", but rather, "Now I invite you to open your eyes" or something to that effect. The difference here is similar.
– Henning Kockerbeck
Commented Oct 23, 2021 at 22:56
Definitions of an "idiom" vary; I wouldn't consider it one because the meaning is so close to the literal meaning, even it's slightly different. Similarly, I would consider the English "to hold hands" as a fixed expression that's not an idiom because it's a literal description of what you're doing. It does connote a certain feeling, romantic or otherwise, between the people though. "Now I invite you to open your eyes" sounds odd to me, not something a doctor would say, not even an eye doctor. Cultures differ, apparently.
– RDBury
Commented Oct 24, 2021 at 8:03
@RDBury As I mentioned, that quote (from memory) wasn't from a doctor, but from a meditation teacher ;) The idea was to illustrate the restraint, indirectness and "non-steamrolling" that your doctor probably applied, too.
– Henning Kockerbeck
Commented Oct 24, 2021 at 8:07

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