Survival Phrases
In this 60-lesson series, you'll learn vital German phrases in each lesson that will help prepare you for an upcoming trip to Germany. Topics covered include ordering at a restaurant, taking public transportation, asking directions, checking into a hotel, and much more. If you have not studied German and simply want to master basic phrases without getting into the details of grammar, this is the series for you.
| Title | Topic | Function | Target Phrases | Key Vocab | Cultural Insight | |
| #1 | Thank You! | expressing one's gratitude | Thanking people | Danke schön Danke Vielen Dank Herzlichen Dank Ich danke Ihnen. |
"Danke schön | Thank you, cheers danke | Thanks Herzlichen Dank | Heartfelt thanks Ich | I Ihnen | you (formal) vielen Dank | Many thanks" |
Tips for pronouncing Danke schön |
| #2 | You're Welcome! | phrases of gratitude | Saying "You're welcome" | bitte schön gern geschehen |
"bitte schön | You're welcome, here you are gern(e) | gladly geschehen | to happen, to occur gern geschehen | with pleasure bitte | please" |
Different uses of bitte |
| #3 | Please (This Please) | asking for something | Asking for something | Bitte Dieses, bitte. Das, bitte. |
"bitte | please das | that, the (neuter) dieser / diese / dieses | this" "Morgen | morning Abend | evening Tag | day guten Morgen | good morning guten Tag | good day Hallo | hello gut, gute, guter, gutes | good guten Abend | good evening" |
Bitte: the magic word |
| #4 | Basic Greetings | universal greeting | Exchanging basic greetings | Hallo Guten Morgen. Guten Tag. Guten Abend. |
"Morgen | morning Abend | evening Tag | day guten Morgen | good morning guten Tag | good day Hallo | hello gut, gute, guter, gutes | good guten Abend | good evening" |
Regional greetings |
| #5 | Parting greetings (Goodbye) | parting greetings | Saying goodbye | Tschüss. Auf Wiedersehen. Gute Nacht. |
"Auf Wiedersehen! | Goodbye! See you! auf | on, onto Bis dann! | See you then! gute Nacht | good night bis später | until later tschüß | bye gute | good" |
Rules for phone conversations |
| #6 | Where is the Bathroom? | asking a full question |
Asking where something is | Wo ist die Toilette? Darf ich die Toilette benutzen? |
"benutzen | to use ich | I dürfen | to be allowed, may wo | where sein | to be Toilette | toilet" |
Paying to use the restroom |
| #7 | Can You Speak English? | won't understand | Asking if someone can speak a certain language | Sprechen Sie Englisch? Sprechen Sie Französisch? |
"Sie | you (formal) sprechen | to speak Englisch | English language Französisch | French können | can, to be able to, to be allowed to" |
English menus |
| #8 | I Don't Understand | Can you speak English? |
Saying that you can't speak a language | Ich verstehe nicht. Ich verstehe Sie nicht. |
"verstehen | to understand Ich | I nicht | not tun | to do Sie | you (formal)" |
A word to increase the politeness level |
| #9 | Can You Say It Again? | "Once again please | Asking someone to repeat something | Langsam bitte. Noch einmal, bitte. Können Sie das wiederholen, bitte? |
"wiederholen | to repeat bitte | please langsam | slow, slowly können | can, to be able to, to be allowed to Sie | you (formal) das | that noch einmal; nochmal | once more; once again" |
Using bitte with a question |
| #10 | Apologies (I'm sorry) | apologizing | Apologizing | Entschuldigung. Verzeihung. Es tut mir leid. Kein Problem. |
Manners for German restaurants | |
| #11 | How Many People? | restaurant | Asking how many people | Wie viele Personen sind in Ihrer Gruppe? Eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf. Person Personen Wir sind Personen. Ich bin eine Person. |
"ich | I Ihr | your (formal) Gruppe | group, party wie viele | how many eins | one (1) zwei | two (2) drei | three (3) vier | four (4) fünf | five (5) Person | person Personen | people wir | we sein | to be " |
Making reservations |
| #12 | Restaurant 1 | restaurant | Asking for smoking or non-smoking seats | Raucher Nichtraucher Wir sind drei Personen und Nichtraucher. Ich bin Nichtraucher. |
"drei | three (3) wir | we Nichtraucher | non-smoker Raucher | smoker Personen | people ich | I sein | to be " |
Etiquette for smokers at restaurants |
| #13 | Restaurant 2 | at the table | Ordering food and drinks | Können wir bestellen? Dieses, bitte. Speisekarte Was empfehlen Sie? |
"Speisekarte | menu wir | we Dieses bitte. | This please. können | can, to be able to, to be allowed to bestellen | to order was | what empfehlen | to recommend Sie | you (formal)" |
A polite way to order food and drinks |
| #14 | Restaurant 3 | restaurant |
Getting the check | Verzeihung. Hat es geschmeckt? |
"Verzeihung. | Excuse me. schmecken | to taste, taste good es | it haben | to have mögen | to like" |
Tipping and paying in Germany |
| #15 | Counting 1 - 10 | counting | Counting 1 - 10 | eins zwei drei vier fünf sechs sieben acht neun zehn null |
"eins | one (1) zehn | ten (10) neun | nine (9) acht | eight (8) sieben | seven (7) sechs | six (6) fünf | five (5) vier | four (4) drei | three (3) zwei | two (2) null | zero" |
A German counting song |
| #16 | Counting 11 - 100 | counting | Counting 11 - 100 | elf zwölf dreizehn vierzehn fünfzehn sechzehn siebzehn achtzehn neunzehn zwanzig dreizig vierzig fünfzig sechzig siebzig achzig neunzig |
"Elf | eleven Neunzig | ninety Achtzig | eighty Siebzig | seventy Sechzig | sixty Fünfzig | fifty Vierzig | forty Dreißig | thirty zwanzig | twenty Neunzehn | nineteen Achtzehn | eighteen Siebzehn | seventeen Sechszehn | sixteen Fünfzehn | fifteen Vierzehn | fourteen Dreizehn | thirteen Zwölf | twelve Hundert | a hundred" |
A store for budget shoppers |
| #17 | Please Lower the Price | lower the price please | Asking for a discount | Senken Sie bitte den Preis. Können Sie bitte den Preis senken? Zu teuer. Das ist teuer. |
Preis | price, prize bitte | please Zu teuer. | Too expensive. senken | to lower können | can, to be able to, to be allowed to Sie | you (formal) das | that teuer | expensive |
Bargaining in Germany |
| #18 | Currency | currency | Counting currency | Exchange rates in Germany | ||
| #19 | Internet | internet | Using an internet cafe | The exchange rates are always changing, but at the moment the Euro is rather strong compared to the Dollar, so as a rough guide you can say that 1 Euro equates to 1 Dollar and 50 Cent. If you have a credit card, you can use it in Germany. You should ask how much you have to pay if you use this service in Europe, but it saves you the trouble of carrying to much money with you. | "WiFi-Zugang | wifi access bitte | please Benutzername | username Sie | you (formal) haben | to have surfen | to surf ich | I möchte | would like das Internet | internet Passwort | password" |
Finding Wi-Fi in Germany |
| #20 | Riding the Bus | riding the bus | Buying a bus ticket | Fährt der Bus zur Haltestelle Berlin? | "fahren | to drive, go Bus | bus zu; zur; zum | to Bahnhof; Haltestelle | station" |
Where to buy tickets |
| #21 | Traveling by Bus in Germany | riding the bus | Confirming bus stops | Wie heißt die nächste Haltestelle? Ist Alexanderplatz die nächste Haltestelle? |
"wie | how nächster / nächste / nächstes | next Haltestelle | stop (for buses or light rail) sein | to be heißen | to be called; (3rd person only:) to mean was | what" |
Digital bus displays |
| #22 | Getting Around Germany | riding the bus | Asking for a ticket price | Eine Fahrkarte nach München, bitte. Zwei Fahrkarten nach München, bitte. Was kostet eine Fahrkarte nach München? |
"Fahrkarte | ticket (for a ride) nach | to, after bitte | please zwei | two (2) was | what kosten | to cost wie viel | how much ein; eine | a; an" |
Different kinds of tickets and buses |
| #23 | Riding the Train in Germany Part I | riding the rails | Confirming train destinations | Fährt dieser Zug nach Hamburg Hauptbahnhof? Fährt dieser Zug nach Berlin? |
"fahren | to drive, go dieser / diese / dieses | this Zug | train nach | to, after Hauptbahnhof | central station" |
Getting directions and validating tickets |
| #24 | Riding the Train in Germany Part II | riding the rails | Buying a train ticket | Eine Fahrkarte nach München, bitte. Zwei Fahrkarten nach München, bitte. Eine Fahrkarte für die erste Klasse, bitte. Eine Fahrkarte für die zweite Klasse, bitte. |
"ein; eine | a; an Fahrkarte | ticket (for a ride) nach | to, after bitte | please zwei | two (2) für | for zweite; zweiter; zweites | second Klasse | class erste; erster; erstes | first" |
Traveling by second class |
| #25 | Riding the Train in Germany Part III | riding the rails | Buying a subway ticket | Entschuldigung, eine U-Bahn Fahrkarte, bitte. Entschuldigung, mit welcher Linie komme ich nach Pankow? Sie müssen die rote Linie nehmen. |
"Entschuldigung | excuse me; apology ich | I müssen | must; have to Linie | line rot | red nehmen | to take bitte | please Fahrkarte | ticket (for a ride) U-Bahn | subway Sie | you (formal)" |
Subways in Germany |
| #26 | German for Taking a Taxi | Taking a taxi | Taking a taxi | Zum Fernsehturm. Zur Staatsgalerie. Ich möchte zum Fernsehturm gehen. Bis hierher bitte. Können Sie fünfzig Euro wechseln? |
möchten | would like to ich | I gehen | to go, to walk Sie | you (formal) Fünfzig | fifty zu; zur; zum | to |
Finding a taxi |
| #27 | Visiting Friends | Home visit | Having a conversation in a home visit | Darf ich eintreten? Kommen Sie bitte herein. Komm bitte herein. Dies ist nur ein kleines Geschenk. |
"dürfen | to be allowed, may klein | small nur | only sein | to be dieser / diese / dieses | this bitte | please Sie | you (formal) hereinkommen | to come in ich | I Geschenk | present, gift" |
Getting to know people in Germany |
| #28 | Decline Politely | No thanks | Declining an offer | Nein danke. Danke, aber ich habe genug. Vielen Dank, aber ich kann das nicht annehmen. |
"nein | no annehmen | to accept nicht | not können | can, to be able to, to be allowed to vielen Dank | Many thanks genug | enough haben | to have ich | I aber | but danke | thanks dieser / diese / dieses | this" |
Dealing with street vendors |
| #29 | Finding Places in Germany | where can I buy this? | Asking where something is located | Wo kann ich eine Bierstube finden? Entschuldigung, können Sie mir sagen, wo ich ein Telefon/Fischrestaurant finde? Wo kann ich ... finden? |
"wo | where Telefon | telephone Bierstube | beer bar Sie | you (formal) Entschuldigung | excuse me; apology finden | to find ich; mich; mir | me ich | I können | can, to be able to, to be allowed to Fischrestaurant | fish restaurant" |
Finding a public phone in Germany |
| #30 | Looking Around Locally | is there a store nearby here? | Looking for the closest store/ATM | Gibt es eine Apotheke/ein Bankautomat in der Nähe? Befindet sich ein Postamt in der Nähe? |
"gibt es | is there Apotheke | pharmacy Bankautomat | cash machine in der Nähe | near here Postamt | post office" |
Finding pharmacies and ATMs you can use in Germany |
| #31 | Asking Directions in German | directions | Giving directions | Gehen Sie geradeaus. An der Ampel rechts abbiegen. Links abbiegen. Rechts abbiegen. Es liegt rechter Hand. Es liegt linker Hand. |
"gehen | to go, to walk Sie | you (formal) geradeaus | straight ahead Ampel | traffic light rechts | right, on the right abbiegen | to turn (by car) links | left, on the left an | at, to" |
Additional vocabulary for explanations |
| #32 | Can You Take my/our Picture? in German | Can You Take my/our Picture? | Asking someone to take your picture | Können Sie ein Foto von uns/mir aufnehmen? Kannst du ein Foto von uns/mir aufnehmen? (informal) Drei, zwei, eins cheese. |
"können | can, to be able to, to be allowed to Sie | you (formal) ein Foto von jemandem aufnehmen | to take somebody's picture du | you (informally) drei | three (3) zwei | two (2) eins | one (1)" |
Quick Tip #1 Nowadays with all these new technologies most people use digital cameras, which give them the chance to see the picture they have just taken immediately. Before digital cameras in order to make sure a photo was good, people would have said, Können Sie noch ein Foto aufnehmen? "Can you take another picture?" Quick Tip #2 So as you have seen, we translate "to take a picture" as ein Foto aufnehmen. Apart from this expression, you could also use ein Foto machen, which literally means "to do – to make a picture," so you would ask: - Können Sie ein Foto von uns machen? ("Can you take our picture?") The less formal version is: - Kannst du ein Foto von uns machen? ("Can you take our picture?") - Können Sie ein Foto von mir machen?("Can you take my picture?") The less formal version is: - Kannst du ein Foto von mir machen? ("Can you take my picture?") Sometimes, you will also hear the expression ein Foto schießen, in English "to shoot a picture." This expression dates back to the time when the trigger of the camera made a loud bang when pressed down. |
| #33 | Asking for Permission in German | Asking permission | Asking permission in German | Kann ich ein Foto von Ihnen/dir aufnehmen? Kann ich ein Foto von ihnen aufnehmen? (two or more people) Kann ich ein Foto mit Ihnen/dir aufnehmen? Darf ich hier ein Foto aufnehmen? |
"ein Foto von jemandem aufnehmen | to take somebody's picture können | can, to be able to, to be allowed to ich | I Ihnen | you (formal) dir | you dürfen | to be allowed, may hier | here ein Foto aufnehmen | to take a picture" |
Quick Tip #1 Taking someone else's picture is not a common thing to do, and some might misunderstand it as an invasion of privacy. So please never forget the basic etiquette and try to be respectful and kind. Here you can find some useful expressions you can use when talking in these situations: Bitte – ("Please") Entschuldigung – ("Excuse me") (formal) Vielen Dank! – ("Thanks a lot") (formal) Danke! – ("Thanks") (casual) Danke schön! – ("Thank you very much") (formal) Quick Tip #2 If you are lucky during your trip and you meet a famous German actor or actress (maybe in high-end fashion stores of Berlin, Munich, or Cologne), someone whose picture you can't miss at all, I advise you to try and sound the most respectful you can. So try to use some of these sentences: Würde es Sie stören, wenn ich ein Foto von Ihnen aufnehme? – ("Do I disturb you if I take your picture?") (formal) Stört es dich, wenn ich ein Foto von dir aufnehme? – ("Do I disturb you if I take your picture?") (informal) Erlauben Sie, dass ich ein Foto von Ihnen aufnehme? - ("Do you mind if I take your picture?") (formal) Ist es ok, wenn ich ein Foto von dir aufnehme? – ("Is it okay if I take your picture?") (informal) |
| #34 | How do you say this in German? | How Do You Say This in German? | Asking how to say something in German | Wie sagt man soap auf Deutsch? Wie sagt man dies/das auf Deutsch? Wie übersetzt man Happy Birthday auf Deutsch? |
"wie | how sagen | to say man | you; one Deutsch | German language dieser / diese / dieses | this das | that übersetzen | to translate" |
Quick Tip #1 More simply, you can also say, Wie heißt das? ("What's that called?"), or Wie nennt man das? ("How do you call it?"). In this case, you will omit auf Deutsch and use the verbs heißen or nennen ("to be called") in place of the verb sagen ("to say"). Quick Tip #2 If you have some German friends who you can practice with, try to play a game. Give your friend your dictionary and tell him or her to ask you, Sag mal, wie nennt man… auf Deutsch? ("Tell me, how do you call (…) in German"), and see how many German words you already know. Hals und Beinbruch! ("Break a leg!") |
| #35 | Learn to Write in German Without Lifting a Pen | Write It Down Please | Asking someone to write something down | Können Sie es bitte aufschreiben? (formal) Kannst du es bitte aufschreiben? (informal) Wie sagt man das? (informal) Wie spricht man dies aus? (formal) Haben Sie Papier und einen Stift? |
"können | can, to be able to, to be allowed to und | and Papier | paper haben Sie (formal); hast du (singular informal); habt ihr (plural informal) | do you have dieser / diese / dieses | this aussprechen | to pronounce wie | how du | you (informally) aufschreiben | write down bitte | please es | it Sie | you (formal) Stift | pen, pencil, crayon" |
Quick Tip #1 When in Germany, please remember that normally most people will always be available and ready to help you. So don't be shy, just ask! Haben Sie ein Stück Papier? – ("Do you have a piece of paper?") or Haben Sie einen Füller oder Stift? ("Do you have a pen or a pencil?") or Können Sie mir sagen, wie man das lesen muss? ("Could you tell me how to read this?") Just remember that when at major train stations, there are always contact persons from the train company's staff that you can ask for direction. They'll usually provide you with a city map, circle the place you might look for, or write something down for you on a separate piece of paper. The situation is different at bus stops though. Here you'll find the perfect environment for trying out your new German skills. Approach the people waiting in line and ask them for a pen or piece of paper to write down directions or whatever you need. Quick Tip #2 It might happen that someone's handwriting cannot be very clear and easy to read, so why don't you ask: Können Sie es bitte in Großbuchstaben aufschreiben? ("Could you write it down in capital letters?"). Or if you are talking to a young person you can use the informal level and say, Kannst du es bitte in Großbuchstaben aufschreiben? ("Could you write it down in capital letters?") |
| #36 | Read German Instantly! No Knowledge of German Required | Asking things about language | Asking pronunciation, meaning, etc | Wie liest man das? Wie spricht man das aus? Was soll das bedeuten? |
"wie | how lesen | to read man | you; one dieser / diese / dieses | this aussprechen | to pronounce was | what bedeuten | to signify, mean" |
Quick Tip #1 Don't forget that in German you often have many choices to express the same concept. Here you have some alternatives to the other phrases you have just learned. Wie kann man dieses Wort lesen? – ("How do you read this word?") Wie lässt sich dieser Satz lesen? – ("How do you read this sentence?") Wie würdest du dieses Schreiben lesen? – ("How do you read that writing?") Was soll dieser Satz heißen? – ("What does this sentence mean?") Quick Tip #2 Even if it can seem very difficult, learning German can become interesting. You will find some exceptions but you have to try to remember some little rules that can help you all the time with the pronunciation. Here are some hints to the pronunciation rules of foreign words in German. As mentioned before, we pronounce German vowels very straightforward. The German vowels, –A, –E, –I, –O, –U, sound very different compared to the English vowels –A, –E, –I, –O, –U. German is also a language that incorporates many foreign words, especially these days from native English speaking countries. Foreign words, inherited thirty or more years ago, underwent grammatical changes to sound and appear more like German, for example realisieren, which comes from the English word "to realize," or Keks from the English "cookie." However, foreign words inherited these days usually don't change too much from their original appearance. Fine examples for this tendency are: Blockbuster – ("blockbuster") Chat – ("chat") Layout – ("layout") But still, there are adapted foreign words in which the pronunciation of the vowels still differs from the English source. We pronounce the English "banner" for example, as Banner in German. And then there are those words, where it is up to the speaker to either pronounce the vowels as English or German. In German, we can pronounce the English word "promotion" (as in an advertising promotion) as "Promotion" (English) or Promotion (German). Be careful: Pronouncing the vowels in German makes the word sound like its homonym, Promotion, which means "doctorate" or "PhD." |
| #37 | Places to Stay and the German You Need to Know | Hotel 1 (Check-in) | Checking into a hotel | Ich habe eine Reservierung. Ich hätte gerne ein Zimmer. Ich möchte bitte einchecken. Können Sie das buchstabieren? Ihr Name, bitte? |
"ich | I Ihr | your (formal) buchstabieren | to spell Sie | you (formal) können | can, to be able to, to be allowed to bitte | please einchecken | to check in Zimmer | room hätte gern | would like Reservierung | reservation haben | to have Name | name" |
Quick Tip #1 In Germany at the reception desk while you check-in and in case you haven't booked the room in advance, they might ask you some questions related to the room you prefer. Listed below are the most common questions: Wie viele Personen? – ("How many people?") Wie viele Nächte? – ("How many nights?") Möchten Sie einen Raum mit Balkon? – ("Would you like a room with balcony?") ein Zimmer – ("One room") zwei Zimmer – ("Two rooms") Doppelzimmer – ("One double (-bedded) room") Einzelzimmer – ("One single room") eine Hochzeitssuite – ("One bridal suite") Quick Tip #2 When you love to experience German nature, then a camping trip or Ferien auf dem Bauernhof, in English, "a farm holiday," is the thing for you. While many Germans love camping, "farm holidays" are a much better way of getting to know the beauties of nature. There are various farm-holiday locations all over Germany, but pay attention: Some places just open up for tourists during summer and might be booked with families during Germany's summer holidays. While each federal state of Germany starts and ends the summer vacation at a different time (they are on rotation, so that some start in late June while others in mid-July), you should book your stay at such a farm in advance so that you are not disappointed if they tell you they are overbooked. |
| #38 | The Hotel Checkin is Only Half the Battle | Accommodation | Checking out of a hotel | Wann wird ausgecheckt? Kann ich noch mehr Handtücher bekommen? Kann ich eine Zahnbürste bekommen? Haben Sie einen Spannungsumwandler? |
"auschecken | to check out können | can, to be able to, to be allowed to ich | I mehr | more Handtuch | towel haben | to have Zahnbürste | toothbrush haben Sie (formal); hast du (singular informal); habt ihr (plural informal) | do you have Spannungsumwandler | power converter" |
Quick Tip #1 Apart from the English word "check out" used in the phrase Wann wird ausgecheckt? There is one more phrase you can often use: Wann muss ich aus dem Zimmer sein? which in English is "At what time do I have to leave the room?" It's an informal phrase, which you can ask the receptionist in a hostel or cheaper hotel, but for example in a five star hotel you better use the more appropriate alternative. If you're planning to stay on a camping ground, and I can tell you that camping is very popular among all ages in Germany, at the entrance you can ask "At what time do I have to pack up?" Wann muss ich zusammenpacken? Quick Tip #2 Talking about power converters and Germany's electrical system in the lesson, here is another piece of advice for you regarding that topic. In Germany, the electrical power system runs at 230V. If the voltage of your appliances such as laptop, camera recharger or iPod is the same, or if you're already using a universal power supply, all you may need is a plug adaptor. Besides, most electrical appliances are designed to run between 100V and 240V. So, please check your appliances and devices before buying an expensive power converter. In Germany, we use two types of plugs: the European 2-pin, a round pin attachment plug, and the so-called "Schuko" plug and receptacle with side grounding contacts. While the "Schuko" doesn't fit in the smaller 2-pin receptacles, you can easily plug the European 2-pin into the larger "Schuko" receptacles. |
| #39 | Using the Post Office in Germany Part I | Post Office I | Sending something at the post office | Ich möchte das nach Vancouver schicken. Ich möchte diese Postkarte/diesen Brief/dieses Paket nach Vancouver schicken. |
"möchte | would like ich | I dieser / diese / dieses | this nach | to, after schicken | to send Postkarte | post card Brief | letter Paket | package, parcel" |
Quick Tip #1 In German you can easily hear these words referring to a mailbox: Briefkasten or Postkasten, the latter meaning "postbox". To have your letters or postcards ready to be sent, you need to buy stamps, which you can find either at post offices and if you don't want to line up you can also use their stamp machines or sometimes at a newsdealer or tobacco shop. Please remember that prices for postcards and letters are different. So before buying stamps be sure to ask for Briefmarken für Postkarten "stamps for postcards" or Briefmarken für Briefe "stamps for letters". Quick Tip #2 Every mailbox has notice about the time-table for collection and in front of post offices or major train stations you may find two different types of mailboxes. One of them is for letters and postcards with a destination within Germany, and you'll find the writing innerhalb Deutschlands "within Germany" printed on it, while on the other one there is für alle anderen Zielorte "for all other destinations". So be careful if you find two letterboxes next to each other and make sure you send your letters or postcards to the right destination. |
| #40 | Using the Post Office in Germany Part II | Post Office II | Sending a package | Ich möchte das nach Vancouver schicken. Was beinhaltet das Paket? Was ist im Paket drin? |
"ich | I möchte | would like dieser / diese / dieses | this nach | to, after schicken | to send was | what beinhalten | to contain Paket | package, parcel in etwas drin sein | to be in something" |
Quick Tip #1 If your package is not really big you might be asked: Was ist in dem Päckchen drin? Päckchen is composed of the noun Paket and the suffix –chen, which indicates something small or little. After a few more changes (vowel a to ä, consonant k to ck and the omission of et) finally Päckchen shows up. Literally this means "little package". While sending a package from Deutsche Post it will be weighted and measured because prices depend on weight and dimensions. So it will be better for you having certain knowledge of the contents and an idea of the weight. Otherwise you might get very surprised when you take a look at the price chart. Quick Tip #2 If your package is not really big you might be asked: Was ist in dem Päckchen drin? Päckchen is composed of the noun Paket and the suffix –chen, which indicates something small or little. After a few more changes (vowel a to ä, consonant k to ck and the omission of et) finally Päckchen shows up. Literally this means "little package". While sending a package from Deutsche Post it will be weighted and measured because prices depend on weight and dimensions. So it will be better for you having certain knowledge of the contents and an idea of the weight. Otherwise you might get very surprised when you take a look at the price chart. |
| #41 | A Guide to Foreign Exchange in Germany | Exchanging Money | Exchanging currency | Gibt es einen Bankautomaten/eine Bank in der Nähe? Wo kann ich Geld wechseln? In kleinen Scheinen bitte. Können Sie es bitte kleiner machen? |
"gibt es | is there (Geld)Schein | bill klein | small wechseln | to switch, exchange Geld | money ich | I können | can, to be able to, to be allowed to wo | where in der Nähe | near here Bankautomat | cash machine die Bank | bank bitte | please" |
Quick Tip #1 Listed below are some more words and phrases that might come in handy when you're in an exchange office or a bank, asking for currency change. You can use the phrase "Smaller denominations please" In kleinen Scheinen bitte and substitute "smaller denominations" kleinen Scheinen with one of the following words: "Small denominations" – kleine Scheine "High denominations" – große Scheine "Small denomination banknotes" – kleine Banknoten "High denomination banknotes" – große Banknoten In Germany, the smallest bills are 5 followed by 10 and 20 euros. Other bills cover amounts of 50, 100, 200 and 500 euros. 16 countries of the European Union and 6 other European countries use euro currency. While the appearance of the euro bills is standardized the coins show personalized motifs that differ in each country. Quick Tip #2 When you're visiting Germany, but forgot to bring your credit card, you might be able to use your debit card from your local bank. Usually, they are not working in bank branches, but in some of the cash machines (ATM's). Every ATM has a sign on the top that shows which cards it accepts. Master, Visa and American Express should work fine, but also Cirrus and Maestro should work for most of them. But be aware that rates when applied from an ATM with a debit card are much higher than withdrawing with a credit card. So you better make sure to bring your credit card. |
| #42 | Buying Phone Cards in Germany | Phone Cards | Buying a phone card | Haben Sie Telefonkarten? Eine Telefonkarte für fünf Euro/zehn Euro bitte. Gibt es eine Telefonzelle in der Nähe? |
"haben Sie (formal); hast du (singular informal); habt ihr (plural informal) | do you have in der Nähe | near here Telefonzelle | pay phone gibt es | is there bitte | please zehn | ten (10) fünf | five (5) für | for Telefonkarte | telephone card ein; eine | a; an" |
Quick Tip #1 Some more phrases for "tobacco shop" and "newspaper kiosk" are listed below. "Tobacco shop" in German can be: - Tabakladen - Tabakgeschäft - Tabakbörse "Newspaper kiosk" in German can be: - Zeitungskiosk - Zeitungsstand So remember that if you want to buy a phone card, you can always ask: Entschuldigung, wo ist ein Tabakladen/Tabakgeschäft/eine Tabakbörse? "Excuse me where is a tobacco shop?" or Enschuldigung, wo ist ein Zeitungskiosk/Zeitungsstand? "Excuse me, where is a newspaper kiosk"? Wo kann ich einen Tabakladen/ein Tabakgeschäft/eine Tabakbörse finden? "Where can I find a tobacco shop?" or Wo kann ich einen Zeitungskiosk/Zeitungsstand finden? "Where can I find a newspaper kiosk"? Gibt es einen Tabakladen/ein Tabakgeschäft/eine Tabakbörse in der Nähe? "Is there a tobacco shop near here?" or Gibt es einen Zeitungskiosk/Zeitungsstand in der Nähe? "Is there a newspaper kiosk near here?" Quick Tip #2 In case of an emergency or if you really need to make an urgent call, here's a quick tip for you about phone booths in Germany. First, we have to find them. Most phone booths in Germany have a yellow color (it's the same color the mail boxes and post offices have). So, it's easy to find them. When you're around train stations or shopping malls you will find a bunch of them. Second, remember that some are just operated by coins, but nowadays most of them are operated by phone cards. Lastly, here are the two most important German emergency telephone numbers: 110 – for calling the police 112 – for calling ambulance and fire department For calling these numbers, you don't have to pay at all or type in a country or regional code. Just type in these short 3-digit numbers and wait for an operator to answer your call. |
| #43 | Renting Phones in Germany | Rent Phones | Renting phones in Spain | Ich möchte ein Handy/zwei/drei Handys ausleihen. Sind eingehende Anrufe kostenfrei? Wie teuer sind Anrufe nach Frankreich/in die Vereinigten Staaten? Wo kann ich ein Handy ausleihen? |
"ich | I wo | where Anruf | call wie teuer | how much frei | free eingehende Anruf | incoming call ausleihen | to borrow out, lend out, rent (small items) Handy | cellular phone drei | three (3) zwei | two (2) ein; eine | a; an möchten | would like to können | can, to be able to, to be allowed to" |
Quick Tip #1 To rent something in German can also be translated as borgen instead of ausleihen. So at the airport while renting a cell phone you can ask: Ich möchte ein Handy borgen. In Germany "cell phone" or "mobile" is literally Mobiltelefon, but everyone prefers the shorter word Handy. It's origin is somewhat uncertain, but one version is that people find this small phone very handy and easy to manage, so the German word Handy might come from that. In case you want to use the more formal version if you ask for a cell phone rent you can also say: Ich möchte ein Mobiltelefon borgen. |
| #44 | Your Ticket to a Culturally Rich Stay in Germany | Admission - one please | Buying tickets | Eine Eintrittskarte bitte. Drei Eintrittskarten bitte. Fünf Eintrittskarten bitte. Ihre Eintrittskarte bitte. |
"ein; eine | a; an drei | three (3) fünf | five (5) Ihr | your (formal) Eintrittskarte | ticket bitte | please" |
Quick Tip #1 In Germany there are some famous ticket sellers, but the most popular one is 'Eventim' and there you can find any kind of ticket: tickets to concerts, the theatre, comedy shows, sports events, museums and art galleries. This dealer is a kind of brick and mortar business which provides you different ways to buy tickets. You can purchase from Eventim at these places: 1. Internet (www.eventim.de) The website is operated in German and English. 2. Dealers (above 400 all around Germany) 3. Call Center (phone no.: 01805.57.00.70 and some more Call Centers of important partners) Another famous online ticket seller is 'Ticket Online'. Here's the link to their website: www.ticketonline.com Quick Tip #2 Maybe one more tip on the use of the word "ticket". In Germany you'll be surprised to find a lot of people using the word Ticket, too instead of Eintrittskarte. When referring to a train, bus or flight ticket Germans use either Fahrkarte or Ticket, but when buying tickets for museums or exhibitions they use the word Eintrittskarte, which literally means "admission ticket". And when referring to concert tickets they might just use the short form Karte, which also means "ticket". It's not an official rule when to use which word, but just try to remember this so that you won't get confused when Germans talk about Eintrittskarten, Fahrkarten, Tickets and Karten. |
| #45 | Do you have an English information guide. | English Info Guide | Asking for an info guide in another language | Haben Sie eine Informationsbroschüre auf Deutsch/Französisch/Japanisch? Habt ihr eine Informationsbroschüre auf Englisch? Habt ihr einen Guide auf Englisch? |
"haben Sie (formal); hast du (singular informal); habt ihr (plural informal) | do you have Informationsbroschüre | information guide Deutsch | German language Französisch | French Japanisch | Japanese Englisch | English language" |
Quick Tip #1 If you're visiting museums, exhibitions or art galleries, you might not be satisfied with just a small information guide or flyer in your native language or in English, because these documents usually don't cover all information. Nowadays modern info guides are not only printed info guides but they can be also audio guides. So when entering a place you're visiting you might be asked: Möchten Sie einen Audioguide? or Benötigen Sie einen Audioguide? which both mean "Do you want an audio-guide?" If you are not offered one and you know there are some you can ask for it using nearly the same phrase of today: Haben Sie einen Audioguide auf Englisch? "Do you have an English audio-guide?" Alternatively, you can say: Gibt es eine Audioführung? "Is an audio guide available?" Quick Tip #2 Germany is famous for its many museums and art galleries. There are so many around that it would take hours to list all of them. But below is a list with some very famous places you might come across when in Germany's capital Berlin: - check out the Mueseumsinsel "Museum Island" in Berlin; on this World Cultural Hertiage island you can find the Nationalgalerie (National Gallery), the Pergamon Museum (Egyptian museum) and the Vorderasiatisches Museum (Middle East museum) among others - the Jüdisches Museum (Jewish Museum) with its permanent exhibition on 2.000 years of Jewish-German history. - DDR Museum "Museum of the former GDR"; in this interactive museum you will be set back to the time between 1949 and 1989, when Germany was split into an east and a west part. Here you'll get to know important facts about communist east Germany (GDR). - and the Naturkundemuseum (Museum of Natural Science) with it's 30 million natural history objects. |
| #46 | Simple Steps to Eating Unknown Foods Gracefully | How Do You Eat This? | Asking how to eat something | Wie isst man das? Können Sie noch etwas hinzufügen? Können Sie noch etwas Rahmsoße hinzufügen? Ist das scharf? |
"wie | how scharf | hot etwas hinzufügen | to add something Rahmsoße | cream sauce Sie | you (formal) können | can, to be able to, to be allowed to dieser / diese / dieses | this man | you; one essen | to eat sein | to be" |
Quick Tip #1 German dishes are renowned for being hearty and full of carbohydrates and vitamins, so if you're not used to the western cuisine and you are afraid to not be able to finish a big portion that is normally served you could ask: Kann ich eine kleinere Portion haben? "Can I have a smaller portion?" Quick Tip #2 If you meet German friends, they will be impressed by your German language skills if you learn how to name the cutlery pieces. The word for "cutlery" is Besteck. Here are the most important ones: Gabel – "fork" Messer – "knife" Löffel - "spoon" Teelöffel – "teaspoon" Now imagine you're in a German restaurant and you need one more of these pieces. You can ask: Können Sie noch ein Messer bringen? which means "Can you bring another knife?" But be careful if you're asking for one of the other cutlery pieces. Gabel is a female noun, so you have to use noch eine "another" instead of noch ein, which is the masculine form, used in noch ein Messer "another knife". Löffel "spoon" and Teelöffel "teaspoon" are neutral. So in these cases you have to ask: Können Sie noch einen Löffel/Teelöffel bringen? "Can you bring another spoon/teaspoon?" |
| #47 | Survival for Vegetarians in Germany | Vegetarian | Saying you are a vegetarian/asking if a certain dish has something | Ich bin Vegetarier. Ich esse kein Fleisch. Ich esse keinen Käse. Ist da Fleisch drin? |
"ich bin | I am/I'm Vegetarier | vegetarian (person) ich | I essen | to eat kein | not any, no Fleisch | meat, flesh Käse | cheese" |
Quick Tip #1 Here are some more phrases for expressing special circumstances at the restaurant: Ich bin Diabetiker – "I'm a diabetic" Ich bin Vegetarier – "I'm a vegetarian" Ich bin Veganer – "I'm a vegan" Ich vertrage kein Gluten – "I can't have gluten" Ich trinke keinen Alkohol – "I don't drink alcohol" Ich bin laktoseintolerant – "I'm lactose intolerant" Ich reagiere auf Eier allergisch – "I'm allergic to eggs" Quick Tip #2 Use one of these patterns when you simply want to say that you don't eat or drink something for other reasons apart from illnesses. Ich trinke keinen Wein – "I don't drink wine" Ich trinke keine Milch – "I don't drink milk" Ich trinke kein Bier – "I don't drink beer" Ich esse kein Fleisch – "I don't eat meat" Ich esse keinen Fisch – "I don't eat fish" |
| #48 | German for Getting Help in Germany | Help | Asking for help | Hilfe! Hilf mir! Kann mir jemand helfen? |
"Hilfe | help, aid Hilf/Helfen Sie (formal)/Helft (plural) mir! | Help me! können | can, to be able to, to be allowed to jemand | somebody " |
Quick Tip #1 Here are some phrases, invaluable in a case of emergency: In case you need the ambulance: Rufen Sie einen Krankenwagen! – "Call the ambulance!" In case an emergency doctor is needed: Rufen Sie den Notarzt! – "Call the emergency doctor!" In case of robbery or bag snatch: Rufen Sie die Polizei! – Call the police! In case of blaze: Rufen Sie die Feuerwehr! – "Call the firemen!" Quick Tip #2 Maybe one interesting fact about German fire departments: While large cities are well provided with national fire departments, in suburban or rural areas, mostly you will find volunteer fire departments and rural citizens dedicated to help in any case of emergency. With over one million active participants, the German fire brigade has 25.000 fire departments at command. Their toll-free phone number is: 112. With this phone number you can also call the ambulance. |
| #49 | Using German to Get Medical Help | Medical Assistance | Asking for medical assistance | Bringen Sie mich bitte ins Krankenhaus. Bringen Sie mich bitte zum Arzt. Ich brauche einen Arzt. Ich muss zur Apotheke. Haben Sie ein Rezept? Rufen Sie bitte einen Krankenwagen. |
"bringen | to bring, take somebody somewhere rufen | to call out, call to someone Rezept | medical prescription Apotheke | pharmacy haben Sie (formal); hast du (singular informal); habt ihr (plural informal) | do you have brauchen | to need ich | I Arzt | doctor, physician Krankenhaus | hospital bitte | please mich | me Sie | you (formal) Krankenwagen | ambulance" |
When traveling sometimes the body takes a little time to adjust, and the immune system is no different. For that reason today's key phrases are all about medical assistance. So if you worried before that you didn't know how to ask for a doctor or a pharmacy, here we have the perfect solution for you. So today we'll go over some phrases that will help you get to a location where you can get medical assistance. Among today's phrases are: Bringen Sie mich bitte ins Krankenhaus. "Please take me to the hospital", Ich muss zur Apotheke. "I need a pharmacy." and Haben Sie ein Rezept? "Do you have a medical prescription?" As today's lesson is quite packed, we recommend you to listen to it several times and practice the phrases carefully. |
| #50 | Explaining Symptoms in German | Medical Assistance II | Explaining symptoms | Ich habe Kopfschmerzen/Bauchschmerzen. Mir ist übel. Mein Bein tut weh/schmerzt. |
"ich | I haben | to have Kopfschmerzen | headache Bauchschmerzen | stomachache ich bin | I am/I'm übel sein | to be nauseous mein | my Bein | leg schmerzen; wehtun | to hurt" |
Quick Tip #1 Let's look at some more phrases with the same pattern we introduced to you during this lesson; namely, "I have…" stays the same and only the symptom changes. So let's go over some other symptoms: "I have a fever" – Ich habe Fieber. "I have a cold" – Ich habe eine Erkältung. "I have a sore throat" – Ich habe Halsschmerzen. "I have a stuffed nose" – Ich habe eine verschnupfte Nase. The next phrase may be hard to listen to, but if it happens to you, you'll be extremely glad we went over it! In German the expression "I have diarrhea" is Ich habe Durchfall. Quick Tip #2 Germans love to go to the family doctor. There are many private practices all over the country, but the highest density of these practices you will find in populous districts of larger cities. The opening hours differ between all practices, but usually are 4-5 days during the week (sometimes Wednesday they are closed) between early morning (7:00am) and early evening (6:00pm). Especially on Mondays many private practices are overrun by patients, so it's best to call before going there. On weekends, at night or in a case of emergency you can also visit the ambulances, mostly located in hospitals. |
| #51 | Using German to Get Medical Help at the Pharmacy | At the Pharmacy | Explaining symptoms | Eine Medizin gegen Erkältung bitte. Die stärkste, die Sie haben, bitte. Ein Abführmittel bitte. |
"ein; eine | a; an Medizin | medicine Erkältung | cold bitte | please stärkste; stärkster; stärkstes | strongest Sie | you (formal) haben | to have Abführmittel | laxative" |
Quick Tip #1 Listed below are a few common medicines you might ask for while in Germany along with a short explanation when to take them: Aspirin – a general painkiller, especially for headaches Ibuprofen – Please take it if you suffer from an inflammation Berlosin or Paracetamol – both medicines help to lower the fever Rennie – an antacid Soledum Hustensaft - a cough syrup (take about 20-30 drips 3 times a day) Quick Tip #2 Here's a phrase that might come in handy if you really want to keep it simple in the pharmacy. The phrase Ein… bitte. "A… please" is so simple and yet so helpful. Let's try this phrase with Abführmittel "laxative" and Hustensaft "cough syrup": Ein Abführmittel bitte. - "A laxative please." Einen Hustensaft bitte. - "A cough syrup please." Keep in mind to adjust the gender of the indefinite article ein "a" in accordance with the gender of the subsequent noun. For masculine nouns use: einen (as in einen Hustensaft "a cough syrup") For feminine nouns use: eine (as in eine Tablette "a pill") For neutral nouns use: ein (as in ein Abführmittel "a laxative"). |
| #52 | Learn to Say Your Allergies in German | Explaining Allergies | Explaining allergies | Ich bin allergisch gegen Erdnüsse/Eier/Milch. Haben Sie irgendwelche Allergien? (formal) Hast du irgendwelche Allergien? (informal) Ich habe eine allergische Reaktion. |
"ich | I haben | to have Allergie | allergy irgendwelche | any haben Sie (formal); hast du (singular informal); habt ihr (plural informal) | do you have Milch | milk Ei | egg Erdnuss | peanut gegen etwas allergisch sein | to be allergic to something allergische Reaktion | allergic reaction" | Quick Tip #1 What to do in case of a severe allergic reaction to food? Here's what you should do: 1. If you're together with friends or other people in a public place (like a restaurant or bar), let your friends or the staff know immediately that you have an allergic reaction. In any other case, call the ambulance right away. 2. Call the ambulance or let them call the ambulance. In Germany the emergency phone number is 112. Remember, ambulances are those white cars with red stripes and written all over them is the word Rettungswagen "ambulance". 3. See a doctor immediately. Take an ambulance to the emergency room. 4. Answer the doctor's questions as precisely as possible. He will ask what you had for breakfast, lunch or dinner today. So try to remember the dishes and some ingredients. 5. Let the doctor do his work. If the airway is affected, you might get an epinephrine injection to shrink down the swelling in the airway and to stabilize the blood pressure. 6. If you're stabilized, they might set you up for an assessment (minimum of 4 hours) to see if the outbreak is really over or if there are any other symptoms. 7. Depending on how severe the outbreak was you might be released from hospital or spend the night there. 8. See an allergist within a few weeks to a month for a check up. Quick Tip #2 Apart from the phrases you've learned today, there's another way of saying "I'm allergic to…" Instead of Ich bin allergisch gegen… you can also say Ich reagiere allergisch auf… Ich reagiere allergisch auf… Literally this means "I react allergic to…" Note that the verb form bin "I am" in combination with allergisch "allergic" demands preposition gegen "to, towards", while the verb form reagiere "react" in combination with allergisch "allergic" demands preposition auf "to". Let's practice that a bit more. "I'm allergic to mushrooms." Ich bin allergisch gegen Pilze. or Ich reagiere allergisch auf Pilze. "I'm allergic to peanuts." Ich bin allergisch gegen Erdnüsse. or Ich reagiere allergisch auf Erdnüsse. |
| #53 | Essential German for Renting a Car | Renting car | Renting a car or scotter in Spain | Ich möchte ein Motorrad/Fahrrad mieten. Ich möchte gerne ein Auto/Moped mieten. |
"ich | I möchten | would like to Motorrad | motorbike Fahrrad | bicycle, bike mieten | to rent Auto | car Moped | scooter" |
Quick Tip #1 The word "car rental" in German is Autovermietung. This word is made up by two nouns joined together: Auto which is an abbreviation of Automobil and means "car" and Vermietung which means "renting" or "leasing". Quick Tip #2 The verb "to rent" can be translated as mieten, pachten, and also ausleihen. In the case you are renting a car, the verb mieten works just fine, but you won't be wrong if you use the verb ausleihen. But be careful: If you want to rent a house you have to use the verb pachten. So "I would like to rent an apartment for this summer." in German would be Ich möchte gerne ein Apartment für diesen Sommer pachten. |
| #54 | Avoid Getting Caught in the Rain with Weather Vocabulary | Weather | Asking about weather | Wie wird das Wetter morgen/heute? Es wird regnen/schneien. Es wird sonnig/windig. |
"Wetter | weather heute | today morgen | tomorrow es | it regnen | to rain schneien | to snow sonnig | sunny windig | windy" |
Quick Tip #1 Let's imagine we split the watch into two halves. If you are in the right half when saying the time, you will always have the number of hours followed by the conjunction nach "after" and then the number of minutes, while in the other half you will have the number of hours followed by vor which literally means "to" followed by the number of minutes which are needed to reach the hour. So for example 8:55 would be fünf vor neun, literally meaning "Five to 9:00". 6:40 zwanzig vor sieben (twenty to 7:00). 11:10 zehn nach elf, literally meaning "ten after 11:00". 4:20 zwanzig nach vier (twenty after 4:00) and so on. Quick Tip #2 In Germany there are many ways of telling the time. For that reason we have one more way of telling the time for you: If you visit Germany, don't be surprised if people count the hours of the day from 1 to 24. Because there is no "am/pm", many Germans reference to hours this way when telling the time. "It's 3:15pm." in German would be Es ist fünfzehn Uhr fünfzehn. The literal meaning is "It is 15 o'clock 15." "It's 8:30pm." – Es ist zwanzig Uhr dreißig. Literally this means "It is 20 o'clock 30." "It's 10:43pm." – Es ist zweiundzwanzig Uhr dreiundvierzig. Literally this means "It is 22 o'clock 43." |
| #55 | Be On Time with this German Phrase | What Time Is It? | Asking what time it is | Wie spät ist es? Es ist Mittag/Mitternacht. Es ist Viertel nach zwei. Es ist acht Uhr vierunddreißig. Es ist fünf Uhr fünfundzwanzig. Es ist drei Uhr zwanzig. |
"Wie spät ist es? | What time is it? drei | three (3) fünfundzwanzig | twenty-five fünf | five (5) vierunddreißig | thirty-four acht | eight (8) zwei | two (2) Viertel nach | quarter past Mitternacht | midnight Mittag | midday; noon Es ist... | It is/It's... zwanzig | twenty" |
Quick Tip #1 Let's imagine we split the watch into two halves. If you are in the right half when saying the time, you will always have the number of hours followed by the conjunction nach "after" and then the number of minutes, while in the other half you will have the number of hours followed by vor which literally means "to" followed by the number of minutes which are needed to reach the hour. So for example 8:55 would be fünf vor neun, literally meaning "Five to 9:00". 6:40 zwanzig vor sieben (twenty to 7:00). 11:10 zehn nach elf, literally meaning "ten after 11:00". 4:20 zwanzig nach vier (twenty after 4:00) and so on. Quick Tip #2 In Germany there are many ways of telling the time. For that reason we have one more way of telling the time for you: If you visit Germany, don't be surprised if people count the hours of the day from 1 to 24. Because there is no "am/pm", many Germans reference to hours this way when telling the time. "It's 3:15pm." in German would be Es ist fünfzehn Uhr fünfzehn. The literal meaning is "It is 15 o'clock 15." "It's 8:30pm." – Es ist zwanzig Uhr dreißig. Literally this means "It is 20 o'clock 30." "It's 10:43pm." – Es ist zweiundzwanzig Uhr dreiundvierzig. Literally this means "It is 22 o'clock 43." |
| #56 | What Time Does It Open? | What Time Does It Close/Open? | Asking what time something closes or opens | Um wieviel Uhr wird geöffnet? Wann wird geöffnet? (casual) Um wieviel Uhr wird geschlossen? Um wieviel Uhr wird Frühstück serviert? Um wieviel Uhr beginnt die Vorstellung? Um wieviel Uhr fährt der Zug ab? Um wieviel Uhr kommen wir an? |
"Um wieviel Uhr...?/Wann...? | What time...? ankommen | to arrive Zug | train abfahren; verlassen | to leave Vorstellung | show beginnen | to begin, start Frühstück | breakfast schließen | to close, shut öffnen | to open wir | we" |
Quick Tip #1 The easiest way to tell if a shop is open or closed is by looking at the sign hanging on the door. OFFEN "OPEN" and GESCHLOSSEN "CLOSED". On these signs you might also be able to read Öffnungszeiten "opening hours" and the different times during the week. Other words you might come across are Vormittag "morning" and Nachmittag "afternoon". In some cases there can be different opening schedules depending on the season; so you can find Öffnungszeiten im Sommer "summer opening hours" or Öffnungszeiten im Winter "winter opening hours". Quick Tip #2 If you see people inside a shop and you want to make sure that it's open before walking in, simply ask: Ist geöffnet? which means "Is it open?" and you might be answered Ja, es ist offen. "Yes it's open." or Nein, es ist geschlossen. "No, it's closed." |
| #57 | I Like It. I Don't Like It | I Like It. I Don't Like It | Mir gefällt es. Mir gefällt es sehr. Mir gefällt es am besten. Mir gefällt es nicht. Ich mag es nicht. (casual) Es ist interessant. |
Quick Tip #1 In formal German the structure "I like it/I don't like it" is not very straight forward as in English where you have: SUBJECT (who) + LIKE/DON'T LIKE + OBJECT (what). Example: I like pizza. / I don't like pizza. In German it changes and it becomes much more complicated because we have: COMPLEMENT (who) + GEFÄLLT + SUBJECT (who) [+ NICHT (not)] Example: Mir gefällt Pizza. / Mir gefällt Pizza nicht. In casual German there is almost the same structure for "I like it/I don't like it" as in English. SUBJECT (who) + LIKE/DON'T LIKE + OBJECT (what) Example: I like pizza. / I don't like pizza. German: SUBJECT (who) + MAG + OBJECT (what) [+ NICHT (not)] Example: Ich mag Pizza. / Ich mag Pizza nicht. Quick Tip #2 In German to express the sentence "I really like it." there's another pattern often used in the spoken language: Mir gefällt es gut. Literally meaning "Me pleases it good." Then even if you don't use the pattern es gefällt mir in German we have many other ways of expressing that you like something: Ich find es geil. literally meaning "I find it (to be) awesome." Ich liebe es. literally meaning "I love it." Es ist super. literally meaning "It is superb." Ich bin verrückt danach. literally meaning "I'm mad about it." |
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| #58 | High Frequency Adjectives | Useful and High Frequency Adjectives | Using frequency adjectives | Es ist lecker. Es ist scharf. Es ist heiß. Es ist kalt. Es ist weit entfernt. Es ist nah. Sie ist schön. Sie sieht bezaubernd aus. Es ist nicht scharf. |
"Es ist... | It is/It's... sie | she, they aussehen | to look, have the appearance nah | near; close weit (entfernt) | far kalt | cold heiß | hot scharf | hot lecker | delicious hübsch; schön; bezaubernd | pretty" |
Quick Tip #1 The adjective "nice" in German can be translated in various ways, such as: gut if you are talking about food (this steak is really nice – Dieses Steak ist wirklich gut) schön if you are talking about weather (what a nice weather today – Was für ein schönes Wetter heute) angenehm/sympathisch/freundlich if you are talking about a person (Susi is a really nice girl – Susi ist ein wirklich angenehmes/sympathisches/freundliches Mädchen). Quick Tip #2 In German the adjectives gut and schlecht can be used with two different meanings: - talking about food they could be translated as "tasty" gut and "poor" schlecht - talking about people they could be translated as "good" gut and "bad" schlecht. |
| #59 | Say Where You're From in German | Nationality | Ich heiße Frank. Ich bin Amerikaner. Ich bin Amerikanerin. (f) Ich bin Spanier. (m) Ich bin Spanierin. (f) Wo kommen Sie her? Er ist Amerikaner. (m) Sie ist Amerikanerin. (f) Er ist Deutscher. (m) Sie ist Deutsche. (f) |
Quick Tip #1 Instead of using nouns when talking about nationality you can also use adjectives. In German adjectives are written in lower case, can be inflected and can project all three genders – feminine, masculine, neutral. Here are some examples. Feminine version: "She is an Australian citizen." Sie ist eine australische Staatsbürgerin. Masculine version: "Peter is an American football player." Peter ist ein amerikanischer Footballspieler. Neutral version: "That's a Japanese dish." Das ist ein japanisches Gericht. Quick Tip #2 Let's see some nationalities. African - afrikanisch American - amerikanisch Argentinean - argentinisch Australian - australisch Belgian - belgisch Canadian - kanadisch Cuban - kubanisch Danish - dänisch Egyptian - ägyptisch Finnish - finnisch French - französisch German - deutsch Greek - griechisch Indian - indisch Irish - irisch Israeli - israelisch Italian - italienisch Jamaican - jamaikanisch Japanese - japanisch Mexican - mexikanisch Norwegian - norwegisch Peruvian - peruanisch Polish - polnisch Portuguese - portugiesisch Russian - russisch Scottish - schottisch Spanish - spanisch Turkish - türkisch Vietnamese - vietnamesisch Welsh - walisisch |
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| #60 | German for Special Events | Spacial events | Talking about special holidays in German | Gratulation! Herzlichen Glückwunsch! Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag! Frohes neues Jahr! Frohe Weihnachten! Frohe Ostern! |
"Gratulation!; Herzlichen Glückwunsch! | Congratulations! Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag! | Happy Birthday! Frohes neues Jahr! | Happy New Year! Frohe Weihnachten! | Merry Christmas! Frohe Ostern! | Happy Eastern!" |
Quick Tip #1 One common German way to give your best wishes is: herzliche Grüße herzliche Grüße literally meaning "sincere greetings". But you can also say liebe Grüße liebe Grüße, literally translated as "lovingly greetings". Quick Tip #2 And for my final tip I want to seize the opportunity to give you my congratulations for all the work we have done together and for the big effort you have done to start and continue learning German language. I wish you all the best. Herzlichen Glückwunsch zur erfolgreichen Absolvierung der Survival phrases! Ich hoffe Sie sind für Ihre Reise nach Deutschland bestens vorbereitet! Alles Gute! |
