Learn essential German vocabulary for leisure activities
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| Schach |
| Karten spielen |
| Lesen |
| What do these words mean? Stick around. |
| In this quick lesson, you’ll learn German hobby-related words. |
| Before we start, did you know that a popular way to relax in Germany isn't just reading or playing cards—but heading to a beer garden? |
| Keep watching for the answer at the end. |
| Hobby |
| "hobby" |
| [SLOW] Hobby |
| Hobby |
| "Hobby" is an English loanword in German. It functions as a neutral noun with the article "das." |
| Das Hobby. |
| Steve discusses hobbies with Jack during a coffee break. |
| Steve: Ich lese gerne in meiner Freizeit. Lesen ist mein Lieblingshobby. |
| Jack: Das ist toll. Welche Art von Bücher magst du? |
| Schach |
| "chess" |
| [SLOW] Schach |
| Schach |
| Culturally, chess has a long and rich history in Germany. For example, did you know that a German player, Emanuel Lasker, held the title of World Chess Champion for 27 consecutive years — the longest reign in history, from 1894 to 1921? |
| Steve talks to Oscar about his mother. |
| Steve: Meine Mutter unterrichtet Schach. |
| Oscar: Das ist beeindruckend. Schach ist eine tolle Fähigkeit. |
| Spielkarten |
| "playing cards" |
| [SLOW] Spielkarten |
| Spielkarten |
| Spielkarten is a compound noun in German. |
| It’s made up of two parts: Spiel which means "game" or "play" and Karten which means "cards." |
| Susan accidentally drops a deck of cards, and Lina helps her. |
| Susan: Oops, Entschuldigung, kannst du mir helfen, diese Spielkarten aufzuheben? |
| Lina: Kein Problem. |
| Lesen |
| "reading" |
| [SLOW] Lesen |
| Lesen |
| "Lesen" is an important irregular verb that you'll use often in various tenses. |
| For example, "ich lese" means "I read," |
| "du liest" means "you read," |
| and "wir lesen" means "we read." |
| Lotta and Tom discuss their favorite pastimes at a cafe. |
| Lotta: Lesen ist entspannend. |
| Tom: Da stimme ich zu. Es gibt nichts Besseres als ein gutes Buch. |
| Konzert |
| "concert" |
| [SLOW] Konzert |
| Konzert |
| Konzert is a neutral noun, declined with the article das. |
| Das Konzert. |
| Tom and Oscar chat about their evening plans. |
| Tom: Was machst du heute Abend? |
| Oscar: Ich gehe heute Abend zu einem Konzert. |
| Reisen |
| "travel" |
| [SLOW] Reisen |
| Reisen |
| Don’t confuse reisen, "to travel," with reißen which means "to tear or rip"! |
| They sound similar but have completely different meanings. |
| Lina and Steve discuss their passions. |
| Lina: Was machst du am liebsten? |
| Steve: Ich liebe es zu reisen und neue Kulturen zu erkunden. |
| Tanzen |
| "dance" |
| [SLOW] Tanzen |
| Tanzen |
| There are many related words to the verb tanzen. |
| For example: der Tanz is "the dance," |
| der Tänzer is "the male dancer" |
| and die Tänzerin is "the female dancer." |
| Lina and Susan chat about party activities. |
| Lina: Was machst du gerne auf Partys? |
| Susan: Ich liebe es, auf Partys zu tanzen. |
| Let's review. |
| You'll see the words in English and your job is to say the words in German. |
| Ready? |
| Do you remember how to say "hobby"? |
| Hobby |
| Hobby |
| And how to say "chess"? |
| Schach |
| Schach |
| How about "playing cards"? |
| Spielkarten |
| Spielkarten |
| Do you remember how to say "reading"? |
| Lesen |
| Lesen |
| And how to say "concert"? |
| Konzert |
| Konzert |
| Let's try "travel"! |
| Reisen |
| Reisen |
| And finally, do you remember how to say "dance"? |
| Tanzen |
| Tanzen |
| Did you know that a popular way to relax in Germany isn't just reading or playing cards—but heading to a beer garden? |
| Beer gardens, or Biergärten, began in Bavaria and are a popular leisure activity across Germany during summer. In these outdoor spaces, people enjoy local beers, traditional foods, and a friendly atmosphere. |
| It’s common to sit together with friends and strangers, making it a great way to relax and connect! |
| Thanks for watching! Don't forget to practice these new words and phrases, and see you next time! |
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