Danke, FluentU
Say Hello to My Little Friend: Basic Greetings, Introductions and Goodbyes
You have to start somewhere, right? Below are a few basic phrases and words to help you when you first meet someone.Hallo! Hello!
Guten Morgen! Good Morning!
Guten Tag! Good day!
Guten Abend! Good Evening!
Ich heiße… My name is…
Wie heißen Sie? What is your name?
Wie geht’s? How are you?
Mir geht’s gut. I’m doing well.
Mir geht’s nicht gut. I’m not doing well.
Ich komme aus…I am from…
.....[den USA/Kanada/Australien/Großbritannien]. [....the USA/Canada/Australia/UK].
Wie lange sind Sie in .... How long are you in ...
.... [Deutschland/Österreich/der Schweiz]? [....Germany/Austria/Switzerland]?
Ich bin für .... hier. I am here for .....
.... [eine Woche/zwei Wochen/drei Wochen]. [....one week/two weeks/three weeks].
Bis später! See you later!
Tschüß Bye!
OMG, Shopping: Elementary Vocabulary for Buying Stuff
Inevitably you will want to buy your mom (or yourself) something from your trip to Zurich. It’s important to know basic shopping expressions in German so that you’re not completely ripped off. If you master the following easy expressions, the salesperson might think twice about over-charging you for those Swiss chocolates!Haben Sie Andenken? Do you have souvenirs?
Verkaufen Sie…? Do you sell…?
Wieviel kostet das? How much is that?
Ich kann nur X Euro bezahlen. I can only pay X euros.
Ich habe nur X Euro dabei. I only have X euros with me.
Kann ich es für X Euro haben? Can I have it for X euros?
Habe Sie was billigerer? Do you have something cheaper?
Haben Sie das in einer [kleinen/großen] Größe? Do you have that in a [smaller/bigger] size?
Um wieviel Uhr [öffnet/schließt] das Geschäft? What time does the shop [open/close]?
Was möchten Sie? What would you like?
Was suchen Sie? What are you looking for?
Kann ich mit Bargeld bezahlen? Can I pay with cash?
Kann ich mit Kreditkarte bezahlen? Can I pay with credit card?
Wining and Dining: What to Say at a Restaurant
You eat at least three times a day. Mealtime is the perfect time to show off some of your newly acquired German skills. Impress the waiter (and your new Austrian ladyfriend/boytoy) with by throwing out some simple German restaurant expressions.Einen Tisch für [zwei/drei/vier], bitte. A table for [two/three/four], please.
Ich habe einen Tisch reserviert. I have reserved a table.
Kann ich bitte die [Speisekarte/Weinkarte] sehen? Can I see the [menu/wine list], please?
Ich hätte gern… I would like to have …
Was ist der Unterschied zwischen X und Y? What’s the difference between X and Y?
Mit laktosefreier Milch, bitte. With lactose-free milk, please.
Ist das glutenfrei? Is that gluten-free?
Haben Sie vegetarisches Essen? Do you have vegetarian food?
Ein Glas Mineralwasser, bitte. A glass of (bottled -- minerals added) water, please.
... [Mit/ohne] Sprudel, bitte. ... [Sparkling/not sparkling], please.
Ein Glas Leitungswasser, bitte. A glass of tap water, please.
Bedienung! Waiter! / Waitress!
Die Rechnung, bitte. The check, please.
Frühstück Breakfast
Mittagessen Lunch
Abendessen Dinner
Zum Wohl! To your health!
Prost! Cheers!
Guten Appetit! Enjoy your meal!
Salz Salt
Pfeffer Pepper
Zucker Sugar
Scharf Spicy
Süß Sweet
Sauer Sour
Serviette Napkin
Teller Plate
Gabel Fork
Löffel Spoon
Messer Knife
Glas Glass
Tasse Cup
Noch eins, bitte! Another one, please!
Wo ist die Toilette? Where is the bathroom?
Herren/Männer Men
Damen/Frauen Women
Kann ich eine Quittung haben, bitte? Can I have a receipt, please?
Toto, We’re Not in Kansas Anymore: Giving and Asking for Directions in German
You’re not Magellan! Being too shy to ask for directions in your hometown might work fine. In a city like Vienna, however, you will get lost eventually. Stop checking Google Maps – the old Viennese lady won’t bite!Wo? Where?
Entschuldigung, wo ist…? Excuse me, where is…?
In welche Richtung ist X? In what direction is X?
Ist es in der Nähe? Is it near?
Ist es weit weg? Is it far away?
Wo ist der [Eingang/Ausgang]? Where is the [entrance/exit]?
Bitte bringen Sie mich zu dieser Adresse. Please bring me to this address.
Zum Stadtzentrum, bitte. To the city center, please.
Zum Bahnhof, bitte. To the train station, please.
Zum Flughafen, bitte. To the airport, please.
Es ist da. / Da ist es. It’s there. / There it is.
An der Ecke At/On the corner
Nach links To the left
Nach rechts To the right
Gerade aus Straight ahead
Oben Upstairs
Unten Downstairs
Zurück Back
Bitte halten Sie hier an. Please stop here.
Norden North
Süden South
Osten East
Westen West
Missed Connections: Important Public Transportation Expressions
Unless you’re planning to spend a fortune on taxis in Düsseldorf, you may want to know some basic bus and train vocabulary. If the signs in the station are unclear—which they almost always are, right?—use the following phrases to get you to your destination.Wo ist der Bus? Where is the bus?
Wo ist die U-Bahn? Where is the subway?
Wieviel kostet eine Fahrkarte nach X? How much is a ticket to X?
Fährt dieser Zug nach…? Does this train go to…?
Wohin fährt dieser Bus? To where does this bus go?
Kann ich bitte einen Stadtplan haben? May I have a city map please?
Kann ich bitte einen U-Bahnplan haben? May I have a underground train map, please?
Können Sie mir das auf der Karte zeigen? Can you show me on the map?
Muss ich umsteigen? Do I have to transfer?
Room Service Dreams: Vocabulary for Hotel Check-In and Check-Out
Though most hotels in big cities have an English-speaking staff, if you go to a remote area of Austria or Germany, you may find yourself in a small inn run by an old couple with no English skills. Just to be on the safe side, memorize the following expressions and you won’t have to sleep outdoors!Ich habe eine Reservierung. I have a reservation.
Haben Sie noch Zimmer frei? Do you have free rooms?
Können Sie mir ein anderes Hotel empfehlen? Can you recommend another hotel?
Ich hätte gern ein Zimmer. I would like a room.
Ich bleibe [eine Nacht/zwei Nächte/drei Nächte]. I am staying [one night/two nights/three nights].
Ist Frühstück inklusive? Is breakfast included?
Können Sie mich um X Uhr wecken? Can you wake me up at X o’clock?
Zimmerdienst Room service
Dusche Shower
Einzelzimmer Single room
Klimaanlage Air conditioning
Schlüssel Key
Bis wann muss man auschecken? By when must I/we check-out?
Running Around Town: Important City Vocabulary
Want to send your friend a postcard from Basel? Tired of spending money at expensive restaurants in Hamburg? Need to get some cash? No matter where you are in the world, you will eventually have to run an errand. Below are a couple of places around town you might need to visit during your trip.Wo ist die Bank? Where is the bank?
Ist die Post im Stadtzentrum? Is the post office in the city center?
Wo ist der beste Supermarkt? Where is the best supermarket?
Wo ist die leckerste Bäckerei? Where is the yummiest bakery?
Wo ist die nächste Tankstelle? Where is the nearest gas station?
Ist der Bahnhof neben dem Fluss? Is the train station next to the river?
Ist der Flughafen weit weg? Is the airport far away?
Pressing the Panic Button: Emergency German Vocabulary
You will hopefully never need any of the following German phrases. Nevertheless, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Anything can happen while you travel, so memorize the following to avoid any sticky situations that may arise.Hilfe! Help!
Ich brauche die Polizei. I need the police.
Ich habe [meine Tasche/mein Portemonnaie] verloren. I’ve lost [my bag/my wallet].
Ich bin gerade bestohlen worden. I was just robbed.
Wo ist das Krankenhaus? Where is the hospital?
Wo ist die Apotheke? Where is the pharmacy?
Ich bin krank. I am sick.
Haben Sie Aspirin? Do you have aspirin?
Lassen Sie mich in Ruhe. Leave me alone.
Fassen Sie mich nicht an! Don’t touch me!
Das ist ein Notfall. This is an emergency.
Ich habe mich verirrt. I’m lost.
Wie komme ich zum [amerikanischen/kanadischen/australischen/britischen] Konsulat?
How do I get to the [American/Canadian/Australian/British] consulate?
Just in Case: Saying You Don’t Understand
If you do your homework, you may find that you may not need the following expressions. However, if you want to be on the safe side, here are some useful expressions for when that Swiss man starts going off in rapid German.Ich verstehe nicht. I don’t understand.
Bitte wiederholen Sie. Please repeat.
Sprechen Sie Englisch? Do you speak English?
Ich spreche nicht viel Deutsch. I don’t speak much German.
Können Sie das übersetzen? Can you translate that please?
Wow! That felt like a lot of phrases. If you are still new to German language learning, you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed – this list does present you with lots of vocabulary. However, once you get a grasp of basic German grammar and vocabulary, it should be no problem at all to commit these phrases to memory. Try practicing some of these phrases out loud to get your pronunciation right before leaving on your travels. If you’re a total procrastinator, take this list with you to practice on the plane.
Before we part ways, there’s one final travel phrase you need to know:
Gute reise! Have a good trip!
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