Das ist mein Zimmer

Teddylingua::  Mein Zimmer!  Mit vielen Dativ Praepositionen!



Kennst Du diesen Wortschatz?

auf - neben - vor  - zwischen   an   darauf   ueber

der Baustein
der Boden
der Kaktus
der Nachttisch
der Schreibtisch
der Schrank
der Hocker
der Teppich
der Teddybaer
der Kopfkissen
der Hund
der Stern
der Spiegel
der Becher
der Dinosaurier
der Mantel
der Sessel
der Ball
der Vorhang
der Muelleimer
der Korb


die Tapete
die Tuer
die Lampe
die Kommode
die Schere
die Palme
die Katze
die Schildkroete
die Uhr
die Gitarre
die Bank
die Wandgarderobe
die Teekanne

das Bett
das Bild
das Fenster (mit Rollo)
das Schaukelpferd
das Regal
das Sofa
das Buch
das Kuscheltier
das Feuerwehrauto
das Auto
das Toepfchen

die Pflanzen
die Stuehle
die Bilder
die Tassen
die Kirschen
die Schier
die Taschen
die Stiften
die Bausteine
die Schuhe

Kaufen wir im Fussgaengerzone!

Fraktur - Gespenstliteratur

HIER KANN MANN IM INTERNET IN FRAKTUR LESEN

Dank Fluent U, as it explores Halloween topics (see Wortschatz):

Der Freischütz (The Marksman)

What’s the story?
A master marksman finds himself unable to catch any wild swine or deer in the dark autumn forests. One day, he’s approached by a mysterious peddler wrapped in a cloak that conceals his face. The peddler offers the marksman seven bullets, with one condition. The first six bullets will hit whatever the marksman wants them to hit, but the peddler will choose the trajectory of the seventh. The marksman agrees.

The marksman quickly earns himself a reputation as the best hunter in the village, as he brings home wild boar after wild boar. He catches the eye of the prettiest girl in town, and they fall in love.
But all too soon, the marksman uses up all six bullets, and when he shoots the seventh, it goes astray and hits his love in the chest, killing her.

The peddler appears to the distraught marksman and reveals himself as the devil. Live a pious life, repent of your hubris, and you will be reunited with the girl after your death, the devil tells the marksman. The marksman tries, but he is overcome by desire for another girl in the village, and he marries her instead.

One year to the day after his bullet pierced his original love’s chest, he is riding in the forest when he comes across a clearing where skeletons dance around cold flames. One of the skeletons, the girl’s, waltzes with him all night, and the next morning, the villagers find the marksman and his horse, dead, at the edge of the forest.

What’s the backstory?

Folktales about Freischütze were common in the 1500s, 1600s and 1700s in Germany. The tale was first written down in “Das Gespensterbuch” (The Ghost Book), a collection of German ghost and folk stories compiled in the 1810s and published in five volumes. The story subsequently became the inspiration for an opera by Carl Maria von Weber.

Are you tempted to open the link above and ready this story?  Reading in Fraktur has become all but a lost skill. [But it's completely decipherable with time.] -rsb


Learn these 20 spooky vocabulary words, and you’ll be telling ghost stories in German in no time.

• der Geist (the ghost)

• die Gespenstergeschichte/Geistergeschichte (the ghost story)

• das Kostüm (the costume)

• das Gespensterhaus/Geisterhaus (the haunted house)

• der Vampir (the vampire)

• der Teufel (the devil)

• das Volksmärchen (the folktale)

• spuken (to haunt/spook)

• das Zauberwald (the haunted forest)

• gruselig/unheimlich (spooky)

• die Hexe (the witch)

• der Fluch (the curse)

• der Friedhof (the cemetery)

• die Untoten (the undead)

• der Schadenzauber (black magic)

• das Geisterschloss (haunted castle)

• der Ghul (the ghoul)

• die Gruselgeschichte (the scary story)

• das Monster (the monster)

• übernatürlich (supernatural)

Die Buchstaben!

Sind diese Wörte richtig Buchstabiert?  Ich habe sehr schnell getippt! --rsb

• Masc. > Fem. - Neutral PL Plural        ------------------    Das Alphabetlied   ----------------- Name

A	• Apfel       • Affe     e: Ameise        -Auto        e: Ananas     _ Amerika       e: Ampel       • Astronaut
B	e: Banana   • Bär    • Bagger     • Ball        • Bart       • Besen      • Blume     - Brot
C	- Chamäleon        • Clown      • Comic      • Cowboy    e: Chemie      - Cello      e: CD       _China
D	• Delfin   e: Dose     • Drache   - Dreirad   • Drachen     • Dackel  - Dromedar   e: Drei
E	• Esel         - Eimer       e: Eisenbahn     •  Engel        e: Ente      -Ei    -  Einrad            e: Erde
F	• Fußball      •  Freund   - Flugzeug      - Fahrrad    • Finger   •  Fisch e: Familie   e: Feuerwehr
G	• Golf  - Gold   e: Gießkanne       e: Gitarre    -  Grün - Glas     - Gras       • Gartenzwerg
H	• Hafen      - Herz     e: Hand     • Hase  - Hotel    -  Haus       e: Hexe    - Holz
I	•  Igel   • Indianer _Italien   e: Insel     • Iglu       -Insekt     _  Indien    • Ingwer
J	• Jäger   e: Jacke    e: Jahreszeit        • Jaguar   e: Jeans    • Junge      • Joker   _Japan
K	e: Kerze    • König    • Kapitän    e: Katze   - Karussell     • Koch      • Kürbis     • Kaktus
L	• Lehrer   e: Lampe     e: Lila     •  Löwe     e: Libelle        • Lastwagen    • Löfel    • Luftballon
M	e: Milch     e: Maus     e:  Mauer   e: Mütze   • Mais   e: Möhre    • Muschel  e: Mühle
N	• Norden      e: ;Nase    • Nuß     e: Neun     e: Nacht   e: Nonne     • Nordpol          - Netz
O	e: Orgel           -  Osterei         • Omnibus           > Orange       • Oktopus        - Obst          • Ofen             • Ohrring
P	•Pinguin           - Pferd          >Perle             >Puppe             > Polizei           > Palme         • Papst              • Pirat
Q	e: Qualle  - Quad  e: Quaseltante  - Quilte     • Quark  - Quadrat    e: Qwetschkommode e: ;Quelle
R	•Ritter  • Reifen   e: Rot     e: Rakete            •  Räuber          • Rennwagen         •  Ring         • Regenbogen
S	- Schaf         • Spiegel       >Sonne     >Seifenblase        > Schlange         • Stuhl         > Schnecke         > Sieben
T	e: Tafel   e: Tasse   - Telefon        • Tisch            • Teppich          PL  Trommel    • Tannenbaum   e: Torte
U	• Umhang      • Ungeheuer   e: Unterhose    • Umschlag    e: Uhr   • Uhu    e: Uniform       - U-Boot
V	• Vater    e: Vase      e: Violett   e: Vier         • Vogel    •Verbrecher    e: Violine         • Vulkan
W	e: Waage        - Wasser    e: Wolke            • Wecker      e: Weiß    -Werkzeug       • Wald           • Wind
X	- Xylophon      • Boxer    e: Hexe       •  Fox         (x2)
Y	• Yeti          - Yoga     e: acht    e: Yuccapalme       (x2)
Z	• Zaun   • Zauberer   e: Zitrone     - Zebra    • Zwilling   • Zoo     - Zelt     e: Zwiebel
Ä	_Ägypten  -Mädchen    • Bär      ähnlich         e: Ähre    •  Äquator       • Säbel            • Käse
Ö	- Österreich     - Öl      • König    • Löwe       e: Flöte       •  Mönch        • Öffner    e: Möhre
Ü	-Überraschungsei e: Mütze e: Überschwemmung •Übeltäter e: Überwachung  e: Küche  e: Mühle e: Überwinterung

Was bedeuten diese Woerter?

8 Expressions to learn about TIME (= die Zeit)

 

 

Daylight savings: 8 German words that will change the way you see time

People all over the world win back an hour of their lives thanks to the practice of daylight savings. From weddings to pickles, here are some interesting German words that are - surprisingly - dedicated 

to time.

•  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

  Zeitumstellung

  This is what is happening either on October 24/25 or October 31/November 1, depending where in the world you live: Zeitumstellung, or time change. Even if it feels luxurious to sleep for one more hour, we're just getting back what was due as we sacrificed an hour in March. Zeitumstellung at least gives a feeling of power - even if we are all bound by time, we at least act like we can change it.
  
  Many other German expressions integrate "Zeit," the word for time.
  
  Zeitzschrift  
  
  A "Zeitschrift" - literally, time writing, is simply a magazine. Whether it includes political discourse or scantily clad women (now with nipples covered), theoretically a magazine should keep up with the times.
  

  Zeitgeist

  While Zeitgeist can also be used in English, its direct translation - time spirit - conjures up images of Charles Dickens' Ghosts of Christmas Past and Present. Referring to the philosophical idea that each era is characterized by particular ways of thinking, the concept of Zeitgeist dates back to 18th-century philosophers and is often associated with Johann Gottfried Herder.

  Mahlzeit

  Like time itself, food is elementary to the human existence. A "Mahlzeit" simply means "meal time," and can refer to breakfast, lunch or dinner. But it's also used to wish someone else the maximum amount of pleasure while eating. Next time you see a friend chomping down on a sandwich, you can say, "Mahlzeit!"
  

  Hochzeit

  It's often referred to as the happiest day of your life. In German, it's also a "high time" - a "Hochzeit." Who isn't high on adrenaline and emotion on that day of all days, on which your credit card debt reaches an all-time high? And for some impatient mother-in-laws, it certainly may be "high time" for that son to finally get hitched.
  

  Sauregurkenzeit

  It's "pickle time!" I'll have a BLT and some chips with that pickle, please... Actually the term "Sauregurkenzeit" originally, in the 18th century, referred to periods when little food was available. Now, it's used during the summer when everyone's on vacation, politics comes to a standstill, the streets are empty, and things get quiet. Pickle anyone?
  

  Zeitgenosse

  While "Genosse" means "comrade" and has a communist after-taste, a "Zeitgenosse" is anyone who lives at the same time you do: a contemporary. Just think: You are a "Zeitgenosse" of Barack Obama, Heidi Klum and Cristiano Ronaldo. You're co-worker may not cheer, though, if you tell him he's your "time comrade."
  

  Zeitgefühl

  German often has a single word for a concept English needs a phrase to express. "Zeitgefühl" is your sense of time - something that suffers when you're concentrating on an important project, staring into the eyes of your sweetheart, or changing the clocks back for daylight savings. Your Zeitgefühl may say it's 8:00 am, but it's really only 7:00. So go back to sleep already!
  

  Author: Kate Müser

  
  
  
  
  

Hogwarts Wortschatz

HIER Flashcards for Harry Potter und der Stein des Weisens
durch QUIZLET

Let's get prepared for Tuesday.
Am Dienstag geht es los!

Hurrah!

Tips to Help Describe People, Places and Things in German

FluentU - by Connor Murphy

A gorgeous, fairy-like woman with an angelic glow stands in a grass field. A crown of fuchsia, rose and cream-colored flowers lies softly on her head, from which loose brown curls fall.  Her outstreatched hands offer three colorful butterflies, and her wondrous smile reveals a top row of pearly whites.

Now, can you describe this woman the same way in German?

If there’s one thing that can humble a language learner, it’s being able to describe.  When it comes to detailing your surroundings, describing a situation or painting a picture with words, it can suddenly be very easy to clam up and do your best impression of a monolingual foreigner.

The task can seem so daunting that many language learners often skip it, instead cruising ahead with their funky new phrases and understanding of grammar rules.

The matter is made more difficult by the fact that adjectives—the words we use to describe something (ie; green, happy, soft)—are often the ones that are neglected when it comes to vocabulary learning.
With all the nouns, verbs and connectives to learn, many will just learn a mere few adjectives, and simply make do with the ones they have.

[Common offenders: es war gut! (It was good!), es ist mir interessant (It’s interesting for me), wie schlecht! (How bad!) This in turn makes your powers of description limited, and will hastily turn whatever you’re saying/writing into a chore to read/listen to.]

Why Is It Useful to Be Able to Describe Things in German?

It’s not a skill you immediately think of as being necessary when learning a language. Many often assume that since they don’t plan on scribing their own German literature, they don’t need to learn how to master it.

Its importance, however, is easy to see when you consider the possibilities: talking about yourself beyond simple responses like where you live, what you do and the people in your life; telling stories or anecdotes; asking questions about something you don’t know the name of or even giving directions.

The ability to describe things accurately and creatively with a variety of interesting adjectives will also simultaneously improve so many other aspects of your German, like conversational and written fluency. It may even open up new ways for you to use the language.

Description can be one of the hardest tasks to successfully accomplish in a foreign language, and German is no exception.

It’s not just a question of style, but also of using the right adjectives and adverbs for what you’re describing, getting the word order correct and also getting those pesky adjective endings right.
So how can you conquer the fear and become a connoisseur of characterisation, illustration and depiction? Read on to discover my top tricks for mastering German description and adjectives, and leave those less expressive learners in the dust.

5 Handy Tricks for Describing People, Places and Situations in German Like a Pro

1. Discover New Descriptive Vocabulary

First and foremost, in order to spruce up your powers of description, you’ve got to have the words to do it in the first place. What type of word do we need? Descriptive ones of course, more formally known as adjectives.
We’re talking words like bezaubernd (charming, enchanting), glitzernd (glistening), atemraubend (breath-taking), unerträglich (unbearable), schwerfällig (cumbersome) or peinlich (embarrassing, awkward).

We want different and interesting adjectives that will easily spice up your German, making any descriptions much more vivid and compelling. Words like these will also make your German more accurate, as the adjectives themselves are much more specific in their meanings, rather than the broader, over-used ones. (Like the aforementioned interessant, schlecht or gut.)

Finding all these shiny new adjectives for you to use seems easier said than done. Searching for them in a dictionary doesn’t tend to work very well, as you can never be sure of the direct context of their usage.

The answer to this search however is surprisingly simple: Just broaden your intake of German media. You’ll soon pick up a myriad of new, useful adjectives straight within their context that you can easily transfer into your own descriptions!

Write down/highlight new vocab

It’s hugely important to write down any new vocabulary you learn through various media, so that you can go back and review it later!

I personally use a small A6-sized notepad and color code each type of word (adjectives are purple for me!). I create two clear columns for English and German, so that I can easily cover one side and test myself.

Making a list of adjectives that you can continuously review and build is super easy with FluentU’s one-click/tap flashcard sets.

2. Sharpen Your Observational and Improvisational Skills

This can be the tricky bit: You’ve got the vocabulary ready to use, but that’s only half the battle. Next comes the actual act of describing: coming up with what you’re going to say and then forming it into coherent sentences. And of course when done in a real conversation, this has to be done on the spot.
If you find yourself whizzing through the vocabulary but grinding to a halt every five seconds when it comes using it for real, then your observational, cognitive and improvisational skills need some sharpening!

These may all sound pretty abstract at first, but there are actually simple ways you can dramatically improve them, purely through quick bursts of regular, fun practice.

Go people-watching

The best practice for describing people is to indulge in a bit of people-watching. For those who aren’t familiar with this sport, it simply involves watching people on the street go about their daily lives. This needn’t be nearly as odd as it sounds, and will immensely improve your ability to quickly and accurately describe people—if you follow this sort of routine:

1. Grab a small notepad, pen, stopwatch (most phones will have one) and your snazzy new vocab book from above.

2. Find a good spot to do some people watching. A seat by the window in a café, a park bench or even on the bus/train. (We do not recommend doing this while driving however…)

3. Randomly pick someone in the distance to be victim to your Germanic portrayal, and set yourself the challenge of writing a quick paragraph about him or her.

4. Set your timer for a minute and use that time to describe their appearance. Scribble it down as fast as you can without thinking too much about it. Don’t worry about mistakes—you can correct them later! Don’t waste time looking up words in the dictionary, as this is not what the exercise is for. But do keep your vocab book open and handy, so you can make use of any new words you’ve acquired.

– Think of their hair; what color is it? Is it short (Kurz), wavy (gewellt), curly (lockig) or long (lang)?

– How tall are they? (Remember that Germans work with cm.) Are they skinny (dünn), plump (füllig), lanky (schlaksig) or handsome (gutaussehend)?

– What are they wearing? (Was trägt sie/er) Do they look young (jung) or old (alt)?

5. Phew. Give yourself a break. Now take a second look at the person, but this time, look deeper. This time you need to be a bit creative and think of what kind of person they might be. Yes, you may judge a book by its cover, just this once.

Write a diary in German

Keeping a German diary is a brilliant method to improve on your ability to describe situations or events that have happened to you.
To keep things fresh and easier to become a habit, set up a schedule such that you write something in it once or twice a week. This way you should easily be able to find something to write about each time. Try to write about something funny, scary or extraordinary that has happened in the past week. If you’re seriously stuck, your diary won’t ever know if you add a few inventive twists to your story.
When writing an entry try and think of the following:

• What exactly happened? Where were you? Who was there? What were you all doing?

• Use opinionated adjectives here to get your opinion across. Nervig (annoying), erschreckend (terrifying), angenehm (pleasant), urkomisch (hilarious)

Remember to start each entry with, “Liebes Tagesbuch” (Dear Diary). You can add some self-aware humor to your entry by incessantly referring to your diary as if it were a real person:

“Ich sag’ dir Tagesbuch…” (I tell ya Diary…)

“Du wirst nie glauben, was mir heute passiert ist!” (You’ll never guess what happened to me today!)

Improve your descriptive prowess with TV gossip

For this technique, try asking your GAPP-partner --  or a fellow learner.
Sit down together and have a good old chat about your favorite TV show. It’s best to each talk about a show the other one hasn’t watched, so that they rely on your descriptive skills and not their preconceived ideas.
Time yourselves and allow only one minute for each of the following points. You’re against the clock, so who can describe better?

• Talk about the characters’ appearances: What do they look like? What do they usually wear? (Ein weißes Hemd, eine blaue Hose, Glatze und gelbe Haut!) are they fashionable or a bit altmodisch?
• What happened in the last episode? Who said what to whom? (Sie sagte IHM {DAT}, dass) Was there a cliffhanger? (das Cliffhanger-Ende)
• What do you think about the characters and what they do? Do you find them gemein (mean), herrisch (bossy) orböse (evil)? Witty (witzig), smart (schlau) or endearing (reizend, liebenswert)?

3. Simplify Your Ideas and Work with What You Have

On attempting more creative skills in a modern language, it can be tempting to over-stretch yourself. Using sentences that are too long, oddly-phrased words or complex structures are often symptoms of this, and often result in an unattractive, incoherent mess.

It is of course important to improve and try new things with your German, but when it comes to describing, your main aim is to be understood. You want to inform with a clear picture, not confuse with an abstract, unimaginable work of “art.”

The way to avoid over-complication is to simplify your ideas and what you are saying. The best descriptions simply need to be correct and accurate, using a wide range of interesting and appropriate adjectives and adverbs.

When it comes to German, the best trick is to identify what type of sentences and grammar you are comfortable with, and stick with them (for the most part).

Make the main part of your descriptions using sentences you know you can get 100% correct, while occasionally branching out into more complex territory (multiple clauses or irregular word order) when you’re feeling brave. This will mean that the vast majority of what you say is correct, and allow you to sometimes take risks, without loosing comprehension.

The bulk should therefore be sentences you know are correct, even if they’re only simple. “Die Frau da drüben trägt eine schicke, laubgrüne Mütze” (The woman over there is wearing a fancy, leaf-green hat) is a nice, short sentence that describes perfectly what the woman over there is wearing.
It follows a simple structure:

subject (die Frau) + position (da drüben) + verb (trägt, er/sie/es form of tragen – to wear) + two interesting adjectives (schick – fashionable, laubgrün – leaf green) + object (Mütze – hat).

Another trick for simplifying is to keep your sentences from getting too long. Here’s another example descriptive sentence:

Da oben gibt es einen Mann, der wirklich wütend aussieht. 

(Over there, there is a man who looks really angry.)

Positioning (da oben – up there) + verb (gibt es – there is) + object (einen Mann – a man) + relative clause + intensifier (wirklich – really) + separable verb (aus-sehen – to look).

Here I’ve used a slightly more complicated construction: the relative clause, a way of referring to something introduced in the last clause without repeating it. (The girls, who squabble. The paint, which dries.)

If I didn’t understand the grammar behind it properly, I would choose to omit it. The sentence would still be totally correct and understandable without it:

Da oben gibt es einen Mann. Er sieht wütend aus. (Over there, there is a man. He looks angry.)

Although this is a rather simplified example, the principle rings true. Be sure to cut down on sentence length at any time if it interferes with your ability to construct it.

Chop up your sentences, as this will allow you to use lots of interesting vocabulary without rambling on. Making your sentences shorter will help you organize your ideas and better hone the skill of describing.

4. Learn Some Set Phrases to Rapidly Improve Your Fluency When Describing

While simplyfing ideas is important, you want to make your descriptions interesting to listen to. While it can be tempting to remove any complexity from your sentences, we can easily add some in by learning a few set phrases.

Being able to relay them at will also helps boost your confidence, making your descriptions sound more fluent as a result.

Here are some indispensable phrases to add to your descriptive tool kit. Be sure to learn them by heart so you can whip them out on cue!

Describing places and surroundings

• Es gibt…....... [+ACC] (There is/there are)

• Es geht um…..... [+ACC] (It’s about…)

• Es findet in…......       [+DAT] statt  (It takes place in….)

• Es fand in …......{+DAT} statt  (It took place in….)

• Aus der Ferne kann ich …. sehen (From a distance I can see…)

• Im Vordergrund/Hintergrund (In the background/foreground)

• Auf der rechten/linken Seite (On the right/left hand side)

• Dahinter/Davor sieht man…...... (Behind this/in front of this we can see)

• Über/unter/neben/vor/hinter  [+DAT] (Over/under/next to/in front of/behind) 

Describing people and personalities

• Er/sie trägt…, sie tragen (He/she wears, they wear)

• Er/sie trug…, sie trugen… (He/she was wearing, they were wearing)

• Sie/er sieht …. aus (She/he looks …)

• Überglücklich, glücklich, zufrieden, überwältigt, interessiert, sympathisch, gelangweilt, frustriert, skeptisch, verärgert, müde, betrunken (overjoyed, happy, satisfied, overwhelmed, interested, likeable, bored, frustrated, skeptical, annoyed, tired, drunk…)

• Ich vermute dass… (I suspect that…)

• Er/sie klingt… (He/she sounds)

• Sein/ihr Gesichtsausdruck zeigt, dass… (His/her facial expression shows that)

• Ich finde es/sie/ihn einfach blöd/dumm/wahnsinnig (I just find it/her/him stupid, silly, crazy)

• Er/sie scheint, ….. zu sein (He/she seems to be)

Describing a situation

• Es gab… (There was/were)

• Es war richtig/wirklich… (It was really…)

• Es war der Hammer! (It was great!)

• Es hat Spaß gemacht! (It was fun!)

• Ich habe gar nicht verstanden, warum… (I didn’t understand at all why…)

• Ich hatte den Eindruck, dass… (I had the impression that…)

• Wahrscheinlich war es… (It was probably…)

• Ich war sprachlos! (I was speechless)

• Ich nehme es an, dass… (I assume that…)

5. Adjective Endings Aren’t a Game-changer

Adjective endings can be difficult to master, and be a real thorn in your descriptive side! When there are so many variables to consider (Case, article and gender), it can be impossible to know where to start. So how can you describe people if you can’t get the adjectives right?

Truth is, and don’t tell my old German teacher this, but adjective endings are no ultimatum. German speakers will still understand you and your descriptions even if there is a floating “en” where it shouldn’t be.  So when it comes to describing something aloud, don’t worry if you get the end of an adjective wrong, simply power through and keep up the fluency.

When describing situations, places or people vocally, the important thing is to maintain a steady pace and not to let any small grammar slip-ups slow you down too much.  Correct yourself if you can, but don’t let it cause you to stutter or lose track of where you’re going. Your main goal is to be comprehensible, such that people can understand what you are describing.

Note:  When you describe something in writing, mistakes will be much more noticeable. Here it is best to make reference to a useful table like this, and try to choose the right ending.
Keep in mind that there are patterns and they do often link to the gender and case of the noun they are describing. (i.e.; der schlaue Hund — Ich sehe den schlauen Hund – The smart dog — I see the smart dog.)

So, with these five tips, you’ll be a description machine in German. Get started by expanding your library of adjectives, and then have fun describing the world around you—and your imagination!

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School assistant by day, waiter by night, Connor currently resides in Berlin, making too many trips to LIDL -- discount grocery store like ALDI (and soon coming to the USA) --  rsb  -- than should ever be necessary.

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Categories include greetings, food, clothing, body parts, geography, and so much more.

134 Super Useful and Common German Travel Phrases and Vocabulary Words

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!