MICHEL THOMAS GERMAN (BUILDER) COURSE, 2 CDs TRANSCRIPT This is an approximate transcript of the course, since Michel often

changed his mind in the middle of a sentence to be translated, or adapted his sentences for the students. The booklet that accompanied Michel's courses was wholly inadequate, so I have written this transcript. I have found it useful, so maybe other people will, too. Naturally, it would be foolish to try to learn the language using this transcript, without buying the recordings. Note that English is my native language, so I don't guarantee that there are no mistakes. An asterisk denotes a phrase that is highlighted in the booklet which accompanies the recordings. Tracks and track times in the recording are shown in brackets. Page numbers in the booklet are also shown in brackets. Version 2, Jan 15th 2006 Transcribed by JK CD 1 (67.28) (Track 1, 12:52, p7) Hello I would like to do it I will do it I want to see it I will see it ("will you" in German is not the same as "do you want". "Will you tell me..." in English is not the future tense but a polite request.) Will you tell me where it is? I cannot find it I want to have it I will buy it because I want to have it (With weil the verb comes at the end of the sentence.) I want to have that (If you don't start with the subject, e.g. ich in the sentence above, then you invert, so ich will becomes will ich.) I want to have that (lit. that I want to have) I want to see that (lit. that I want to see) I cannot do it I cannot do that today (lit. that I cannot do today) Today I cannot do it (p8) Where can I find it? I don't know where I can find it (After wo, we have a weil situation, i.e. the verb goes the end of the sentence.) Can you tell me where I can find it?

I don't know when he will be here He will be here soon *whether I don't know... ... if he can do it ... when he will do it ... that he can do it ... why he cannot do it today *It seems to me The sun is shining It seems to me... ... that she doesn't want it ... that she doesn't want to do it She doesn't want to do it I don't know... ... if she wants to do it ... if she can do it I want to do it I won't do it (I will not do it) I won't do it today (p9) *busy store, business I am too busy (in order to) to do it today I will do it... ... but I won't do it today ... because I am too busy ... (in order) to do it today I have much to do I have too much to do today *I don't feel like... ... going there ... going there today ... staying here I would like to go out I would like to go away I don't want to stay here I don't feel like doing it (Track 2, 7:10) *I agree *to understand *understood agreed I don't agree I understand you I don't understand you

I cannot understand you I (have) understood I have not understood you He has not understood me Do you agree? (p10) *What do you think? *What do you think (lit. believe)? *It interests me That interests me very much (sehr means "very" or "very much".) That doesn't interest me *unfortunately to suffer Unfortunately it doesn't interest me *Not at all I don't know it at all I will not do it at all *I don't think... ... that he will be here ... that he will be here this afternoon ... but we will see (Note the use of man for "one" in German which is much more common than in English. We often translated it as "you".) *One will see *It is not possible to do it that way It will not be possible to do it that way I don't believe it (p11) *sure Are you sure? *surely, certainly *naturally naturally I'm sure *that's all that's all I need (lit. that's all what I need) Do you need anything else? (Note: noch etwas means "anything else". "anything" or "something else" can also be sonst etwas) *it is ready I would like to know... ... when it will be ready ... at what time it will be ready ... because I want to have it today ... because I must have it today ... if it is possible

(Note: wenn means "if".) (Track 3, 10:54) *I was I was busy I cannot do it because I am busy *I could she could it could we could, you could (p12) I could not do it ... I was very busy (Note: "we were" and "you were" is wir waren and Sie waren.) *Where were you? He was not there it was not possible to do it *would be it would not be possible *to show Will you please show me what you have? (Remember: Wollen Sie? means "Will you...?" and also "Do you want...?".) I show it to you I will show it to you *to find out, enquire I will find out I must find out I must find out How much does it cost? it's all right (lit. it is good/fine already) (Note: gut means "good", schon means "already") it's all right (lit. it goes already) I have a question I would like to ask you (p13) (Note that in German you use fragen in the sense of "to ask a question" but bitten to mean "to ask for" or to request something.) *to ask I'm going to ask him to come with us *to say, tell Will you please tell him he should call me later? (Note that spt means "late" but "late" is spter.) *to arrange, take care of, see to Will you arrange it/take care of it? Will you take care of it for me? Will you get it for me? *worries

*without worries I worry a lot (lit. I make me many worries) It worries me (lit. It makes me many worries) Don't worry! *May I? May I see it? *to try *to seek, search, look for I'm looking for it I must look for it (p14) *everywhere, overall over everything I'm looking for it everywhere... ... but I cannot find it ... because I cannot find it *to try on I would like to try it on May I try it on? May I ask you to wait here a few minutes? I would like to ask you to come with me Will you please come with me? *to forget I will not forget... ... to do it ... to give it to him *really I really cannot do it now I really don't feel like doing it now I don't know if I can do it now ... but I will try... ... to do it now (Track 4, 6:42, p15) *It's not worth it It's not worth... ... going there ... doing it now *why not We can go there if you want *Will you come with me? *Will you come along? Yes, certainly *very gladly I like doing it (lit. I do it gladly) I like to see it (lit. I see it gladly) I will gladly go there with you

That is very nice of you *I like that I don't like that (Note: ich mag "I like" comes from the verb mgen "to like".) *I like it (lit. It pleases me) I don't like it (lit. It doesn't please me) I like doing it I like to do it that way I don't like to do it that way I don't like that at all (Note: gar nicht means the same as berhaupt nicht) (p16) *I don't know at all *I don't know anything I don't understand at all I don't understand anything at all (Note the difference between nicht "not" and says nichts "nothing".) *It is a very good idea That is a (very) good idea *You are right (lit. you have right) You are entirely/quite right You are not right *I am pleased the pleasure I am pleased I am very pleased... ... to see you I will be very pleased... ... to see you (Track 5, 7:53) *I am sorry I am very sorry that you cannot come with me *Too bad! Pity! It's a pity... ... that you cannot come with me It will be very interesting (p17) *wonderful *great *magnificent I find it very interesting *It looks very good *She is very charming *She is very beautiful beautiful weather very beautiful weather today

*pretty a pretty girl *It is very funny *bad not bad not bad at all *ridiculous to laugh *odd *crazy He is crazy *the back *back to come back I will go back to be back When will you be back? He will be back soon (p18) He will come back soon I will take it back I will take it away *to push *I cannot stand it *to hold to bear, stand, hold out *to bear *to carry I cannot bear it *to keep I'm keeping it (Note: aushalten - aus is a detachable (separable) prefix, for example, ich halte es aus. behalten - be is not a detachable prefix, for example, ich behalte es. If the stress falls on the prefix, then it breaks off and is separable.) *Stop! (Track 6, 10:02) *I can't do it *I can't do it (lit. I can it not) Could you tell me? Could you come with me? (Note: knnen means "can" but knnten means "could".) *I must, we must, you must I must do it You must wait You must wait for me (p19)

*I want to do it We want to do it What do you want to do? Will you tell me what you want to do? *I wanted I wanted to do it I didn't want I didn't want to do it *I like to do it I will gladly do it for you... ... but I don't feel like doing it now ... because it's too late ... because I'm very tired I like to eat here I like to eat it I would very much like to see it I think... ... that I will leave soon ... that I will leave on Monday (Note: fahren means "to go" but not on foot. If you are walking use gehen.) *Monday *Tuesday *Wednesday *Thursday *Friday (p20) *Saturday *Sunday *the week *I will travel... *...first to France... *...and then to Germany I will travel to Berlin I'm travelling to Munich When will you leave? I still don't know when I will leave How long will you stay in Berlin? How long are you staying in Berlin? (Note: in German you can use the Present Tense to express the future.) *I hope... *...I will stay a few weeks... ...in Germany *several several days I will stay several days I will stay a few days

I will stay there are a few days (Track 7, 4:34) I feel like... ...going to the cinema this evening... ...to see an interesting film (p21) *the sight *the face *the view *the intention I intend to do it (lit. I have the intention to do it) I don't intend to do it now I have no intention to do it I have the intention... ...to leave next week *to travel the trip Have a good trip! to take a trip that is not my intention *intentionally, on purpose, deliberately He will do it deliberately (Track 8, 7:17) *Shall I? *Shall we? Shall I open the window? (Note: "open" (adjective) is offen but "to open" is ffnen.) *to open *to close *to turn on (p22) Will you open the window? Will you close the door? Shall I wait for you? Shall I close the window? Shall I go with you? Shall I come with you? Shall I call you later? What shall we do? What are we doing now? What shall we tell him? *It is clear *to make it clear, explain I will explain it to you *I knew I knew that he was not able to do it

I knew that he would not be able to do it It was clear to me... ...that everything would be ready ...that everything could be ready I knew that he would be able to repair it (Remember: when "could" in English is clearly in the past, i.e. "was able", then in German you must use konnte or konnten. If "could" in English means "would be able to" all it is not clearly in the past, then you must use knnte or knnten.) (p23) He will repair it I knew that he would repair it I know that he could never do it like that *although, even though I couldn't do it although I wanted to do it *What do you have? What do you have to eat? What do you have to drink? *there is... *What is there? What's new? What is there to eat? What is there to drink? (end of recording) CD 2 (58.11) (Track 1, 9:39, p25) *the first time the second time, the third time *sometimes I go there sometimes but not very often How often do you go there? *usually I don't usually do it I don't go there very often *seldom, rarely I go there very seldom I do it very rarely *comfortable It is very comfortable here *agreeable *I would rather be here I would rather stay here I would rather do it later I would much rather be here I would much rather stay here

*I'm reading a book *I'm just reading a book that I find very interesting (p26) (Note: gerade means "just" and also "straight". geradeaus means "straight ahead".) I would like to speak with Mr Smith He is not there Is he in? Do you know... ...when he will be in? ...at what time he will be in? Will you please tell him... ...he should call me? ...that I will call him later? I will call him tomorrow *tomorrow morning (Note that you use morgen frh (lit. tomorrow early) to mean "tomorrow morning" because morgen means "tomorrow" and "morning". You can also use morgen Vormittag.) I will call him tomorrow morning I will call him tomorrow morning (first thing / early in the morning) *to arrive I will arrive next week I don't know yet I will arrive next week I will arrive a few days I will arrive next month (p27) *the day after tomorrow He will arrive the day after tomorrow He will arrive in two days We will arrive next month We will leave next month (Track 2, 6:08) *month January, February, March, April, May in the month of May June, July, August, September, October, November, December I will stay here a few days I will stay here a few days I will stay here several days *How does one say? one says How does one say that in German? I would like to know how one says that in German *to belong *to hear

I hear it I like to hear it (very much) It belongs to me It doesn't belong to me It belongs to you That doesn't belong to me (p28) Can you tell me where I can find a good restaurant? Where can I find a good German restaurant? *How far is it from here? It is not far from here It is not very far *near It is quite near It is very near You can go on foot No, I'm taking a taxi I need a car I would like to rent a car Where can I rent a car? I need a car for two weeks How much is it... *...per day? *daily weekly per week monthly per month (Track 3, 9:00) *it is heavy / it is difficult *it is very complicated to find it (p29) *it is easy / it is light *simple It is quite simple You can do it easily *the thing That is a good thing *really the deed It is really true *the truth That is the truth It is true It was true *likely

*unlikely *incredible, unbelievable I don't believe that It's not worth... ...going there ...buying it ...seeing it *I'll take a bath I'm taking a bath *I am very tired the quiet Silence please! quiet It is very quiet here (p30) *to rest I'm going to take a rest I must take a rest... ...for I am very tired ...because I am very tired I don't have time to do it I have no time *enough I will not have enough time to do it *to bring Will you bring it to me? Can you bring it to me today? *long We will not stay long here How long will you stay here? *straight ahead Go straight ahead! (if you are on foot) Go straight ahead! (if you are in a vehicle) always straight ahead Continue going! Will you continue going? *to the left *to the right It is on the left side It is on the right side (p31) It is on the other side It is on this side *the corner at the corner / on the corner at the next corner

(Track 4, 6:47) *fast, quickly Not so fast! You are going too fast *as... as... as fast as possible as soon as possible Will you please send it to me as soon as possible? Will you please tell him he should send it to me as soon as possible? *It is terrible, horrible *I am afraid I am afraid to do it *It is awful *to get, obtain I don't know where I can get it I will get it but I don't know how I don't know where What must one do in order to get it? (p32) (Remember: versuchen means "to try", suchen means "to look for" and besuchen means "to visit".) Will you please try to get it for me? *I am not used to it I don't have the habit to do it I cannot get used to it *in spite of it, anyway I will do it anyway That interests me very much It is very interesting That is very interesting for me It would interest me very much... ...to know ...why one cannot do it that way (Track 5, 6:29) *the electricity / the light... *the telephone... *the heating... ...doesn't work Nothing works here! It doesn't work well It doesn't go Will you repair it? (p33) (Note: use lassen to express the idea of "having something done", i.e. not doing it yourself.) *to let, leave

Will you get it repaired? I will get it repaired I will repair it I must get it repaired Can you get it repaired? Could you get it repaired? *to clean, clean up Will you clean it up? Will you get it cleaned up? I will get it made Can you get it made? *to wash I will get it washed Will you please get it washed? Will you get my shirts washed? Will you wash my car? Will you please get my car washed? I must get my car repaired *Will you bring me breakfast? Will you bring breakfast into the room? (p34) Will you have my breakfast brought into my room? *to bring up Will you bring it up? Will you bring it down? Will you bring it in? Will you bring it out? Will you bring it over? Will you bring the suitcase up? Will you have the suitcase brought up? Will you bring down the suitcase? Will you have the suitcase brought down? Will you wake me (up) tomorrow morning at eight o'clock? Will you have me woken up tomorrow morning? Will you wait please? Will you have him wait? to come down I'm coming down right away Will you have him wait? Will you tell him he should wait? *to wish (Track 6, 8:34) I wish you good luck All the best! Have a good time! I wish you a good time

(p35) *to last How long does it last? / How long does it take? How long will it last? I cannot wait for it is taking too long I would rather stay here I would gladly stay here I would much rather stay here I like to stay here *if you want I will buy it for you if you want as you like It's all the same to me *I am happy *It doesn't matter to continue doing Will you continue doing it? to continue going thank you very much I thank you *It bores me (very much) to bore I'm getting bored *everything is all right It seems that everything is all right Everything will be all right (p36) *maybe, perhaps Not now, perhaps a little later (Note: ein bisschen and ein wenig both mean "a little".) *at least I will see it at least At least I will be able to see it *especially Especially if you can tell me what it is *to think *to think it over to lay I'm going to think it over I'm thinking it over I must think it over (Track 7, 5:06) It's going well Everything is going (much) better It goes much better like that *to feel

I feel it I feel well (Note that when you are referring to yourself fhlen becomes reflexive see you need to add mich. This also applies when talking about somebody else, so "he feels well" would be er fhlt sich gut.) (p37) I feel better today *better than better than yesterday I feel much better than yesterday *to work the work I have much work I must work I'm working, I work I work much better when I'm alone I'm alone here I'm entirely alone (Note: the comparative of adjectives is formed by adding -er to the adjective, e.g. interessant > interessanter. Some have irregular forms, e.g. gut > besser.) This wine is better It is the best wine *It is over there It is up there It is down there I don't need anything I don't need it anymore I don't need anything more *It surprises / astonishes me (very much) (p38) It doesn't surprise me I am astonished *to surprise surprised I am surprised It surprises me I am really very surprised (Track 8, 6:26) *many people There are too many people here *fast *slowly more slowly early Can you come a little earlier? *It is very clean

*dirty the dirt One has to have it cleaned It is perfect *anytime anyplace anybody someone anyhow *everywhere I'm looking for it everywhere but I can't find it (p39) Will you bring it to me? Will you give it to me? Will you show it to me? May I see it? Unfortunately it is not possible to do it that way *until I will stay here until this evening *goodbye (lit. until seeing you again) I will go there again I will do it again like that I will not see it again I will never see it again *enough it suffices, it is enough never again something like that I don't want to hear something like that again I don't ever want to hear something like that again (Note: if you can see the person you are saying goodbye to, you use auf Wiedersehen. If you are on the phone, you use auf Wiederhren "until hearing you again".) *goodbye (on the phone) *again See you soon (p40) Pardon? Have a good trip! Good luck! I wish you good luck All the best! Many thanks for everything (end of recording)