Chapter 1: Guten Tag!

1.1 Saying hello

Vocabulary 1: Saying Hello Formally

"Guten Morgen!"
("Good Morning!")
"Guten Tag!"
("Hello!" (literally "Good day!"))
"Guten Abend!"
("Good evening!")

1. German speakers say "Hello!" in a number of ways.

This partly depends on the time of day:

"Guten Morgen!" is said until about 10 a.m.

"Guten Tag!" is said from about 10 a.m. to 5 or 6 p.m.
(There is no equivalent phrase for "Good afternoon!" in German.)
"Guten Abend!" is said after 5 p.m.

All of these greetings are used in formal situations when we might say "How do you
do" in English, or when meeting people we don't know particularly well. When you
expect or are hoping for service, it could be interpreted as impolite not to say "Guten
Tag!" as an opener.

2. In informal situations however - amongst family, friends or young people -, the

above greetings are often shortened or other greetings are used:

Vocabulary 2: Saying Hello Informally

"Hallo!" "Hallihallo!"
("Hello!") ("Hello!")
"Hi!" "Morgen!"
("Hi!") ("Morning!")
"Tag!" " 'n Abend!"
("Hello!") ("Evening!")

3. Your greeting will also depend on your geographical location. In South Germany
and Austria, you'll often hear "Gr Gott!" or "Servus!" in daylight hours, whilst in
Switzerland you'll hear "Grezi":

Vocabulary 3: Saying Hello Regionally

"Gr Gott!"
("Hello!" ("May God greet you!"))
"Gr dich!"
("Hello!" (informal: "I greet you!"))
 "Servus!"
("Hello!")
"Grezi!"
("Greetings!")

Remember to shake hands!

When Germans meet, their greetings can appear quite formal. Even if they see each
other every day at work they will usually shake hands. If you enter a room full of
people, a general greeting to all of them is usually sufficient, although you will
probably shake hands with some of them at least. Strictly speaking, the older person
should hold out their hand first.

Close acquaintances and friends however frequently greet each other in Southern
European style not with a handshake but with a kiss on the left cheek and a kiss on
the right.

1.2 Saying goodbye

Vocabulary 4: Saying Goodbye Formally

"Auf Wiedersehen!"
("Goodbye!")
"Auf Wiederschauen!"
(= South Germany and Austria)
"Auf Wiederhren!"
("Goodbye!" (telephone))
"Gute Nacht!"
("Good night!")

1. When saying goodbye, it is also necessary to distinguish between formal and

informal registers:

The standard form for saying goodbye in German is "auf Wiedersehen!". It means
"Until we see each other again", as does the South German and Austrian variant "auf
Wiederschauen".
As you obviously can't "see" people on telephones however, you use the phrase "auf
Wiederhren" - "until we hear from each other again" - when you put down the
receiver.
When you are saying goodbye at night, you would say "gute Nacht!".

Vocabulary 5: Saying Goodbye Informally

"Tschs!" "Bis spter!"

("Bye!") ("See you later!")
"Ciao!" "Servus!"
("Ciao!") (S. Germany & Austria)
2. When you are saying farewell to friends and young people the above expressions
can also be used. Be aware that:

The word "tschs" (sometimes spelled "tschss") is the most common farewell phrase
amongst friends, having the sense of "See you!" or "Bye!". It originally comes, like the
Spanish "adis" and the French "adieu", from the Latin "ad deum", and means literally
"God be with you".
You might occasionally find "ciao" Germanized as "tschau".
One should really only use "bis spter" to meaning "See you later the same day".
The word "servus" can either mean "hello" or "goodbye" according to context. You will
hear it primarily in Southern Germany and Austria.

German nouns
As you will have noticed, all German nouns - such as "Morgen", "Tag", "Abend" and
"Nacht" - are always written with a capital letter. This has the advantage for the
learner of making them much easier to spot!

On the other hand, adjectives - such as "guten" in "guten Abend" - are not
capitalized unless they occur at the beginning of a sentence.

1.3 "Sie" or "du?"

1. The German language has different ways of translating the English pronoun "you":

Grammar 1: "du" and "Sie"

du
The familiar or informal form "du" is used
when talking to relatives, close friends and
children.
It does not start with a capital letter.
The plural of "du" is "ihr".

Sie
The formal form "Sie" is used when you need
to be more polite.
It is the usual form of address when talking to
an adult whom you don't know well or at all.
A child would always say "Sie" to an adult
outside his or her own family.
"Sie" always starts with a capital letter.
The plural form of "Sie" is also "Sie".

2. Whether to use "Sie" or "du" can be a terrible dilemma for native and non-native
speakers alike. It is quite possible for two neighbours to live next door to each other
for decades and still call each other "Herr X" or "Frau Y" and refer to each other
using "Sie"!
It is equally possible for two colleagues to work in the same office all their life and
still call each other "Sie" and not be on first name terms. As the "Sie" form carries
with it great respect, it thus remains the norm amongst employees, although there is
a growing trend towards work colleagues being on first name terms with each other
and as a consequence using the "du" form.

When meeting someone in a work environment, you should always use "Sie". The
inappropriate use of "du" to someone in a position of authority in a German-speaking
country can appear disrespectful and cause a great deal of offence. When getting to
know new friends and colleagues, it is advisable to wait for the German speaker to
ask you to address them with "du", which should then be interpreted as an offer of
friendship.

3. In other areas of social interaction however, you will be expected to use "du", and
may be seen as being cold and aloof if you do not.

University students invariably call each other "du" even when they're meeting for the
first time, as do members of certain other groups which place a high value on
solidarity (e.g. blue-collar workers, soldiers, sportsmen).

How are you?

The choice between "du" and "Sie" is not just one of social niceties. It also affects
the grammar of a sentence - and verb endings in particular. Even an apparently
simple construction like "How are you" needs to be remembered in three ways:

Grammar 2: Wie geht es...?

Pronoun How are you?

Sie "Wie geht es Ihnen?"
(formal)
du "Wie geht es dir?"
(informal)
ihr "Wie geht es euch?"
(informal plural)

1. You will discover in subsequent chapters that "Ihnen", "dir" and "euch" are the
dative forms of "Sie", "du" and "ihr". "Wie geht es Ihnen / dir?" literally means:
"How goes it for you?"

2. In all three of the above contexts, you might also use "Wie geht's?" ("How are
things?"). This phrase neatly sidesteps the issue of whether you should refer to the
person to whom you are talking as "du" or "Sie", although it is a quite informal
greeting.

1.4 Conversations: Greetings!

In the office
Here are two conversations which practise the difference between formal and
informal greetings. Pay particular attention to the different greetings which are used
in the different contexts.

In our first conversation, Frau Mller meets her boss Doctor Schmidt as he comes in
for work in the morning. Even though they have worked together for some time,
they still use the formal "Sie" to address each other.

Conversation 1: Im Bro

Herr Dr. Guten Morgen, Frau Mller.

Schmidt
Frau Mller Guten Morgen, Herr Doktor Schmidt. Wie
geht es Ihnen?
Herr Dr. Sehr gut, danke. Und Ihnen?
Schmidt
Frau Mller Leider nicht sehr gut.
Herr Dr. Oh, das tut mir Leid.
Schmidt
Frau Mller Auf Wiedersehen, Herr Doktor Schmidt.
Herr Dr. Auf Wiedersehen.
Schmidt

Glossary
das Bro The office
im Bro In the office
Herr Mister
Frau "Frau" is the title used for both maried and single
women and approximates to the English Ms., Mrs.
or Miss.
Wie geht es "How are you?" As this is an office environment,
Ihnen? the formal version is used.
Sehr gut, "Very well, thank you". This is short for "Mir geht
danke. es sehr gut, danke" ("I'm very well, thank you"),
which you could also say at this point.
Und Ihnen? "And you?" This is short for: "Und wie geht es
Ihnen?", which you could also say in full if you
wished.
Leider nicht "Not so good." The word "leider" on its own means
sehr gut. "unfortunately".
Oh, das tut "Oh, I'm sorry." As in English, this can mean that
mir Leid. you are sorry to hear something or sorry because
of something that you have done.

1. In German, people greet each other by name more often than we do in English-
speaking countries. If someone is a doctor of any kind, this title immediately follows
"Herr" or "Frau" - e.g. "Herr Doktor Schmidt", or "Frau Professor Meyer". As a
general rule, you should avoid using first names in formal circumstances, unless you
are speaking to a child.

2. The formal use of Frulein to translate "Miss" is outdated and should be avoided,
not least because the literal translation of Frulein is "little woman"! You should
instead use Frau.

3. Asking how someone is is normally a mere conversational formality, and the

correct response is some form of "Fine thanks!" (see above). Compared to Anglo-
Saxon countries however, asking about somebody's health is a comparatively private
question in Germany, and on a bad day the person asked may give you a detailed
run-down on his or her precise state of health!

At the station
In our second conversation, schoolfriends Michael and Franz bump into each at the
station and briefly exchange greetings. They naturally use the informal "du" to
address each other.

Conversation 2: Am Bahnhof
Michael Tag, Franz.
Franz Hallo, Michael. Wie geht es dir?
Michael Gut, danke. Und dir?
Franz Prima, danke.
Michael Tschs.
Franz Tschs. Bis spter.
Glossary
der The station
Bahnhof
am At the station
Bahnhof
Wie geht "How are you?" As these are two young friends
es dir? who are meeting, they use the informal "du" form.
Gut, danke Well, thank you
Prima, "Great, thank you". The word "prima" should really
danke only be used in informal contexts. Again, you could
also say "Mir geht es prima, danke" at this point.

1.5 Introducing yourself and others

1. When you are introducing yourself to other people, you would use your first name
in informal circumstances i.e. when you would use "du". Otherwise, you should refer
to yourself as "Herr X" or "Frau Y":

Vocabulary 6: Introducing yourself

I am... "Ich bin..."

 I am Mister Schmidt "Ich bin Herr Schmidt"
I am Ms. Braun "Ich bin Frau Braun"
I am Thomas "Ich bin Thomas"
I am Ute "Ich bin Ute"

2. When you are introducing other people, you can indicate your relationship to them
either before their name or after it. In both cases you would start with the words
"Und das ist...":

Vocabulary 7: Introducing other people

And this is... "Und das ist..."

...my husband "...Johann, mein Mann"
Johann
...my wife Sandra "...meine Frau Sandra"
...my son, Markus "...mein Sohn Markus"
...my daughter Britta "...Britta, meine
Tochter"

You will notice that the German possessive "my" is spelled "mein" when it refers to a
male person, but "meine" when it refers to a female. This will be explained in
subsequent chapters.

What's your name?

There are two main ways of asking someone their name and telling them your own.
Each of these constructions has two different forms, depending on whether you are
in a formal or informal context:

Vocabulary 8: What's your name?

What's your name? My name is...
Wie heien Sie? ich heie...
Wie heit du?
(Literally: "How are you called?")
Wie ist Ihr Name? mein Name ist...
Wie ist dein Name?
(Literally: "How is your name?")

There are thus two versions of the German possessive adjective "your", just as there
are two words for the pronoun "you":

"Sie" has the pronoun "Ihr". Note the capital letters!

"du" has the pronoun "dein".
As the word for name (der Name) is masculine, the possessive "dein" has the same
ending as "mein" when it referred to a male person earlier in this section. We will
discuss pronouns and possessive adjectives in more detail in the next section.

1.6 Pronouns, possessive adjectives and verbs

1. We have already met some of the German pronouns and possessive adjectives in
this chapter. The table below lists them in full:

Grammar 3: Singular pronouns and possessives

Pronoun Possessive
1st Person ich "I" mein "my"
2nd Person du "you" dein "your"
Sie Ihr
3rd Person er "he" sein "his"
sie "she" ihr "her"
es "it" sein "its"

Grammar 4: Plural pronouns and possessives

Pronoun Possessive
1st Person wir "we" unser "our"
2nd Person ihr "you" euer "your"
Sie Ihr
3rd Person sie "they" ihr "their"

The following points should be noted:

The German pronoun "ich" does not start with a capital letter, unlike its English
equivalent "I".
Note that the pronoun "sie" can either mean "she" or "they" depending on context.
And when it begins with a capital letter "Sie" is the formal form of "you"! Be very
careful how you use this pronoun.
The word "ihr" can also pose difficulties. When used as a pronoun, it is the informal
plural pronoun of "you". When used as a possessive adjective, it either means "her" or
"their". And when it begins with a capital letter "Ihr" is the formal form of "your"!
The third person pronouns "er", "sie" and "es" can refer to persons. However they also
substitute for all masculine, feminine and neuter nouns respectively, regardless of
whether they are persons or things. The gender of German nouns will be explained
fully in the next chapter.

Present tense of German verbs

The present tense of the vast majority of German verbs is formed from the infinitive
of the verb - the part of speech which equates to the English "to do", "to speak" etc.
In German, the infinitive almost always ends in "-en". To construct the individual
forms, remove the "-en" from the infinitive and add personal endings to the
remaining stem as follows:
 Grammar 5: The verb "heien" (= to be called)

Singular
ich heie I am called
du heit You are called
Sie heien (informal/formal)
er/sie/es heit He/she/it is called
Plural
wir heien We are called
ihr heit You are called
Sie heien (informal/formal)
sie heien They are called

The verb "heien" is an example of a "weak" or "regular" verb in that it takes the
regular personal endings for a verb in the present tense.

The only distinction is that the verb endings for the "du" person is usually "-st" and
not "-t" as here. The reason why it is "du heit" and not "du heist" is a logical one -
if that were the case, you would have three "s"'s in a row!

The verb "sein" (= to be)

Unfortunately, by no means all verbs are regular. The other verb which we have
encountered so far - and also the most commonly used German verb! - is irregular:

Grammar 6: The verb "sein" (= to be)

Singular
ich bin I am
du bist You are
Sie sind (informal/formal)
er/sie/es ist He/she/it is
Plural
wir sind We are
ihr seid You are
Sie sind (informal/formal)
sie sind They are

1.7 Conversations: Introductions (1)

Anna Mller, whom we saw earlier in the office, meets her new neighbour Margarete
Schfer for the first time. Listen out for the different ways in which Anna talks first to
Frau Schfer and then to her two children.

Conversation 3: Frau Schfer

 Anna Mller Guten Tag. Ich heie Frau Mller. Und wie
heien Sie?
Margarete Guten Tag, Frau Mller. Freut mich. Mein
Schfer Name ist Frau Schfer und das ist
Natascha, meine Tochter.
Anna Mller Hallo Natascha!
Natascha Hallo!
Schfer
Anna Mller (looking at Frau Schfer's pram) Und wie
heit du?
Margarete Das ist mein Sohn Winfried. Darf ich mich
Schfer verabschieden, Frau Mller? Auf
Wiedersehen! Schnen Tag noch.
Anna Mller Danke. Ihnen auch. Tschs, Natascha!
Natascha Tschs!
Schfer

Glossary
Freut mich Pleased to meet you!
Darf ich mich "May I say goodbye?" Used in formal
verabschieden? contexts only.
Schnen Tag noch Have a nice day!
Ihnen auch "The same to you!" This is of course the
formal version of the pronoun

The student Sophie Gerland introduces herself to Professor Robert Jaspert on her
first day at the Freie Universitt Berlin (Free University of Berlin).

Conversation 4: An der Universitt

Sophie Guten Tag, Professor Jaspert. Darf ich mich
Gerland vorstellen? Mein Name ist Gerland. (Gibt
ihm die Hand.)
Professor Guten Tag, Frau Gerland. Bitte nehmen Sie
Jaspert Platz.

Glossary
die The university
Universitt
an der At the university
Universitt
Darf ich mich "May I introduce myself?" Used as a polite
vorstellen? phrase in a formal conversation.
(Gibt ihm die "She shakes hands with him." Literally: "She
 Hand) gives him the hand". Not shaking hands in this
highly formal context would appear rude.
Bitte nehmen "Please sit down." Note that Professor Jaspert
Sie Platz uses the polite "Sie" form when speaking to
Sophie, even though she is only 18 years old.
He also calls her "Frau Gerland", and not
"Frulein" or "Sophie".

1.8 Conversations: Introductions (2)

Now Sophie Gerland introduces her boyfriend Marko Tredup to her friend Barbara
Zacharias. All three are 18-year-old students.

Conversation 5: Marko und Barbara

Sophie Hallo Barbara! Darf ich vorstellen? Das ist

Gerland mein Freund Marko.
Barbara (Gibt ihm die Hand.) Hallo Marko!
Zacharias
Marko Tredup Hallo Barbara!
Barbara Nett, dich kennen zu lernen.
Zacharias
Marko Tredup Danke, gleichfalls.

Glossary
"May I introduce?" When introducing
Darf ich
someone else, you omit the pronoun "mich"
vorstellen?
which you use when introducing yourself.
(Gibt ihm die Although the fellow students naturally use
Hand) "du" to each other, they still shake hands on
being introduced to each other.
mein Freund Here: "my boyfriend". It is also the word
which is used for a "any male friend".
Nett, dich "Nice to meet you". An informal response to
kennen zu being introduced. Note that "dich" is the
lernen. accusative form of the pronoun "du".
Danke, "Thank you, likewise". Or: "The same to
gleichfalls you".

Marko Tredup introduces Sophie Gerland to his mother.

Conversation 6: Angenehm, Frau Tredup

Marko Mutter, darf ich dir meine Freundin Sophie

vorstellen?
Frau Freut mich, Sie kennen zu lernen, Sophie.
Tredup
 Sophie Angenehm, Frau Tredup. (Sie geben sich die
Hand.)

Glossary
die Mutter Mother
Darf ich dir ... "May I introduce ... to you?" Marko uses "dir"
vorstellen? (the dative form of "du") because he is talking
to his mother. Were he to be speaking in more
formal circumstances he would say "Darf ich
Ihnen ... vorstellen?"
meine Here: "my girlfriend". It is also the word which
Freundin is used for a "any female friend".
Freut mich, Sie "Pleased to meet you." This is a more formal
kennen zu version of "Freut mich" which we met in the
lernen. first conversation. Note that Frau Tredup calls
Sophie "Sie", even though the latter is the
same age as her son Marko.
Angenehm "Pleased to meet you". It literally just means
"pleasant". It is interchangable with "Freut
mich" as a polite response when being
introduced to someone.
(Sie geben sich They shake hands. Once more, shaking hands
die Hand) is an essential part of social etiquette in this
context.

1.9 German first names

We have met a number of German first names in this chapter. But which are the
ones that we are most likely to meet in everyday life? In 1997, sixteen researchers
at the "Kulturbox" in Berlin collated the frequency of first names in the Berlin
telephone directory. Click here to see the full list. The top twenty male and female
names from their survey are listed below:

Most common names in the 1997 Berlin phone book

Male Female Male Female
1. Hans Ursula 11. Gerhard Gerda
2. Peter Hildegard 12. Joachim Sabine
3. Wolfgang Gertrud 13. Werner Ingrid
4. Heinz Helga 14. Manfred Erika
5. Klaus Renata 15. Andreas Karin
6. Horst Margarete 16. Thomas Ingeborg
7. Jrgen Monika 17. Bernd Petra
8. Dieter Brigitte 18. Karl Gabriele
9. Gnter Charlotte 19. Frank Erna
 10. Michael Gisela 20. Kurt Elisabeth

These are probably names which the outsider would recognise as "typically German".
Yet recent years have seen parents choosing quite different names for their children.
According to the German Language Society (GfdS), the ten names most commonly
given to babies in 2002 and 2003 were as follows:

The most popular names given to German babies

2003 Boys Girls 2002 Boys Girls
1. Maximilian Marie 1. Alexander Marie
2. Alexander Sophie 2. Maximilian Sophie
3. Leon Maria 3. Paul Maria
4. Paul Anna/e 4. Leon Anna/e
5. Lukas Lea(h) 5. Lukas Laura
6. Felix Laura 6. Jonas Lea
7. Luca Lena 7. Tim Katharina
8. David Leonie 8. David Sarah
9. Tim Julia 9. Niklas Julia
10. Jonas Sara(h) 10. Luca Lena

Trends
It is true to say that fewer traditional or religious names are chosen now than at the
start of the century. In an ongoing survey carried out by the German magazine
Familie Online for example, 42% of parents stated that they chose the name of the
offspring "because they liked it", and 21% "because it was an unusual name". Names
are indeed becoming more individual. The nineties witnessed the birth of children
named Fritzi-Bo, Sammy-Joy, and Dana-Fee.

Whilst only 9% of parents surveyed chose the name of their baby because of biblical
connotations, it is clear from the above list that biblical names are by no means
dying out - in the mid-1990's they even experienced a renaissance, as evidenced by
Boris Becker calling his son Noah. German parents are also increasingly drawing on a
broader range of cultures and backgrounds when naming their children. Italian
names are becoming ever more popular, especially girls' names such as Chiara and
Gina.

Regional variations within Germany

In South Germany it is more common to find children with two or three first names
(such as Franz Josef). In the former East Germany (GDR), parents still tend to give
their sons shorter names such as Tim or Tom than those in the West. For girls, the
name Michelle is much more common in the East than in the West. Here is the list of
the most popular names given to children born in 1996 in Eastern and Western
Germany:
(Source: Gesellschaft fr deutsche Sprache e.V. (GfdS))
 1996: Names given to babies in West and East Germany
West Boys Girls East Boys Girls
1. Alexander Maria 1. Maximilian Maria
2. Lukas Julia 2. Lukas Lisa
3. Maximilian Katharina 3. Philipp Laura
4. Daniel Anna/e 4. Florian Anna/e
5. Michael Laura 5. Kevin Sophia
6. Christian Marie 6. Max Julia
7. Philipp Sophie 7. Felix Sara(h)
8. Marcel Lisa 8. Paul Michelle
9. Jan Sara(h) 9. Tom Vanessa
10. Tobias Lena 10. Erik Jessica

Austria and Switzerland

In Austria and particularly in Switzerland - where German is but one of four
languages spoken -, the variations in name are even more pronounced. The top 10
names given to babies in the year 2000 are listed below for both countries. Note that
the Swiss statistics refer to German-speaking Switzerland only!
(Sources: Landesverwaltung Steiermark (Austria), Bundesamt fr Statistik
(Switzerland)):

2000: Names given to babies in Austria and Switzerland

Boys Girls Boys Girls
1. Lukas Julia 1. Luca Laura
2. Florian Anna 2. Jan Michelle
3. Michael Sarah 3. Simon Sarah
4. Daniel Lisa 4. Joel Lea
5. Alexander Katharina 5. Lukas Julia
6. Philipp Laura 6. David Jasmin
7. Fabian Vanessa 7. Fabian Vanessa
8. Dominik Viktoria 8. Marco Celine
9. Stefan Lena 9. Noah Nina
10. Matthias Michelle 10. Jonas Sara

In Switzerland, the difference between the various language groupings is

quite pronounced. In German-speaking Switzerland (die Deutschschweiz),
Laura has been the most popular name given to female babies since
1995, whereas Luca has been the most popular boys' name since 1997.
In French-speaking areas however, La took over from Laura as top girls' name in
1998, whereas David has been the most important boys' name since 1994. In the
Ticino, the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland, Sara and Luca became the most
popular names given to babies in the year 2000, whereas Laura and Fabio lead the
way in the Rumantsch-speaking regions.

1.10 Spelling your name

The letters of the alphabet
German uses the twenty-six letters of the English alphabet. The name of almost
every letter in German contains the sound ordinarily represented by that letter.

ah beh tseh

deh eh eff

geh hah eeh

yot kah ell

emm enn oh

peh kuh err

ess teh uh

fau weh iks

ppsilon tsett ess-tsett

Anna Mller is uncertain how Natascha Schfer spells her Christian name, and
decides to ask her.

Conversation 7: N-a-t-a-s-c-h-a
Anna Mller Wie heit du?
Natascha Schfer Natascha.
Anna Mller Wie schreibt man das?
Natascha Schfer Groes n, a, t, a, s, c, h, a.

Glossary
 Wie schreibt How do you write that?
man das?
Groes s "Capital s." Or literally "big s". If you wanted to
say "small s", you would say "kleines s".

Maria Strau goes to the bank to withdraw some money. She gives her details to
Herr Klein behind the counter.

Conversation 8: Die Bank

Maria Guten Morgen. Mein Name ist Maria Strau.

Strau
Herr Klein Wie buchstabiert man das?
Maria Das buchstabiert man: groes s, t, r, a, u,
Strau scharfes s.
Herr Klein Bitte wiederholen Sie das, langsam.
Maria Groes s, t, r, a, u, scharfes s.
Strau

Glossary
die Bank the bank
Wie buchstabiert How do you spell that?
man das?
Das buchstabiert It's spelt...
man...
scharfes s "scharfes s" (literally "sharp s") is the
name for the "" symbol. It sounds
exactly like the "ss" sound.
Bitte wiederholen Could you repeat that, slowly?
Sie das, langsam

The pronoun "man" equates to "on" in French, in that it is used when talking about
what people in general do - i.e. "one", "you", "they" etc. It takes the third person
singular ("er/sie/es") verb endings.

I didn't quite catch that!

There are a number of other useful phrases which you can use if you haven't quite
understood and would like somebody to repeat something:

Could you repeat that?

Wie bitte?
("What did you say?")
Noch mal langsam bitte!
("Say that again please, slowly.")
 Bitte wiederholen Sie das, langsam.
("Could you repeat that slowly?")

Chapter 2: Talking about yourself

2.1 Where are you from?

Having asked how somebody is and what their name is, you will then want to find out
where they come from. There are two main phrases that you can employ for this.

Vocabulary 1: Woher..?
Where are you from? I'm from...
Woher kommen Sie? ich komme aus...
Woher kommst du?
(Literally: "Where do you come from?")
Woher sind Sie? ich bin aus...
Woher bist du?
(Literally: "Where are you from?")

You might wish to ask somebody where they live. There is one main phrase for this, but
remember to distinguish between the "Sie" and "du" forms depending on the person to
whom you are talking!

Vocabulary 2: Where do you live?

Where do you live? I live in...

Wo wohnen Sie? ich wohne in...
Wo wohnst du?
(Literally: "Where do you live?")

Questions
1. You may have noticed that there are different words for "where" in German.
"Woher" means "from where", whereas "wo" is the word which is used when no
movement is involved. In subsequent chapters we shall also encounter "wohin"
which means "to where":

2. Note the word order in German when a question is being asked. The question
word comes first, followed by the verb and then the subject of the sentence. We
have now met several examples of this:

"Wie geht es Ihnen?" (= "How are you?")

"Wie heit du?" (= "What is your name?")
 "Wie ist Ihr Name?" ("What is your name?")
"Woher kommst du?" ("Where do you come from?")
"Wo wohnen Sie?" ("Where do you live?")
"Wie schreibt man das?" (= "How do you write that?")
"Wie buchstabiert man das?" (= "How do you spell that?")

Present tense of German verbs (2)

You will have noted that the verbs "wohnen" (= "to live") and "kommen" (= "to come")
used above have the same endings as "heien" in the previous chapter.

Grammar 1: The verb "wohnen" (= to live)

Singular
ich wohne I live
du wohnst You live
Sie wohnen (informal/formal)
er/sie/es wohnt He/she/it lives
Plural
wir wohnen We live
ihr wohnt You live
Sie wohnen (informal/formal)
sie wohnen They live

1. Note that the present tense of a German verb has two possible English
translations, e.g. "er wohnt" could either mean "he lives"or "he is living" depending
on context. Unlike English, German has no separate form to indicate continuing
action.

2. You may also have noted that the endings for the "wir", "sie" (plural) and "Sie"
forms are the same for all verbs. Helpfully, in regular verbs their verb form will be
exactly the same as the infinitive.

Grammar 2: The verb "kommen" (= to come)

Singular
ich komme I come
du kommst You come
Sie kommen (informal/formal)
er/sie/es kommt He/she/it comes
Plural
wir kommen We come
ihr kommt You come
Sie kommen (informal/formal)
sie kommen They come
Note however that the verb "kommen" is only a regular verb in the present tense. In
the vast majority of other German tenses it is irregular and its various forms need to
be learned off by heart!

2.2 Cities and countries

Cities
Most German, Austrian and Swiss cities are written as in English. The major
exceptions are listed below, along with some other European cities where the
German spelling is quite different. "Berlin" is spelled the same way as in English but
is pronounced quite differently.

Vocabulary 3: Die Stadt - The City

Die Stadt City Die Stadt City
Basel Basle Luzern Lucerne
Bern Berne Moskau Moscow
Braunschweig Brunswick Mnchen Munich
Brssel Brussels Prag Prague
Genf Geneva Rom Rome
Hannover Hanover Warschau Warsaw
Kln Cologne Wien Vienna
Lissabon Lisbon Zrich Zurich

Countries
The vast majority of countries have their names written differently in German from
how we would spell them in English. Here is a selection of the most important ones:

Vocabulary 4: Das Land - The Country

Das Land Country

Andorra Andorra
Australien Australia
Belgien Belgium
Brasilien Brazil
Bulgarien Bulgarien
China China
Dnemark Denmark
Deutschland Germany
England England
Estland Estonia
Finnland Finland
Frankreich France
Griechenland Greece
Grobritannien Great Britain
Indien India
Irland Ireland
Island Iceland
Israel Israel
Italien Italy
Japan Japan
Kanada Canada
Kolumbien Colombia
Kroatien Croatian
Lettland Latvia
Liechtenstein Liechtenstein
Litauen Lithuania
Luxemburg Luxembourg
Mazedonien Macedonia
Mexiko Mexico
Moldawien Moldova
Monaco Monaco
Neuseeland New Zealand
Norwegen Norway
sterreich Austria
Polen Poland
Portugal Portugal
Rumnien Romania
Russland Russia
Schottland Scotland
Schweden Sweden
Slowenien Slovenian
Spanien Spain
Sdafrika South Africa
Sdkorea South Korea
Tunesien Tunisia
 Ungarn Hungary
Wales Wales
Zypern Cyprus

Putting everything together

To say which city and country you come from or live in, you use the appropriate
preposition. Prepositions - words like "in", "on" and "over" - stand in front of a noun
or pronoun and relate it to the rest of the sentence. The two prepositions which we
need for this section are "in" (= in) and "aus" (= from, out of):

Grammar 3: Prepositions

Where are you from? I'm from...

Woher kommen Sie? ich komme aus
- England
- Exeter
(Literally: "I come from England/Exeter")
Woher ist Lukas? er ist aus
- Hamburg
- Deutschland
(Literally: "He is from Hamburg/Germany")

Where do you live? I live in...

Wo wohnst du? ich wohne in
- Wien
- sterreich
(Literally: "I live in Vienna/Austria")
Wo wohnt Maria? sie wohnt in
- Polen
- Warschau
(Literally: "She lives in Poland/Warsaw")

Simple enough? Unfortunately not. For all German nouns have a gender and so far
we have merely established the rules for neuter nouns...

2.3 The gender of German nouns

Masculine, feminine and neuter
We can put it off no longer. One of the major difficulties experienced by English
speakers when learning German is that all German nouns, whether they represent
persons, things or ideas have a grammatical gender. Whereas in English gender
virtually always corresponds logically to the sex of the noun, this is not the case in
German. Most nouns denoting male persons and animals are in fact masculine, and
most of those denoting females are feminine (examples of natural gender); but
names of inanimate objects can be masculine, feminine or neuter.
Considering the nouns with which we have come into contact so far for example, a
name is masculine in German (der Name), a city is feminine (die Stadt), whereas the
word for a country is neuter (das Land). Overall, about 45% of German nouns are
masculine, 35% are feminine and 20% are neuter.

Although there is no apparent rationale for this classification, guidelines for

predicting genders do exist. Yet these rules are far from watertight - indeed there
are exceptions to most of them. Against all natural logic, the word for a girl is neuter
in German (das Mdchen)! The author Mark Twain famously complained about
German nouns: "In German, a young lady has no sex, while a turnip has. Think what
overwrought reverence that shows for the turnip, and what callous disrespect for the
girl." The unpalatable truth is that whenever you learn a German noun, you have to
learn its gender, just as Germans do.

The definite article

The best way to remember German genders is to learn each noun not as a single,
isolated word, but together with the word for "the" that goes with it. We call "the"
and its German equivalents the definite article, and unlike English nouns, the definite
article in German is used to make the gender of German nouns obvious. Here are the
genders of some of the nouns that we have met so far together with the appropriate
form of the definite article:

Grammar 4: Gender and the definite article

Masculine Feminine Neuter
der Mann die Frau das Kind
(= the man) (= the woman) (= the child)
der Sohn die Tochter das Mdchen
(= the son) (= the daughter) (= the girl)
der Freund die Freundin das Bro
(= the male friend) (= the female friend) (= the office)
der Tag die Nacht das Land
(= the day) (= the night) (= the country)

Compound nouns
Many German nouns are a combination of two or more shorter words - we call them
compound nouns. The gender is always that of the last element in the compound
noun:

Grammar 5: Compound nouns

Noun Compound noun

der Name der Vorname
(= the name) (= the Christian name)
die Frau die Hausfrau
(= the woman) (= the housewife)
das Land das Ausland
(= the country) (= abroad)
2.4 Countries (2)
Feminine countries
So far all the countries which we have encountered have been neuter, and are never
used with the definite article. A small number of names for countries however are
feminine and are always preceded by the definite article "die".

Vocabulary 5: Feminine Countries

Das Land Country Das Land Country

die die
Switzerland Slovakia
Schweiz Slowakei
die Trkei Turkey die Ukraine Ukraine
die Tschechische
Czech Republic
Republik

When you explain that you come from any of these countries, you also have to
include the definite article with the preposition - but this article changes from "die" to
"der". We shall see in a subsequent section that this is because it is now in the dative
case.

Grammar 6: Prepositions and feminine countries

Where are you from?

Woher kommen Sie?
ich komme aus der Schweiz
(Trans.: "I come from Switzerland")

Woher ist Andrea?

sie ist aus der Ukraine
(Trans.: "She is from the Ukraine")

Where do you live?

Wo wohnt Mehmet?
er wohnt in der Trkei
(Trans.: "He lives in Turkey")

Plural Countries
A small number of countries are written in the plural in German. In this case the
definite article changes from "die" to "den":
 Vocabulary 6: Plural Countries

Das Land Country

die USA USA
die Vereinigten Staaten United States
die Niederlande Netherlands

Phrases
ich komme aus den USA
(Trans.: "I come from the USA")

sie ist aus den Vereinigten Staaten

(Trans.: "She is from the United States")

er wohnt in den Niederlanden

(Trans.: "He lives in the Netherlands")

Notes
1. Note that "die Niederlande" adds an "-n" when we write "in den Niederlanden" or
"aus den Niederlanden". This again is a result of the noun now being in the dative
case.

2. "Amerika" is often used to translate "the United States", particularly in

conversation. It should really only be used to translate the continent of America
however. It is a neuter noun and is thus used without a definite article.

3. A few countries are masculine in German, particularly in the Middle East - "der
Libanon" (= Lebanon), "der Irak" (= Iraq) "der Iran" (= Iran), "der Jemen" (=
Yemen). They too are almost always used with the definite article, which changes
from "der" to "dem" when you are describing where you are from.

2.5 Nationalities
Nouns of nationality

The German construction for saying which nationality you are is different from in
English. Whereas English uses an adjective - i.e. "I am English" -, German uses a
noun without a different article - "Ich bin Englnder" (literally: "I am Englishman").

And just as there are different words for "friend" depending on the gender of the
person concerned, you would need to employ the feminine version of the noun if the
person being described is a woman - "Ich bin Englnderin" (literally: "I am
Englishwoman"):

Grammar 7: Describing your nationality

Where are you from? I'm from...

Woher kommen Sie? ich bin Brite
("I'm British (male)")
Woher ist Anne? sie ist Britin
("She is British")
Woher kommt Urs? er ist Schweizer
("He is Swiss")
Woher bist du? ich bin Schweizerin
("I am Swiss (female)

Nationality table
Listed below are the nouns of nationality for the countries which we have
encountered so far. Note that:

The vast majority of feminine nouns end in "-in". The major exception is an important
one however - "die Deutsche" ("the German woman").
With a few exceptions (der Ungar, der Israeli, der Zypriot), the names of male
inhabitants listed below either end in "-e" or "-er". This is a little misleading however.
For as we shall see in Chapter 11, the masculine nouns that end in "-e" can in fact
take a number of endings depending on the case that they are in and whether they
are preceded by an article. For the moment we have given you the endings that you
will need to translate "He is a ..."
The word for a German man - "der Deutsche" - is an adjectival noun. This type of
noun will also be discussed in Chapter 11.

Vocabulary 7: Ich bin Englnder(in)

Country Male Female

Inhabitant Inhabitant
Andorra Andorraner Andorranerin
Australien Australier Australierin
Belgien Belgier Belgierin
Brasilien Brasilianer Brasilianerin
Bulgarien Bulgare Bulgarin
China Chinese Chinesin
Dnemark Dne Dnin
Deutschland Deutscher Deutsche
England Englnder Englnderin
Estland Este Estin
Finnland Finne Finnin
Frankreich Franzose Franzsin
Griechenland Grieche Griechin
Grobritannien Brite Britin
Indien Inder Inderin
Irland Ire Irin
Island Islnder Islnderin
Israel Israeli Israeli
Italien Italiener Italienerin
Japan Japaner Japanerin
Kanada Kanadier Kanadierin
Kolumbien Kolumbianer Kolumbianerin
Kroatien Kroate Kroatin
Lettland Lette Lettin
Liechtenstein Liechtensteiner Liechtensteinerin
Litauen Litauer Litauerin
Luxemburg Luxemburger Luxemburgerin
Mazedonien Mazedonier Mazedonierin
Mexiko Mexikaner Mexikanerin
Moldawien Moldawier Moldawierin
Monaco Monegasse Monegassin
Neuseeland Neuseelnder Neuseelnderin
die Niederlande Hollnder Hollnderin
Norwegen Norweger Norwegerin
sterreich sterreicher sterreicherin
Polen Pole Polin
Portugal Portugiese Portugiesin
Rumnien Rumne Rumnin
Russland Russe Russin
Schottland Schotte Schottin
Schweden Schwede Schwedin
die Schweiz Schweizer Schweizerin
die Slowakei Slowake Slowakin
 Slowenien Slowene Slowenin
Spanien Spanier Spanierin
Sdafrika Sdafrikaner Sdafrikanerin
Sdkorea Sdkoreaner Sdkoreanerin
die Tschechische der Tscheche die Tschechin
Republik
Tunesien Tunesier Tunesierin
die Trkei der Trke die Trkin
die Ukraine der Ukrainer die Ukrainerin
Ungarn Ungar Ungarin
die USA (US- (US-
)Amerikaner )Amerikanerin
Wales Waliser Waliserin
Zypern Zypriot Zypriotin

2.6 Conversation: Im Caf

Das Caf
An English tourist Peter Withe strikes up a conversation with a German local Klaus
Wagner whilst sitting outside a caf in Bavaria in summer.

Conversation 1: Im Caf

Peter Guten Tag.

Withe
Klaus Guten Tag. Sind Sie vielleicht Auslnder?
Wagner
Peter Ja, ich bin Englnder.
Withe
Klaus Woher kommen Sie?
Wagner
Peter Ich komme aus Birmingham.
Withe
Klaus Sie sind also kein Amerikaner?
Wagner
Peter Nein, ich komme nicht aus den USA. Und Sie?
Withe
 Klaus Ich bin Deutscher. Ich komme aus
Wagner Norddeutschland. Aber ich wohne hier in
Bayern. Mein Name ist Wagner, Klaus Wagner.
Und wie heien Sie?
Peter Ich heie Withe, Peter Withe.
Withe

Glossary
das Caf The caf
im Caf In the caf
der Auslnder A male "foreigner". A female foreigner
would be "die Auslnderin".
Sind Sie vielleicht "Are you a foreigner by any chance?"
Auslnder? Peter's German accent is not as authentic
as he thinks! Note that "Auslnder" is used
in exactly the same way as all other
nationalities - without a definite article. The
literal translation is "Are you perhaps
foreigner?"
vielleicht In almost all other contexts, "vielleicht"
would be translated as "perhaps".
also Be very careful of this word in German! It
doesn't mean English "also" but "therefore"
or "so".
Sie sind also kein "So you're not American?" The word "kein"
Amerikaner? literally means "not an".
Norddeutschland "North Germany". This is one word only in
German - a compound noun.
Bayern This means "Bavaria". Many German
regions with which we are familiar turn out
to have very different names in German.

2.7 Conversation: Im Sitzungssaal

Im Sitzungsaal
In a conference room (der Sitzungssaal) at a trade fair in Hanover, Herr Loss
introduces Ken McNaught, who has just arrived from Glasgow, to Frau Melzig and
Herr Slomka.

Conversation 2: Im Sitzungssaal

Herr Loss Darf ich vorstellen, Herr McNaught aus

Glasgow. Frau Melzig aus Hannover.
Frau Melzig Guten Tag, Herr McNaught. Willkommen in
Hannover. Sind Sie Schotte?
Herr Loss Ja, er ist Schotte. Er ist in der Nhe von
Glasgow geboren.
 Herr Sind Sie Deutsche?
McNaught
Frau Melzig Nein. Mein Mann ist Deutscher, aber ich
komme aus der Schweiz.
Herr Und wie ist Ihr Name, bitte?
McNaught
Herr Loss Das ist Herr Slomka.
Herr Woher sind Sie, Herr Slomka?
McNaught
Herr Ich bin aus Moskau.
Slomka
Herr Aha! Sie sind Russe! Sind Sie hier auf
McNaught Geschftsreise?
Herr Loss Nein. Er wohnt hier.

Glossary
der Sitzungssaal The conference room
im Sitzungssaal In the conference room
Willkommen in "Welcome to Hanover". Note that German
Hannover uses a different preposition to English in
this context.
Sind Sie Schotte? Are you Scottish?
ja / nein "yes / no". But you knew that already,
didn't you?
in der Nhe von This somewhat lengthy construction
Glasgow simply means "near Glasgow".
Er ist ... geboren "He was born..." Note that the word
"geboren" is always placed right at the
end of the clause, after the place in which
the person was born.
aber but
hier here
Sind Sie hier auf Are you here on business?
Geschftsreise?

2.8 Professions
Der Beruf
The German construction for explaining what your job is involves the German word
for profession - "der Beruf". You have a choice of word order with this construction,
and can also choose whether to say "ich bin Manager von Beruf" or simply "ich bin
Manager".
 Grammar 8: What do you do for a living?

What's your job? I'm a... (male)

Was sind Sie von Beruf? von Beruf bin ich Arzt
Was bist du von Beruf? ich bin Arzt (von Beruf)

What's her job? She's a...

Was ist sie von Beruf? von Beruf ist sie rztin
sie ist rztin (von Beruf)

You will have noticed that we use exactly the same construction for professions as
we do for nationalities. Whereas in English we would say "I'm a doctor", in German
you would say "Ich bin Arzt" (literally - "I am doctor"). Once more, the verb which
you will need throughout is the irregular verb "sein".

And just as there are two words for "a friend" or "a German" depending on the
gender of the speaker, there are also two forms of each profession which need to be
learned to employ the feminine version of the noun if the person being described is a
woman - "Ich bin rztin".

Table of professions
Listed below are the names of the most commonly used German professions with
their male and female variants.

Vocabulary 8: Professions
Profession Male Variant Female Variant
Actor Schauspieler Schauspielerin
Artist Knstler Knstlerin
Author Schriftsteller Schriftstellerin
Bank clerk Bankangestellter Bankangestellte
Business(wo)man Geschftsmann Geschftsfrau
Car mechanic Automechaniker Automechanikerin
Chemist Chemiker Chemikerin
Civil servant Beamter Beamtin
Doctor Arzt rztin
Engineer Ingenieur Ingenieurin
Farmer Landwirt Landwirtin
Hairdresser Friseur Friseuse
Journalist Journalist Journalistin
Lawyer Rechtsanwalt Rechtsanwltin
Lecturer Dozent Dozentin
 Nurse Krankenpfleger Krankenschwester
Pensioner Rentner Rentnerin
Photographer Fotograf Fotografin
Politician Politiker Politikerin
Postman Brieftrger Brieftrgerin
Professor Professor Professorin
Salesperson Verkufer Verkuferin
Secretary Sekretr Sekretrin
Student Student Studentin
Taxi driver Taxifahrer Taxifahrerin
Teacher Lehrer Lehrerin
Waiter Kellner Kellnerin

Grammar
1) As you will have noted from the above list, the suffix "-in" is often added in the
feminine form - i.e. Kellner + "-in" = Kellnerin.

2) Sometimes the female equivalent modifies slightly with the addition of an

"Umlaut" - i.e. Arzt + "-in" = rztin.

3) Occasionally the male form ends in "-in", and the female equivalent in "-e" - i.e.
Bankangestellter - "-r" = Bankangestellte.

4) There are sometimes different words altogether for male and female jobs - i.e.
Krankenpfleger (male) and Krankenschwester.

2.9 Conversation: Der Beruf

The teacher and the greengrocer
Whilst waiting at the bus-stop, Mslm Can and Mareike Herda discuss the jobs to
which they are travelling.

Conversation 1: Die Lehrerin und der Gemsehndler

Mslm Can Was sind Sie eigentlich von Beruf, Frau

Herda?
Mareike Herda Von Beruf bin ich Lehrerin.
Mslm Can Ach nein! Mein Bruder ist auch Lehrer.
Mareike Herda Das gibt's doch gar nicht! Wo arbeitet
er? Hier in Berlin?
Mslm Can Nein, nein. Er ist Deutschlehrer in der
Trkei. Wir sind beide in der Trkei
geboren.
Mareike Herda Und was sind Sie von Beruf?
Mslm Can Ich bin Gemsehndler.
Mareike Herda Arbeiten Sie hier in der Stadt?
Mslm Can Ja. Ich arbeite in einem kleinen
Gemseladen in der Nhe von hier.
Glossary
eigentlich actually; in fact
von Beruf bin Switching the word order around such that
ich... "von Beruf" comes first places slightly more
emphasis on the profession.
Ach nein! Literally "Oh no!", but the sense is one of
surprise: "Really?!"
mein Bruder my brother
auch "too; also". Not to be confused with the
German word "also" meaning "therefore"
(see below).
also Be very careful of this word in German! It
doesn't mean English "also" but "therefore"
or "so".
Das gibt's doch "Well I never! You don't say!". A polite
gar nicht! expression of great surprise.
Wo arbeitet er? "Where does he work?". There is no
German equivalent of the English word
"does". "Er arbeitet" is the sole German
translation for "he works", "he is working"
and "he does work".
Deutschlehrer "German teacher". Note that this is written
as one word in German.
Wir sind ... We were born ....
geboren
wir beide both of us
der greengrocer
Gemsehndler
in der Stadt in the city
in einem kleinen in a little greengrocer's shop
Gemseladen
in der Nhe von near here
hier

Present tense of the verb "arbeiten"

We have met a new verb in this section - "arbeiten" (= "to work"). Although it is a
regular verb, some of the endings are slightly different as the stem of the verb ends
in "t". To prevent a build-up of unpronouncable and teeth-damaging consonants, an
extra "-e" is added before the "du", "er/sie" and "ihr" endings.
 Grammar 1: The verb "arbeiten"

Singular
ich arbeite I work
du arbeitest You work
Sie arbeiten (informal/formal)
er/sie/es arbeitet He/she/it works
Plural
wir arbeiten We work
ihr arbeitet You work
Sie arbeiten (informal/formal)
sie arbeiten They work

2.10 About Germany

Location

The Federal Republic of Germany is the largest of the German-speaking countries. It

is located in Central Europe, and has nine neighbours - Denmark to the North,
Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg and France to the West, Switzerland and Austria
to the South, and the Czech Republic and Poland to the East. This central location
has been more pronounced since 3rd October 1990, when Germany was reunited.
Due to its central position Germany functions within the EU and NATO as a bridge to
the Central and Eastern European states and is an important location for European
and global relations.

Reunified Germany now is now the sixth largest country in Europe with an area of
137,826 square miles (356,970 sq. km.). Western Germany comprises just over two-
thirds of this - 96,095 square miles compared with 41,731 square miles in the former
Eastern Germany. Germany extends 876 kilometres from its northern border with
Denmark to the Alps in the south, and (at its widest) 650 kilometres from the
Belgian border in the west to the Polish frontier in the east. The total length of the
country's borders is 3,758 kilometres.

Population

Germany has a population of approximately 82.163 million, the largest in Europe

after the Russian Federation, followed by the United Kingdom (58.9 million), France
(58.5 million) and Italy (57.5 million). About one fifth of this population live in the
former GDR.

The Federal Republic of Germany is a densely populated country, with a population

density of 230 persons per square kilometre. More than half the German people live
in towns with a population of between 2,000 and 100,000. There are 86 larger towns
and cities with more than 100 000 inhabitants spread throughout the country. The
five largest cities are Berlin, the official capital with a population of 3,458,800,
Hamburg (1,708,500), Munich (1,232,800), Cologne (964,400), and Frankfurt
(646,400).

There are 7,363,600 foreigners currently living in Germany, which is equal to 8.9%
of the population. Just over two million of these come from Turkey, with other
sizable immigrant communities coming from the former Yugoslavia, Italy, Greece,
Africa and Eastern Europe.

Climate

The Federal Republic's climate is determined by its location in a zone of temperate

climatic conditions with frequent weather changes. There is precipitation all the year
round. In the winter the average temperature is between 1.5C in the lowland areas
and -6C in the mountains. In the warmest month of the year, July, temperatures
are between 18C in low-lying regions and 20C in the sheltered valleys of the south.
Progressing from the northwest to the east and southeast, the maritime climate
gradually changes into a more continental climate.

Geography

The whole of northern Germany, through which run the Weser, the Elbe, and smaller
rivers, is set in the North European Plain. The Rhine Basin encompasses some of the
most beautiful landscape and best wine-growing regions in Europe. Towards the
east, this consists of morainic hills containing fertile loess soil. More than a quarter of
the whole of Germany is covered with forest. Among the major ranges of the mid-
German highlands are the Teutoburger Wald, the Harz Mountains, the Sauerland,
Westerwald, and Taunusgebirge. In the west are the Ruhr coalfields, while in the
east there are large lignite deposits. Southward the ground gradually rises to the
Black Forest (der Schwarzwald), and the Swabian Jura, with dense pine forests and
moorland, and potash, salt, and other minerals. In Bavaria, further south, the land
becomes rugged. Here are patches of mountain pasture and lakes; to the east is the
deep Danube valley.

Economy

Germany is one of the most highly-industrialised and economically powerful

countries in the world. The economic system is classed as a social market economy
within which competition has become very pronounced. Unemployment is a problem,
not only in the new Federal States. The major sectors of the economy are
manufacturing industry, service industries and trade, and transport. Great political
importance is attached to environmental protection which is a major concern of the
people.

2.11 German History

History until 1945
Germany was originally occupied by Teutonic tribes who were driven back across the
Rhine by Julius Caesar in 58 BC. When the Roman empire collapsed eight Germanic
kingdoms were created, but in the 8th century Charlemagne consolidated these
kingdoms under the Franks. The region became part of the Holy Roman Empire in
962, and almost 200 years later was invaded by the Mongols. A period of unrest
followed until 1438 when the long rule of the Habsburgs began.

The kingdom, now made up of hundreds of states, was torn apart during the Thirty
Years War; when this ended with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, the Elector of
Brandenburg-Prussia emerged as a force ready to challenge Austrian supremacy. By
the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the alliance of 400 separate German states that had
existed within the Holy Roman Empire (962-1806) had been reduced to thirty-eight.
At the Congress of Vienna these were formed into a loose grouping, the German
Confederation, under Austrian leadership.

The Confederation was dissolved as a result of the Austro-Prussian War (1866), and
in 1867 all northern Germany formed a new North German Confederation under
Prussian leadership. This was in turn dissolved in 1871, and the new German Second
empire proclaimed.

After Germany's defeat in World War I, the Weimar Republic was instituted, to be
replaced in 1933 by the Third Reich under Adolf Hitler.

History: 1945 to 1990

In 1945 the victorious Allies divided defeated Germany into four zones of occupation:
American, British, French and Soviet. The original intention was to denazify and unite
Germany. But with the advent of the Cold War, ideological differences between the
Allied powers became apparent, and two German states were formed in 1949: the
western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic
Republic (GDR). The FRG embedded itself in key Western economic and security
organizations, the EC and NATO, while the communist GDR was on the front line of
the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact.

In 1953 East German workers revolted against the communist government,

demanding higher salaries, more work and democratic elections. Faced by a steady
flow of workers moving from East to West, the GDR government constructed the
"antifascist protective wall" which divided Berlin into two. This Wall was 165
kilometres in length and between three and four metres in height.

In the West, Konrad Adenauer, as Chancellor (1949-63), was determined to see

eventual reunification of Germany and refused to recognize the legal existence of the
German Democratic Republic. A crisis developed over Berlin in 1958, when the
Soviet Union demanded the withdrawal of Western troops and, in 1961, when it
authorized the erection of the Berlin Wall. The Berlin situation began to ease in 1971,
during the chancellorship of the social democrat Willy Brandt (1969-74) with his
policy of Ostpolitik. This resulted in treaties with the Soviet Union (1970), Poland
(1970), Czechoslovakia (1973), and one of mutual recognition and co-operation with
the German Democratic Republic (1972), with membership of the UN following in
1973.

Economic recovery was assisted after the war by the Marshall Plan. The challenge of
rebuilding shattered cities and of absorbing many millions of refugees from eastern
Europe was successfully met, as was that of re-creating systems of social welfare
and health provision. The Federal Republic joined NATO in 1955, when both army
and airforce were reconstituted; large numbers of US and British troops remained
stationed there. In 1957 it signed the Treaty of Rome, becoming a founder-member
of the European Economic Community in 1958. Although the pace of economic
growth slackened, the economy remained one of the strongest in the world, under a
stable democratic regime.

History: The present day

The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold War allowed for German
reunification. Establishing the terms of political union proceeded quickly in the
months following the collapse of the GDR's communist order in late 1989, with
reunification itself following on October 3, 1990. This brought together one of the
most affluent capitalist countries with one of the most prosperous socialist countries
from the Eastern bloc.

Yet despite this background, economic and social reunification remains a work in
progress. During the forty years they existed side by side, the Federal Republic of
Germany and the German Democratic Republic developed very different political,
economic and social institutions. Forty years of state ownership and a command
economy have left eastern Germany's industry obsolete and unable to compete in
the German marketplace. Modernization of the infrastructure of the former GDR and
the privatization of its industries has placed a burden on taxpayers in East and West.
Economic disparities between east and west still remain. Eastern Germany is home
to roughly a fifth of the country's residents, for example, but accounts for only about
a tenth of its GDP. The unemployment rate in the east - 17 percent at the beginning
of September 2000 - is more than double the rate in the west.

In short, the euphoria sparked by the opening of the Berlin Wall has gradually given
way to a more sober realization of the full magnitude of the task of rebuilding the
east from the ground up. Relocating the seat of German government eastwards from
Bonn to new official capital Berlin in 1999 is a symbol however that closing social
gaps between east and west must remain the German government's highest priority.

2.12 The German Lnder

The Federal Republic of Germany is called "Federal" because it consists of a
federation of sixteen Lnder or states. There are ten Lnder in the territory of the
former West Germany, whilst the former GDR has been divided into five federal
states. The sixteenth state is Berlin comprising what used to be West and East
Berlin.
Facts and figures
As you can see from the table below, Bayern (Bavaria) is the largest Land in terms of
area, whilst Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine-Westphalia) has the largest
population. If you click on the names of each federal state, you will be taken to the
homepage of the Land. Many of these homepages also have English versions.

The Sixteen German Lnder

Land Capital Population Area
(millions) (km)
Baden-Wrttemberg Stuttgart 10.37 35,751
Bayern Munich 12.04 70,554
Berlin --------- 3.45 889
Brandenburg Potsdam 2.55 29,476
Bremen --------- 0.68 404
Hamburg --------- 1.71 755
Hessen Wiesbaden 6.03 21,114
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Schwerin 1.82 23,421
Niedersachsen Hanover 7.82 47,348
Nordrhein-Westfalen Dsseldorf 17.95 34,072
Rheinland-Pfalz Mainz 3.88 19,846
 Saarland Saarbrcken 1.08 2,570
Sachsen Dresden 4.55 18,408
Sachsen-Anhalt Magdeburg 2.72 20,443
Schleswig-Holstein Kiel 2.74 15,732
Thringen Erfurt 2.49 16,176

The English translation of the German Lnder names

Many of these German Lnder have English equivalents - although the English
version of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is no less of a mouthful! Note in particular the
very different German name for what we call Bavaria.

English translations of German Lnder

German English
Bayern Bavaria
Hessen Hesse
Mecklenburg- Mecklenburg West-
Vorpommern Vorpomerania
Niedersachsen Lower Saxony
Nordrhein-Westfalen North Rhine-Westphalia
Rheinland-Pfalz Rhineland-Palatinate
Sachsen Saxony
Sachsen-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt
Thringen Thuringia

In the next chapter, we will visit the only German Land which is made up of territory
from both East and West Germany - the new capital Berlin.

Chapter 3: The Family

3.1 Im Studio (1)

Anna Mller and Mslm Can have both been invited to the studios of Radio Eins in
Berlin to discuss their lives in Germany. There they are interviewed by the DJ Claudia
Stenzel. You will be familiar with some of the questions, but what new information is
Anna being asked to give here?

Conversation 1: Interview mit Anna Mller

Claudia Willkommen im Studio! Wie ist Ihr Name,

Stenzel bitte?
Anna Ich heie Anna Mller.
Mller
Claudia Wie alt sind Sie, Frau Mller?
Stenzel
Anna Ich bin fnfzig Jahre alt.
Mller
Claudia Woher kommen Sie? Sind Sie aus Berlin?
Stenzel
Anna Ich wohne jetzt in Berlin, ich komme aber
Mller aus Linz.
Claudia Wo ist Linz?
Stenzel
Anna Linz liegt in sterreich.
Mller
Claudia Was sind Sie von Beruf?
Stenzel
Anna Von Beruf bin ich Sekretrin.
Mller
Claudia Sind sie verheiratet?
Stenzel
Anna Ja, ich bin verheiratet, Frau Stenzel.
Mller
Claudia Haben Sie auch Kinder?
Stenzel
Anna Ja, wir haben zwei Kinder. Wir haben einen
Mller Sohn und auch eine Tochter.
Claudia Wie heit Ihr Sohn, und wie alt ist er?
Stenzel
Anna Unser Sohn heit Lukas. Er ist zwanzig Jahre
Mller alt.
Claudia Und Ihre Tochter?
Stenzel
Anna Unsere Tochter heit Julia. Sie ist siebzehn
Mller Jahre alt.

Glossary
das Interview interview
mit with
willkommen! welcome!
das Studio studio
willkommen im welcome to the studio!
Studio!
bitte please
Wie alt sind "How old are you?" This construction will be
Sie? explained in detail in the next section. Note
that Claudia is using the polite "Sie" form
when addressing Frau Mller.
ich bin fnfzig "I am 50 years old." See next section for
Jahre alt explanation.
Sind Sie aus "Are you from Berlin?" In many questions, the
Berlin? verb is the first element followed by the
subject of the sentence.
Wo ist Linz? "Where is Linz?" For questions which ask
"Who?", "Where?" or "Why?" for example, the
question word comes first, followed by the
verb and then the subject of the sentence.
Linz liegt in "Linz is in Austria." Literally: "Linz lies in
sterreich Austria." You could also say: "Linz ist in
sterreich."
die Sekretrin This means "secretary". Note the feminine "-
in" suffix to describe Anna Mller.
sind Sie "Are you married?" Again note the word order
verheiratet? for questions without a question word.
ja, ich bin Yes, I am married.
verheiratet
Kinder This is the word for "children". Whereas
English nouns (except for "children"!) tend to
end in "-s" in the plural, German has a whole
range of plurals which need to be learned
along with the gender.
haben Sie auch Do you also have children?
Kinder?
Ja, wir haben "Yes, we have two children." Although the verb
zwei Kinder "haben" ("to have") might look regular, it is in
fact irregular (see next section).
Wir haben we have a son...
einen Sohn...
... und eine ... and a daughter
Tochter
Ihr Sohn your son
unser Sohn Our son
Wie alt ist er? How old is he?
er ist zwanzig he is twenty years old
Jahre alt
Ihre Tochter your daughter
unsere Tochter our daughter
sie ist siebzehn she is seventeen years old
Jahre alt
3.2 How old are you?
Asking how old someone is in German required exactly the same construction as in
English. It is however reliant on the student knowing the different forms of the
irregular verb "sein" (= "to be") which you should have learned by now!

Vocabulary 1: How old are you?

Singular
wie alt bin ich? (How old am I?)
wie alt bist du? (How old are you?)
wie alt sind Sie?
wie alt ist er/sie? (How old is he/she?)
Plural
wie alt sind wir? (How old are we?)
wie alt seid ihr? (How old are you?)
wie alt sind Sie?
wie alt sind sie? (How old are they?)

And you respond to this question by using the following constructions:

Vocabulary 2: I am 20 years old

Singular
ich bin 20 Jahre alt (I am 20 years old)
du bist 20 Jahre alt (You are 20 years old)
Sie sind 20 Jahre
alt
er ist 20 Jahre alt (He is 20 years old)
sie ist 20 Jahre alt (She is 20 years old)
Plural
wir sind 20 Jahre (We are 20 years old)
alt
ihr seid 20 Jahre alt (You are 20 years old)
Sie sind 20 Jahre
alt
sie sind 20 Jahre alt (They are 20 years
old)
Different types of questions
In the previous chapter we looked at word order in questions where there are
specific question words. If you remember, the question word comes first, followed by
the verb and then the subject of the sentence:

"Wie geht es Ihnen?" ("How are you?")

"Woher kommst du?" ("Where do you come from?")
"Wo wohnen Sie?" ("Where do you live?")

We have seen from the previous conversation however that if there is no specific
question word in the clause, you should put the verb first, followed by the subject of
the sentence:

"Sind Sie verheiratet?" ("Are you married?")

"Haben Sie Kinder?" ("Do you have children?")
"Darf ich mich verabschieden?" ("May I say goodbye?")

Present tense of the verb "haben"

The German verb "haben" (= "to have") is another common German verb which is
irregular. The "-b-" of the stem disappears in both the "du" and the "er/sie" forms of
the present tense:

Grammar 1: The verb "haben" (= to have)

Singular
ich habe I have
du hast You have
Sie haben (informal/formal)
er/sie/es hat He/she/it has
Plural
wir haben We have
ihr habt You have
Sie wohnen (informal/formal)
sie haben They have

3.3 Im Studio (2)

Now it is Mslm Can's turn to be interviewed by Claudia Stenzel at Radio Eins in
Berlin. How does his situation and family life differ from that of Anna Mller?

Conversation 2: Interview mit Mslm Can

Claudia Stenzel Willkommen im Studio! Wer sind Sie?
Mslm Can Mein Name ist Mslm Can.
Claudia Stenzel Was sind Sie von Beruf?
Mslm Can Ich bin Gemsehndler hier in
 Kreuzberg.
Claudia Stenzel Sind sie verheiratet?
Mslm Can Nein, ich bin nicht verheiratet. Ich habe
auch keine Kinder.
Claudia Stenzel Haben Sie Geschwister?
Mslm Can Ja, ich habe einen Bruder und zwei
Schwestern. Sie wohnen alle in der
Trkei.
Claudia Stenzel Haben Sie Haustiere?
Mslm Can Ja, meine Eltern haben einen Hund.
Und mein Grovater hat eine Katze.
Claudia Stenzel Und wie heien sie?
Mslm Can Der Hund heit Rex und die Katze heit
Mieze. Die Katze mag den Hund nicht.
Und er mag sie auch nicht!
Glossary
Wer sind Sie? "Who are you?" In this context this seems
to be quite an abrupt way of asking
somebody's name!
der Mslm is a greengrocer. Don't you
Gemsehndler remember?
Kreuzberg Kreuzberg is a region of Berlin inhabited by
people of many nationalities. Click here to
visit the official homepage of Kreuzberg.
ich bin nicht "I am not married." Just as in English, the
verheiratet German word for not - "nicht" - precedes an
adjective.
ich habe keine "I don't have any children." Literally: "I
Kinder have no children". The German word
"kein(e)" means "not any" or "no(ne)".
Haben Sie "Do you have any brothers or sisters?" The
Geschwister? useful word "Geschwister" means "brothers
and sisters".
ich habe einen "I have a brother". The next section will
Bruder explain the endings on the indefinite article
"einen".
zwei Schwestern "I am 50 years old." See next section for
explanation.
alle This means "everyone; all of them". The full
sentence would thus be translated as "They
all live in Turkey".
Haustiere "Pets". One pet would be "ein Haustier".
meine Eltern "My parents". The word "Eltern" is only
used in the plural.
der Hund This is the word for a "dog". The next
 section will explain the endings on the
indefinite article "einen".
mein Grovater my grandfather
eine Katze Mslm's grandfather has "a cat".
Mieze "Mieze" approximates to the English "puss"
or "pussy".
Die Katze mag "The cat doesn't like the dog". Literally:
den Hund nicht "The cat likes the dog not." Although the
German word for "not" - "nicht" - precedes
an adjective (see above), it follows the
object of a sentence.
er...sie "Er" (= "he") refers back to the masculine
noun "der Hund", while "sie" (= "she")
refers back to the feminine noun "die
Katze".

3.4 Plurals of German nouns

With the exception of nouns such as "children" and "sheep", English plurals are
invariably formed by adding "-s" to the singular form. Forming the plural is by no
means as simple as this in German, where there are a number of possible plural
endings. It will thus be necessary for the student to learn the plural of each noun as
well as its gender - and from now on we will list each noun which we encounter with
its plural form and the correct form of the definite article.

In the table below are the plurals of some of the nouns that we have encountered so
far:

Grammar 2: Plurals of German nouns

Masculine Feminine Neuter

Mnner Frauen Kinder
("men") ("women") ("children")
Freunde Freundinnen Bros
("friends") ("friends") ("offices")
Shne Tchter Mdchen
("sons") ("daughters") ("girls")
Tage Nchte Lnder
("days") ("nights") ("countries")

Guidelines for forming the plural

It will later be possible to determine a number of rules as to which noun takes which
plural ending. For the moment, we will restrict ourselves to pointing out a few
general guidelines - but (as ever!) there are a large number of exceptions to these
rules!
1. Feminine nouns

Feminine nouns are the most predictable in their plural form. The majority of them
add "-en":
i.e. Frau + "-en" = Frauen.
Feminine nouns which end in "-in" (such as those describing professions and
nationalities) add "-nen" in the plural:
i.e. Freundin + "-nen" = Freundinnen.
Or: Englnderin + "-nen" = Englnderinnen.
Yet take care: some feminine nouns also forms their plurals in other ways, such as
Nchte and Tchter!

2. Masculine and neuter nouns

Masculine and neuter nouns form their plural in a number of ways. Some of them add
an "-e":
i.e. Tag + "-e" = Tage.
Others add an "-e" and also add an "umlaut" to the vowel:
i.e. Sohn + "umlaut" + "-e" = Shne.
Other (mainly) masculine and neuter nouns add "-er" in the plural:
i.e. Kind + "-er" = Kinder.
Others add "-er" and also add an "umlaut" to the vowel:
i.e. Mann + "umlaut" + "-er" = Mnner.
Some nouns add "-s" in the plural, although there are not as many of them as there
are in English, and they tend to be words imported from other languages:
i.e. Bro + "-s" = Bros.
To make matters more complicated, some nouns remain the same in the plural:
i.e. Mdchen (singular and plural).

3.5 Indefinite articles and "kein"

Indefinite articles
In the last chapter we discovered that German nouns have genders, and that the
gender of a noun affects the form of the definite article. This is also true of the
German equivalents of "a" and "an" as in "a man" and "an occupation".

The grammatical term for this is the indefinite article. The different forms of the
German indefinite article are listed below for each gender. Note that both the
masculine and neuter forms are identical when the noun is the subject of the
sentence.

Grammar 3: The indefinite article

Masculine Feminine Neuter

ein Mann eine Frau ein Kind
("a man") ("a woman") ("a child")
ein Freund eine Freundin ein Bro
("a friend") ("a friend") ("an office")
ein Sohn eine Tochter ein Mdchen
 ("a son") ("a daughter") ("a girl")
ein Tag eine Nacht ein Land
("a day") ("a night") ("a country")

The plural of definite and indefinite articles

The definite article of a plural noun is always "die", regardless of gender, as the table
below displays:

Grammar 4: Plural of the definite article

Singular
der Mann die Frau das Kind
("the man") ("the woman") ("the child")
Plural
die Mnner die Frauen die Kinder
("the men") ("the women") ("the children")

Just as in English, the indefinite article disappears in the plural in German. So just as
the plural of "a son" in English is "sons", the plural of "ein Sohn" is "Shne".

The word "kein"

The simple translation of the German word "kein" is "no" as in Mslm Can's
statement: "Ich habe keine Kinder" (= I have no children).

However "kein" is also used to translate "not a". The literal translation "nicht ein"
should be avoided. Thus you could either translate "Ich habe keine Kinder" as "I
don't have any children" or "I haven't got any children".

As far as endings are concerned, "kein" behaves just like the indefinite article "ein":

Grammar 5: The word "kein"

Masculine Feminine Neuter Plural
kein Mann keine Frau kein Kind keine Eltern
("no man") ("no woman") ("no child") ("no parents")
kein Tag keine Nacht kein Land keine Lnder
("no day") ("no night") ("no country") ("no countries")

But these are only the endings for "kein" when it is the subject of a sentence i.e. in
a sentence such as "No child was unhappy". But "kein" is used most often to describe
the objects of sentences and takes quite different endings. We will discover what
these are in the next section.
3.6 The accusative case
Subject and object
Compare the two following English sentences:
1) The dog likes the cat.
2) The cat likes the dog.

The dog is playing a different role in each of the two sentences. In the first sentence,
it is carrying out the action of the verb - liking the cat. In this instance, we speak of
the dog being the subject of the sentence. We also say that it is in the nominative
case.

In the second sentence, the dog is on the receiving end of the action - being liked by
the cat. In this instance, we speak of the dog being the object of the sentence. We
also say that it is in the accusative case.

Subject and object in German

The majority of sentences which we have examined so far involve nouns in the
nominative case, carrying out the action of the verb - e.g. "ich heie Michael", "Wie
alt bist du?". But with the arrival of verbs such as "haben" (= "to have") which take
a direct object, we need to acquaint ourselves with the accusative case.

In the English sentences which we have considered above, the nouns "the dog" and
"the cat" are written the same regardless of whether the noun is the subject or the
object of the sentence. This is not the case in German. The definite article can be
written differently depending on whether the noun to which it refers is in the
nominative or the accusative case.

Look closely at the definite articles in the German equivalents of the two sentences
concerning the dog and the cat:

1) Der Hund mag die Katze.

("The dog likes the cat.")
2) Die Katze mag den Hund.
("The cat likes the dog.")

As the table below indicates however, the definite article only has a different form in
the accusative case in this specific instance - namely when we are referring to a
singular masculine noun:

Grammar 6: The definite article

Nominative Accusative
Masculine der Mann den Mann
Feminine die Frau die Frau
Neuter das Kind das Kind
Plural die Eltern die Eltern
The accusative of the indefinite article
The same phenomenon came be observed when the indefinite article is used:

1) Ein Hund mag eine Katze.

("A dog likes a cat.")
2) Eine Katze mag einen Hund.
("A cat likes a dog.")

Grammar 7: The indefinite article

Nominative Accusative
Masculine ein Mann einen Mann
Feminine eine Frau eine Frau
Neuter ein Kind ein Kind

The accusative of "kein"

Logically enough, the negative "kein" declines in exactly the same way as "ein" in the
accusative:

1) Ein Hund mag keine Katze.

("A dog doesn't like a cat.")
2) Eine Katze mag keinen Hund.
("A cat doesn't like a dog.")

Grammar 8: Declension of "kein"

Nominative Accusative
Masculine kein Mann keinen Mann
Feminine keine Frau keine Frau
Neuter kein Kind kein Kind
Plural keine Eltern keine Eltern

Remember in particular that while "nicht" negates a verb (or an adjective or adverb),
"kein" negates a noun. So the opposite of "Ich habe ein Kind" is not "Ich habe nicht
ein Kind" but "Ich habe kein Kind".

3.7 Possessive adjectives

Possessive adjectives are those adjectives which refer to ownership, such as "your"
and "his" in "What is your name?" or "What is his name?". We have already met
some of them in the German equivalent of these questions "Wie ist Ihr Name?" or
"Wie ist sein Name?". The full list of possessive adjectives is as follows:
 Grammar 9: Nominative of possessive adjectives

Masculine Feminine Neuter Plural

My mein meine mein meine
Your dein deine dein deine
(sing.) Ihr Ihre Ihr Ihre
His sein seine sein seine
Her ihr ihre ihr ihre
Its sein seine sein seine
Our unser unsere unser unsere
Your euer eure euer eure
(plural) Ihr Ihre Ihr Ihre
Their ihr ihre ihr ihre
Her ihr ihre ihr ihre
Its sein seine sein seine

Once again, we find that the endings on all possessive adjectives change when they
are in the accusative. We require a second table to explain these fully:

Grammar 10: Accusative of possessive adjectives

Masculine Feminine Neuter Plural

My meinen meine mein meine
Your deinen deine dein deine
(sing.) Ihren Ihre Ihr Ihre
His seinen seine sein seine
Her ihren ihre ihr ihre
Its seinen seine sein seine
Our unseren unsere unser unsere
Your euren eure euer eure
(plural) Ihren Ihre Ihr Ihre
Their ihren ihre ihr ihre
Her ihren ihre ihr ihre
Its seinen seine sein seine

Grammatical points
1) Be very careful to distinguish between Ihr (= "your" (polite)) and ihr (= "their;
her"). The capital letter is crucial here!

2) The spelling of the various forms of euer, which means "your" when you are
addressing more than one person informally, can prove difficult. When an ending is
added to "euer", the second "-e-" of the stem disappears.

So whilst "your child" is "euer Kind", "your children" translates as "eure Kinder", and
"your cat" is "eure Katze".

3.8 Numbers: 1-20

A firm grasp of numbers in German is essential when you visit a German-speaking
country. It's helpful to be able to say numbers, but particularly to understand them
when spoken quickly in shops and restaurants, railway stations and airports etc.

Here are the German numbers from one to twenty.

Vocabulary 3: German numbers 1-20

eins elf

zwei zwlf

drei dreizehn

vier vierzehn

fnf fnfzehn

sechs sechzehn

sieben siebzehn

acht achtzehn

neun neunzehn

zehn zwanzig

Notes
1) "Eins" is used for counting and when you are reading out telephone numbers or a
list of lottery numbers. When it precedes a noun - e.g. "one house", then you should
use "ein(e)" as discussed in the previous sections on the indefinite article.

2) All numbers other than "eins" do not add endings - i.e. "vier Jahre", "acht
Mnner".

3) Sometimes "zwo" is used instead of "zwei" in spoken German to make sure that
the similar-sounding "zwei" and "drei" are not confused, especially over the phone.
4) Numbers "thirteen" to "nineteen" are formed by adding the suffix "-zehn" to the
appropriate number. Note however that "sechs" loses its final "-s" in "sechzehn", and
that "sieben" likewise loses its "-en" in "siebzehn".

5) The German word for "zero" is "null".

How the numbers are written

Although Germany uses the same numbers as English, they are written in a slightly
different way:

The German number one consists not only of a straight vertical line, but also a
second line slanting down diagonally to the left.

The German number seven is always crossed with a horizontal bar. This is what
distinguishes it from the number one.

3.9 German Families

The wedding (die Hochzeit)
A German wedding (die Hochzeit) is as lavish an occasion as it is in Britain, and one
that incorporates a large number of traditions. Some of them will be familiar to us -
for example the stag night (der Junggesellenabschied) during which the groom
celebrates his last few hours of freedom by drinking himself into an alcoholic stupor
with his friends. Less familiar however is der Polterabend, a party held at the bride's
house on the eve of the wedding that literally translates as "an evening of making
noise". And this is precisely what happens - wedding guests and other friends bring
ceramic dishes (but no glass, as this brings bad luck!) and smash them on the
ground to ward off evil spirits. The bride (die Braut) and groom (der Brutigam) then
clear up the pieces with a broom, preferably together as this shows that they are
willing to work as a team in bad times as well as good.

Other differences to note are that German married couples wear their wedding ring
(der Ehering) on their right hand. Both the bride and the groom wear simple gold
bands that are very different to the diamond-encrusted wedding rings that are often
found in Britain. The bride often carries salt and bread as an omen for good harvest,
whereas the groom carries grain for good luck and wealth. Rice is thrown in the air
as the happy couple leave the church and instead of the bride's bouquet, it is her veil
that is passed on to the female guest who is next in line for marriage.

German wedding celebrations (die Hochzeitsfeier) vary from region to region and
from town to region. In some rural areas, the bride is "kidnapped" before the
marriage by friends and family and the groom has to search strategic locations to
find her. As these locations invariably include local hostelries, the groom will buy
drinks for any acquaintances that he might meet on his journey. In parts of North
Germany the newlyweds return to their house to find that the doors have been
barricaded shut and that all the furniture has been placed on the roof! Their first task
as a a married couple is thus to rescue their furniture and get into their house
without any outside help. In other rural areas, the first task of the bride and groom
on leaving the church is to saw through a log using a 2-man log saw. Not very
practical if you're wearing a wedding dress or a tuxedo...

Given the strenuous and expensive nature of a traditional wedding, it seems hardly
surprising that an increasing number of Germans forsake the additional chuch
ceremony (die kirchliche Trauung) and make do with a simple civil ceremony (die
zivile Trauung) at a registry office (das Standesamt). This civil ceremony is required
by law. The money thus saved can then be spent on on the honeymoon (die
Flitterwochen).

To marry or not to marry?

As in other European countries, marriage (die Ehe) no longer holds such a central
place in German society as it used to. Firstly, more marriages now end in divorce
(die Ehescheidung) than ever before. In 1960, only 0.9 out of 1000 Germans had
been part of a marriage that ended in divorce. By 1990 this figure had more than
doubled to 1.9 per thousand inhabitants. One in three marriages now ends in
divorce, with a record 194,408 divorces being registered in the year 2000.

Secondly, fewer Germans choose to get married in the first place. There were only
442,000 marriages in Germany in 1993 compared to 690,000 marriages in 1960.
The decline in the number of marriages is particularly pronounced in the former GDR,
where the number of marriages dropped by over 50 per cent between 1990 and
1993. This can be explained partially by the dramatic social changes in the former
East Germany brought about by reunification and partially by the fact that under
socialism many couples had chosen to marry primarily in order to secure better
accommodation and child-care benefits.

More and more couples are choosing instead to live as non-married partners (der
Partner; die Partnerin) in a so-called Lebenspartnerschaft (partnership for life), a
relationship that is now recognised and protected by civil law. Between 1972 and
1990, the number of such households increased sevenfold, to 963,000, or 2.7
percent of all households. And by 1999 there were 2.1 million unmarried
(unverheiratet) German couples living together which meant that one couple in ten
did not have a marriage certificate. In the new German states and in the eastern
part of Berlin, living together outside of marriage is very common: one couple in
eight have no marriage certificate. Many of these are young couples who are
choosing to live together before getting married. In 1992 the average age at first
marriage had risen to 29.0 for men and 26.5 for women in the old Lnder, compared
with 27.1 for men and 25.1 for women in the new Lnder.

To have children or not to have children?

Equally noticeable is the falling birth rate in Germany with more and more couples
choosing not to have children. For about 25 years the birth rate has been one third
below the level necessary to replenish the population. In 1950 the average number
of persons in German households was 3.0. By 1990 this figure had declined to 2.3.
In the early 1990s, only foreign families were regularly having two or more children,
with the Turkish subgroup being the largest in terms of family size. The slump in the
birth-rate has been particularly pronounced after reunification in the east of
Germany where a combination of high female unemployment and the dismantling of
the GDR's child-care system has dissuaded women from starting a family.
The Federal Government has become increasingly aware of the need to promote
family life and as of 1 January 2001 new legislation governing child-raising benefit
came into force, entitling both parents to apply for child-raising leave simultaneously
and spend up to 30 hours a week in part-time work. The aim was to redress the
traditional role division between the sexes whereby mothers typically stayed at home
to look after their children, which had an adverse effect on their professional lives.

The one area in which marriage is on the increase is in the gay and lesbian
communities. From August 2001 onwards, same-sex couples can marry in registry
offices and enjoy all the rights that heterosexual spouses have in areas such as
inheritance and health insurance. Foreign partners of German gays and lesbians are
also now allowed to join them in Germany.

3.10 Vocabulary: The Family

From now on, vocabulary sections will appear at the end of each chapter to tie in
with the topics which have been discussed. For each noun, both gender and plural
will be given, as well as any peculiarities which the noun possesses. As the definite
article of all plurals is "die", this will not be given with the plural of nouns. Unless
otherwise indicated, you should assume that verbs are regular - i.e. have the normal
endings which we have already seen.

We will start off with the family, followed by pets on the next page, such that you
can describe your own family and pets to your friends:

Vocabulary 4: Male family members

Singular Plural
husband der Mann Mnner
der Partner Partner
partner
der Lebenspartner Lebenspartner
father der Vater Vter
stepfather der Stiefvater Stiefvter
father-in-law der Schwiegervater Schwiegervter
der Grovater Grovter
grandfather
der Opa Opas
brother der Bruder Brder
stepbrother der Stiefbruder Stiefbrder
twin brother der Zwillingsbruder Zwillingsbrder
brother-in-law der Schwager Schwger
son der Sohn Shne
der Enkel Enkel
grandson
der Enkelsohn Enkelshne
stepson der Stiefsohn Stiefshne
son-in-law der Schwiegersohn Schwiegershne
uncle der Onkel Onkel
 nephew der Neffe Neffen
cousin (male) der Cousin Cousins

Vocabulary 5: Female family members

Singular Plural
wife die Frau Frauen
die Partnerin Partnerinnen
partner
die Lebenspartnerin Lebenspartnerinnen
mother die Mutter Mtter
stepmother die Stiefmutter Stiefmtter
mother-in-law die Schwiegermutter Schwiegermtter
die Gromutter Gromtter
grandmother
die Oma Omas
sister die Schwester Schwestern
stepsister die Stiefschwester Stiefschwestern
twin sister die Zwillingsschwester Zwillingsschwestern
sister-in-law die Schwgerin Schwgerinnen
daughter die Tochter Tchter
granddaughter die Enkelin Enkelinnen
stepdaughter die Stieftochter Stieftchter
daughter-in-law die Schwiegertochter Schwiegertchter
aunt die Tante Tanten
niece die Nichte Nichten
cousin (female) die Cousine Cousinen

Vocabulary 6: Neuter family members

Singular Plural
girl das Mdchen Mdchen
child das Kind Kinder
grandchild das Enkelkind Enkelkinder
stepchild das Stiefkind Stiefkinder
only child das Einzelkind Einzelkinder
 Vocabulary 7: Plural family members
English German
brothers and sisters Geschwister
parents Eltern
grandparents Groeltern
step-parents Stiefeltern
parents-in-law Schwiegereltern
twins Zwillinge
Vocabulary 8: Family phrases
Haben Sie Familie?
Do you have any family?
Haben Sie Kinder?
Do you have any children?
ich habe einen Sohn
I have a son
ich habe keine Kinder
I have no children
Hast du Geschwister?
Do you have any brothers or sisters?
ich habe eine Stiefschwester
I have a step-sister
ich habe keine Geschwister
I have no brothers or sisters
ich bin Einzelkind
I am an only child
ich bin verheiratet
I am married
ich wohne mit einem Partner zusammen
ich wohne mit einer Partnerin zusammen
I live with my partner
ich bin geschieden
I am divorced
ich bin ledig
I'm not married
ich bin verwitwet
I am widowed
- family tree (der Stammbaum)

3.11 Vocabulary: Pets

Here is a list of pets found in Britain and Germany along with some birds and farm
animals. Practise saying which pets you have, whether you like them, and whether
they like each other!

Vocabulary 9: Pets (masculine)

Singular Plural
bird der Vogel Vgel
budgerigar der Wellensittich Wellensittiche
canary der Kanarienvogel Kanarienvgel
cockerel der Hahn Hhne
cuckoo der Kuckuck Kuckucke
dog der Hund Hunde
donkey der Esel Esel
fish der Fisch Fische
frog der Frosch Frsche
goldfish der Goldfisch Goldfische
hamster der Hamster Hamster
parrot der Papagei Papageien
wolf der Wolf Wlfe

Vocabulary 10: Pets (feminine)

Singular Plural
bee die Biene Bienen
cat die Katze Katzen
cow die Kuh Khe
crow die Krhe Krhen
goat die Ziege Ziegen
goose die Gans Gnse
hen die Henne Hennen
lizard die Eidechse Eidechsen
mouse die Maus Muse
owl die Eule Eulen
pigeon die Taube Tauben
rat die Ratte Ratten
snake die Schlange Schlangen
tortoise die Schildkrte Schildkrten

Vocabulary 11: Pets (neuter)

Singular Plural
animal das Tier Tiere
chick das Kken Kken
guinea-pig das Meerschweinchen Meerschweinchen
horse das Pferd Pferde
insect das Insekt Insekten
pet das Haustier Haustiere
rabbit das Kaninchen Kaninchen
sheep das Schaf Schafe

Did you know:

that "das Haustier" (= "pet") literally means "house animal"?

that "das Meerschweinchen" (= "guinea-pig") literally means "little sea pig"?
that "das Nilpferd" (= "hippopotamus") literally means "Nile horse"?

Vocabulary 12: Pet phrases

Haben Sie ein Haustier?
Do you have a pet?
Haben Sie Haustiere?
Do you have any pets?
ich habe keine Haustiere
I have no pets
ich habe einen Hund
I have a dog
ich habe keinen Hund
I don't have a dog
wir haben drei Katzen
we have three cats

3.12 Germans and their dogs

 Man(n)'s best friend?
The poster states proudly: "Wir gehren zusammen!" - "We belong
together". And it is immediately apparent to the outsider that
Germans adore their dogs. Cats are much less visible in German
cities - there is a law which says they have to be kept in, and this is
respected in Germany. Dogs, on the other hand, are taken
everywhere. It's not unusual to see them in restaurants with their
own water bowls supplied by the proprietor. This is in part because
German dogs have traditionally been well-behaved - they all have to
be registered and vaccinated against rabies (die Tollwut), as this is
prevalent in many areas among wildlife. You will also see signs in every park pointing
out the strict "pooper-scooper" laws and designating special areas for dogs to swim
in so that the rest is more pleasant for human bathers.

There are however several initiatives to help owners. Some parks or streets have a
special area designated as a "Hundeklo" (= "doggy loo"). In popular dog-walking
areas you will see vending machines (der Automat) for bags and scoops to get rid of
mess, and bins are also provided. In Vienna, for example, certain areas are clearly
designated as either "dog-free" (das Hundeverbot), "dog zones" (die Hundezone) or
"a suitable place to walk your dogs" (der Hundeauslaufplatz).

Dog ownership however is one area in which the Germans are inclined to turn a blind
eye to the regulations. John Hooper, Berlin correspondent for The Guardian recently
wrote: "There are more dogs in Berlin than in most of Germany's other big cities put
together. And an astonishing number can be found off their leads, not just rambling
in the parks, but ambling along pavements, lounging in cafes and bars, and even in
restaurants and clubs. Even members of the most popular breed, the pit bull terrier,
roam about unhindered, along with rottweilers, dobermans and other dogs that look
as if they eat a poodle or two for breakfast."

Until recently that is. The tragic death of a six-year-old Turkish boy in Hamburg at
the hands of a pit-bull terrier and a Staffordshire terrier in July 2000 finally provoked
the authorities into action after a growing number of children had been attacked by
fighting dogs (der Kampfhund) ("fighting dogs"). Since then a number of measures
have been introduced on a regional level to control how dangerous dogs are kept.
These include stricter implementation of "der Leinenzwang", the requirement that
certain dogs are kept on a leash in public, and the "der Maulkorbzwang", the
requirement that certain dogs are muzzled. Some commentators have gone as far as
to suggest that all dogs, regardless of breed, should be kept on a leash when out in
public. And in Berlin, anyone owning pitbulls, American Staffordshire terriers, bull
terriers or Tosa Inu must have them sterilised. These measure have proved
unpopular with dog owners, and they are digging their heels in for a long battle with
the authorities.

Pet Sounds
The noises made by animals are written in different ways in different languages.
While English dogs go "woof, woof", French dogs go "ouah, ouah", Albanian dogs go
"ham, ham", Greek dogs go "gav, gav", Korean dogs go "mung, mung", Italian dogs
go "bau, bau" - and German dogs go "wau, wau"!

Chapter 4: In the restaurant

4.1 Caf Einstein

The Scotsman Ken McNaught, whom we first met in Chapter 2, arrives in Berlin for the
first time by train. Getting off at Zoo Station, he walks for a while along the famous
Kurfrstendamm street in the city centre before stopping off at the Caf Einstein near the
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedchtniskirche (= Kaiser Wilhelm memorial church) for something to
eat and drink.

Conversation 1: Im Caf Einstein

Kellnerin Guten Morgen!

Ken Guten Morgen!
McNaught
Kellnerin Bitte schn? Was bekommen Sie?
Ken Kaffee, bitte.
McNaught
Kellnerin Eine Tasse oder ein Knnchen?
Ken Eine Tasse.
McNaught
Kellnerin Mit Milch und Zucker?
Ken Mit Milch aber ohne Zucker.
McNaught
Kellnerin Mchten Sie sonst noch etwas?
Ken Und ein Stck Sachertorte.
McNaught
Kellnerin (Sie kommt zurck.) Bitte sehr. Ein Stck
Sachertorte, eine Tasse Kaffee.
Ken Vielen Dank. Ich mchte gleich zahlen.
McNaught
Kellnerin Das macht neun Euro fnfzig, bitte.
Ken Zehn Euro. Bitte schn. Stimmt so.
McNaught
Kellnerin Ich danke Ihnen.
Ken Auf Wiedersehen!
McNaught
Kellnerin Auf Wiedersehen!

Glossary
das Caf The caf
im Caf in the caf
die Kellnerin waitress
bitte schn This is essentially an invitation to speak. We
might translate it by "What can I get you?"
"Bitte" normally means "please".
Was bekommen "What can I get you?" This is one of many
Sie? ways of asking in German what a customer
wants.
der Kaffee coffee
die Tasse cup
das Knnchen This is the word for a "pot" of coffee. In some
cafs you might be required to order a pot of
coffee rather than a cup.
die Milch milk
der Zucker sugar
ohne without
mit Milch aber "With milk but without sugar." As in English,
ohne Zucker the definite article is omitted in this context.
Mchten Sie "Would you like anything else?" The waitress
sonst noch naturally uses the polite form "Sie" to address
etwas? her customers.
das Stck a piece
die Sachertorte This is a variety of chocolate gateau, invented
in 1832 by Metternich's Viennese cook, Franz
Sacher. See the picture at the top of the page
or click here for a recipe.
bitte sehr This is a what the waitress says when she puts
your food in front of you. We might possibly
translate it by "There you go".
(Sie kommt (She comes back)
zurck)
vielen Dank This means "Many thanks". It expresses more
gratefulness than the word "danke".
gleich immediately
ich mchte I would like to pay immediately
gleich zahlen
das macht... "It comes to...". Literally: "This makes..."
neun Euro nine euros fifty (cents)
fnfzig
 bitte schn Ken gives the waitress the money and thus
uses the same phrase as she had done when
she brought him the food.
stimmt so Literally: "(That's) correct like that". We would
translate it by saying "Keep the change!"
ich danke Literally: "I thank you." It is simply another
Ihnen variant of "Thanks!".

4.2 At the snack bar

At the same time as Ken McNaught is drinking coffee at the restaurant, elsewhere in
Berlin the two friends Sonja Malchow and Verena Offenberg are ordering something to
eat at a typical Berlin Imbiss - an open stall or kiosk which you will see on street corners
in German-speaking countries - outside the underground station (der U-Bahnhof) in
Pankow.

Conversation 2: Der Imbiss

Herr Aksoy Guten Morgen!

Sonja Guten Morgen!
Malchow
Herr Aksoy Bitte schn? Was wnschen Sie?
Sonja Ich mchte gerne eine Bratwurst, bitte.
Malchow
Herr Aksoy Eine groe oder eine kleine?
Sonja Eine kleine, bitte.
Malchow
Herr Aksoy Mit Ketschup und Pommes?
Sonja Mit Ketschup aber ohne Pommes.
Malchow
Herr Aksoy Mchten Sie auch ein Brtchen?
Sonja Ja, bitte. Gerne.
Malchow
Herr Aksoy Ein Euro achtzig, bitte.
Verena Und ich nehme eine Currywurst.
Offenberg
Herr Aksoy Ein Euro siebzig, bitte.
Verena Zehn Euro. (She hands over a ten euro
Offenberg note.)
Herr Aksoy Danke sehr! Und sechs Euro und fnfzig
zurck. Guten Appetit!
Verena Danke schn!
Offenberg

Glossary
der Imbiss This is one of several words for a "snack bar".
You might also see the words "der
Schnellimbiss", "die Imbissbude" or "die
Wrstchenbude" ("sausage stand").
was "What would you like?" Having started with
wnschen "Bitte schn", the conventional request for
Sie? information, Herr Aksoy chooses to ask more
specifically.
ich mchte "I would like...". "Ich mchte..." on its own could
gerne... be also be used here without "gerne". Note that
anything that you ask for will be in the
accusative case!
eine "A (fried) sausage". Usually served with a roll.
Bratwurst The German reputation for eating sausages is
certainly borne out by the choice offered at their
snack bars!
eine groe... a big (sausage)...
...oder eine "...or a small (sausage)?" If the noun has
kleine? already been mentioned immediately
beforehand, it does not need to be repeated
when you are describing it by means of an
adjective.
bitte please
der Unsurprisingly, this means "ketchup". Until the
Ketschup recent German spelling reform, it was spelled
the same way as the English word.
Pommes "Chips". From the French "Pommes frites". While
"Pommes frites" is the version listed in German
dictionaries, you are just as likely to hear
"Pommes".
mchten Sie "Would you like...?" See the conversation in the
auch...? first section.
das Brtchen "A bread roll". All nouns ending in "-chen" are
neuter - including "das Mdchen". The suffix "-
chen" means "little" or "small".
gerne Another word that is difficult to translate.
"Gerne" on its own means "happily" or
"willingly". The combination "Ja, gerne"
translates as a more enthusiastic version of "Yes
please!"
ein Euro "One euro eighty (cents)".
achtzig
eine "A curried sausage". Very few German words
 Currywurst begin with "c", and many of those that do are -
as here - imported from other languages.
ein Euro "One euro seventy (cents)".
siebzig
danke sehr "many thanks" (literally: "thanks very")
zurck Literally "back", but here we would translate it
as "in return".
Guten "Enjoy your food!" or "bon appetit".
Appetit!

4.3 Please and thank you

The use of "bitte"
As the dialogues in this section have shown, the German word bitte and its variants
bitte schn and bitte sehr can have a variety of meanings.

When you are asking somebody for something, you would use "bitte" to translate
"please" - i.e. "eine Currywurst, bitte" (= "a curried sausage please").
"Bitte" is used by a waiter or someone offering a service to attract the customer's
attention. We might translate it by "Can I help you?".
You would also say "bitte" when handing things over to somebody. In this context it
would mean "Here you are". You would expect the person to whom you were handing
over the object to respond by saying "danke".

Bitte" is also used as a response to "danke", which is the German equivalent of "thanks"
or "thank you". "Bitte" then means "You're welcome!" or "Don't mention it!". This
acknowledgement of thanks is not simply a matter of politeness - it can be impolite not to
follow a "danke" with a "bitte", since to a German speaker you may appear to be refusing
their thanks.

"Danke" is often followed by either "schn" or "sehr". If so, then the "bitte" response will
be similarly modified. The following table listens the pattern of responses:

Vocabulary 1: "Danke" and "bitte"

Thanks! You're welcome!

danke bitte
danke schn bitte schn
danke sehr bitte sehr
vielen Dank any of the above
ich danke Ihnen/dir any of the above
The other forms of saying thanks - "vielen Dank" (= many thanks) and "ich danke
Ihnen/dir" (= I thank you) have no specific predetermined answer, but do require
some form of "bitte (schn/sehr)".

4.4 German currency: The Euro

The changeover from the Deutsche Mark

At the stroke of midnight on 1 January 2002, amidst firework displays across the
European mainland, euro notes and coins were introduced into Germany, Austria and 10
other member states of the European Union. The old German currency, die Deutsche
Mark (DM) or die D-Mark (but NOT "Deutschmark"!) was still legal tender until 28
February 2002, after which point der Euro ( or EUR) became the only acceptable
currency in Germany. Should you still have any German marks or pfennigs (the smaller
denomination of the old currency), it is still possible to exchange them at German banks.
Postage stamps issued in D-Marks ceased to be legally valid in June 2002.

As you can imagine, changing the currency proved to be a huge logistical undertaking
which in itself is estimated to have cost 2.4 billion Marks. 28.5 billion coins and 2.6
billion notes from the D-Mark era needed to be taken out of circulation, whilst at the
same time 15.5 billion coins and 2.5 billion euro banknotes needed to be introduced to
shops, banks and cashpoints.

Yet the changeover has passed smoothly, not least because Germans had been well
prepared for it by a Government information campaign. Furthermore, although the euro
notes and coins were only introduced into circulation at the start of 2002, the new
currency could be used from 1 January 1999 onwards in the form of "written money" -
that is, by means of cheques, travellers' cheques, bank transfers and credit cards. Thus
many German employees could choose whether they wished to be paid in euros or marks.

And shops and supermarkets started to list prices in both marks and euros from 1999
onwards.

But although the advantages of a single European currency have been widely accepted,
many Germans nevertheless bade farewell to the mark with great reluctance. The mark
had been a symbol of fifty years of German post-War reliability and economic revival,
banishing the traumatic memories of hyper-inflation in the 1920's, when the currency was
worth that little that people needed to transport it in wheelbarrows if they needed to buy
something substantial. Since the mark became fully convertible in 1958, no other major
currency, including the Japanese yen or the Swiss franc, had been stronger. It had become
the second-largest currency component of global monetary reserves, second only to the
United States dollar - which itself lost about two-thirds of its value against the Deutsche
Mark since 1958.

German suspicions about the euro have been increased by popular fears that
manufacturers and shopkeepers took advantage of the introduction of the new currency to
raise prices on the sly. The price of everyday times staples such as bread and restaurant
meals have been particularly affected, with price rises of 100% being registered on some
consumer staples. Consumer groups and tabloid newspapers have rechristened the new
currency "der Teuro", which is a play on the German word for expensive "teuer".

As the alleged price increases were not reflected in the rate of inflation, the German
government was initially slow to react to popular discontent. Having been overcharged
for a sandwich in May 2002 however, Finance Minister Hans Eichel called for a
consumer boycott of businesses which had tried to cash in on the currency changeover.
Consumer affairs minister Renate Knast has also convened a meeting with retail and
trade groups to push for "a return to fair prices."

But the overall impression remains that the changeover to the new currency has been
much more successful than Euro-sceptics had predicted. Although an opinion poll
conducted in February 2002 showed that 48% of Germans regret the loss of the mark, a
roughly equal number said that they were satisfied with the new euro currency.

What's a euro worth?

Since January 1 1999, the euro has had an irrevocably fixed conversion rate against
the national currencies participating in the Eurozone. From that date onwards, the
value of one euro has been fixed at 1.95583 German marks. This has proved useful
in helping German citizens to come to terms with the new currency, as one euro is
thus roughly equal to two German marks. One euro is also worth:

13.7903 Austrian schillings (ATS)

40.3399 Belgian francs (BEF)
5.94573 Finnish markka (FIM)
6.55957 French francs (FRF)
340.750 Greek drachma (GRD)
0.787564 Irish pounds (IEP)
1936.27 Italian lira (ITL)
40.3399 Luxembourg francs (LUF)
2.20371 Dutch guilders (NLG)
200.482 Portuguese escudos (PTE)
166.386 Spanish pesetas (ESP)

There are of course no fixed exchange rates for currencies of countries which are not
in the Eurozone. In June 2002, one euro was worth 0.643 British pounds (and one
British pound was thus worth 1.555 euros). One euro was also worth 0.945 United
States dollars.

4.5 Euro notes and coins

Euro banknotes
The seven Euro banknotes depict the theme "Ages and styles of Europe". Each of the
notes has gateways and windows on its front and bridges on the back designed in a
specific architectural style. Gateways and windows are intended to symbolise the
European spirit of openness and co-operation, whereas bridges symbolise the close
co-operation and communication between Europe and the rest of the world.

The 5 euro note represents the classical architectural style, the 10 euro note has a
romanesque design, the 20 euro note has a gothic motif, the 50 euro note
represents the renaissance period, the 100 euro note depicts the baroque and rococo
periods, the 200 euro note displays iron and glass architecture and the 500 euro
note depicts modern 20th Century architecture.

Euro banknotes

5 Euro (5)

10 Euro (10)

20 Euro (20)

50 Euro (50)

100 Euro (100)

200 Euro (200)

500 Euro (500)

German euro coins

The eight denominations of coins vary in size, colour and thickness according to their
values. Alongside the one and two euro coins, there are six coins of the smaller
denomination the cent (der Cent). One hundred cents are equal to one euro.

The front of each coin features one of three designs common to all twelve euro area
countries showing different maps of Europe surrounded by the twelve stars of the
European Union. The reverse side of each coin shows individual designs relating to
the respective member state. (Euro coins can of course be used anywhere in the
euro area, regardless of their national sides.)

The one and two euro coins have the eagle, the traditional symbol of German
sovereignty on the back. The 10, 20 and 50 cent coins have the Brandenburg Gate in
Berlin. The 1, 2 and 5 cent coins have an oak twig on the reverse - a symbol of
continuity, as this motif was also to be found on the German pfennig coins which
have just been phased out.

German euro coins

 1 Cent

2 Cent

5 Cent

10 Cent

20 Cent

50 Cent

1 Euro (1)

2 Euro (2)

How to express the euro notes and coins in German

Compound nouns are used in German to translate items such as a "five euro note" or a
"two cent piece". Such nouns begin with a capital letter and their gender is determined by
the final element of the compound noun.

The German word for a banknote is der Schein (-e) and the word for a coin is die Mnze
(-n). When describing specific denominations of coin however, das Stck (-e) is used in
German compound nouns instead of "die Mnze". It literally means "piece" in the same
way as the English "twenty pence piece".
 Vocabulary 2: Scheine und Mnzen

der Schein (-e) die Mnze (-n)

(note) (coin)
das Eurostck (-e) das Centstck (-e)
(one euro coin) (one cent coin)
das Zweieurostck (-e) das Zweicentstck (-e)
(two euro coin) (two cent coin)
der Fnfeuroschein (-e) das Fnfcentstck (-e)
(five euro note) (five cent coin)
der Zehneuroschein (-e) das Zehncentstck (-e)
(ten euro note) (ten cent coin)
der Zwanzigeuroschein (-e) das Zwanzigcentstck (-e)
(twenty euro note) (twenty cent coin)
der Fnfzigeuroschein (-e) das Fnfzigcentstck (-e)
(fifty euro note) (fifty cent coin)
der Hunderteuroschein (-e)
(hundred euro note)
der Zweihunderteuroschein (-e)
(two hundred euro note)

Remember to use a comma and not a full stop to separate euros and cents!

Words and phrases:

"Los geht's! (= "Let's go!")

"Weiter spielen! (= "Carry on!")

"Spiel starten" (= "Start the game")

"Neues Spiel" (= "New Game")

"Ihr Ergebnis ist zu niedrig" (= Your amount is too low)

"Ihr Ergebnis ist zu hoch" (= Your amount is too high)

"Leider has du falsch gezhlt. Das richtige Ergebnis war..." (= Unfortunately

you have counted incorrectly. The correct amount was...)

4.6 Expressing prices and currencies

Currencies
As currencies are proper nouns in German, they start with a capital letter. Many
international currencies - such as der Euro and der Cent are masculine, but others
are not.
 Vocabulary 3: Die Whrung (currency)

der Euro der Cent

(euro) (cent)
das Pfund der Dollar
(pound) (dollar)
der Franken der Rappen
(Swiss franc) (Swiss centime)
der Yen der Rubel
(Japanese yen) (Russian rouble)
die Mark
die D-Mark
die deutsche Mark
(German mark)

Note therefore that while there are three different ways of expressing the former
German currency, none of them were the word "Deutschmark" - which only existed
in English!

How to express prices

When we express prices in English, the currency itself will be in the plural if the
number is greater than one e.g. "three euros and eighty cents", "two pounds fifty"
etc.

In German prices however, the currency is always in the singular in prices

regardless of the amount - drei Euro achtzig, zwei Pfund fnfzig. Similarly, although
one euro consists of a hundred cents, the word "Cent" is only written in the singular
in German prices - i.e. zwlf Euro (und) zehn Cent (= twelve euros and ten cents).

Note that in written German, a comma is invariably used in prices where we would
put a decimal point in English. Thus 3,99 (or 3,99 ) means "three euros and
ninety-nine cents". In shops and supermarkets however, price tickets can either
display a comma or a decimal point, as the price tags below display.

When a price ends in a round number of euros, as in the list of drinks prices on the
board in the picture below, it is most commonly written as 5,- etc. The reverse is
also true. Whereas English uses a comma to split up large numbers, German uses a
decimal point. So " 2.635" means "two thousand six hundred and thirty-five euros"
- not "two point six three five euros"!

4.7 Numbers: 21-99

In Chapter 3 we learned how to count from one to twenty in German. In the
dialogues in this section we have discovered that larger numbers are required when
buying things in Germany.

A list of German numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine is given below.

 Vocabulary 4: Numbers 21-99

21 einundzwanzig 31 einunddreiig
22 zweiundzwanzig 32 zweiunddreiig
23 dreiundzwanzig 40 vierzig
24 vierundzwanzig 45 fnfundvierzig
25 fnfundzwanzig 50 fnfzig
26 sechsundzwanzig 54 vierundfnfzig
27 siebenundzwanzig 60 sechzig
28 achtundzwanzig 70 siebzig
29 neunundzwanzig 80 achtzig
30 dreiig 90 neunzig

Explanation
1. The biggest difficulty which English-speakers experience with German numbers is
that cardinal numbers above twenty appear to be formed "backwards". Whereas we
say "twenty-four", German says "vierundzwanzig" (= four and twenty) like the "four-
and-twenty blackbirds" in the nursery rhyme "Sing a Song of Sixpence". This takes a
lot of getting used to! Note in particular the difference between 45 and 54 in the list
above. English-speakers often get such similar pairs of numbers the wrong way
round.

2. Note too that German numbers greater than twelve are seldom written as words,
except on cheques. When they are written out, each number is one continuous word
- i.e. "achtundsiebzig" whereas we would write "seventy-eight".

3. The German equivalent of the suffix "-ty" (as in "forty", "fifty" etc.) is "-zig".
There is one exception to this however: the German for "thirty" is "dreiig".

4. Be very careful of endings when using numbers containing "ein(e)". For example:
- 1,20 is written as ein Euro zwanzig as "der Euro" is a masculine noun.
- DM 1,20 however is written as eine Mark zwanzig as "die Mark" is a feminine noun.
- 21,00 is written as einundzwanzig Euro. There are no endings on "ein" here as it
appears in the middle of another number.
- 21,21 is likewise written as einundzwanzig Euro einundzwanzig.

4.8 Im Restaurant (1)

Anna Mller and Margarete Schfer, the two Berlin neighbours whom we saw
meeting for the first time in an earlier section, have met up at the "Caf Lit"
restaurant for a meal. But first they need to find a seat!
 Conversation 3: Im Restaurant (1)

Anna Mller Guten Tag. Ist hier noch frei?

Mann Nein, hier ist leider besetzt.
Anna Mller Entschuldigen Sie bitte. Ist hier noch frei?
Frau Ja, natrlich. Nehmen Sie Platz!
Anna Mller Vielen Dank.
Kellner Guten Tag. Sie wnschen bitte? Tee,
Kaffee, Kakao, Cola, Limonade, Wein?
Anna Mller Ich mchte gerne ein Knnchen Tee, bitte.
Kellner Mit Milch oder mit Zitrone?
Anna Mller Mit Zitrone, bitte.
Margarete Und ich nehme ein Glas Wein. Nein, ein
Schfer Bier!
Kellner Ein groes oder ein kleines?
Margarete Ein kleines.
Schfer
Kellner Ja. Mchten Sie auch die Speisekarte?
Anna Mller Ja, bitte. Gerne.

Glossary
das This is written as in English but it is
Restaurant pronounced quite differently.
im Restaurant in the restaurant
Ist hier noch "Is this seat taken?" Literally: "Is here still
frei? free?"
entschuldigen "Excuse me please". This is the most polite
Sie bitte way of gaining somebody's attention.
leider unfortunately
hier ist leider "Unfortunately, this seat is taken". The word
besetzt "besetzt" is also used to translate "engaged"
both for a phone-line and a toilet cubicle.
natrlich of course; naturally
nehmen Sie "Take a seat". This is a word-for-word
Platz translation of the English, with the indefinite
article being omitted. Both this phrase and
"Entschuldigen Sie, bitte" are requests /
instructions. In the "Sie" form, this means that
the subject and the verb are reversed such
that the verb is the first element in the
sentence.
 der Kellner waiter
der Tee tea
der Kakao cocoa
die (Coca- No need to translate this one, but note that
)Cola this is feminine in German. It is "das Coke"
however!
die Limonade lemonade
der Wein "wine". Most alcoholic drinks turn out to be
masculine.
ein Knnchen "A pot of tea". As with the glass of wine, the
Tee word for "of" is omitted in German after a noun
of quantity.
die Milch milk
die Zitrone This means "lemon". Tea is usually drunk in
German-speaking countries with lemon - and
from a glass. If you want milk rather than
lemon you will need to ask for "Tee mit Milch".
gleich immediately
und ich and I'll have...
nehme....
das Glas glass
ein Glas Wein This means "a glass of wine". Here too there is
no word for "of" in German after the noun of
quantity.
das Bier The German for "beer" is one of the few words
for alcoholic beverages which is neuter, not
masculine.
ein groes "a large (beer) or a small (beer)". As in the
oder ein earlier section, the noun does not need to be
kleines? repeated. We will discuss adjective endings in
a later section.
Mchten Sie Would you also like...?
auch...?
die "The menu". Literally: "The food card". You
Speisekarte might also hear it reduced to "die Karte".

4.9 Im Restaurant (2)

Having now found somewhere to sit and ordered a drink, Anna Mller and Margarete
Schfer are now ready to order their meal. Read their conversation to the waiter (der
Kellner).

Conversation 4: Im Restaurant (2)

Kellner Haben Sie schon gewhlt?

Margarete Ja, wir mchten bestellen.
Schfer
Kellner Was htten Sie gern?
Margarete Ich htte gern Hhnchen mit Kartoffeln
Schfer und Salat, bitte.
Kellner Gerne. Und fr Sie?
Anna Mller Ich mchte Schweineschnitzel mit
Pommes frites.
Kellner Ja... Und zu trinken?
Anna Mller Ein Glas Weiwein, bitte.
Margarete Und noch ein Bier!
Schfer
Kellner Bitte sehr.
Anna Mller Danke.

Glossary
schon already
Haben Sie schon Have you already chosen?
gewhlt?
Wir mchten "We would like to order." Note that - as in
bestellen English - the infinitive of the verb
"bestellen" comes at the end of the
clause.
das Hhnchen "Chicken". As this noun is another one
which ends in "-chen", we know that it
must be neuter.
die Kartoffel potato
der Salat salad; lettuce
gerne So far we have seen this word when a
customer is saying what he or she would
like. When spoken by a waiter, as here, it
means "Of course!" or "You're welcome!"
Und fr Sie? And for you?
das Schwein pig; pork
das Schnitzel cutlet, chop
das "Pork cutlet, escalope of pork". This is
Schweineschnitzel another example of those compound
nouns which are so common in German.
Remember that the gender of the
compound noun will always be determined
by the last element - here "das Schnitzel".
Und zu trinken? And to drink?
 ein Glas Weiwein "A glass of white wine". "Weiwein" is
another compound noun, coming from
"wei", the adjective for "white" and "der
Wein" (= wine).
noch still; yet
noch ein Bier "Another beer". You would say "eine" for a
feminine noun. So "another cup of tea"
would be "Noch eine Tasse Tee".
bitte sehr Yet another nuance of "bitte"! Although
the waiter isn't actually bringing them
anything, he still says "bitte sehr" to
confirm the transaction.

4.10 Settling the bill

Having had their main course, the waiter comes round to see if everything is in
order. Anna decides that they don't want a dessert, but would like the bill instead.

Conversation 5: Settling the bill

Kellner So, hat es Ihnen geschmeckt?

Margarete Ausgezeichnet!
Schfer
Anna Mller Sehr gut!
Kellner Mchten Sie noch etwas bestellen? Darf ich
Ihnen einen Nachtisch bringen? Wir haben
heute Erdbeeren mit Vanilleeis und Sahne.
Anna Mller Fr mich nicht.
Margarete Nein, danke, die Rechnung, bitte.
Schfer
Kellner Ja, zusammen oder getrennt?
Anna Mller Zusammen, bitte.
Kellner Ja, kleinen Moment bitte. Das macht
siebenundzwanzig Euro sechzig, bitte.
Anna Mller Dreiig. Stimmt so?
Kellner Ja, danke schn.

Glossary
so This approximates to "well then". It
never means the English "so" as in "a
logical conclusion".
Hat es Ihnen "Did you enjoy your meal?". The literal
geschmeckt? meaning is: "Did it taste to you?"
 ausgezeichnet "Excellent!" But then Margarete has had
two beers by now...
sehr gut very good
noch etwas "Something else". This always has the
sense of an additional something rather
than "something different".
der Nachtisch "dessert". It literally means "after-table".
darf ich...? "may I...?" Just like "Ich mchte...", it is
always followed by the infinitive of the
verb which it governs.
darf ich Ihnen einen "May I bring you a dessert?". And it is
Nachtisch bringen? "einen Nachtisch", because the masculine
noun "der Nachtisch" is the object of the
sentence.
heute today
die Erdbeere "strawberry". As we have seen, many
feminine nouns end in "-e", and form a
plural in "-en".
das Vanilleeis "vanilla ice-cream". This is another
German compound noun, coming from
"die Vanille" (= "vanilla") and "das Eis"
(= "ice cream"). As "das Eis" is the final
element of the compound noun, it
determines the gender.
die Sahne cream
fr mich nicht "Not for me". Note that the German word
for "not" - "nicht" - follows the noun to
which it refers.
die Rechnung, bitte (Could we have) the bill, please?
zusammen... together...
...oder getrennt? "...or separately?" The waiter is thus
asking them whether they wish to pay
together or separately.
kleinen Moment, "One moment, please". Literally: "A little
bitte moment please".
das macht... "It comes to....". Literally: "This
makes...".
siebenundzwanzig Twenty-seven euros sixty
Euro sechzig
dreiig Thirty
stimmt so? Is that right?

4.11 Vocabulary - Food and drink

Here is a summary of the vocabulary covered in this section, together with some
other words for food and drink which you may find useful. Many of these nouns are
not used in the plural - in most cases as in English - and so only the singular form
will be given. Unless otherwise indicated, you should assume that any verbs given
are regular (in the present tense at least).

Vocabulary 5: Food and drink (masc.)

English German
der Kuchen
cake
(plural - Kuchen)
cocoa der Kakao
coffee der Kaffee
dessert der Nachtisch
juice der Saft
- apple juice - der Apfelsaft
- orange juice - der Orangensaft
ketchup der Ketschup
salad der Salat
sugar der Zucker
tea der Tee
wine der Wein
- red wine - der Rotwein
- white wine - der Weiwein

Vocabulary 6: Food and drink (fem.)

Singular Plural
bill die Rechnung Rechnungen
coca-cola die (Coca-)Cola
cream die Sahne
cup die Tasse Tassen
gteau die Torte Torten
lemon die Zitrone Zitronen
lemonade die Limonade
menu die Speisekarte Speisekarten
milk die Milch
potato die Kartoffel Kartoffeln
sachertorte die Sachertorte Sachertorten
sausage die Wurst Wrste
- curried sausage - die Currywurst - Currywrste
- fried sausage - die Bratwurst - Bratwrste
strawberry die Erdbeere Erdbeeren

Vocabulary 7: Food and drink (neuter)

Singular Plural
beer das Bier
bread roll das Brtchen Brtchen
caf das Caf Cafs
chicken das Hhnchen Hhnchen
glass das Glas Glser
ice cream das Eis
- vanilla
- das Vanilleeis
ice cream
piece das Stck Stcke
pig; pork das Schwein Schweine
- pork cutlet - das Schweineschnitzel - Schweineschnitzel
pot das Knnchen Knnchen
restaurant das Restaurant Restaurants

Vocabulary 8: Food and drink (verbs)

English German
to bringen bringen
to choose whlen
to get; receive bekommen
to order bestellen

Vocabulary 9: Food and drink (phrases)

ist hier noch frei?
Is this seat taken?
hier ist besetzt
this seat is taken
nehmen Sie Platz!
Take a seat!
 haben Sie schon gewhlt?
Have you already chosen?
was bekommen Sie?
What would you like?
was mchten Sie?
What would you like?
mchten Sie sonst noch etwas?
Would you like anything else?
mchten Sie noch etwas bestellen?
Would you like anything else?
und zu trinken?
And to drink?
ich mchte...
I would like...
ich htte gerne...
I would like...
guten Appetit!
Bon appetit!
hat es Ihnen geschmeckt?
Did you enjoy your meal?
ich mchte gleich zahlen
I would like to pay now
die Rechnung, bitte
The bill, please
kleinen Moment, bitte!
Just one moment please!
zusammen oder getrennt?
are you paying together or separately?
das macht 20 Euro
It comes to 20 euros

4.12 Eating out in Germany

Town and country

The choice of restaurants in Germany is broad and varied. This is particularly the
case in large cities where you can find the cuisine of most countries of the world
represented. Even smaller towns however will have their fair share of Italian, Greek,
Turkish and Chinese restaurants - although Indian cuisine has yet to catch on to the
extent that it has in Great Britain. What have become popular and very common are
take-aways on the American pattern, delivering pizzas, Chinese and Mexican food to
your home.

In the country you are more likely to come across "eine Gaststtte", "ein Gasthaus"
or "eine Gaststube", a combination of pub, restaurant and caf which invariably
offers local delicacies. Take a look at the menu boards which are hung outside all
German restaurants to see what they are offering!

What you will not find in either town or country is an equivalent for the British "caff"
or "greasy spoon". Cafs in German-speaking countries are in general more
upmarket, with tablecloths, carpets and upholstered chairs.

Restaurant etiquette

When entering a restaurant in a German-speaking country, it is customary for the

diner to find their own seat rather than waiting to be designated one. You should
also not be surprised if another party asks if they may sit at your table. This is
common practice on the European mainland. And do not be offended if the people in
that party do not engage in conversation with you. They are rarely interested in
making friends, just looking for a seat in a crowded restaurant.

It used to be the case that you would address the waiter as Herr Ober and
waitresses as Frulein. These forms of address are out of date nowadays however
and should be avoided. If you want to order or pay you should make a sign with your
hand (but do not click your fingers!) and say something along the lines of Kann ich
bestellen, bitte? (= "May I order, please"?).

Paying and tipping

Credit cards are nearly always accepted in large restaurants nowadays but in more
humble establishments hard cash is still the usual means of payment. If you want to
pay by credit card, it is always advisable to ask before you order.

Paying for the meal is almost always done at your table with the waitress or waiter
who served you. It is not necessary to tip 15%, because a 15% gratuity is included
in the prices as a service fee (in addition to a 15% value added tax). It is
nevertheless usual to leave a tip in restaurants, cafs and other places where your
bill is brought to your table. This is done by rounding the bill up. If a bill is under 10
euros you round the sum up to the next full mark or next but one - i.e. 11,50
would be rounded up to 12. If the bill comes to more than 10 euros you should
allow 5% for a tip, rising to 10% in a more upmarket establishment.

Leaving the tip on the table after you have paid is unknown in Germany. Waiters and
waitresses are accustomed to receiving their tip as part of the bill, not by looking for
the tip on the table after you have left. If you let them give you your full change
(and then leave a tip on the table) they will think that you are unhappy with their
service. Only if you are really dissatisfied with the quality of service that you have
received should you not leave any tip at all - a token tip of a few cents will have the
same effect.

Snacks
One of the most striking aspects about a German city is the number of kiosks (der
Kiosk), sausage stalls (die Wrstchenbude) or snack bars (der Imbiss, der
Schnellimbiss) on each street corner. They are most well-known for offering
Bratwurst - a fried or grilled sausage - or curried sausage (Currywurst). In Austria,
you may come across "Steckerlfisch" - grilled fish on a stick. You can also get chips
there (Pommes, Pommes frites), but don't be alarmed if you are offered mayonnaise
along with tomato sauce to put on them!

Such kiosks and snack bars serve beer as well as soft drinks, and many will offer a
very good ground coffee. The preference for coffee over tea in mainland Europe
continues unabated. You may be offered tea in a caf or restaurant, but most
Germans drink it with lemon or just black. Iced tea is becoming increasingly popular
as a summertime beverage.

The traditional German kiosk and snack bar is however under attack from a variety
of overseas food outlets, American fast food (hamburgers, pancakes et al.) being the
most visible competitor. But you will also find Turkish kebabs, Italian pizzas and
French crpes doing a roaring trade on street corners.

Chapter 5: Asking for directions

5.1 Where is the Hotel Ravenna (1)

Having arrived in Berlin for his conference, Ken McNaught now needs to find his way
around in the big city. He knows that his hotel - the "Hotel Ravenna" (marked by an "X"
in our diagram) - is in the road called Harbigstrasse which in the Charlottenburg region of
Berlin, but he is having trouble finding it.

Whilst in Position 1 on our diagram, standing on the corner of two roads called
Waldschulallee and Messedamm, he meets a passer-by (ein Passant) and asks for
directions.
 Conversation 1: Wo ist das Hotel Ravenna?
Ken Entschuldigen Sie bitte.
McNaught
Passant Ja bitte?
Ken Wo finde ich das Hotel Ravenna?
McNaught
Passant Ach ja, ich wei... Da gehen Sie bitte
fnfhundert Meter geradeaus, und die
nchste Strae rechts, und dann finden Sie
das Hotel Ravenna auf der rechten Seite.
Ken Wie bitte?
McNaught
Passant Immer geradeaus, dann die nchste rechts -
die Harbigstrae.
Ken Danke schn!
McNaught
Passant Bitte schn. Viel Spa in Berlin!

Glossary
der Passant the passer-by
wo ist...? where is...?
das Hotel the hotel
entschuldigen Excuse me please?
Sie bitte
Ja, bitte Another nuance of "bitte"! This time it
approximates to "Yes, how may I help?"
wo finde ich...? "Where can I find...?" The word for "can" is
omitted in the German construction.
das Hotel The names of most German hotels follow the
Ravenna word for "hotel".
ach ja, ich wei oh yes, I know
da gehen Sie "You go...". Our old friend "bitte" is added for
bitte... an extra touch of politeness.
fnfhundert five hundred metres
Meter
geradeaus "Straight on." Later in the conversation the
passer-by will say "immer geradeaus", which
equates to "keep straight on" - (literally
"always straight on").
die Strae street; road
rechts on the right
die nchste the next road on the right
Strae rechts
dann finden "Then you will find..." There is no word here
Sie... for "will" - the present tense can be used in
German to translate the immediate future.
auf der rechten "on the right-hand side". In practice this is
Seite interchangeable with "rechts".
Wie bitte? This means "Pardon me?". Never be
embarrassed about asking somebody to
repeat directions, particularly when you are
new to a language!
die nchste The passer-by does not repeat "Strae" here.
rechts As we saw in the previous section, it is clear
that the adjective refers back to the feminine
noun "street".
viel Spa "Enjoy yourself!". The literal meaning is
"Much fun!"

5.2 Where is the Hotel Ravenna (2)

Our passer-by is beginning to curse his luck! No sooner has he given instructions to Ken
McNaught and moved along the Messedamm to Position 2 on our diagram than he bumps
into Herr Loss, who is also looking for the Hotel Ravenna (which is again marked by an
"X" in our diagram).
 Conversation 2: Wo ist das Hotel Ravenna?

Herr Entschuldigen Sie bitte.

Loss
Passant Ja?
Herr Wie komme ich zum Hotel Ravenna?
Loss
Passant Gehen Sie hier geradeaus.
Herr Hier geradeaus?
Loss
Passant Richtig. Nehmen Sie dann die erste Strae
rechts. Das ist die Jaffeestrae.
Herr Die zweite Strae rechts?
Loss
Passant Nein, nicht die zweite sondern die erste Strae
rechts!
Herr Die erste Strae rechts?
Loss
Passant Ja, ganz richtig. Dann nehmen Sie bitte die
erste Strae links. Das ist die Harbigstrae.
Herr Die Harbigstrae?
Loss
Passant Ja, genau. Und das Hotel Ravenna ist auf der
linken Seite.
Herr Vielen Dank. Auf Wiedersehen!
Loss
Passant Auf Wiedersehen!
 Glossary
Wie komme "How do I get to...?" Literally: "How do I come
ich...? to...?" As there is only one present tense in
German, the word for "do" is omitted in the
German construction.
... zum Hotel "...to the Hotel Ravenna". The word "zum" is
Ravenna short for "zu dem". It is only used for masculine
and neuter nouns - for feminine nouns you
would say "zur".
hier straight on here
geradeaus
richtig right; correct
Nehmen "Take...". Note again the inverted word order of
Sie... the polite request.
die erste the first road on the right
Strae
rechts
die zweite the second road on the right
Strae rechts
nicht... "Not ... but..." In this case, "nicht" precedes the
sondern... noun to which it refers.
ganz richtig "Quite right". The word "ganz" is quite tricky in
that it can mean "quite" or very according to
context.
die erste the first road on the left...
Strae
links...
auf der linken "On the left-hand side". In practice this is
Seite interchangeable with "links".

5.3 Where is the nearest...?

On the previous two pages, we have practised how to get directions to specific places.
The vocabulary and skills are slightly different when we have to find the nearest shop,
station etc. In this conversation we find Herr McNaught asking a female passer-by (eine
Passantin) where the nearest telephone box and the nearest chemist's are.

Conversation 3: Telefonzelle und Apotheke

Ken Entschuldigen Sie bitte.

McNaught
Passantin Ja?
Ken Wo ist denn hier die nchste Telefonzelle?
McNaught
Passantin Die nchste Telefonzelle ist gleich hier um
die Ecke. In der Nhe vom Brandenburger
Tor.
Ken Und wo gibt es hier eine Apotheke?
McNaught
Passantin Eine Apotheke oder eine Drogerie?
Ken Eine Apotheke.
McNaught
Passantin Sie gehen geradeaus und dann die vierte
Strae links. An der Ampel rechts und dann
stehen Sie direkt vor der Apotheke.
Ken Ist das weit?
McNaught
Passantin Nein, nur fnf Minuten zu Fu.

Glossary
die Passantin passer-by (female)
Wo ist denn "Wo ist...?" is the basic phrase used to
hier...? translate "Where is...?". The additional words
"denn hier" merely add a sense of
conversational emphasis, and can be omitted.
die Telefonzelle telephone box
die nchste "The nearest telephone box." The endings of
Telefonzelle the adjective "nchst-" depend on the gender
of the noun, and the case - i.e. whether it is in
the nominative or the accusative case.
gleich hier just here; right here
um die Ecke around the corner
in der Nhe von "Near...". When the preposition "von" is
followed by the definite article, this becomes
"vom" for a masculine or neuter noun, and
"von der" for a feminine noun.
das "The Brandenburg Gate" is probably Berlin's
Brandenburger most famous landmark. We have included a
Tor picture of it in the top left-hand corner of each
page in this chapter.
Wo gibt es Another variant of "Where is...?" Note that in
hier...? this construction, the thing which you are
looking for is in the accusative case, whereas
it is in the nominative case for the "Wo ist..."
construction. This of course affects the
endings on each noun.
die Apotheke This is a "chemist's shop" which is staffed by
qualified pharmacists who can prescribe
medication for straightforward ailments
without a doctor's prescription.
die Drogerie We would also translate this as a "chemist's
shop", but it is one that merely sells
toothpaste, toilet articles and cough sweets.
die Ampel "Traffic lights". This is a singular noun in
German.
an der Ampel "Right at the traffic lights". The definite article
rechts "die" becomes "der" after the preposition "an"
which takes the dative case.
dann stehen "Then you stand...". The verb "stehen" is
Sie... regular in the present tense.
direkt directly
vor der "In front of the chemists shop". This is
Apotheke another preposition which takes the dative
case.
Ist das weit? Is it far?
nur only
fnf Minuten zu five minutes by foot
Fu

5.4 Studying the map

Ken McNaught is now positioned "Ecke Singerstrae Neue Blumenstrae", that is on the
corner of Singerstrae and Neue Blumenstrae in what used to be East Berlin. He asks a
passer-by where he can find the post-office and the underground station.

Both of these are shown on the map below - the post-office has the yellow logo of the
German post office Deutsche Post with its trademark horn, and the "U-Bahnhof" (=
"underground station") is indicated by the blue letter "U".

Conversation 4: Das Postamt und der U-Bahnhof

Ken Entschuldigen Sie bitte.

McNaught
Passant Ja bitte?
Ken Gibt es hier in der Nhe ein Postamt?
McNaught
Passant Ja, hier ganz in der Nhe. In der
Schillingstrae etwa zwei Minuten von hier.
Ken Und wo ist die Schillingstrae?
McNaught
Passant Sie gehen geradeaus und dann links. Nehmen
Sie die erste Strae rechts und dann finden
Sie das Postamt auf der linken Seite.
Ken Und wo gibt es hier einen U-Bahnhof?
McNaught
Passant Da gehen Sie bitte circa sechshundert Meter
geradeaus, die nchste rechts und dann
gehen Sie ganz einfach die Schillingstrae
entlang, an der Polizeiwache vorbei, und
dann stehen Sie direkt davor.
Ken Welcher U-Bahnhof ist das?
McNaught
Passant U-Bahnhof Schillingstrae.

Glossary
hier in der Nhe near here
hier ganz in der very near here
Nhe
das Postamt "Post office". You will often hear the word
"die Post" used for this, which also means
the post office as an institution.
etwa approximately
zwei Minuten von two minutes from here
hier
Wo gibt es hier "Where is an underground station round
einen U- here?" As "es gibt" takes the accusative
Bahnhof? case, the masculine noun "ein U-Bahnhof"
becomes "einen U-Bahnhof".
circa approximately; about
sechshundert six hundred metres
Meter
ganz einfach quite simply
die Schillingstrae "Along the Schillingstrae". The preposition
entlang "entlang" follows the noun to which it
refers.
die Polizeiwache "Police station". It is indicated on German
 maps by a green star on a white circular
background.
an der past the police station
Polizeiwache
vorbei
direkt davor directly in front of it
Welcher U- "Which underground station is that?" If the
Bahnhof ist das? noun following "which" was a feminine
noun, it would be "welche" and if it was a
neuter noun, it would be "welches".

5.5 Prepositions
Prepositions which take the accusative case
Prepositions are words such as "in", "on" and "over" which stand in front of a noun or
pronoun to relate it to the rest of the sentence. In German, when these prepositions
are used, the words for "the" (der/die/das) and "a" (ein) alter their endings
depending on the case in which they are used.

We are already familiar with the accusative case, and have explained how "der"
changes into "den" in the accusative case, and "ein" changes into "einen". This same
change from "der" to "den" also happens after certain prepositions - we say that
these prepositions "take" the accusative case. Some of the more commonly used
German prepositions are listed below:

Grammar 1: Accusative prepositions

Preposition Example
durch durch das Hotel
through the hotel
entlang die Strae entlang
along the street
fr fr den Mann
for the man
um um die Ecke
round the corner

The dative case

Many prepositions however take a case which is new to us - the dative case. For the
definite article, the dative case means that both the masculine "der" and the neuter
"das" change into "dem", and the feminine "die" changes into "der".

As regards to the indefinite article, the dative case means that both the masculine
and the neuter "ein" change into "einem", whereas the feminine "eine" changes into
"einer".

Some of the most commonly used German prepositions that take the dative case
are:
 Grammar 2: Dative prepositions

Prep. Example
an an der Ampel
(at the traffic lights)
in in einem Restaurant
(in a restaurant)
von 5 Minuten von der Apotheke
(five minutes from the chemist's)
vor vor dem Hotel
(in front of the hotel)
zu Wie komme ich zum Hotel?
(How do I get to the hotel?)

There is an additional difficulty however, in that some prepositions can either take
the accusative or the dative case, depending on context. The prepositions "an", "in"
and "vor" take the dative case when they are describing a fixed position, but the
accusative case when they are describing movement - "Er geht in das Hotel". We
will look at this in more detail in a subsequent chapter.

The prepositions "von" and "zu" on the other hand, always take the dative case.

5.6 The dative case and the articles

Definite article
The endings for the definite article "der" in the dative case are as follows - singular
endings only.

Grammar 3: Definite article in the dative case

Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative der Mann die Frau das Kind
Accusative den Mann die Frau das Kind
Dative dem Mann der Frau dem Kind

Merging of prepositions with the definite article

You will already have noted that certain prepositions tend to merge with the definite
article - but never with the indefinite article. The following contracted forms are
almost always preferred to the non-contracted forms:

Grammar 4: Dative prepositions

Prep. Example
an + dem = am Ich bin am U-Bahnhof
(I am at the underground station)
in + dem = im Wir sind im Caf
(We are in the caf)
 von + dem = vom Zehn Minuten vom Bahnhof
(Ten minutes from the station)
zu + dem = zum Wie komme ich zum Hotel?
(How do I get to the hotel?)
zu + der = zur Sie geht zur Bank
(She goes to the bank)

The indefinite article

The endings for the indefinite article "ein" in the three cases which we have met so
far are printed below. Note that "kein" also declines in the same way.

Grammar 5: Indefinite article in the dative case

Masculine Feminine Neuter

Nom. ein Mann eine Frau ein Kind
Acc. einen Mann eine Frau ein Kind
Dat. einem Mann einer Frau einem Kind

Possessive adjectives
The endings for the possessive adjectives are as follows. We have given "mein" as an
example, but the others decline in the same way.

Grammar 6: Possessive adjectives in the dative case

Masc. Fem. Neut.
Nom. mein Mann meine Frau mein Kind
Acc. meinen Mann meine Frau mein Kind
Dat. meinem meiner meinem
Mann Frau Kind

The only exception to this rule is the possessive adjective "euer" (= your). This
possessive loses the "-e-" of its stem when it adds endings.

Grammar 7: The possessive "euer" in the dative case

Masc. Fem. Neut.

Nom. euer Mann eure Frau euer Kind
Acc. euren Mann eure Frau eurer Kind
Dat. eurem Mann eurer Frau eurem Kind

5.7 Adjectives
When adjectives follow a noun
When an adjective - or "describing word" - follows the verb "to be" as in the phrase
"Ist es weit?" (= Is it far?) in one of the conversations in this chapter, or in the
question "Wie alt bist du?, adjectives in this position do not have endings in German.

When an adjective is given as a one word response to a question, there are also no
endings. For example, when the waiter asks the diners in Chapter 4 whether they
had enjoyed their meal - "Hat es Ihnen geschmeckt?" (= Did you enjoy your meal?),
Anna and Margarete reply with adjectives without endings - "Ausgezeichnet!" (=
Excellent!) and "Sehr gut!" (= Very good!).

Adjectives before a noun

Adjectives standing in front of a noun add endings to show whether that noun is
singular or plural, what its gender is, and what case it stands in. The endings the
adjective adds depend on what sort of article is standing before it. The endings for
an adjective which follows the definite article "der" are as follows:

Grammar 8: Adjective endings after the definite article

Masculine Feminine Neuter

Nom. der gute Mann die gute Frau das gute Kind
Acc. den guten Mann die gute Frau das gute Kind
Dat. dem guten Mann der guten Frau dem guten Kind

The indefinite article "ein" - along with "kein" - has the following endings, depending
on the gender of the noun which follows it and the case that this noun is in.

Grammar 9: Adjective endings after the indefinite article

Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nom. ein guter Mann eine gute Frau ein gutes Kind
Acc. einen guten Mann eine gute Frau ein gutes Kind
Dat. einem guten Mann einer guten Frau einem guten Kind

Adjectives after possessive adjectives take exactly the same endings as those which
follow the indefinite article:

Grammar 10: Adjectives after possessive adjectives

Masculine Feminine Neuter

Nom. ihr guter Mann ihre gute Frau ihr gutes Kind
Acc. ihren guten Mann ihre gute Frau ihr gutes Kind
Dat. ihrem guten Mann ihrer guten Frau ihrem guten Kind
Examples
To work out the endings on an adjective you need to know three things:

What is the gender of the noun - masculine, feminine or accusative?

What case is the noun in in this sentence - nominative, accusative or dative?
What type of article precedes the adjective - definite "ein" or indefinite "ein"? Or is it
preceded by a possessive adjective "mein etc."?

Thus for the sentence "Wo ist die nchste Apotheke?", we know that the ending on
the adjective is "-e" because:

"die Apotheke" is a feminine noun

It is in the nominative case in the above sentence - i.e. it is the subject of the clause
It is preceded by the definite article "die"

And in the sentence "Wo gibt es hier den nchsten U-Bahnhof?", we know that the
adjective ending is "-en" because:

"der U-Bahnhof" is a masculine noun

It is in the accusative case in the sentence - i.e. it is the object of the clause
It is preceded by the definite article "den"

5.8 Ordinal numbers

Ordinal numbers from one to nineteen
We refer to the English words "first", "second", "third" etc as ordinal numbers. These
are formed in German for the numbers one to nineteen by taking the number itself
and adding "-t-" to the end. Four ordinals are irregular: "erst-" (= "first"), "dritt-" (=
"third"), "siebt-" (= "seventh") and "acht-" (= "eighth").

The important thing to remember is that such numbers are adjectives, and must
therefore take adjective endings when they precede a noun. They do so according to
the rules which we established in the previous section. Here are the ordinal numbers
from one to nineteen, with the adjective endings for a masculine noun after a
definite article.

Ordinal numbers 1-19 (def. article)

der erste der elfte

der zweite der zwlfte

der dritte der dreizehnte

der vierte der vierzehnte

der fnfte der fnfzehnte

 der sechste der sechzehnte

der siebte der siebzehnte

der achte der achtzehnte

der neunte der neunzehnte

der zehnte

When the ordinal number follows an indefinite article, the adjective endings must
therefore change. For the purposes of the table below, imagine again that we are
dealing with a masculine noun:

Ordinal numbers 1-19 (indef. article)

ein erster ein elfter

ein zweiter ein zwlfter

ein dritter ein dreizehnter

ein vierter ein vierzehnter

ein fnfter ein fnfzehnter

ein sechster ein sechzehnter

ein siebter ein siebzehnter

ein achter ein achtzehnter

ein neunter ein neunzehnter

ein zehnter

Ordinal numbers from twenty upwards

Ordinal numbers from twenty upwards are formed by adding "-st-" to the number
itself. Adjective endings are then added in the usual way:

Grammar 13: Ordinal numbers greater than 19 (def. article)

 20 der zwanzigste 31 der einunddreiigste
22 der zweiundzwanzigste 32 der zweiunddreiigste
23 der dreiundzwanzigste 40 der vierzigste
24 der vierundzwanzigste 45 der fnfundvierzigste
25 der fnfundzwanzigste 50 der fnfzigste
26 der sechsundzwanzigste 54 der vierundfnfzigste
27 der siebenundzwanzigste 60 der sechzigste
28 der achtundzwanzigste 70 der siebzigste
29 der neunundzwanzigste 80 der achtzigste
30 der dreiigste 90 der neunzigste

5.9 Berlin: Facts and figures

A brief history

Berlin was founded in the 13th Century and was originally a seat of the
Hohenzollerns royal family. It was initially the capital of Brandenburg and then
became capital of Prussia, which it remained until 1945. Berlin was also the capital of
Germany between 1871 and 1945. From the end of World War II until the
reunification of Germany in 1990 the city was divided into two parts: West Berlin (a
state of the Federal Republic of Germany, forming an enclave within the German
Democratic Republic) and East Berlin (the zone of the city that was Soviet-occupied
at the end of the war, and later became capital of the German Democratic Republic).

Despite being blockaded by the Communists, West Berlin was successfully supplied
by a large-scale Allied 'airlift' in 1949. A fortified wall separating the two sectors was
erected in 1961 by the Communist authorities to curb the flow of refugees to the
West, and many people were killed or wounded while attempting to cross.

The Berlin wall was opened in November 1989 after the collapse of the Communist
regime in East Germany, and subsequently dismantled. It once more became the
capital of Germany after the reunification of October 3, 1990 and the second half of
the 1990's witnessed key government bodies relocating from Bonn to Berlin.

The new Berlin

The new Berlin is defining itself as a bridge between East and West. Berlin is situated
on the east-west axis from Paris to Warsaw/Moscow and on the north-south line
from Stockholm to Prague, Vienna and Budapest. It has been transformed from the
symbol of European division to the place where East and West Europe meet. The
growing economy in Central and Eastern Europe finds a bridge to the western
economy in Berlin. Companies with world-wide operations make use of the many
institutions located in Berlin and the expertise that is concentrated here. Berlins
scientific, research and cultural institutions represent one of the invaluable strengths
of the city.
Size and population
Berlin currently has a population of 3.45 million inhabitants. It is a multicultural city,
with more than 430,000 people from 184 different nations living there. Lower rents
for residential accommodation in the eastern boroughs and the greater supply of jobs
in the western boroughs led to a new mixture of the population soon after
unification. It is both a city and a federal state, fulfils both federal state functions
and municipal functions.

Berlin has an area of around 891 square kilometres - as large as Munich, Stuttgart
and Frankfurt am Main put together and unites a large number of urban districts,
centres and boroughs which are completely different in character. In the inner part
of the city, the buildings of the Kulturforum on the southern edge of the Tiergarten
and the modern office and shopping complex on Potsdamer Platz link the western
city around the Kurfrstendamm with the eastern city in the historical centre of
Berlin between the Brandenburg Gate and Alexanderplatz. To the north of the
Tiergarten, the government and parliament buildings are being built in the meander
of the River Spree.

Architecture

In addition to the architecture of the 19th and 20th century, the new cityscape is
dominated by buildings designed by top international architects. The outstanding
example is the Reichstag, which has been redesigned by Norman Foster and now has
a glass dome which is open to visitors. Architects such as Helmut Jahn, Renzo Piano,
Hans Kollhoff and Richard Rogers have designed offices, shops and apartments in the
restored Potsdamer Platz. Frank OGehry has designed a new building on Pariser
Platz for the DG Bank and Aldo Rossi's residential complex in the Schtzenstrae has
also attracted positive comment.

5.10 John F. Kennedy in Berlin

Ich bin ein Berliner

Between 1945-1989, Germany as a whole, and Berlin as a city, was divided by the
Cold War (der Kalte Krieg), a state of open confrontation between the Communist
bloc and the NATO alliance. The West had been already been forced to come to
Berlin's aid once before in 1948, carrying out an eleven-month airlift of food and
industrial supplies to the Western sectors after the Soviets had started a temporary
blockade of West Berlin's railroads, highways and waterways

In August 1961 the Soviets erected the Berlin Wall to stop the mass exodus of
people fleeing Soviet East Berlin for West Berlin and the non-Communist world, thus
sealing West Berlin behind a twelve foot wall for some twenty-eight years. Only two
years after this, on June 26th 1963, American President John F. Kennedy came to
West Berlin as part of a European goodwill tour and addressed the city's populace.
The last part of his speech has gone down in history as a ringing endorsement of
freedom. You can read a transcript of this below. Click here or on the sound icon at
the start of this paragraph to listen to a recording of Kennedy's speech.

President Kennedy's speech in Berlin

 Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all
are not free. When all are free, then we can look forward
to that day when this city will be joined as one and this
country and this great Continent of Europe in a peaceful
and hopeful globe. When that day finally comes, as it will,
the people of West Berlin can take sober satisfaction in
the fact that they were in the front lines for almost two
decades. All free men, wherever they may live, are
citizens of Berlin, and, therefore, as a free man, I take
pride in the words "Ich bin ein Berliner."

Did Kennedy really call himself a doughnut?

Stirring stuff, no doubt, but Kennedy's actual German has been a source of
controversy ever since 1961. For as we have learned, to say that you come from a
certain place necessitates the construction: "Ich bin Englnder", "Ich bin
sterreicherin" etc. - i.e. a construction without the definite article.

So by saying "Ich bin ein Berliner" instead of "Ich bin Berliner", some people have
concluded that Kennedy had made an embarrassing mistake. For the word, "der
Berliner" has two meanings, not only "a citizen of Berlin" but also "a jelly doughnut",
and by using the definite article in his speech Kennedy has been interpreted as
outing himself as a tasty culinary delicacy! Similarly, if you said "Ich bin ein
Hamburger" instead of "Ich bin Hamburger", you might be seen to be implying not
that you came from Hamburg but that you are a quarterpounder with cheese...!

In fact, Kennedy inadvertently outing himself a jelly donut is an urban myth. For one
thing, he was told to say this sentence by his translator - who was a German. For
another, the crowd patently understood what Kennedy was saying, and cheered him
instead of laughing. Whilst not worrying too much about the distinction for the time
being, there are many regions of Germany where the definite article can be used to
describe your profession and where you live. This is particularly the case in Bavaria -
and in the north-east of Germany where Berlin is located. Furthermore, if you claim
that a "Berliner" can be a type of character as well as a place of birth, then the
grammatical rule as to whether you use the definite article or not in this context
becomes very blurred.

So what lessons should we learn as students of German? We would still recommend

omitting the definite article when describing your profession and where you live. You
should nevertheless be aware that native Germans who include the article are not
trying to indicate that they are nutty as a fruitcake. Or a jelly donut. Or a hamburger
for that matter.

Chapter 6: Getting around town

6.1 Der Zeitungskiosk

Having attended his conference, Herr McNaught now needs to get back to Zoo Station in
Berlin - or to give it its proper name "Berlin Zoologischer Garten" - in order to catch his
train home. We find him in the Whlertstrae in the North-East of the city asking for help
at "ein Zeitungskiosk" - one of the many kiosks selling newspapers and cigarettes which
you will see in any major German city.

Conversation 1: Der Zeitungskiosk

Ken Ich htte gerne eine Berliner Zeitung und

McNaught einen Stadtplan, bitte.
Kioskbetreiber Einen groen oder einen kleinen
Stadtplan?
Ken Was kostet der groe?
McNaught
Kioskbetreiber Fnf Euro.
Ken Ja, den nehme ich. Und wie komme ich
McNaught am besten zum Bahnhof Zoo? Ich wollte
eigentlich mit der Straenbahn fahren. An
der Haltestelle steht aber niemand.
Kioskbetreiber Nehmen Sie ein Taxi! Oder fahren Sie mit
der U-Bahn. Es gibt einen U-Bahnhof
gleich um die Ecke. Nehmen Sie die erste
Strae links, das ist die Chausseestrae.
Ken Danke sehr!
McNaught
Kioskbetreiber Bitte sehr.

Whlertstrae
 Glossary
der "The newspaper kiosk." This is a compound
Zeitungskiosk noun formed from "die Zeitung" (=
newspaper) and "der Kiosk" (= kiosk). As
with all compound nouns, it takes the gender
of the final element in the compound noun.
der kiosk owner
Kioskbetreiber
Tabakwaren tobacco goods
Berliner Zeitung "Die Zeitung" is the word for "a newspaper".
"Berliner" is both the adjective formed from
Berlin and the name of an inhabitant of
Berlin. Click here to visit the homepage of
this newspaper.
der Stadtplan A "map of the city". This is another
compound noun coming from "die Stadt" (=
the city) and "der Plan" (= map; plan).
gro ... klein "Big ... small". It is "einen" and not "ein"
because both words are implicitly still in the
accusative case.
Was kostet der "What does the big one cost?". Note the word
groe...? order - the question word comes first,
followed by the verb and then the subject of
the sentence.
den nehme ich "I'll take that one." Unlike in English, it is
quite possible for the object of the clause to
be the first word in a German clause. This is
because the endings of German pronouns
clearly tell us which is nominative and which
is accusative.
Wie komme ich This is an alternative to "Wie komme ich..."
am besten...? in the previous section. A rough translation
would be: "What is the best way to get to...?"
der Bahnhof station
der Zoo A "zoo", fairly obviously, but note that the
full form of this noun - "der zoologische
Garten" is also used in German.
eigentlich in fact
ich wollte... "I wanted to..." This is always followed by the
infinitive of the verb. It is an irregular verb
(see verb tables).
die Straenbahn A "tram" - or quite literally "street-car".
These are almost exclusively to be found in
East Berlin, and are marked by red squares
and numbers on our map.
mit (+ Dative) This preposition means "with" and always
takes the dative case. It never has
contracted forms with the definite article.
mit der This means "to travel by tram" or literally "to
 Straenbahn travel with the tram". Note that the definite
fahren article is used in the German construction
while we do not use it in the English
construction. The verb "fahren" is also
irregular - see following sections.
die Haltestelle This means "a stop (bus, tram etc.)".
an der "At the bus-stop". As with "die Ampel"
Haltestelle (traffic-lights), the word for a "stop" takes
the preposition "an (+ Dative)" to translate
"at".
niemand This means "nobody". The full meaning of the
sentence is "But there is nobody standing at
the bus-stop".
das Taxi This means "taxi". The plural varies according
to where you are in the country. In most
parts of the country you will see "Taxis", but
in Berlin and the north of Germany the plural
is "Taxen".
die U-Bahn This means "the Underground". "Mit der U-
Bahn fahren" means "to travel by
underground".

6.2 Der U-Bahnhof

Ken McNaught decides to follow the kiosk attendant's advice and go to to U-Bahnhof
Schwartzkopffstrae. But he still needs to buy a ticket - and work out his route to Zoo
Station on the underground. He first asks a commuter ("der Pendler") where he can buy a
ticket, but as he doesn't have the necessary change for one of the ticket machines he has
to go to the ticket counter.

Conversation 2: Der U-Bahnhof

Ken Entschuldigen Sie, wo bekomme ich einen

McNaught Fahrschein?
Pendlerin Da steht ein Fahrkartenautomat. Dort hinten.
Ken Ach so. Aber ich habe kein Kleingeld.
McNaught
Pendlerin Dann mssen Sie am Schalter fragen.
Ken (He goes to the ticket office.) Guten Tag. Ich
McNaught mchte zum U-Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten
fahren. Welche Linie geht dahin, bitte?
Beamtin Am besten nehmen Sie die Linie U6 Richtung
Alt-Mariendorf. Steigen Sie am U-Bahnhof
Friedrichstrae um.
Ken Wie bitte?
McNaught
Beamtin Ja, Sie mssen leider umsteigen. Sie steigen
drei Stationen weiter am U-Bahnhof
Friedrichstrae um und fahren dann mit der
S3 Richtung Charlottenburg.
Ken Mit der S3?
McNaught
Beamtin Ja, das ist die S-Bahn.
Ken Richtung Charlottenburg?
McNaught
Beamtin Ja, da ist Endstation.
Ken Und was kostet ein Fahrschein bei Ihnen?
McNaught
Beamtin Haben sie keine Jahreskarte?
Ken Nein, ich bin hier auf Geschftsreise.
McNaught
Beamtin Das macht zwei Euro zehn.
Ken So.... und wann fhrt der nchste Zug?
McNaught
Beamtin In fnf Minuten, um Viertel nach elf.

Glossary
wo bekomme ich...? "Where can I get...?" Note that there is
no word for "can" in the German version.
der Fahrschein This means "the ticket". You might also
see two alternative words for "ticket" -
"die Fahrkarte" or "der Fahrausweis".
der Pendler This is a male "commuter". A female
commuter is "die Pendlerin".
der "Ticket machine". See the picture below.
Fahrkartenautomat All underground stations in Berlin have
automatic ticket machines. You simply
choose the type of ticket you require and
insert your money. Click here to see a
screenshot of the instructions on the
front of a German ticket machine.
dort hinten "Over there at the back". "Hinten" means
"at the back", whilst "vorne" means "at
the front".
ach so Oh, I see
das Kleingeld This means "change" - literally "little
money". Ken McNaught has no change
for the ticket machine, so has to ask at
the counter.
dann mssen Sie... "Then you'll have to...." The verb
 "mssen" is an irregular verb (see
subsequent sections).
am Schalter This means "at the counter". "Der
Schalter" is a masculine noun.
zum...fahren He wants to travel to Zoo Station. The
verb "fahren" is used when you use a
means of transport; "gehen" is used for
going somewhere on foot.
die Linie the (train, bus) line
welche Linie geht "Which line goes there?". The "-e" ending
dahin? on "welche" is added because "die Linie"
is a feminine noun.
die Beamtin "The ticket clerk (female)". This word is
also used to translate a "civil servant".
am besten nehmen your best bet would be to take...
Sie...
Richtung Alt- This means "in the direction of Alt-
Mariendorf Mariendorf". "Die Richtung" is the
German word for "direction".
am U-Bahnhof "At the underground station". Note that
"an" is the preposition used here and that
"an + dem" are contracted to form the
single word "am".
steigen Sie ... um This means "to change (bus, train,
tram)". Here it is two words with the
separable prefix going to the end of the
clause, whereas the infinitive "umsteigen"
is written as only one word. An
explanation of German separable verbs is
given on Page 6 of this chapter.
drei Stationen "Three stations onwards". Both "der
weiter Bahnhof" and "die Station" can be used
to translate "underground station".
U6
is the conventional abbreviation for
"der Untergrund" (= the Underground).
S3
is the normal abbreviation for "die S-
Bahn (Schnellbahn)", which might best
be translated as "suburban railway" (see
the picture of two old-fashioned S-Bahn
trains at the bottom of this page).
da ist Endstation that's the last stop
die Jahreskarte "A yearly (travel) pass". This is the
cheapest way to travel round Berlin and
most major German cities.
ich bin hier auf We've had this before. It means "I'm
Geschftsreise here on business". Remember?
Wann fhrt der "When does the next train depart?"
nchste Zug? "Wann?" is the question word used when
 you want to ask the precise physical time
of something.
um Viertel nach elf at a quarter past eleven

6.3 An der Bushaltestelle

Meanwhile, at a bus stop (die Bushaltestelle) near the Grlitzer Bahnhof in Kreuzberg,
Frau Wendt is talking to the driver of a number 129 bus. She wants to go the airport but
his bus doesn't go there directly and he suggests an alternative route. Strange but true:
Berlin's main airport, Tegel, is only accessible by bus!

Conversation 3: An der Bushaltestelle

Frau Ich mchte zum Flughafen Tegel.

Wendt
Busfahrer Ich fahre nicht direkt zum Flughafen. Sie
mssen zwei Stationen vor der Endstation
aussteigen und dann in die Linie U1
umsteigen.
Frau Ach nein!
Wendt
Busfahrer Am besten nehmen Sie die Linie U1 bis
Mckernbrcke und dann die U7 bis Jakob-
Kaiser-Platz (Richtung Rathaus Spandau). Und
am Jakob-Kaiser-Platz nehmen Sie den Airport
Express X9 zum Flughafen Tegel.
Frau Und wann fhrt der nchste Airport Express?
Wendt
Busfahrer Um halb eins.

Glossary
die Bushaltestelle The bus-stop
an der At the bus-stop
Bushaltestelle
der Bus The bus
der Busfahrer The bus driver
der Flughafen "The airport". "At the airport" would be "am
Flughafen".
ich fahre nicht I don't go directly to the airport
direkt zum
Flughafen
 die Endstation terminus
vor der Endstation "Before the terminus". Thus "vor" can
either mean "in front of" when you are
referring to a place or "before" when you
are referring to time or place.
aussteigen This means "to get off" a train or a bus or
"to get out" of a car. It is also a separable
verb like "umsteigen"
bis This means "until Mckernbrcke". The
Mckernbrcke preposition "bis" takes the accusative case.
Rathaus Spandau "Spandau Town Hall". This is one
"Endstation" of the U7 underground line.
Click here to find Rathaus Spandau on a
map of the Berlin transport system.(Hint:
Spandau is in the West of the city!)
der Platz The square
am Jakob-Kaiser- "In Jakob-Kaiser Square". Note that
Platz German uses the preposition "an" whereas
we would say "in the square" in English.
der Airport The name of the bus which connects Tegel
Express Airport to Berlin city centre. Many products
and public services in German-speaking
countries are given English names in order
to sound cool.
Um halb eins "At half-past twelve". When telling the
time, German prefers to think of it being
"half to the hour" rather than "half past" as
in English. How to tell the time in German
will be explained fully in Chapter 8.

6.4 Der Hauptbahnhof

Ken McNaught has successfully managed to get to the "Berlin Zoologischer Garten"
station. To see what the station looks like at any time of the day or night, click here for a
live webcam of the station.

Ken now needs go to the travel centre (das Reisezentrum) to book a ticket to Kassel, a
town in the middle of Germany.

Conversation 4: Der Hauptbahnhof

Beamtin Guten Morgen.

Ken Morgen. Einmal nach Kassel, bitte.
McNaught
Beamtin Einfach oder hin und zurck?
Ken Einfach.
McNaught
Beamtin Und ist das erster oder zweiter Klasse?
Ken Zweiter Klasse.
McNaught
Beamtin Haben Sie eine BahnCard?
Ken Nein. Ich habe keine BahnCard.
McNaught
Beamtin Die Fahrkarte ohne BahnCard kostet dreiig
Euro und vierzig Cent.
Ken So...und der nchste Zug nach Kassel fhrt
McNaught um halb zehn?
Beamtin Ja, in ungefhr zehn Minuten, um 09.28.
Ken Fhrt der Zug pnktlich?
McNaught
Beamtin Selbstverstndlich!
Ken Von welchem Gleis?
McNaught
Beamtin Von Gleis 9.
Ken Und ist das ein ICE-Zug?
McNaught
Beamtin Nein, das ist ein Regional Express. Es gibt
keinen InterCity-Zuschlag.
Ken Muss ich in Weimar umsteigen?
McNaught
Beamtin Nein, der Zug fhrt direkt.
Ken Wann kommt der Zug in Kassel an?
McNaught
Beamtin Um elf Uhr dreizehn.
Ken Danke sehr. Auf Wiedersehen.
McNaught
Beamtin Bitte sehr. Auf Wiedersehen.

Glossary
der Bahnhof The station
der Hauptbahnhof The central station
das Reisezentrum The travel centre
die Abfahrtstafel The departure board
einmal "One ticket". It literally means "once".
nach Kassel The preposition "nach" always takes the
 dative case. You should use it when you
are travelling to a town or country -
provided that the country is neuter.
einfach... This means "single" as in a "single
ticket". As we have seen earlier, the
literal meaning of the word is "simple".
...oder hin und "...or return?" Literally: "there and back".
zurck?
die Klasse class
erster oder zweiter This means "first or second class". Note
Klasse the endings on the ordinal numbers.
die BahnCard A BahnCard from the German railway
company Deutsche Bahn entitles you to
substantial reductions on the entire
German rail network and on most
regional buses for the duration of one
year.
die Fahrkarte The ticket
ohne This preposition meaning "without"
always takes the accusative case.
halb zehn This means "half-past nine" and not
"half-past ten". See Chapter 8.
ungefhr approximately
fahren This means "to go", when you are not
travelling by foot. It is an irregular verb.
der Zug train
pnktlich punctually
Fhrt der Zug Is the train on time?
pnktlich?
selbstverstndlich of course
das Gleis This means "platform" when you are
asking from which platform a train
departs. In fact, "das Gleis" literally
means the railway track itself.
von welchem Gleis? from which platform?
der ICE-Zug An "ICE train". "ICE" stands for InterCity
Express.
der RegionalExpress A "regional express train". This is a
stopping train, but it is faster than you
might assume.
der Zuschlag A "supplement". You have to pay a
supplementary charge to travel on an
ICE train. But as Ken's train is not an
ICE, the official informs him that there is
no supplement to pay.
direkt direct; directly
der Zug fhrt direkt "This is a direct train". Literally: "This
 train travels directly".
ankommen This means "to arrive". The verb
"ankommen" is a separable verb, a type
of verb which will be discussed in detail
on Page 6 of this chapter.
Wann kommt der When does the train arrive in Kassel?
Zug in Kassel an?
um elf Uhr dreizehn at 11:13

6.5 More irregular verbs

In this section we have encountered four more verbs which are irregular in their
present tenses. Their full present tense is given below.

Grammar 1: The verb "fahren" (= to travel)

Singular
ich fahre I travel
du fhrst You travel
Sie fahren (informal/formal)
er/sie/es fhrt He/she/it travels
Plural
wir fahren We travel
ihr fahrt You travel
Sie fahren (informal/formal)
sie fahren They travel

Grammar 2: The verb "mssen" (= to have to)

Singular
ich muss I have to
du musst You have to
Sie mssen (informal/formal)
er/sie/es muss He/she/it has to
Plural
wir mssen We have to
ihr msst You have to
Sie mssen (informal/formal)
sie mssen They have to

Grammar 3: The verb "nehmen" (= to take)

 Singular
ich nehme I take
du nimmst You take
Sie nehmen (informal/formal)
er/sie/es nimmt He/she/it takes
Plural
wir nehmen We take
ihr nehmt You take
Sie nehmen (informal/formal)
sie nehmen They take

Grammar 4: The verb "wollen" (= to want)

Singular
ich will I want
du willst You want
Sie wollen (informal/formal)
er/sie/es will He/she/it wants
Plural
wir wollen We want
ihr wollt You want
Sie wollen (informal/formal)
sie wollen They want

6.6 Separable verbs

In this chapter we have encountered verbs such as "umsteigen" ("to change (trains
etc.)"), "aussteigen" ("to get out (of a train etc.)"), "einsteigen" ("to get on (trains
etc.)") and "ankommen" ("to arrive") which are known as separable verbs.

This is because they can be separated into two parts - a prefix and a main verb. Most
prefixes are prepositions (as in all the cases listed above), but they are occasionally
adverbs, nouns, or adjectives.

Grammar 5: Components of a separable verb

Prefix + Verb = Sep. Verb

ab + fahren = abfahren
(from) (to travel) (to depart)
an + kommen = ankommen
(at) (to come) (to arrive)
aus + steigen = aussteigen
 (out of) (to climb) (to get out)
ein + steigen = einsteigen
(in) (to climb) (to get in)
um + steigen = umsteigen
(to climb) (to change)

Word order in separable verbs

If the separable verb is the first (and often only) verb in a sentence or clause, these
two elements separate. The main verb - also called the stem - assumes its normal
position in the sentence, but the prefix is placed right at the end. Look at the
following examples:

Grammar 6: Separable verbs in a normal clause

Verb Clause
abfahren Wann fhrst du ab?
("When do you depart?")
ankommen Wann kommt der Zug an?
("When does the train arrive?")
aussteigen Er steigt in Mnchen aus.
("He gets out in Munich.")
einsteigen Bitte steigen Sie ein!
("Please get in!")
umsteigen Sie steigen hier um.
("You change here.")

But if the separable verb is the second verb in a sentence, it does not split up and
behaves just like any other verb. Note too that when a separable verb is the second
verb in the sentence, it will always remain in the infinitive form.

The separable verb will be the second verb in a sentence when it follows what is
known as a modal verb. These verbs will be explained in detail in Chapter 8, but for
now you should note that we have already met three of them: "mssen" ("to have
to"), "wollen" ("to want") and "mgen" ("to like") - although we have only
encountered the latter in the form "ich mchte" ("I would like").

Grammar 7: Separable verbs after a modal verb

Modal verb Clause
mssen Wann mssen Sie abfahren?
("When do you have to depart?")
wollen Wo wollen Sie umsteigen?
("Where do you want to change?")
 mgen Ich mchte jetzt aussteigen.
("I want to get out now.")

Which prefixes are separable?

The following common prefixes are always separable when attached to a main verb:

Grammar 8: Separable prefixes

ab- an- auf-

("away") ("starting") ("up")
aus- bei- da(r)-
("out") ("joining")
ein- entgegen- hin-
("in") ("towards") ("away")
her- los- mit-
("towards") ("starting") ("with")
nach- nieder- vor-
("after") ("down") ("ahead")
vorbei- weg- zu-
("past") ("away") ("on")
zurck- zusammen-
("back") ("together")

The following prefixes are separable when they precede certain verbs and
inseparable when they precede others:

Grammar 9: Occasionally separable prefixes

durch- hinter- ber-

("through") ("behind") ("over")
um- unter- wieder-
("change") ("under") ("again")

Don't worry if you can't remember all of these - this will take some time. For the
moment you should try to remember which verbs that we encounter during this
course are separable and how they should be used. We will always indicate which
verbs are separable in our vocabulary lists.

6.7 Places and prepositions

Places which take "an"
You will already have noted that when you say that you are "at" several types of
location in German, you use the preposition "an" - i.e. "am Bahnhof", "an der Ampel"
etc.

If a German location uses "an" to translate "at", then you should use "zu" to describe
movement towards such a place, and "von" to describe movement away from it.
Thus when describing a bus stop you would say:

die Bushaltestelle = the bus-stop

an der Bushaltestelle = at the bus-stop
zur Bushaltestelle = to the bus-stop
von der Bushaltestelle = from the bus-stop

The following table explains this pattern for some more of the nouns which we have
met so far.

Grammar 10: Movement to and from places taking "an"

Place At the... To the... From...

airport der am zum vom
Flughafen Flughafen Flughafen Flughafen
platform der Gleis am Gleis zum Gleis vom Gleis

square der Platz am Platz zum Platz vom Platz

station der am zum vom

Bahnhof Bahnhof Bahnhof Bahnhof
traffic die Ampel an der zur Ampel von der
lights Ampel Ampel

Neuter countries
We can construct a similar pattern for countries, but only those which are neuter.
Here of course different prepositions are used and no definite articles. Note that all
three prepositions "in", "nach" and "aus" take the dative case:

Deutschland = Germany
in Deutschland = in Germany
nach Deutschland = to Germany
aus Deutschland = from Germany

Grammar 11: Movement to and from countries

Country In... To... From...

England in England nach England aus England
Irland in Irland nach Irland aus Irland
Polen in Polen nach Polen aus Polen
6.8 Transport and prepositions
Going somewhere by means of transport
Whilst English talks of travelling "by" a means of transport (with no definite article),
German uses the preposition "mit" with the appropriate form of the definite article in
the dative case - e.g. "Ich fahre mit dem Rad", "er fhrt mit dem Flugzeug". The
preposition "mit" always takes the dative case.

Here is how you would describe travelling by the most common means of transport
in German:

Grammar 12: Travelling by modes of transport

Transport I travel by...
aeroplane das Flugzeug ich fahre mit dem Flugzeug

bicycle das Rad du fhrst mit dem Rad

bus der Bus er fhrt mit dem Bus

car das Auto sie fhrt mit dem Auto

ferry die Fhre wir fahren mit der Fhre

lorry der Lastwagen ihr fahrt mit dem Lastwagen

moped das Mofa sie fahren mit dem Mofa

motor-bike das Motorrad ich fahre mit dem Motorrad

S-Bahn die S-Bahn Sie fahren mit der S-Bahn

ship das Schiff wir fahren mit dem Schiff

taxi das Taxi du fhrst mit dem Taxi

train der Zug sie fhrt mit dem Zug

tram die ihr fahrt mit der

Straenbahn Straenbahn
underground die U-Bahn sie fahren mit der U-Bahn
Going somewhere by foot
As all of these actions involve motorised transport - or in the case of the bicycle,
transport on wheels, you use the verb "fahren" (= to go; travel) to translate them.
When you are going somewhere by foot however, you use the verb "gehen" (= to
go; travel) e.g. "Ich gehe zum Bahnhof" or "Wir gehen zur Bushaltestelle".

If you wish to emphasise that you are walking as opposed to taking some means of
transport, you could also say "Ich gehe zu Fu" - "I'm going by foot".

6.9 The interrogative adjective "welcher...?"

The German word for the interrogative adjective "which?" is "welcher?". It declines in
exactly the same way as the definite article "der". The declination of the
interrogative adjective for the cases which we have met so far are as follows:

Grammar 13: The endings for "welcher?" (which?)

Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative welcher welche welches
Mann? Frau? Kind?
Accusative welchen welche welches
Mann? Frau? Kind?
Dative welchem welcher welchem
Mann? Frau? Kind?

Here are a few sample sentences showing the use of the interrogative adjective.

Welcher U-Bahnhof ist das? ("Which underground station is that?")

Welche Linie geht dahin? ("Which line goes there?")
Welchen Zug nehmen Sie? ("Which train are you taking?")
Von welchem Gleis? ("From which platform?")
Mit welchem Bus fhrst du? ("With which bus are you travelling?")

6.10 Getting around town

Germany has a very comprehensive system of public transport, the reliability and
cleanliness of which often put the British system in the shade. The best thing to do
on arriving in a town or city is to get hold of a town plan (der Stadtplan). This will
include a map showing the rail, tram, bus and underground connections. An
overview of bus routes and a bus and rail time-table can be obtained from the ticket
kiosks located at major stops in the town centres. For the fullest picture, you should
head for the local tourist office, which is either called das Verkehrsbro or das
Fremdenverkehrsamt. This will offer general information about cultural events as
well as transport information. Look out for the information symbol shown at the top
of this paragraph.
Bicycle (das Fahrrad; das Rad)
When you visit Germany you will probably be surprised by the number of bicycles.
Students in particular are very fond of using bicycles as a means of transport. In
smaller towns it can be worthwhile to get hold of a second-hand bicycle. You can
always sell it again when you leave. There are second-hand bicycle shops in many
towns or you can look at advertisements in the newspaper.

Car (das Auto)

A particularly useful aspect of German student life is the concept of car-sharing. At
some colleges and universities you will find a car-sharing notice-board (das
Mitfahrerbrett) where you can look and see whether someone is travelling to the
destination which you require. In larger towns and cities there are also car-sharing
centres (die Mitfahrzentrale) offering a wide range of car-sharing arrangements. The
combined cost of the journey and the centre's service fee is usually well below what
you would have to pay on public transport. And likewise of course, if you yourself are
intending to drive somewhere you can reduce your expenses by taking one or more
people with you. The telephone number of the car-sharing centres can be found in
town magazines or the Yellow Pages under "car-sharing arrangements" (die
Mitfahrvermittlung). Just ring and ask whether there is a car-sharing arrangement to
the place you want to go on the day you want to travel or offer to take people with
you in your car if you are driving yourself. The centre will write down the amount to
be paid or received. As a passenger you are not required to contribute to any other
costs.

Underground trains (die U-Bahn) and suburban trains (die S-Bahn)

As a general rule, underground trains travel shorter distances within the city centre,
whereas suburban trains unite the city with surrounding regions and commuter belts.
Their routes often intertwine however, and it is by no means uncommon for an "U-
Bahn" to travel above ground, whilst the "S-Bahn" is travelling below ground!.

Bus (der Bus) and tram (die Straenbahn)

In most German towns and citites, the main terminal or bus station (der
Busbahnhof) will be near the main railway station, and information centres there will
provide you with timetables and the latest information. A bus-stop is called die
Bushaltestelle or just die Haltestelle. Most larger towns and cities also have a tram
network (die Straenbahn). The word for a "tram-stop" is the rather cumbersome
compound noun die Straenbahnhaltestelle.

There are no conductors on the vast majority of German buses and trams. You buy a
ticket from the driver himself or from a ticket machine (der Fahrkartenautomat)
which will probably be cheaper as you then get the chance of getting some of the
reductions "die Ermigung" which are on offer. You can recognise a bus-stop or a
tram-stop by a green letter "H" on the sign.

Tickets
There are at least three commonly used German words for a ticket - der Fahrschein,
die Fahrkarte and der Fahrausweis. You can either buy a single ticket (der
Einzelfahrschein) and (die Einzelfahrkarte) or a ticket which is valid for several trips
(die Sammelkarte) or (die Mehrfahrkarte). These are always better value for money
than a single ticket, and become more of a bargain the more journeys that you need
to make.
Many cities offer tourists tickets which are valid for a whole day (die Tageskarte) or
an entire weekend (die Wochenendkarte). These are more often than not valid for
every means of public transport. Commuters can buy a yearly ticket (die
Jahreskarte) which offer even greater savings.

One of the most confusing factors about German tickets for overseas tourists is that
the price of a ticket is often determined by which zone of the city (die Tarifzone) you
are in. You will need to study a map of the local transport network to sort this out.

Another practice which leads to confusion is the necessity for each passenger (der
Fahrgast) to have their ticket "cancelled" (i.e. stamped) by a special machine called
der Entwerter (ticket validator; ticket canceller). Only then is your ticket valid, as
most machines print a date and time on your ticket. This cancelling machine will
either be on the train platform, at the bus-stop, or on the bus or tram itself. Whilst
there are not inspectors on every bus, tram or U-Bahn, you can expect to pay a
heavy fine if you are caught without a valid ticket - or without one which has been
cancelled!

6.11 Rail travel in Germany

Since German reunification in 1990, much effort has been put into improving the
transport links within Germany, especially between the former East German states
and the West. This was not easy: Until that time, German trains had been run by two
separate state-owned, deficit-ridden operations. The Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) or
German Federal Railway was the old West German railway that had been running
things there since Germany's division in 1949. The Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) or
German Imperial Railway in former East Germany kept the pre-war name of the
railroad that Hitler and those before him had known.

In 1994, the two German state railroads that had tried to act as one since
reunification were merged into the Deutsche Bahn AG - and privatised. This was in
part an effort to get the government out from under billions of marks of mounting
debt.

The flagship of the new enterprise is the InterCity Express (ICE), which has been
operating on several high-speed lines between major German cities like Berlin,
Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart, and Frankfurt. Click here for a glossy map of the
German ICE network. The sleek, white ICE trains travel at 250-280 kilometres per
hour, whisking passengers along in quiet, comfortable carriages equipped with video
screens (in first class), stereo headsets, fax machines, and telephones.

The InterCity Night trains are modern hotels on wheels which operate daily on the
routes Munich-Berlin, Frankfurt-Bonn-Berlin and Hamburg-Munich. You can choose
between three categories: Comfort Schlafwagen (= a sleeper compartment with
private facilities), Comfort (= couchettes) and Comfort Sitzwagen (= with reclining
seats and a footrest). Trains similar to the ICEs, with the same internationally
stipulated quality standards, connect Germany with the major cities of neighbouring
countries. They are called EuroCity (EC) trains.

Given the fact that flying between Germany cities is expensive and often subject to
delays, you are much better off travelling by rail. The ICE gets from Munich to
Frankfurt, for example, in just over three and one-half hours, and once a new high
speed track is completed the trip from Frankfurt to Cologne will be less than an hour.
The ICE trains are supplemented by InterCity (IC) and InterRegio (IR) express
trains. The latter usually run every two hours, have a maximum speed of 200
kilometres per hour, and link major cities to the medium-sized ones and to holiday
destinations in Germany and neighbouring countries. They often use double-decker
trains nowadays and are timetabled to connect with the railway's long-distance
network.

Despite their names, der Schnellzug (D) (literally: "the fast train") and der Eilzug (E)
(= a fast stopping train) are much slower than the ICE trains, whereas der
Nahverkehrszug (= literally: "local transport train") will stop at all the local stations
before reaching its final destination.

Buying a ticket
When booking a train ticket in Germany, it certainly pays to ask if there are any
special reductions (Ermigungen). There are also of course reduced fares and
special deals for senior citizens (Senioren) and children and teenagers (Junioren), as
well as special holiday tickets (das Ferienticket) (see left). Travellers might also
consider the Schnes Wochenende Ticket (= literally: "Nice Weekend Ticket"). This
provides weekend travel on local trains only for up to five persons travelling
together.

But the perhaps the biggest price-slasher for the regular visitor is die BahnCard, a
railpass valid for a whole year, giving you a 25% reduction on all fares. It costs 50
euros for second class travel and 100 euros for first class travel. Other versions of
the BahnCard give you 50% and 100% reduction on train travel, but you need to pay
more for them.

Chapter 7: Going Shopping

7.1 The shopping list

Anna Mller works out a shopping list for her son Lukas, advising him how much he
needs to buy and where he should go to find the products. He quite clearly doesn't want
to go shopping however, and keeps trying to find excuses to go at a later date.

Conversation 1: Die Einkaufsliste

Anna Gehst du bitte jetzt einkaufen?

Mller
Lukas Jawohl! Hast du eine Einkaufsliste fr mich?
Mller
Anna Nein, ich sage dir alles. Erst hol bitte vom Bcker
Mller ein kleines Weibrot und zehn frische Brtchen.
Lukas Sie sind billiger im Supermarkt, und wir fahren
Mller heute Nachmittag dorthin.
Anna Na gut! Dann kauf beim Metzger ein halbes
Mller Pfund Hackfleisch und 250 Gramm gekochten
Schinken.
Lukas Ich kaufe Fleisch lieber in der Altstadt, und heute
Mller Nachmittag fahren wir auch dorthin.
Anna Na gut! Vom Gemsegeschft brauche ich dann
Mller einen Kopfsalat, anderthalb Pfund kleine feste
Tomaten, eine schne Gurke, zehn Pfund
Kartoffeln und ein Pfund grne Bohnen.
Lukas Die Sachen fr den Salat und das andere
Mller Gemse eilen nicht, und morgen ist doch Markt.
Anna Na gut, aber ich brauche unbedingt Eier von Lidl.
Mller
Lukas Nein, brauchst du nicht. Wir haben doch viele.
Mller Eier kriegen wir dann auch noch vom Markt.
Anna Na gut, dann brauchst du nicht einkaufen gehen.
Mller

Glossary
die Einkaufsliste (- shopping list
n)
einkaufen to do the shopping
einkaufen gehen "To go shopping". In this construction,
both "einkaufen" and "gehen" are
infinitives. Only the second verb "gehen"
declines (i.e. changes its endings),
whereas "einkaufen" remains the same.
jetzt now
Gehst du bitte jetzt Will you please go and do the shopping
einkaufen? now?
jawohl! "Yes, of course". This is often used
ironically in response to somebody who is
trying to boss you around!
sagen In this context it means "to tell", but it can
also mean "to say".
ich sage dir alles "I'll tell you everything". Note that the
person to whom you are speaking ("dir") is
in the dative case, whereas what you tell
them ("alles") is in the accusative case.
erst This means "first", as in the first thing in a
list of things which need to be done.
holen This means "to fetch". The word "hol" is
the imperative form i.e. the form used to
give commands. We have here the
informal form used when talking to
 someone whom you would call "du". The
polite form is "holen Sie".
der Bcker (-) The baker
das Weibrot "A loaf of white bread". In another context
this could also mean "white bread" in
general. Likewise "das Brot" could either
mean "a loaf of bread" or just "bread".
frisch "fresh". The endings on adjectives
following numbers will be explained later in
this chapter.
das Brtchen "A bread roll". All German nouns which
end in "-chen" are neuter. The suffix "-
chen" means "little" or "small".
billiger "cheaper". The adjective "billig" means
"cheap", adding "-er" is how you form the
comparative.
der Supermarkt The supermarket
der Nachmittag (- afternoon
e)
heute Nachmittag "This afternoon" - literally "today
afternoon".
dorthin "to there". This is used when movement is
implied.
na gut! All right then!
kaufen This means "to buy". The form "kauf" is
the informal "du" form of the imperative
which we saw earlier with "hol".
der Metzger (-) The butcher
bei (+ Dative) at
beim Metzger "At the butcher's". "Bei dem" is shortened
to "beim" in the same way as the definite
article is reduced with many other
prepositions.
das Pfund (-e) pound
ein halbes Pfund half a pound
das Hackfleisch mincemeat
gekocht This means "boiled". The reason for the
adjective endings will be explained in this
chapter.
der Schinken "ham". The form "kauf" is the imperative
form which we saw earlier on in this
section with "hol".
das Fleisch meat
lieber "preferably". It is often used with a verb to
translate "prefer to". Thus "Ich kaufe
lieber" means "I prefer to..."
die Altstadt old (part of) town
das Geschft (-e) This means "shop, store". It is also the
general term for "business".
das This is another word for a "greengrocer's
Gemsegeschft shop".
brauchen to need
der Kopfsalat (-e) "lettuce". Literally: "head salad" (!)
anderthalb "one and a half". You will also see the
word "eineinhalb" used to translate this.
fest firm
schn "nice". It can also mean "beautiful" in
other contexts.
die Gurke (-n) cucumber
die Bohne (-n) bean
grne Bohnen green/French beans
die Sache (-n) thing, item
der Salat (-e) salad
ander... "other". It is never used in the root form
"ander", but only in its declined form in
front of a noun.
das Gemse "vegetables". Note that this is a singular
noun in German.
(sie) eilen nicht (they) are not urgent
morgen "tomorrow". Be careful not to write this
with a capital letter, for then it would
mean "morning"!
doch after all
der Markt market
morgen ist doch tomorrow is market-day after all
Markt
unbedingt definitely; absolutely
das Ei (-er) egg
Lidl The name of a German supermarket chain.
You can visit their homepage by clicking
here.
brauchst du nicht This means "you don't need them". The
pronoun "them" is omitted is this clause.
viele many, a lot
kriegen "to get". This is quite a conversational
word which should not be used in formal
German.
du brauchst nicht "You don't need to go shopping". In other
einkaufen gehen words, "brauchen" can either be used with
a direct object or another infinitive, here
 "einkaufen gehen".

7.2 At the greengrocer's

Having despaired of getting her son to go shopping for her, Anna Mller decides that she
will go herself. She stops first at Mslm Can's greengrocer's in Kreuzberg.

Conversation 2: Im Gemsegeschft

Anna Ein Kilo pfel, bitte!

Mller
Mslm Wir haben da verschiedene pfel, englische,
Can franzsische, spanische...
Anna Englische.
Mller
Mslm Englische... so, ein Pfund pfel.
Can
Anna Dann noch ein Kilo Birnen, bitte!
Mller
Mslm Mchten Sie eine se Birne oder eine saure?
Can
Anna Ah, ich nehme eine se, bitte. Saure Birnen
Mller schmecken mir nicht!
Mslm So, bitte. Mchten Sie sonst noch etwas?
Can
Anna Ich htte gern zwei Pfund Karotten.
Mller
Mslm Da, zwei Pfund polnische Karotten.
Can
Anna Dann noch eineinhalb Pfund Zwiebeln.
Mller
Mslm Da htten wir rote, weie und normale
Can Zwiebeln.
Anna Weie bitte. Und ich htte gerne zwei Pfund
Mller Trauben.
Mslm Ja, ich habe verschiedene Sorten. Welche
Can mchten Sie denn, grne oder schwarze?
Anna Ich htte gerne die grnen.
Mller
Mslm Ja, sie schmecken lecker! So, bitte schn.
Can
Anna Was kosten die Bananen?
Mller
Mslm Ein Euro vierzig das Pfund.
Can
Anna Und die Apfelsinen?
Mller
Mslm Sie kosten neunzig Cent das Stck.
Can
Anna Oh, sie sind leider viel zu teuer. Ich gehe
Mller lieber auf den Markt.
Mslm Sonst noch etwas?
Can
Anna Das wr's. Was macht das zusammen?
Mller
Mslm Das macht sechsundzwanzig Euro und siebzig.
Can
Anna Da sind dreiig Euro.
Mller
Mslm Danke schn. Und drei Euro und dreiig Cent
Can bekommen Sie zurck. Vielen Dank.

Glossary
das The greengrocer's
Gemsegeschft
(-e)
im in the greengrocer's
Gemsegeschft
der Apfel apple
(pl. - pfel)
das Kilo "A kilogram(me)". The shortened form is
more common when a product (such as
apples) is specified afterwards.
da here, there
verschiedene "various". We might translate this sentence
by saying "We have many different types of
apple".
englisch "English". Note that adjectives of nationality
are written with small letters in German.
franzsisch French
spanisch Spanish
dann noch... Then I'd like...
die Birne (-n) This is the word for a "pear". Because of the
shape, this is also the word for a light-bulb.
s sweet
sauer This means "sour". Note in particular that
 when adjectives which end in "-er" take
adjective endings, the "-e" disappears. Thus
it is here "saure pfel".
...schmecken mir This means "I don't like sour pears". The
nicht verb "schmecken" means "to taste", so this
literally means "They don't taste (very
good) to me". The thing that you do or do
not like the taste of is always the subject of
the sentence, whilst the person who doesn't
like the taste is always in the dative case.
Mchten Sie sonst "Would you like anything else?". We have
noch etwas? already met "sonst noch etwas" on its own.
ich htte gern "I would like". We have already met "Ich
mchte gern", which is another variant of
this expression.
die Karotte (-n) This means "carrot". You might also see
"carrot" translated by "die Mhre (-n)".
polnisch Polish
eineinhalb "One and a half". We have already met
"anderthalb", which means the same thing.
die Zwiebel (-n) onion
da htten wir... "We have...". A politer way of saying "da
haben wir".
rot red
wei white
normal This means "normal", surprisingly enough,
but is pronounced slightly differently.
die Traube (-n) This means "grape". You might also see "die
Weintraube (-n)".
die Sorte (-n) sort, type
schwarz black
die grnen "the green (ones)". There is no need in
German to repeat a noun or a pronoun.
lecker tasty, delicious
sie schmecken they taste delicious
lecker
die Banane (-n) banana
Ein Euro vierzig "One euro forty per pound". The definite
das Pfund article is used in German where we would
use the preposition "per".
die Apfelsine (-n) No, not a variety of apple, but an "orange".
You might also translate this by "die Orange
(-n)".
neunzig Cent das Ninety cents "each". We have already seen
Stck that "das Stck" usually means "a piece".
viel zu teuer far too expensive
 ich gehe lieber... I prefer to go...
auf den Markt This means "to the markt". You would
translate "at the market" by "auf dem
Markt".
das wr's that's all
was macht...? what does that come to?

7.3 At the supermarket

Next, Anna Mller goes to her local Lidl supermarket. Unfortunately, they have just had
a refurbishment and moved everything around, such that she has to ask an assistant (die
Verkuferin) where things are.

Conversation 3: Im Supermarkt

Anna Mller Entschuldigen Sie bitte.

Die Ja, bitte.
Verkuferin
Anna Mller Knnen Sie mir helfen?
Die Was suchen Sie denn?
Verkuferin
Anna Mller Wo gibt's hier denn Milch?
Die Milch? Gleich hier vorne links. Bei den
Verkuferin Milchprodukten.
Anna Mller Und wo finde ich Marmelade?
Die Ganz hinten im letzten Gang. Im dritten
Verkuferin Regal.
Anna Mller Ich brauche auch noch Kekse.
Die Ich glaube, da hinten rechts.
Verkuferin
Anna Mller Und wo ist der Joghurt?
Die Im nchsten Gang links.
Verkuferin
Anna Mller Oben oder unten?
Die In der Mitte.
Verkuferin
Anna Mller Wo findet man Waschmittel?
Die Hier unten, bei den Haushaltswaren.
Verkuferin
Anna Mller Ich suche auch Fisch.
Die Im vorletzten Gang, bei der Tiefkhlkost.
Verkuferin
Anna Mller Und Pralinen?
Die Tut mir Leid, das wei ich auch nicht.
Verkuferin Fragen Sie doch mal an der Kasse.
Anna Mller Ich danke Ihnen.
Die Nichts zu danken.
Verkuferin

Glossary
der Supermarkt The supermarket
im Supermarkt in the supermarket
die Verkuferin sales assistant (female)
(-innen)
ja, bitte "Yes" (implying willingness to help)
helfen (+ This means "to help". The person whom you
Dative) are helping is in the dative case in German.
knnen Sie mir can you help me?
helfen?
suchen to look for
wo gibt es "Where is..?" This is one of many
hier...? constructions for this phrase which you will
find in this section. The object which you are
looking for is always in the accusative case in
this construction.
die Milch milk
die dairy produce
Milchprodukte
bei den Although "bei" maintains its general meaning
Milchprodukten of "at" here, we would probably translate this
as "amongst the dairy produce" or "in the
dairy produce section". Note too that the
plural "Milchprodukte" adds an "-n" when in
the dative case. The reason for this will be
explained later.
vorne at the front
vorne links at the front on the left
die Marmelade No, not marmalade but "jam". The nearest
equivalent to British marmalade is "die
Orangenmarmelade". Note the slightly
different spelling in German too!
hinten at the back
ganz hinten right at the back
der/die letzte... the last...
der Gang In a supermarkt, we would translate this by
 (pl. - Gnge) "aisle". It is the general word for a passage,
hallway or corridor in a building.
das Regal (-e) "shelf". Note that while we say "on the third
shelf", German uses the equivalent of "in the
third shelf".
der Keks (-e) This means "biscuit, cookie"
glauben to believe, think
der Saft (fruit) juice
der Apfelsaft apple juice
das Getrnk (- drink
e)
oben at the top
unten at the bottom
die Mitte middle; centre
in der Mitte in the middle
wo findet Note that Anna uses the impersonal "man"
man...? form here - it isn't solely used by men!
Often, as here, it has the sense of the
passive i.e. "Where can this be found?"
das Waschmittel washing powder
hier unten down here
die household goods
Haushaltswaren
der Fisch (-e) fish
der/die the last but one...
vorletzte...
die Tiefkhlkost frozen food
die Pralinen chocolates
tut mir Leid This is short for "das/es tut mir Leid", which
we met in Chapter 1 and means "I'm sorry".
das wei ich I don't know that either
auch nicht
fragen to ask
die Kasse (-n) "The checkout". In other contexts you might
wish to translate this word by "counter" or
"desk".
an der Kasse at the checkout
nichts zu "don't mention it, you're welcome". Literally:
danken "Nothing to thank for".

7.4 At the checkout

When Anna Mller gets to the checkout with her goods, the salesperson ("der
Verkufer") reads out what she has bought as he runs it over the scanner. He's funny that
way.

Conversation 4: An der Kasse

Der Verkufer:
Zwei Dosen Tomaten, eine Tiefkhl-Pizza, vier Packungen
Nudeln, eine Schachtel Pralinen, ein halbes Pfund Butter,
ein 3-Kilo-Paket Waschmittel, fnf 1-Liter-Flaschen
Orangensaft, eine Tafel Schokolade, ein Glas
Erdbeermarmelade, drei Liter Milch, eine Packung
Taschentcher, zwei Tuben Zahnpasta, ein Becher
Margarine, 500 Gramm Emmentaler Kse, eine Tte
Bonbons, sechs Flaschen Mineralwasser, acht Becher
Himbeerjoghurt. Macht zusammen zweiundsiebzig Euro
fnfundachtzig. Vielen Dank und auf Wiedersehen!

Glossary
die Dose (-n) "tin" or "can"
die Tomate (-n) tomato
die Pizza (-s) pizza
die Tiefkhl-Pizza (- frozen pizza
s)
die Packung (-en) packet, pack
die Nudeln (pl.) pasta; noodles
die Schachtel (-n) Here a "box" of chocolates. It can also be
used to translate a "pack" of cigarettes.
die Butter butter
das Paket (-e) A "packet". Note the hyphens in 3-Kilo-
Paket.
die Flasche (-n) bottle
der Orangensaft orange juice
die Tafel (-n) "bar" of chocolate
die Schokolade "chocolate". The general term for
"chocolate", whereas Pralinen is what
you would find in a box of chocolates.
das Glas Here it means a "jar" of jam, whereas in
(pl. - Glser) other contexts it simply means "glass".
die Erdbeere (-n) strawberry
die strawberry jam
Erdbeermarmelade (-
n)
das Taschentuch hanky; handkerchief
die Tube (-n) "tube". Note the different pronunciation
 in German!
die Zahnpasta toothpaste
der Becher (-) tub
die Margarine margarine
der Kse "cheese". Although this ends in an "-e",
this noun is masculine.
Emmentaler Kse Emmentaler cheese
die Tte (-n) bag
das Bonbon (-s) A "sweet". You might also see "der
Bonbon" used for this.
unten at the bottom
das Waschmittel washing powder
das Wasser water
das Mineralwasser mineral water
die Himbeere (-n) raspberry
der Joghurt "Yoghurt". You might occasionally see it
written as "das Joghurt" or "der/das
Jogurt".
der Himbeerjoghurt raspberry yoghurt
(-s)
macht zusammen... (This) comes to...

7.5 In the delicatessen

Finally, Anna Mller goes the delicatessen to buy some meat, bread and tea.

Conversation 5: In der Feinkosthandlung

Der Guten Tag. Sie wnschen?

Verkufer
Anna Guten Tag! Ich htte ganz gerne 200 Gramm
Mller von dieser Pfeffersalami bitte.
Der Ja, gerne. Darf's ein bisschen mehr sein? 220
Verkufer Gramm?
Anna Nein, das ist ein bisschen viel.
Mller
Der Haben Sie noch einen Wunsch?
Verkufer
Anna Ja, geben Sie mir bitte ein Stck Gouda Kse.
Mller 500 Gramm.
Der So.... Ich habe 480 Gramm, ist das recht?
Verkufer
Anna Ist gut, ja, das reicht. Das ist in Ordnung.
Mller
Der Auerdem noch einen Wunsch?
Verkufer
Anna Dann nehme ich 5 Frankfurter Wrstchen.
Mller Wie teuer sind sie? Hier steht kein Preis
darauf.
Der 5 Frankfurter Wrstchen, acht Euro
Verkufer neunundneunzig.
Anna Ja, das ist in Ordnung.
Mller
Der Kommt noch etwas dazu?
Verkufer
Anna Ich htte gerne noch sechs Scheiben von
Mller dem Schwarzwlder Schinken.
Der Alles klar. Wre das alles?
Verkufer
Anna Ja, das wre alles. Nein, Moment mal. Ich
Mller mchte ein Vollkornbrot und zehn frische
Brtchen bitte. Was kosten die Brtchen?
Der Brtchen kosten zwanzig Cent das Stck.
Verkufer Haben Sie sonst noch einen Wunsch?
Anna Ich htte gerne ein Stck Kuchen...nur wei
Mller ich noch nicht von welchem! Was knnen Sie
mir empfehlen?
Der Die Zitronentorte ist sehr gut... oder dieser
Verkufer Apfelstrudel ist eine unserer Spezialitten.
Anna So eine groe Auswahl! Ich nehme ein Stck
Mller Marmorkuchen, bitte.
Der Bitte schn... macht achtundzwanzig Euro
Verkufer vierundfnfzig insgesamt.
Anna Hier, bitte. Kleiner habe ich leider nicht.
Mller
Der Das macht nichts. So, und hier ist Ihr
Verkufer Kleingeld. Vielen Dank.
Anna Ich danke auch. Auf Wiedersehen
Mller

Glossary
die "delicatessen". You might also see "der
Feinkosthandlung Feinkostladen" used to translate this.
Sie wnschen? "What would you like?". It is just another
way of saying "Was wnschen Sie?"
die Salami salami
der Pfeffer pepper
die Pfeffersalami "pepper salami". As we have seen earlier,
the gender of a German compound noun is
determined by its second element (= die
Salami).
dieser this
200 Gramm von "200 grammes of this...". "Von" can either
dieser... mean "from" or "of" depending on context.
You need to use it here as Anna is
specifying which salami she wants.
ein bisschen a little
mehr more
darf's ein bisschen Do you mind it being a little over?
mehr sein?
ein bisschen viel a little too much
der Wunsch (pl. - wish
Wnsche)
haben Sie noch Do you want anything else?
einen Wunsch?
geben Sie mir "please give me...". Note that "geben" is
bitte... another verb which takes the dative case.
ist das recht? "Is that OK?". Just like its English
equivalent "right", the word "recht" can
have a number of meanings.
das reicht that's enough
(das ist) in (that's) OK, all right!
Ordnung
auerdem "besides; in addition". The phrase as a
whole is another variant on "Sonst noch
einen Wunsch?" Note that "einen Wunsch"
is in the accusative case.
Frankfurter An adjective meaning "from Frankfurt".
Just like "Emmentaler" earlier on in this
chapter, the word "Frankfurter" does not
add adjective endings because the
adjective is formed from the name of a
place.
das Wrstchen (-) "small sausage". The combination
"Frankfurter Wrstchen" would be
translated as a "frankfurter".
wie teuer sind sie? "How expensive are they?" This is simply
another variant for asking how much
something costs.
der Preis (-e) "price". Also the word for a "prize".
darauf on it
hier steht kein Preis there is no price on it
darauf
kommt noch etwas Yet another way of asking the customer if
dazu? she wants anything else!
die Scheibe (-n) slice
der Schwarzwald "Black Forest". The adjective
"Schwarzwlder" means "from the Black
Forest".
alles klar "all right, OK". The word "klar" literally
means "clear".
wre das alles? Would that be all?
das wre alles that will be all
Moment mal just a moment
das Vollkornbrot a loaf of coarse wholemeal bread
noch nicht "not yet". Thus the whole clause would be
translated as "I don't know yet".
welcher which
... von welchem I don't know which cake I want a piece
of...
empfehlen "to recommend". This verb is irregular in
the present tense.
was knnen Sie mir "What can you recommend (to me)?". The
empfehlen? verb "empfehlen" is another one whereby
the person being recommended something
is in the dative case.
die Zitrone (-n) lemon
die Torte (-n) flan; cake
die Zitronentorte (- lemon flan
n)
der Apfelstrudel apple strudel
die Spezialitt (- "speciality". The apfelstrudel is "one of our
en) specialities".
die Auswahl selection
so eine groe
What a large selection!
Auswahl!
der Marmorkuchen "marble cake". "Der Marmor" is the word
(-) for "marble".
insgesamt "in total". It all comes to ("macht")
28,54 in total.
kleiner smaller
kleiner habe ich "I'm sorry I don't have anything smaller".
leider nicht We assume that she has offered him a
fifty euro note or even a higher
denomination. German shop-keepers can
be quite reluctant to give change for
 banknotes of high denomination.
(das) macht nichts it doesn't matter
ich danke auch This is a practical response if a shopkeeper
uses a "danke" construction at the end of
a conversation instead of "bitte".

7.6 Quantities
Some grammatical points
When asking for a quantity "of" something in German, the word for "of" is omitted.

Grammar 1: Nouns of quantity

English German
a piece of cake ein Stck Kuchen
a glass of beer ein Glas Bier
a portion of chips eine Portion Pommes
a bottle of wine eine Flasche Wein

Note too that even following numerals greater than one, masculine and neuter nouns
of weight, measurement or value must remain in the singular:

Grammar 2: Plurals of nouns of quantity

English German
three pieces of cake drei Stck Kuchen
two glasses of beer zwei Glas Bier
five sacks of potatoes fnf Sack Kartoffeln
six pairs of shoes sechs Paar Schuhe
ten English pounds zehn englische Pfund
for a few dollars um ein paar Dollar
more mehr

Feminine nouns of quantity do take the plural form however:

Grammar 3: Plurals of fem. nouns of quantity

English German
seven portions of sieben Portionen
chips Pommes
eleven bottles of elf Flaschen Wein
wine
sixteen cups of tea sechzehn Tassen Tee
Feminine nouns for currencies remain singular however. Thus the former German
currency "die Mark" never took a plural ending - i.e. "zwanzig Mark", "drei Mark 50".

German weights and measures

German uses the metric system and the basic unit of weight is the gram - das
Gramm - which equates to 0.0353 ounces. One ounce equals 28 Gramm. Note again
here that the quantity is singular in German whereas we would say 28 grams in
English.

The pound - das Pfund - is also used in German-speaking countries, but note that a
German pound is slightly heavier than an English pound. One Pfund is equal to 500
Gramm, whereas one English pound equates to 454 grams.

Grammar 4: Weights and measures

Weight Gramm Ounces
100g 100 Gramm 3.5 oz
ein Viertelpfund 125 Gramm 4.375 oz
ein halbes Pfund 250 Gramm 8.75 oz
ein Pfund 500 Gramm 1lb 1oz
das Kilo(gramm) 1000 Gramm 2lb 2oz

German-speaking countries use the litre - das Liter - to measure liquids. One litre is
equivalent to 1.7 pints. One Liter is made up of 1000 Milliliter.

7.7 Numbers greater than 100

Here are the basic constructions for German numbers which have more than two
digits.

Vocabulary 1: Numbers from 100 upwards

100 hundert
101 hundert(und)eins
102 hundertzwei
103 hundertdrei
110 hundertzehn
150 hundertfnfzig
151 hunderteinundfnfzig
200 zweihundert
300 dreihundert
346 dreihundertsechsundvierzig
 400 vierhundert
500 fnfhundert
600 sechshundert
700 siebenhundert
800 achthundert
900 neunhundert
999 neunhundertneunundneunzig

Explanation
1. German numbers above 100 are combined in the same way as numbers above
20. All you do is add the word for 100, 200 etc in front of the two-figure number
which we learned to construct in Chapter 4:
7 + 60 = siebenundsechzig; 400 + 7 + 60 = vierhundertsiebenundsechzig.

2. Note that Germans normally say hundertzwei where we would say "one hundred
and two", and tausend where we would say "one thousand". "Ein" is however
normally inserted in complex numbers such as tausendeinhundert (=1100).

3. It is possible (but wholly optional), to insert "und" between "hundert" and "eins"
in the German for 101, and also between "tausend" and tens or units, e.g.
tausend(und)eins, siebentausend(und)elf.

4. Years are usually stated in hundreds:

- 1998 is written: neunzehnhundertachtundneunzig.
- The year 2000 is however written as das Jahr zweitausend and 2001 is written as
zweitausendeins.

Vocabulary 2: Numbers from 1000 upwards

1000 tausend
1001 tausend(und)eins
1009 tausend(und)neun
1010 tausendzehn
1052 tausendzweiundfnfzig
1100 tausendeinhundert
2000 zweitausend
2003 zweitausenddrei
2010 zweitausendzehn
5000 fnftausend
10000 zehntausend
 10001 zehntausendeins
50000 fnfzigtausend
100000 hunderttausend
500000 fnfhunderttausend

Larger numbers
Long numbers (i.e. those with more than one element) are rarely written out in full.
In practice, complex numbers are rarely written fully except on cheques, and figures
are used in written German more often than is usual in English.

Numbers higher than a thousand are written with spaces every three digits - not with
commas as in English, i.e. Germans would write 123 678 and not 123,678 as in
English.

Vocabulary 3: Larger numbers

123 hundertdreiundzwanzigtausendsechs-
678 hundertachtundsiebzig
1 eine Million
000
000
2 zwei Millionen
000
000
10 zehn Millionen
000
000
5 fnf Millionen
276 zweihundertsechsundsiebzigtausend-
497 zweihundertsiebenundneunzig
1 eine Milliarde
000
000
000
2 zwei Milliarden
000
000
000
10 zehn Milliarden
000
000

Explanation
1) The numbers eine Million and eine Milliarde are treated as separate nouns. They
thus have a plural ending where necessary - i.e. drei Millionen fnfhunderttausend.
2) The plural form is also used when one million is followed by a decimal: 1,4
Millionen Euro. This is spoken as einskommavier Millionen Euro.

7.8 Adjectives of nationality and colour

In Chapter 2 we learned how to express your nationality, and discovered that
whereas English uses an adjective - i.e. "I am English" -, German uses a noun
without a different article - "Ich bin Englnder" (literally: "I am Englishman").

When you wish to express "German beer" or "English food", as we have started to do
in this chapter, you need the appropriate adjective to express your nationality. These
are listed in the table below:

Vocabulary 4: Adjectives of nationality

Country Adjective Translation

Andorra andorranisch Andorran
Australien australisch Australian
Belgien belgisch Belgian
Brasilien brasilianisch Brazilian
Bulgarien bulgarisch Bulgarian
China chinesisch Chinese
Dnemark dnisch Danish
Deutschland deutsch German
England englisch English
Estland estlndisch Estonian
estnisch
Finnland finnisch Finnish
Frankreich franzsisch French
Griechenland griechisch Greek
Grobritannien britisch British
Indien indisch Indian
Irland irisch Irish
Island islndisch Icelandic
Israel israelisch Israeli
Italien italienisch Italian
Japan japanisch Japanese
Kanada kanadisch Canadian
Kolumbien kolumbianisch Columbian
Kroatien kroatisch Croatian
Lettland lettisch Latvian
Liechtenstein liechtensteinisch Liechtensteinian
Litauen litauisch Lithuanian
Luxemburg luxemburgisch Luxembourgish
Mazedonien mazedonisch Macedonian
Mexiko mexikanisch Mexican
Moldawien moldawisch Moldovan
Monaco monegassisch Monegasque
Neuseeland neuseelndisch New Zealand
die niederlndisch Dutch
Niederlande
Norwegen norwegisch Norwegian
sterreich sterreichisch Austrian
Polen polnisch Polish
Portugal portugiesisch Portuguese
Rumnien rumnisch Romanian
Russland russisch Russian
Schottland schottisch Scottish
Schweden schwedisch Swedish
die Schweiz schweizerisch Swiss
Schweizer
die Slowakei slowakisch Slovakian
Slowenien slowenisch Slovenian
Spanien spanisch Spanish
Sdafrika sdafrikanisch South African
Sdkorea sdkoreanisch South Korean
die tschechisch Czech
Tschechische
Republik
Tunesien tunesisch Tunisian
die Trkei trkisch Turkish
die Ukraine ukrainisch Ukranian
Ungarn ungarisch Hungarian
 die USA (US- American
)amerikanisch
Wales walisisch Welsh
Zypern zypriotisch Cypriot

Grammatical Points
1. Unlike English, adjectives referring to countries take a small letter in German.
Thus "my German uncle" would be translated as "mein deutscher Onkel".

2. Adjectives of nationality take adjective endings in exactly the same way as other
adjectives.

3. There are two different adjectives to translate "Swiss". The first of these -
"schweizerisch" behaves like any other adjective of nationality. The second however
"Schweizer" always starts with a capital letter and never takes adjective endings.
Thus "Swiss eggs" could either be translated as "schweizerische Eier" (= with
endings) or "Schweizer Eier" (= without endings).

Colours
In the course of the conversations in the first few sections of this chapter, we have
encountered some more German adjectives for colours to add to the ones which
have already featured in earlier chapters. Here is a list of the most important ones:

Vocabulary 5: Colours

black schwarz grey grau

blue blau red rot
brown braun white wei
green grn yellow gelb

All of these adjectives take the normal adjectival endings - i.e. "rote pfel", "grne
Trauben". There are however four common colours which do not take adjectival
endings and thus behave like Schweizer above. These colours are:

Vocabulary 6: Colours that do not decline

beige beige orange orange

pink rosa purple lila

Such adjectives do however often take on suffixes such as "-farben" and "-farbig",
both meaning "-coloured". When they do so normal adjectival endings are added -
i.e. "ein lila Kleid" or "ein lilafarbenes Kleid" (a purple dress).
7.9 Adjectives following numbers
In Chapter 5 we looked at adjective endings after definite and indefinite articles. In
this section we have met the third type of adjective endings. These are used in the
following circumstances:

when an adjective follows a number greater than one:

- i.e. "zehn frische Brtchen"
when the adjective is preceded by a quantity:
- i.e. "ein Pfund grne Bohnen"
when the adjective is not preceded by any type of article
- i.e. "Welche mchten Sie denn, grne oder schwarze?"

The endings for an adjective which follows such endings, which we call the strong
declension, are given below. First the singular endings:

Grammar 5: Singular endings in the strong declension

Singular Masculine Feminine Neuter

Nominative deutscher Kse deutsche Wurst deutsches Bier
Accusative deutschen Kse deutsche Wurst deutsches Bier
Dative deutschem deutscher deutschem
Kse Wurst Bier

Plural
Nominative zwei grne Bohnen
Accusative zwei grne Bohnen
Dative zwei grnen Bohnen

Weak declension
We can now complete the endings tables for the other declensions by adding their
plural forms. Firstly for adjectives following the definite article - also known as the
weak declension. Note too the way that the definite articles decline in the plural:

Grammar 6: Singular endings in the weak declension

Sing. Masculine Feminine Neuter

Nom. der deutsche Kse die deutsche das deutsche Bier
Wurst
Acc. den deutschen die deutsche das deutsche Bier
Kse Wurst
Dat. dem deutschen der deutschen dem deutschen
Kse Wurst Bier

Plural
 Nom. die grnen Bohnen
Acc. die grnen Bohnen
Dat. den grnes Bohnen

Mixed declension
Finally, here is the "mixed" declension - namely the form of the adjective when it
follows the indefinite article or a personal possessive. Note again the plural adjective
endings, and the way in which "mein" ("dein", "sein" etc.) declines in the plural:

Grammar 7: Singular endings in the weak declension

Sing. Masculine Feminine Neuter

Nom. ein deutscher eine deutsche ein deutsches
Kse Wurst Bier
Acc. einen deutschen eine deutsche ein deutsches
Kse Wurst Bier
Dat. einem deutschen einer deutschen einem deutschen
Kse Wurst Bier

Plural
Nom. meine grnen Bohnen
Acc. meine grnen Bohnen
Dat. meinen grnen Bohnen

7.10 Personal pronouns

Introduction
Pronouns are a set of short words which stand for or replace nouns or noun phrases.
In particular they stand for nouns which have already been mentioned or which are
so well to the speaker and the listener that they do not need to be repeated in full.

The so-called "personal" pronouns are used to refer to the speaker ("I", also called
the first person), the person addressed ("you", also called the second person), and
other persons or things which just happen to be mentioned ("he", "she", "it", also
called the "third person").

These personal pronouns have distinct forms to indicate number, case and in the
third person, gender. We have already met the nominative form of these personal
pronouns in our verb tables; we can now add the accusative and the dative forms:

Grammar 8: Nominative of the personal pronoun

Singular Plural
ich I wir we
 du you (informal) ihr you (informal)
Sie you (formal) Sie you (formal)
er he sie they
sie she
es it

Comments
English speakers need to take particular care when translating the English pronoun
it. As all German nouns have one of three genders, so too do pronouns - a masculine
noun must therefore have a masculine pronoun regardless of whether it is a living
thing or an inanimate object. For example:

Der Hund mag die Katze. Er mag die Katze.

(The dog likes the cat. It likes the cat.)
Die Katze mag den Hund. Sie mag den Hund.
(The cat likes the dog. It likes the dog.)
Hier ist das Pferd. Es heit Shergar.
(Here is the horse. It is called Shergar.)
Hier ist der Kaffee. Er schmeckt gut.
(Here is the coffee. It tastes good.)

Accusative of the personal pronoun

Grammar 9: Accusative of the personal pronoun

Singular Plural
mich me uns us
dich you euch you
(informal) (informal)
Sie you (formal) Sie you (formal)
ihn him sie they
sie her
es it

Examples
We have already met several examples of the accusative of the personal pronoun in
set phrases in earlier chapters:

Das freut mich.

(That pleases me.)
Es freut mich, Sie kennen zu lernen, Herr Deisler.
(I'm pleased to meet you, Mister Deisler.)
Gr dich!
(Literally: I greet you.)
 Die Frau mag uns, Sebastian.
(The woman likes us, Sebastian.)

Once again you should to be careful of German genders when you translate the
English pronoun "it":

Der Hund mag die Katze. Der Hund mag sie.

(The dog likes the cat. The dog likes it.)
Die Katze mag den Hund. Die Katze mag ihn.
(The cat likes the dog. The cat likes it.)
Ich mag das Pferd. Ich mag es.
(I like the horse. I like it.)
Hier ist der Kaffee. Ich kaufe ihn.
(Here is the coffee. I'll buy it.)

Dative of the personal pronoun

Grammar 10: Dative of the personal pronoun

Singular Plural
mir to me uns to us
dir to you euch to you
(informal) (informal)
Ihnen to you Ihnen to you
(formal) (formal)
ihm to him ihnen to them
ihr to her
ihm to it

Examples
Examples of how to use the dative of the personal pronoun will be given in the next
section, when we look at verbs which take the dative case. Once again however, the
problem of translating English "it" in the dative should be noted:

Der Hund spielt mit der Katze. Der Hund spielt mit ihr.
(The dog plays with the cat. The dog plays with it.)
Die Katze spielt mit dem Hund. Die Katze spielt mit ihm.
(The cat plays with the dog. The cat plays with it.)
Ich spiele mit dem Pferd. Ich spiele mit ihm.
(I am playing with the horse. I'm playing with it.)

7.11 Verbs taking the dative case

We have already looked at which verbs which take the accusative case in Chapter 3.
Some German verbs however take the dative case. They often equate to the English
"to (you etc.)" or "from (you etc.)", but this is not always the case. Some verbs
which take an indirect object in German - such as "danken" ("to thank") and "helfen"
("to help") are ones which take a direct object in English.
(N.B. A noun or pronoun in the accusative case is called a direct object. A verb which
takes a direct object is called a transitive verb. A noun or pronoun in the dative case
is called an indirect object.)

We have met several examples of verbs taking the dative case in this chapter, and
they can be split into four types. Firstly verbs which simply take a dative object:

Knnen Sie mir helfen?

("Can you help me?")
Ich danke Ihnen.
("(I) thank you.")

Verbs that take both the dative and the accusative case
Secondly, a number of verbs take both a direct and an indirect object. As a general
rule, the person to whom to you are giving something (or from whom you are taking
something) will be in the dative case, whereas the thing that you are giving to them
(or taking from them) will be in the accusative case:

Ich sage dir alles...

("I'll tell you everything...")
Geben Sie mir bitte ein Stck Gouda Kse.
("Please give me a piece of Gouda cheese.")
Was knnen Sie mir empfehlen?
("What can you recommend to me?")

Thus in the above examples the personal pronouns "dir" and "mir" are in the dative
case. What is being told / given / recommended to them is in the accusative case. In
the first two examples this would be "alles" and "ein Stck Gouda Kse". In the third
example it would be the interrogative pronoun "was".

Verbs where the dative object equates to the English subject

The final groups of verbs are ones which can take a lot of getting used to for an
English speaker, as the indirect object of the German construction corresponds to the
subject of the English equivalent. The most common examples of such verbs are
those which express the English "to like": "gefallen" (= the general verb for liking
something) and "schmecken" (= to like food):

Saure Birnen schmecken mir nicht.

("I don't like sour pears.")
Das Kleid gefllt ihr nicht.
("She doesn't like the dress.")

In both of these cases the noun or pronoun which is in the dative case in the German
sentence - "mir" and "ihr" would be the subject in the English construction. Likewise,
the subject of the German verb (i.e. the noun that is in the nominative case) would
either be the object of the English verb - "saure Birnen" or "das Kleid".

It logically follows that the subject of the German sentence will determine the
endings on the verb. If (as here) this is an inanimate object, the verb will be in the
third person. The verb will have singular endings if the subject is singular ("das
Kleid"), plural endings if the subject is a plural one ("saure Birnen").
Impersonal verbs
Another type of construction in which what would be the subject of an English
sentence is in the dative case in a German sentence are the so-called impersonal
verbs. These are verbs in which the grammatical subject of the sentence is "es", a
non-specific "it". We have met two of the most common impersonal verbs already:

Es tut mir Leid.

("I'm sorry.")
Wie geht es Ihnen?
("How are you?")
Mir geht es gut.
("I'm very well.")

7.12 Irregular verbs taking the dative case

Four of the verbs governing the dative case which we met in the previous section are
irregular. Their declension is given below.

Grammar 11: The verb "empfehlen" (= to recommend)

Singular
ich empfehle I recommend
du empfiehlst You recommend
Sie empfehlen (informal/formal)
er/sie/es empfiehlt He/she/it recommends
Plural
wir empfehlen We recommend
ihr empfehlt You recommend
Sie empfehlen (informal/formal)
sie empfehlen They recommend

Grammar 12: The verb "geben" (= to give)

Singular
ich gebe I give
du gibst You give
Sie geben (informal/formal)
er/sie/es gibt He/she/it gives
Plural
wir geben We give
ihr gebt You give
Sie geben (informal/formal)
 sie geben They give

Grammar 13: The verb "gefallen" (= to please)

Singular
ich gefalle I please
du gefllst You please
Sie gefallen (informal/formal)
er/sie/es gefllt He/she/it pleases
Plural
wir gefallen We please
ihr gefallt You please
Sie gefallen (informal/formal)
sie gefallen They please

Grammar 14: The verb "helfen" (= to help)

Singular
ich helfe I help
du hilfst You help
Sie helfen (informal/formal)
er/sie/es hilft He/she/it finds
Plural
wir helfen We help
ihr helft You help
Sie helfen (informal/formal)
sie helfen They help

7.13 The Imperative

The imperative is used to give orders or instructions or to express requests. We have
met it twice in the first conversation in this chapter:

Erst hol bitte vom Bcker ein kleines Weibrot

("First fetch a small loaf of white bread from the baker")
Dann kauf beim Metzger ein halbes Pfund Hackfleisch
("Then buy half a pound of mincemeat from the butcher")

The verb endings for the imperative depend on the person to whom you are talking.
In both of the above cases the "du" form is used, as Anna Mller is talking to a
member of her own family. The other pronouns for "you" in German have their own
form of the imperative:
 Grammar 15: Forms of the imperative

holen kaufen
du hol(e)! kauf(e)!
ihr holt! kauft!
Sie holen Sie! kaufen Sie!

Formation
1. The "du" form of the imperative is formed by dropping the final "-en" of the
infinitive and adding "-e" to the end of the word. This "-e" ending is usually dropped
in spoken German and quite often in written German as well. The "-e" is always kept
however with verbs whose stem end in "-d", "-t", "-ig" and "-m" or "-n" after another
consonant.

2. The "ihr" form of the imperative is exactly the same as the "ihr" form of the
regular present tense.

3. The "Sie" form of the imperative is exactly the same as the "Sie" form of the
regular present tense BUT the word order is reversed - the verb always precedes the
pronoun.

4. Note in particular that the "Sie" form of the imperative is the only one in which
the pronoun is used in the command; you must omit the pronoun in the "du" and
"ihr" forms.

Irregular verbs
Most irregular verbs with "-e-" in the stem change this to "-i-" or "-ie-" in the "du"
form, just as they do in the regular present tense. Such verbs never add the ending
"-e" in the "du" form. The "ihr" and "Sie" forms remain unaffected. This works out as
follows for the three irregular verbs of this kind that we have already encountered:

Grammar 16: Irregular imperatives

geben nehmen
du gib! nimm!
ihr gebt! nehmt!
Sie geben Sie! nehmen Sie!

empfehlen sein
du empfiehl! sei!
ihr empfehlt! seid!
Sie empfehlen Sie! seien Sie!

Note from the above table that the verb "sein" is also irregular in the imperative. It
too never adds the final "-e" in the "du" form of the imperative.
The verbs "knnen" and "wollen" do not have an imperative.

The "wir" form

There is also a "wir" form of the imperative which equates to "Let's do something"
rather than being an order. Just like the "Sie" form of the imperative, you merely
take the normal "wir" form of the present tense verb and follow it with the adverb:
- i.e. "Gehen wir!" (= "Let's go!"); "Machen wir!" (= "Let's do!")

7.14 Vocabulary - Shops and product containers

Containers
Here is a summary of the vocabulary covered in this section. The first table will list
the different types of container in which products come, and the second table will list
the names of products itself.

From now on, we shall indicate the plurals of each of these nouns by the use of
brackets. The plural of (for instance) die Tte is die Tten. We would show this plural
formation by writing die Tte (-n). Similarly, the plural of der Becher is die Becher.
To show that this noun does not change in the plural - although the article always
does! - we would write der Becher (-). When the stem of a noun changes, and not
just the ending, we will aim to write the new plural out in full.

Vocabulary 7: Containers
bag die Tte (-n)
bar die Tafel (-n)
bottle die Flasche (-n)
box die Schachtel (-n)
can die Dose (-n)
jar; glass das Glas (pl. - Glser)
pack; packet die Packung (-en)
packet das Paket (-e)
sack der Sack (pl. - Scke)
slice die Scheibe (-n)
tub der Becher (-)
tube die Tube (-n)

Shops
 Vocabulary 8: Types of shop
baker die Bckerei (-en)
butcher's die Metzgerei (-en)
chemist's die Apotheke (-n)
corner store der Tante-Emma-Laden
(pl. - Tante-Emma-Lden)
department store das Kaufhaus
(pl. - Kaufhuser)
drugstore die Drogerie (-n)
food store das Lebensmittelgeschft (-
e)
health food shop der Bioladen
(pl. - Biolden)
das Reformhaus
(pl. - Reformhuser)
market der Markt (pl. - Mrkte)
- Christmas - der Weihnachtsmarkt
market (pl. - Weihnachtsmrkte)
shop das Geschft (-e)
der Laden (pl. - Lden)
supermarket der Supermarkt
(pl. - Supermrkte)

7.15 Vocabulary - Types of food

Here is a vocabulary list of different types of food which you might encounter in
German-speaking countries. Once again, the plurals of each noun are indicated by
the use of brackets.

Vocabulary 9: Food
apple der Apfel (pl. - pfel)
- apple juice - der Apfelsaft
- apple strudel - der Apfelstrudel
banana die Banane (-n)
bean die Bohne (-n)
- green bean - die grne Bohne
biscuit der Keks (-e)
bread das Brot
- coarse wholemeal - das Vollkornbrot
bread
- white bread - das Weibrot
bread roll das Brtchen (-)
butter die Butter
carrot die Karotte (-n)
die Mhre (-n)
cheese der Kse
chocolate die Schokolade
chocolates die Pralinen (pl.)
cornflakes die Cornflakes (pl.)
cucumber die Gurke (-n)
dairy produce die Milchprodukte (pl.)
drink das Getrnk (-e)
egg das Ei (-er)
fish der Fisch (-e)
flan; cake die Torte (-n)
frozen food die Tiefkhlkost
fruit juice der Saft
grape die Traube (-n)
ham der Schinken
honey der Honig
jam die Marmelade
lemon die Zitrone (-n)
- lemon flan - die Zitronentorte (-n)
lettuce der Kopfsalat
marble cake der Marmorkuchen
margarine die Margarine
meat das Fleisch
milk die Milch
mincemeat das Hackfleisch
mineral water das Mineralwasser
onion die Zwiebel (-n)
orange die Orange (-n)
die Apfelsine (-n)
- orange juice - der Orangensaft
pasta die Nudeln (pl.)
pear die Birne (-n)
pepper der Pfeffer
- pepper salami - die Pfeffersalami
pizza die Pizza (-s)
 raspberry die Himbeere (-n)
salad der Salat
salami die Salami
sausage die Wurst (pl. -
Wrste)
- small sausage - das Wrstchen (-)
strawberry die Erdbeere (-n)
- strawberry jam - die
Erdbeermarmelade
sweet das Bonbon (-s)
tomato die Tomate (-n)
vegetables das Gemse
water das Wasser
yoghurt der Joghurt (-s)

7.16 Shopping in Germany

Supermarkets
Germany is one of the countries with the highest cost of living. On top of this, some
towns are more expensive than others. Living in Munich is significantly more costly
than living in Rostock or the Ruhr area. Even within the same town it is possible to
buy the same product for different prices. It is always worth comparing prices
carefully. When being food, note that delicatessens are the most expensive, while
specialist shops such as the baker's (die Bckerei) or the butcher's (die Metzgerei)
are not necessarily more expensive than supermarkets.

Even amongst supermarkets prices vary considerably. In some supermarkets, the

selection of cheeses, sausage, bread, wines and spirits (Weine und Spirituosen) can
be quite staggering - but then so are their prices! As a general principle, the more
self-service there is a supermarket, the less you have to pay. In some supermarkets
you will see nothing but rows of products stacked in boxes on top of one another!

By contrast with many other countries it is usual to weigh your fruit and vegetables
yourself in German supermarkets. You simply put them on the scales, press the
button with a picture of the product and stick the price tag on the plastic bag.
Germans are very ecologically-minded and hence many shops charge 10-15 cents for
a plastic carrier bag when you get to the checkout desk. Furthermore, the use of re-
usable glass or plastic bottles (Mehrwegflaschen) is encouraged and you have to pay
a deposit (der Pfand) on most bottles which will be refunded to you when you return
the bottles.

Other types of shops

A general food store is called "das Lebensmittelgeschft". If a general store is small
and rather old-fashioned, it is affectionately called "der Tante-Emma-Laden". Should
you wish to buy organic foods and vegetables, you should look for signs saying
"Bioladen" (= health food shop) or the more traditional "das Reformhaus".
Note also the difference between a German chemist's and a drugstore. The chemist's
(die Apotheke) dispense drugs and medicines. Some drugs don't require a
prescription, whereas others do. Drugs are generally cheaper on prescription, but
you obviously have to see a doctor. It is also possible to buy cosmetics and some
health foods in an Apotheke.

A drugstore (die Drogerie) on the other hand sells mainly toiletries, cosmetics and
films etc, although it will sell some medicines if they are not on prescription. More
upmarket and thus more expensive than a Drogerie is "die Parfmerie", where you
can get mainly perfumes and cosmetics.

Markets
Almost all towns, big or small, have one or two markets days a week, often on
Wednesday or Saturday mornings. This can vary however - some towns have a
permanent market open throughout the week. Quite a few of the stalls are run by
local vegetable growers, and are of very high standard. Particularly attractive for
visitors are the Christmas markets ("Weihnachtsmrkte"), at which you can buy
sweets, pastries and hand-carved Christmas decorations.

Re-cycling
To a much greater extent than in other countries Germany practises the re-cycling of
waste products. A "throw-away mentality" (die Wegwerfmentalitt) is frowned upon
and people are encouraged to purchase environmentally friendly products
(umweltfreundliche Produkte) which are recognisable by the symbol of the "blue
angel" (der blaue Engel) - see below - and which can be recycled at places indicated
by the green dot symbol (der grne Punkt).

Citizens are also informed by brochures produced by the municiple authorities how to
sort their rubbish (die Mlltrennung), i.e. put different kinds of material into different
dustbins. Consequently there are dustbins and containers for used paper, glass
(which is sorted according to colour), packaging material, organic waste, and
residual waste. Yellow sacks are used for recyclable material, green for
biodegradable material and black for the rest. The yellow and green bags are taken
away free of charge, but you have to pay to have the rest collected. In the street,
rubbish is put into the appropriate bin for recycling. Glass bottles should not be
thrown into containers on Sundays or at night because of the noise.

Mail order

Home shopping has affected German buying habits severely - according to the
German Mail Order Association, Germany ranks second in the world among home-
shopping giants behind the USA. The Association reported that in 1996, 49% of
Europe's mail-order trade came from German citizens. They also reported that there
are at least 20 main mail order companies, 12 of which are based in Germany and of
these twelve, two are the largest houses in the world. This means that around 350
million catalogues are printed each year, which works out to be about four
catalogues per person or at least 10 catalogues per household in Germany.
Catalogue houses advertise heavily and you are almost guaranteed to receive
something unsolicited from them in the mail. Sometimes it's the catalogue itself or a
postcard inviting you to order the catalogue. Larger houses, such as Otto, Heine or
Quelle send regular post card invitations asking 'occupants' to fill-in the card and
return it to receive a free gift.
 Chapter 8: Telephone Calls

8.1 Calling the doctor (1)

In the following conversation, Anna Mller tries to make an appointment with the doctor
by phone. Pay particular attention to how they express the words for times.

Conversation 1: Ein Termin bei der rztin

Anna Guten Morgen, Frau Mller am Apparat. Hat die

Mller Frau Doktor Weber einen Termin frei?
Frau Ja, natrlich, Frau Mller. Um 10.20 Uhr haben
Krug wir einen Termin frei, oder zehn Minuten spter
um halb elf. Ist das in Ordnung?
Anna Wie spt ist es jetzt?
Mller
Frau Es ist zehn Uhr fnf.
Krug
Anna Nein, das schaffe ich nicht. Haben sie einen
Mller spteren Termin frei?
Frau Der nchste ist um 11.00 Uhr. Ist Ihnen das
Krug Recht?
Anna Um 11:00 Uhr? Ja, da kann ich. Vielen Dank, auf
Mller Wiederhren.
Frau Auf Wiederhren.
Krug

Conversation 1: A doctor's appointment

Anna Mller Good morning, Frau Mller speaking. Does

Doctor Weber have a vacant appointment?
Frau Krug Yes, of course, Ms. Mller. We have an
appointment at 10:20 or ten minutes later
at half-past ten. Is that OK?
Anna Mller What time is it now?
Frau Krug It is 10:05.
Anna Mller No, I can't manage that. Do you have a
later appointment that's not taken?
Frau Krug The next one is at eleven o'clock. Is that
OK by you?
Anna Mller At eleven o'clock? Yes, I can manage that.
Thank you very much, goodbye.
Frau Krug Goodbye.

Glossary
der Termin (- appointment
e)
die rztin (- This is the word to describe the profession of
innen) "doctor". The masculine is "der Arzt" (pl. -
rzte). When you are using "doctor" in
connection with a name, you would use the
word "der Doktor" regardless of gender - i.e.
Frau Doktor Weber.
Hat (sie) einen "Does she have a vacant appointment?". The
Termin frei? word "frei" literally means "free".
natrlich of course
um 10.20 Uhr "At 10.20". Note that this is said "um zehn Uhr
zwanzig", although "Uhr" actually follows
"zwanzig" when it is written.
spter later
um halb elf "At half-past ten". Literally: "half (to) eleven".
ist das in Is that OK?
Ordnung?
schaffen to do; manage
das schaffe ich I can't make that
nicht
ein spterer "A later appointment". The comparative of the
Termin adjective also takes adjective endings. This will
be discussed in more detail later.
der nchste "The next one", as in the next appointment. As
"der Termin" is a masculine noun, the gender
of the definite pronoun will also be masculine.
um 11.00 Uhr Spoken = "um elf Uhr" - "at 11 o'clock".
ist Ihnen das Is that all right for you?
Recht?
da kann ich "I can manage that". The verb for "manage"
can be omitted after the modal verb "knnen"
auf goodbye (on phone)
Wiederhren

8.2 Calling the doctor (2)

In the following conversation, Marko Tredup also attempts to make an appointment with
his doctor. Once again, things don't go to plan and times need to be altered.

Conversation 2: Ein Termin mit dem Arzt

Marko Guten Tag. Mein Name ist Tredup. Wann hat

Tredup Herr Doktor Becker Sprechstunde?
Herr Dienstags bis donnerstags von 12 Uhr bis 14
Friedrich Uhr.
Marko Kann ich bitte heute in die Sprechstunde
Tredup kommen?
Herr Moment mal, Herr Tredup... Knnen Sie um
Friedrich 12.40 Uhr kommen?
Marko Leider nicht.
Tredup
Herr Ich kann Ihnen einen Termin um 13.10 Uhr
Friedrich geben. Wenn das Ihnen nicht passt, mssen
Sie leider bis morgen warten.
Marko h ... muss ich mal nachschauen. Ja, 13.10
Tredup Uhr ist mir Recht. Vielen Dank, auf
Wiederhren.
Herr Auf Wiederhren.
Friedrich

Conversation 2: A doctor's appointment

Marko Good afternoon. My name is Tredup. When

Tredup does Doctor Becker have his surgery?
Herr Between Tuesday and Thursday, from 12
Friedrich o'clock until 2 o'clock.
Marko Could I come to the doctor's surgery today?
Tredup
Herr One moment, Herr Tredup... Could you come
Friedrich at 12:40?
Marko Unfortunately not.
Tredup
Herr I can give you an appointment at 13:10. If
Friedrich that isn't suitable, I'm afraid that you will
have to wait until tomorrow.
Marko Erm ... I'll have to have a look. Yes, 13:10 is
Tredup fine by me. Many thanks, goodbye.
Herr Goodbye.
Friedrich

Glossary
heute today
die Sprechstunde surgery; consultation hour
(-n)
dienstags Tuesdays
bis until; (here) to
donnerstags Thursdays
Moment mal one moment!
leider nicht unfortunately not
passen (+ This means "to suit". It is another verb that
Dative) takes a dative object.
wenn das Ihnen if that doesn't suit you; if that isn't suitable
nicht passt
bis morgen until tomorrow
warten to wait
h... erm...
nachschauen This is a separable verb meaning "to have a
look". We assume that Marko Tredup is
consulting his diary or appointments book.
12.40 Uhr ist mir "12.40 is fine by me". This is the answer to
Recht the phrase: "Ist das Ihnen Recht?"

8.3 Herr Walle

We move to an office environment for the next three conversations in which a caller
attempts to speak to a business partner, only to be unable to do so. Pay close attention to
how the callers say that they will ring back, or ask to leave a message.

Conversation 3: Herr Walle

Anna Schmidt & Co., guten Tag.
Mller
Herr Walle, von der Firma Kindt AG, kann ich bitte
Walle Herrn Doktor Schmidt sprechen?
Anna Das tut mir Leid. Er ist noch in einer
Mller Besprechung. Kann ich Ihnen helfen?
Herr Vielen Dank. Ich rufe spter noch mal an. Auf
Walle Wiederhren.
Anna Bitte schn. Wiederhren.
Mller

Conversation 3: Herr Walle

Anna Schmidt & Co., good afternoon
Mller
Herr Walle, from the Kindt AG company, can I
Walle speak to Doctor Schmidt please?
Anna I'm sorry, he's still in a meeting. May I help
Mller you?
Herr Many thanks. I'll call back later. Goodbye.
Walle
Anna Don't mention it. Goodbye.
Mller

Glossary
Co. This is the abbreviation for the German word
for "company".
die Firma (pl. - company
Firmen)
AG An abbreviation for "Aktiengesellschaft". This
means a "(public) limited company".
Herrn Doktor When the word for Mr. - "der Herr" - is in the
Schmidt accusative and dative case, it adds an extra "-
n", becoming "den Herrn".
sprechen This means "to speak to". It is an irregular
verb.
die meeting
Besprechung
anrufen This means "to ring up". It is a separable
verb.
spter later
noch mal again
Wiederhren Short for "Auf Wiederhren", which means
"Goodbye" on the telephone.

8.4 Herr Dblin

In this telephone conversation, Herr Dblin wishes to speak to Frau Hartmann but is
unable to do so. How does Barbara Zacharias ask him whether he would like to call back
later? What other option does she give him?

Conversation 4: Herr Dblin ruft an

Barbara Firma Aksoy, Zacharias am Apparat, guten

Zacharias Morgen.
Herr Dblin Mein Name ist Dblin, knnten Sie mich
bitte mit Frau Hartmann verbinden?
Barbara Moment bitte, ich verbinde. Da meldet sich
Zacharias niemand. Frau Hartmann ist im Moment
 nicht an ihrem Arbeitsplatz.
Herr Dblin Knnte ich vielleicht Herrn Schneider
sprechen?
Barbara Er spricht gerade auf einer anderen Leitung.
Zacharias Mchten Sie spter noch mal anrufen oder
soll er Sie zurckrufen?
Herr Dblin Vielen Dank. Ich rufe zurck. Auf
Wiederhren.
Barbara Wiederhren.
Zacharias

Conversation 4: Herr Dblin rings up

Barbara The Aksoy company, Zacharias speaking,
Zacharias good morning.
Herr Dblin My name is Dblin, could you please
connect me with Ms. Hartmann?
Barbara One moment please, I'm connecting you
Zacharias now. There's no response. Ms. Hartmann is
not at her desk at the moment.
Herr Dblin Could I speak to Mr. Schneider perhaps?
Barbara He's talking on another line at the moment.
Zacharias Would you like to call back later or would
you like him to ring you back?
Herr Dblin Thanks very much. I'll call back. Goodbye.
Barbara Goodbye.
Zacharias

Glossary
Zacharias am "Zacharias speaking". As "der Apparat"
Apparat means (in some contexts) "the telephone",
this literally means "on the phone".
verbinden to connect
sich melden to answer (telephone)
da meldet sich "Nobody is answering". We could also say:
niemand "There's no response".
im Moment at the moment
der Arbeitsplatz Here: "work station; place of work". It's also
the word for a "job".
am Arbeitsplatz at her(/his etc.) work station
gerade at the moment; just
die Leitung (-en) (telephone) line
auf einer on another line
anderen Leitung
zurckrufen This means "to ring back". It is a separable
verb.
soll er Sie "Would you like him to ring you back?" Note
zurckrufen? the usage of the modal verb "sollen".
ich rufe zurck I'll call back

8.5 Frau Wolf

In this telephone conversation, Frau Wolf wishes to speak to Professor Roth but she is not
in. How does Marko Tredup ask her whether she would like to leave a message? What
other information does he ask her for?

Conversation 5: Frau Wolf

Marko Bro Roth, Tredup am Apparat.

Tredup
Frau Knnte ich bitte mit Frau Professor Roth
Wolf sprechen?
Marko Frau Professor Roth ist zur Zeit nicht im Hause.
Tredup Wer ist am Apparat?
Frau Wolf, von der Firma Grnschnabel in Leipzig.
Wolf
Marko Mchten Sie eine Nachricht hinterlassen?
Tredup
Frau Ja, gern. Es geht um einen Termin fr nchste
Wolf Woche. Knnte sie mich sobald wie mglich
zurckrufen?
Marko Das geht in Ordnung, Frau Wolf. Wie ist Ihre
Tredup Telefonnummer?
Frau Wir haben jetzt eine neue Nummer, die lautet
Wolf 25 13 07.
Marko 25 13 07 - und welche Vorwahl hat Leipzig?
Tredup
Frau Leipzig hat die 0341.
Wolf
Marko Die 0341. Und haben Sie eine Faxnummer?
Tredup
Frau Die Faxnummer lautet 25 13 21.
Wolf

Conversation 5: Frau Wolf

Marko Professor Roth's office, Tredup speaking.

Tredup
Frau Wolf Could I speak to Professor Roth please?
Marko Professor Roth is not in the building at the
Tredup moment. Who's speaking?
Frau Wolf Ms. Wolf, from the Grnschnabel company in
Leipzig.
Marko Would you like to leave a message?
Tredup
Frau Wolf Yes please. It's about an appointment for next
week. Could she ring me back as soon as
possible?
Marko That's fine, Ms. Wolf. What's your telephone
Tredup number?
Frau Wolf We've got a new number now, it's 251307.
Marko 251307 - and what is the dialling code for
Tredup Leipzig?
Frau Wolf Leipzig's dialling code is 0341.
Marko 0341. And do you have a fax number?
Tredup
Frau Wolf The fax number is 251321.

Glossary
Bro Roth We would translate this as "Professor Roth's
office" - the word "Professor" (and likewise
"Ms.", "Mr." etc.) are not given in the
German construction.
die Zeit time
zur Zeit at the moment
das Haus (pl. - house
Huser)
nicht im Hause not in the building; not on the premises
wer ist am "Who's speaking"? You could also say: "Wer
Apparat? spricht?"
die Nachricht (- This means "a message". It is also the word
en) for "a piece of news".
hinterlassen to leave (behind). This is an irregular verb. It
is also inseparable.
es geht um... "It's about..." The noun following "um" must
be in the accusative case.
der Termin (-e) appointment
die Woche (-n) week
nchste Woche next week
sobald wie as soon as
mglich possible
das geht in that's OK; that's fine
Ordnung
die telephone number
Telefonnummer
(-n)
neu new
die Nummer (-n) number
lauten This means "to be" when you are giving
information such as a number.
die Vorwahl dialling code
die Faxnummer fax number
(-n)
die Nummer (-n) number

8.6 The Answerphone

Someone is trying to contact the tourist information office in Velten (which is just north
of Berlin). But as they have rung outside opening hours, the caller only gets a recorded
answerphone message. According to the answerphone, what are the opening hours of the
office? And what should a caller do to leave a message?

Conversation 6: Der Anrufbeantworter

Guten Tag, hier ist der automatische

Anrufbeantworter des Fremdenverkehrsbros Velten,
Telefon- und Faxnummer 03304 17 46 89. Im
Moment ist unser Bro geschlossen. Unsere
ffnungszeiten sind: montags bis freitags von 9 Uhr
bis 13 Uhr und von 15 bis 17 Uhr 30. Am Samstag ist
das Fremdenverkehrsbro Velten von 9 Uhr bis 13
Uhr geffnet. Am Sonntag ist es geschlossen. Falls
Sie eine Nachricht hinterlassen mchten, sprechen
Sie bitte nach dem Signalton. Vielen Dank fr Ihren
Anruf.

Conversation 6: The answerphone

Hello, this is the answerphone of the tourist

information office in Velten. Our telephone and fax
number is 03304 17 46 89. Our office is closed at the
moment. Our opening hours are from nine o'clock to
one o'clock and from three to five thirty Mondays to
Fridays. On Saturdays the tourist information office in
Velten is open from 9 until 1. It is closed on Sundays.
If you wish to leave a message, please speak after
 the tone. Many thanks for your call.

Glossary
automatisch automatic
der Anrufbeantworter answering machine
das The "tourist information office". The
Fremdenverkehrsbro words "des Fremdenverkehrsbros" is
the genitive of this noun i.e. it
translates as "of the tourist information
office".
Telefon- und "Telephone number and fax number". If
Faxnummer the second element of two compound
nouns joined by "and" is the same, you
replace this element in the first of the
two nouns by a hyphen.
im Moment at the moment
geschlossen closed
die ffnungszeiten opening hours
(pl.)
montags on Mondays
freitags "On Fridays". The same construction for
the other days of the week would be
dienstags, mittwochs, donnerstags,
samstags and sonntags.
am Samstag "On Saturday". This can either mean
"on one particular Saturday" or (as
here) "on Saturdays" - i.e. "samstags".
geffnet open
der Signalton tone; pip (of answerphone)
der Anruf (-e) call

8.7 Telling the time (1)

Grammar 1: What time is it?

Wie spt ist es?

(Literally: "How late is it?")
Wie viel Uhr ist es?
(Literally: "How much of the clock is it?")

Both of the above phrases equate to the English "What time is it?" or "What's the time?".
You can add the word for "please" if you wish to be more polite - "Wie spt ist es bitte?".
The answer to the question will be: "Es ist ... Uhr" (= It is ... o'clock). Although "die
Uhr" is a feminine noun, you would translate "It is one o'clock" as "Es ist ein Uhr". If
you said "Es ist eine Uhr", this would mean "This is a clock/watch"!
 Grammar 2: It is ... o'clock

Es ist ein Uhr Es ist zwei Uhr Es ist drei Uhr

Es ist eins

Es ist vier Uhr Es ist fnf Uhr Es ist sechs Uhr

Es ist sieben Uhr Es ist acht Uhr Es ist neun Uhr

Es ist zehn Uhr Es ist elf Uhr Es ist zwlf Uhr

Es ist Mittag
Es ist Mitternacht
As you will have probably guessed:
"Es ist Mittag" means "It is midday"
"Es ist Mitternacht" means "It is midnight".

In the morning, afternoon, evening

Although A.M. and P.M. are not used in German-speaking countries, you can make
times formed using the 12-hour clock more clear by adding the adverbs for "in the
morning", "in the afternoon" etc.:

Grammar 3: morgens, abends usw.

Es ist neun Uhr morgens/vormittags

(It's nine o'clock in the morning)
Es ist drei Uhr nachmittags
(It's three o'clock in the afternoon)
Es ist sieben Uhr abends
(It's seven o'clock in the evening)
 Es ist zwei Uhr nachts
(It's two o'clock at night)

8.8 Telling the time (2)

Wie spt ist es jetzt in Exeter?
Es ist sechs.

Quarter past/to and half past

The constructions required to express minutes "past" and "to" the hour in German
are very similar to the English. The equivalent of "past" is "nach" (= after) and "to"
is translated by "vor" (= before). The German word for a "quarter" is "das Viertel".

Grammar 4: Quarter past/to and half-past

Es ist Viertel nach zehn

(It is a quarter past ten)
Es ist halb elf
(It is half past ten)
Es ist Viertel vor elf
(It is a quarter to eleven)

Expressing "half past" is thus much more tricky. The half hour is counted in German
in relation to the following full hour, not the preceding hour as in English. Thus
"halb elf" is half past ten and not - as you might expect from the English - half past
eleven. Just think of it as being "half to eleven".

Minutes past the hour

Grammar 5: Minutes past the hour

Es ist fnf nach Es ist zehn nach Es ist Viertel

zwlf zwlf nach zwlf

Es ist zwanzig Es ist Es ist halb

nach zwlf fnfundzwanzig eins
nach zwlf
(Es ist fnf vor halb
eins)

Es ist Es ist zwanzig vor Es ist Viertel

fnfundzwanzig eins vor eins
vor eins
(Es ist fnf nach
halb eins)

Es ist zehn vor Es ist fnf vor eins Es ist ein Uhr
eins Es ist eins

As in English, you will also hear a fuller version using "die Minute (-n)", the German
word for a minute. It is more common to use it when you are giving a number of
minutes which is not a multiple of five:
Es ist vierundzwanzig Minuten vor neun
(It is twenty-four minutes to nine)
Es ist siebzehn Minuten nach fnf
(It is seventeen minutes past five)

Using prepositions
Make a note of the prepositions used in the following key German time phrases:

Grammar 6: Prepositions in time phrases

um halb acht
(at half past seven)
gegen halb acht
(at about half past seven)
von zehn (Uhr) bis zwlf (Uhr)
(from ten (o'clock) to twelve (o'clock))
zwischen drei (Uhr) und fnf (Uhr)
(between three (o'clock) and five
(o'clock))
8.9 The 24-hour clock
The 24-hour clock is used much more commonly in German-speaking countries than
it is in Britain - not least because abbreviations such as A.M. and P.M. are not
commonly used. But the 24-hour system is also standard practice for all official time-
telling including in the media, on train timetables and announcements of events etc.
Subtract twelve to get the P.M. time expressed in English.

Grammar 7: The 24-hour clock

Written Spoken English

13.00 Uhr dreizehn Uhr 1:00 P.M.
18.00 Uhr achtzehn Uhr 6:00 P.M.
21.00 Uhr einundzwanzig Uhr 9:00 P.M.
0.00 Uhr null Uhr midnight
24.00 Uhr vierundzwanzig Uhr

Minutes after the hour

When expressing the number of minutes after an hour in the German 24-hour
system, you add the number of minutes after the word "Uhr" in spoken German. In
written German however, the word "Uhr" comes after the minutes.

Although midnight can be expressed in the German 24-hour clock either as null Uhr
or vierundzwanzig Uhr, you can only use null Uhr when you need to express that it is
a number of minutes past midnight. You cannot however say "halb null", just as you
cannot say "halb dreizehn", "Viertel nach/vor dreizehn" etc.

Thus the times shown on the previous page would be expressed as follows using the
24-hour system:

Grammar 8: Minutes past the hour

Es ist null Uhr Es ist null Uhr Es ist null Uhr

Es ist 0 Uhr fnf zehn
Es ist 00.05 Uhr Es ist 00.10 Uhr
Es ist null Uhr Es ist null Uhr Es ist null Uhr
fnfzehn zwanzig fnfundzwanzig
Es ist 00.15 Uhr Es ist 00.20 Uhr Es ist 00.25 Uhr

Es ist null Uhr Es ist null Uhr Es ist null Uhr

dreiig fnfunddreiig vierzig
Es ist00.30 Uhr Es ist 00.35 Uhr Es ist 00.40 Uhr

Es ist null Uhr Es ist null Uhr Es ist null Uhr

fnfundvierzig fnfzig fnfundfnfzig
Es ist 00.45 Uhr Es ist 00.50 Uhr Es ist 00.55 Uhr

Odd numbers of minutes

The twenty-four clock can of course also be used to express times where the minutes
are not divisible by five:
Es ist sechzehn Uhr neunundzwanzig / 16.29 Uhr
Es ist zwanzig Uhr zweiundzwanzig / 20.22 Uhr
Es ist dreiundzwanzig Uhr sechsundfnfzig / 23.56 Uhr

And a German speaking clock always uses the twenty-four system, giving the
number of seconds (= die Sekunde (-n)) along with the time in hours and minutes:
Es ist zehn Uhr dreiundvierzig Minuten dreiig Sekunden
(It is ten thirty-four and thirty seconds)

Be punctual!
Punctuality (die Pnktlichkeit) is taken very seriously in Germany. It goes without
saying that strict punctuality is expected for business appointments. Note however
that if somebody invites you for dinner at 7 o'clock, then that is the time that you
are expected to turn up. Arriving "fashionably late" by ten or fifteen minutes - as is
common in Britain - is viewed as a social faux pas. So if you find yourself running
late, make sure to ring up in advance and inform your hosts!

There is slightly more leeway given in academic circles. When university students
have an appointment with their tutors or professors, they should of course be
punctual (pnktlich). Yet German universities have a tradition of beginning their
classes fifteen minutes after the hour. This quarter-hour is known as the
akademisches Viertel. Classes which begin fifteen minutes after the hour are
designated "c.t." (= cum tempore) and would be listed as beginning at 9.00 c.t.,
10.00 c.t., etc. Courses which begin precisely on the hour are designated "s.t." (=
sine tempore) and would be listed as beginning at 9.00 s.t., 10.00 s.t., etc.

8.10 Days of the week

Grammar 8: Die Wochentage

Sonntag Donnerstag
(Sunday) (Thursday)
Montag Freitag
(Monday) (Friday)
Dienstag Samstag /
(Tuesday) Sonnabend
Mittwoch (Saturday)
(Wednesday)

N.B. Samstag is the word used to translate "Saturday" in southern Germany,

whereas Sonnabend is used in certain parts of northern Germany (including Berlin).

On Monday(s)
To translate "on Monday" etc., you should precede the day of the week by "am" - i.e.
am Montag, am Dienstag, am Mittwoch etc.

This is because all days of the week are masculine. Most of them are compound
nouns whose final element is der Tag, the German word for "day", but the other two
- Mittwoch and Sonnabend - are also masculine.

There are specific adverbs to translate "on Mondays" etc., when this implies "every
Monday". Note that the fact that these words do not start with a capital letter:

Grammar 9: On Mondays etc.

sonntags donnerstags
(on Sundays) (on Thursdays)
montags freitags
(on Mondays) (on Fridays)
dienstags samstags /
(on Tuesdays) sonnabends
mittwochs (on Saturdays)
(on Wednesdays)

Notable days in the calendar

A number of notable days in the calendar are compounds of the names of German
days of the week.They are therefore used the same way grammatically - "am
Karfreitag" means "on Good Friday":

Grammar 9: Notable days of the week

Ostersonntag Aschermittwoch
(Easter Sunday) (Ash Wednesday)
Pfingstmontag Grndonnerstag
(Whit Monday) (Maundy
Thursday)
Rosenmontag Karfreitag
(Monday before Ash (Good Friday)
Wednesday)
Faschingsdienstag
(Shrove Tuesday)

8.11 Modal verbs

Grammar 9: German modal verbs

drfen mssen
(may) (must)
(= permission)
knnen sollen
(can) (is to)
mgen wollen
(may) (want)
(= possibility)

The German modal verbs are a group of six verbs which affect the mood of a
sentence, approximating to words like "can", "must" and "will" in English. Great care
needs to be taken with their usage as each verb has a number of different meanings
in different uses of their various tenses.

Word order
All of these modal verbs need to be used with a second verb in the infinitive form.
This second verb is always placed at the end of the sentence. Here are some
examples which we have already met in this course:

Grammar 10: Word order with modal verbs

Modal verb Clause

drfen Darf ich Ihnen einen Nachtisch bringen?
("May I bring you a dessert?")
knnen Kann ich Ihnen helfen?
 ("Can I help you?")
mgen Mchten Sie eine Nachricht hinterlassen?
("Would you like to leave a message?")
mssen Sie mssen leider bis morgen warten.
("You'll have to wait until tomorrow.")
sollen Soll er Sie zurckrufen?
("Would you like him to ring you back?")
wollen Ich wollte mit der Straenbahn fahren.
("I wanted to travel by tram.")

If the infinitive following a modal verb comes from a separable verb, then it does not
split up and behaves like any other verb:

Grammar 11: Modal verbs followed by a separable verb

Modal Verb Clause
knnen Ich rufe zurck.
BUT: Knnten Sie mich sobald wie mglich
zurckrufen?
("Could you ring me back as soon as
possible?")
mgen Du rufst an.
BUT: Mchten Sie spter noch mal
anrufen?
("Would you like to ring back later?")
mssen Sie fahren ab.
BUT: Wann mssen Sie abfahren?
("When do you have to leave?")

The same construction also appears with gehen (= to go) and brauchen (= to need):

Ich gehe jetzt einkaufen.

(I'm going shopping now.)
Du brauchst das nicht tun.
(You don't have to do that.)

Modal verbs without the infinitive

Unlike in English, German modal verbs can sometimes be used without a following
infinitive, provided that the meaning of the omitted infinitive is clear from the
context. This occurs most often in conversation, and predominantly with verbs of
motion:

Ja, da kann ich.

(Yes, I can manage that.)
Frau Mller will zum Bahnhof (fahren).
(Frau Mller wants to go to the station.)
 Barbara Zacharias muss ins Bro (gehen).
(Barbara Zacharias has to go into the office.)
Ich mchte ein Eis (haben).
(I would like to have an ice cream.)

8.12 Modal verbs: Knnen, mgen, wollen

"Knnen Sie" or "knnten Sie"?
You can use different forms of the verb "knnen" to express the difference between
the English "I can" and "I could". The present tense of the verb is used to translate
the former, the conditional the latter.

Grammar 12: The present tense of "knnen" (= can)

Singular
ich kann I can
du kannst You can
Sie knnen (informal/formal)
er/sie/es kann He/she/it can
Plural
wir knnen We can
ihr knnt You can
Sie knnen (informal/formal)
sie knnen They can

Grammar 13: The conditional of "knnen" (= could)

Singular
ich knnte I could
du knntest You could
Sie knnten (informal/formal)
er/sie/es knnte He/she/it could
Plural
wir knnten We could
ihr knntet You could
Sie knnten (informal/formal)
sie knnten They could

When asking questions, you would use the present tense of "knnen" if you are
merely asking for a simple statement of fact, and the conditional if you are trying to
be more polite.

Kann ich Ihnen helfen?

(Can I help you?)
 Knnen Sie um 12.40 Uhr kommen?
(Can you come at 12:40?)
Kann ich bitte Herrn Doktor Schmidt sprechen?
(Can I please speak to Doctor Schmidt?)
Knnte ich vielleicht Herrn Schneider sprechen?
(Could I perhaps speak to Mr. Schneider?)
Knnten Sie mich bitte mit Frau Hartmann verbinden?
(Could you please connect me with Frau Hartmann?)

As you can tell from the third and fourth example in this list, the distinction between
the "moods" implied by the two forms of the verb can often be very small. The
person asking for Doctor Schmidt would not be deemed to be impolite for having
used the present tense of "knnen".

When you are not asking a question, but merely stating your ability to do something,
the conditional of the verb indicates that you would be able to do something
depending on circumstances.

Ich kann Ihnen helfen.

(I can help you.)
Ich knnte Ihnen helfen.
(I could help you.)
Wir knnen heute in die Sprechstunde kommen.
(We are able to come to the surgery today.)
Wir knnten heute in die Sprechstunde kommen.
(We might be able to come to the surgery today.)

Ich mchte...
The verb mgen ("to like") is unique amongst modal verbs in that it is the conditional
form, and not the present tense, which is used with a following infinitive. We will
deal with the present tense of the verb mgen and how it is used in the next
chapter.

Grammar 14: Conditional of "mgen" (= would like to)

Singular
ich mchte I'd like to
du mchtest You'd like to
Sie mchten (informal/formal)
er/sie/es mchte He/she/it would like to
Plural
wir mchten We'd like to
ihr mchtet You'd like to
Sie mchten (informal/formal)
mchten They'd like to
It translates as a more polite (and more restrained) way of saying "I want to" than
"ich will". Thus in the final example below, it would appear rude to say: "Wollen Sie
spter noch mal anrufen?".

Ich will eine Nachricht hinterlassen.

(I want to leave a message.)
Ich mchte eine Nachricht hinterlassen.
(I would like to leave a message.)
Mchten Sie spter noch mal anrufen?
(Would you like to ring back later?)

8.13 Verbs whose stem ends in "-d" or "-t"

The present tense of verbs with stems ending in "-d"
Verbs whose stem ends in "-d" add an extra "-e-" before the normal verb endings in
the "du", "ihr" and "er/sie/es" forms of the present tense. This is true of two verbs
which we have met in this section - "verbinden" (= to connect) and "melden" (= to
answer). It also affects the present tense of the verb "finden" (= to find) which we
have met earlier.

Grammar 15: The present tense of "verbinden"

Singular
ich verbinde I connect
du verbindest You connect
Sie verbinden (informal/formal)
er/sie/es verbindet He/she/it connects
Plural
wir verbinden We connect
ihr verbindet You connect
Sie verbinden (informal/formal)
sie verbinden They connect

Examples of other verbs with a stem ending in "-d" would be:

Niemand meldet sich.

(No-one is answering.)
Findest du das Hotel?
(Will you find the hotel?)

The present tense of verbs with stems ending in "-t"

The same principle is true for verbs whose stem ends in "-t", such as "warten" (= to
wait), "lauten" (= to be) and "antworten" (= to answer). These verbs also add an
extra "-e-" before the normal verb endings in the "du", "ihr" and "er/sie/es" forms of
the present tense.

Grammar 16: The present tense of "warten"

 Singular
ich warte I wait
du wartest You wait
Sie warten (informal/formal)
er/sie/es wartet He/she/it waits
Plural
wir warten We wait
ihr wartet You wait
Sie warten (informal/formal)
sie warten They wait

The present tenses of the other aforementioned "-t-" verbs would give us the
following examples:

Die Nummer lautet: 28 50 67.

(The number is 285067.)
Ihr antwortet nicht!
(You're not answering me!)

The irregular verb "sprechen"

We have also come across a further verb which has an irregular present tense. The
verb "sprechen" (= to speak) changes the stem vowel from "-e-" to "-i-" in the "du"
and "er/sie/es" forms of the present tense.

Grammar 17: The present tense of "sprechen"

Singular
ich spreche I speak
du sprichst You speak
Sie sprechen (informal/formal)
er/sie/es spricht He/she/it speaks
Plural
wir sprechen We speak
ihr sprecht You speak
Sie sprechen (informal/formal)
sie sprechen They wait

8.14 Telephone vocabulary

Here is a summary of the telephone vocabulary covered in this section, together with
some other words which you may find useful when making a phone call. As before,
plurals of nouns will be indicated in brackets. Unless otherwise indicated, you should
assume that any verbs given are regular (in the present tense at least).

Vocabulary 1: Das Telefon

English German
der (automatische)
answerphone
Anrufbeantworter (-)
appointment der Termin (-e)
beep; tone der Signalton
der Anruf (-e)
call
das Gesprch (-e)
- emergency call - der Notruf
- local call - das Ortsgesprch (-e)
- long-distance
- das Ferngesprch (-e)
call
- telephone call - der Telefonanruf (-e)
car-phone das Autotelefon (-e)
connection die Verbindung (-en)
dial (of phone) die Whlscheibe (-n)
dialling code die Vorwahl
dialling tone der Whlton
directory die Auskunft
enquiries die Fernsprechauskunft
engaged tone das Besetztzeichen
extension 2689 Apparat 2689
fax machine die Faxmaschine (-n)
line die Leitung (-en)
message die Nachricht (-en)
mobile phone das Handy (-s)
number die Nummer (-n)
- fax number - die Faxnummer (-n)
- mobile phone
- die Handynummer (-n)
number
- telephone
- die Telefonnummer (-n)
number
phonecard die Telefonkarte (-n)
receiver der Hrer (-)
ringing tone das Rufzeichen (-)
speaking clock die Zeitansage
 switchboard die Zentrale (-n)
das Telefon (-e)
telephone der Apparat (-e)
der Telefonapparat (-e)
telephone das Telefonbuch (pl. -
directory bcher)
Yellow Pages die gelben Seiten (pl.)

Vocabulary 2: Telephone (phrases)

Bro Geyer
Mr./Ms. Geyer's office
Zacharias am Apparat
Zacharias speaking
Scharping, von der Firma Easyjet
Mr./Ms. Scharping, from the Easyjet company
Wer ist am Apparat?
Wer spricht?
Who's speaking?
Kann ich Ihnen helfen?
Can I help you?
Kann/knnte ich Herrn Doktor Schmidt sprechen?
Can/could I speak to Doctor Schmidt?
Knnte ich mit Herrn Krauss sprechen?
Could I speak with Mr. Krauss?
Knnten Sie mich mit Frau Gerstner verbinden?
Could you put me through to Frau Gerstner?
Er spricht gerade an einer anderen Leitung
He's speaking on another line at the moment
Sie ist zur Zeit nicht im Hause
She's not in the building at the moment
im Moment ist/hat unser Bro geschlossen
our office is closed at the moment
unser Bro ist/hat geffnet
our office is open
unsere ffnungszeiten sind...
our opening hours are...
Mchten Sie eine Nachricht hinterlassen?
(= inseparable verb)
Would you like to leave a message?
falls Sie eine Nachricht hinterlassen mchten...
in case you want to leave a message...
sprechen Sie bitte nach dem Signalton
please speak after the tone
mchten Sie spter noch mal rufen?
Would you like to ring back later?
soll er Sie zurckrufen?
Would you like him to ring you back?
knnte sie mich sobald wie mglich zurckrufen?
Could she ring me back as soon as possible?
ich rufe zurck
I'll call back
wie ist Ihre Telefonnummer?
what is your telephone number?
meine Telefonnmmer lautet...
my telephone number is...
welche Vorwahl hat Berlin?
what is the dialling code for Berlin?
haben Sie eine Faxnummer?
do you have a fax number?
wann hat Herr Doktor Grn Sprechstunde?
When does Doctor Grn have his surgery?
Haben Sie einen Termin frei?
Do you have a vacant appointment?
Er ist noch in einer Besprechung
He's still in a meeting
Moment mal...
One moment...
ich muss mal nachschauen
I'll have to have a look
ist das Ihnen Recht?
Is that all right with you?
das ist mir Recht
that's all right with me
ist das in Ordnung?
is that OK with you?
das ist in Ordnung
that's OK with me
wenn das Ihnen nicht passt
if that isn't suitable for you
Ich rufe spter noch mal an
I'll ring back later
vielen Dank fr Ihren Anruf
many thanks for your call
auf Wiederhren
goodbye

8.15 The German telephone system

Deregulation

The German telephone service always used to be a state monopoly operated by the
German postal service (die Bundespost). A few years ago however this monopoly was
split up and privatised. Deutsche Post AG now looks after letters and parcels, DeTeMobil
became responsible for mobile communications whilst the phone service was separated
from the postal service and renamed Deutsche Telekom, a private company in which the
German government holds a controlling 72% stake. Deutsche Telekom had a monopoly
on the German telephone industry until as late as January 1, 1998, when the
telecommunications branch was opened up to competition.

To install a phone in your own home, you first need to register with Telekom, who
control phone lines into individual houses and flats. This can be done quite conveniently
by filling out a form either at the post office or at one of the T-Punkt customer
information centres to be found in most German towns and cities. As it costs over a
hundred marks to have a phone installed, and you can wait quite some time for this to
occur, it is advisable to take over the telephone from the previous tenant when you move
in somewhere if possible.

Once you have your connection and a telephone, you can then choose your provider. And
good luck to you! For although competition amongst providers has lowered the cost of
making a phone call considerably since deregulation, trying to differentiate between the
features and rate structures offered by companies is as difficult as it is in Great Britain.
As a result, web sites such as Billiger Telefonieren (= telephone more cheaply) have
sprung up on the internet offering up-to-the-minute information on the cheapest phone
rates.

Mobile phones
During the year 2000 there was an unprecedented boom in the European mobile
communications market, both with respect to absolute growth in the number of users and
the associated handset sales, not least in Germany where the number of mobile phones in
use more than doubled. By the end of the year 2000, Germany had the greatest number of
mobile phone users in any European country, clearly ahead of Italy and the UK. Deutsche
Telekom more than doubled its number of mobile phone subscribers from 9 million to 19
million.

A mobile phone is known as das Handy in Germany. This is the result of German
marketing executives giving the new phone a trendy American sounding name in an
attempt to help it sell in the Federal Republic. Despite the fact that no other nation -
English-speaking or otherwise - refers to a mobile phone in this way, das Handy remains
the German word for a mobile phone. The Gesellschaft fr Deutsche Sprache (German
Language Society) based in Wiesbaden even launched a competition in 1996 to come up
with a more "solid" i.e. German-sounding variant. 1195 (!) alternative names were
suggested by the German public, including Handgurke, BUMM, Anrufli, Calli, Foni,
Mini, Mobi, Nervi, Rufli, Sacki, Schnelli, Speaki, Telli, Tragi, Digifon, Handfon,
Kultfon, Lightfon, Minifon, Pocketfon, Praktifon, Schnulofon, Superfon, Funktel,
Handtel, Kablotel, Manutel, Portel, Tragetel, Taschtel or Mobitel. But all of these more
Germanic-sounding names for a mobile phone failed to grab the public's imagination.

The fact that many of the names proposed for this competition - such as der
Yuppielutscher (= yuppie lollipop) or das Protzofon (= show-off phone) - were less than
complimentary is indicative of the hostility with which the mobile phone has been
greeted in some quarters of German society. Already you can see a `no handy' sign
modelled on the no-smoking symbol - a drawing of a mobile in a red circle with a
diagonal red bar across it - in hotel lobbies and restaurants. In his book "Hand in Handy",
a witty analysis of the mobile phone phenomenon, journalist Hellmuth Karasek depicts
das Handy as a status symbol for German children as well as an executive toy which
itself looks doomed to be replaced by the satellite phone.

8.16 Telephone boxes and telephone numbers

Phoneboxes
Whereas telephone boxes - die Telefonzelle - used to be yellow in colour (see graphic
on the previous page), the new Telekom models have are lavender and grey in
colour. And whilst the older models are coin-operated, the vast majority of German
telephone boxes now require you to use a telephone card (die Telefonkarte). These
can be obtained from post offices, kiosks, telephone stores (der Telefonladen) and
some stationery outlets.

In most public telephone boxes it is possible to be rung back; there should be a sign
with the number. A local call from a public call box during the day costs a set
amount, whereas tariffs for calls abroad vary according to distance and time of day.
As a general rule it is much cheaper to phone at the weekends and in the evenings.

Important German telephone numbers

The emergency - Notruf - telephone numbers for Germany are:
- 110 to call the police
- 112 for fire and ambulance

You can ring directory enquiries on:

- 11833 for a domestic number
- 11834 for an international enquiry

How to give and receive telephone numbers

German telephone numbers are usually said in pairs. This is not true however for the
dialling code, so (0475) 24 88 79 would be given as null vier sieben fnf -
vierundzwanzig achtundachtzig neunundsiebzig.

If there is an odd number of digits in a German phone number, the first digit is
usually isolated and the followed digits are then spoken in pairs, for example 2 34 47
95.

When numbers are said over the telephone or as part of a public announcement, you
will also often hear "zwo" instead of "zwei". This is to avoid any confusion as "zwei"
could be confused with "drei" if the line is bad. This also applies to compound
numbers such as 82 which might be said as "zwoundachtzig" over the phone.

Chapter 9: Going Shopping (2)

9.1 Das Konzert

Sophie Gerland rings up Barbara Zacharias at work to see if she would like to go out
to a concert at Schloss Charlottenburg (Charlottenburg Palace). They then arrange
when and where they should meet. How does Barbara ask "Where shall we meet?"
What is the other meaning that we have encountered of the word "der Platz"?

Conversation 1: Das Konzert

Sekretrin Firma Aksoy, schnen guten Tag.

Sophie Mein Name ist Gerland, knnte ich Frau
Gerland Zacharias, Apparat 2467, kurz sprechen?
Sekretrin Augenblick, ich verbinde Sie.
Barbara Zacharias.
Zacharias
Sophie Hallo, Barbara, hier ist die Sophie.
Gerland
Barbara Hallo, Sophie. Geht's dir gut?
Zacharias
Sophie Ja, es geht so. Du, ich habe folgenden
Gerland Vorschlag. Am Sonnabend, dem elften
Oktober gibt es ein schnes Hndelkonzert
im Schloss Charlottenburg. Hndel hre ich
 besonders gern und Schloss Charlottenburg
ist bestimmt sehenswert. Ich mchte also
gern ins Konzert gehen - aber lieber nicht
allein. Mchtest du mitkommen?
Barbara Na klar, ich komme gern mit. Das ist eine
Zacharias tolle Idee.
Sophie Soll ich dir auch eine Karte besorgen?
Gerland
Barbara Ja, das ist nett von dir.
Zacharias
Sophie Wo liegt das Schloss?
Gerland
Barbara Am Spandauer Damm. Hinter dem
Zacharias gyptischen Museum, glaube ich.
Sophie Das gyptische Museum liegt gegenber der
Gerland Sammlung Berggruen, oder?
Barbara Kann sein. Wo wollen wir uns treffen? Vor
Zacharias dem U-Bahnhof Sophie-Charlotte-Platz? Oder
vielleicht am Schlosseingang?
Sophie Sagen wir am Schlosseingang um Viertel vor
Gerland sieben?
Barbara Abgemacht! Wollen wir heute Abend in die
Zacharias Disko gehen?
Sophie Ach nein, dazu habe ich keine Lust. Ich
Gerland mchte heute nicht tanzen gehen.

Conversation 1: The Concert

Secretary The Aksoy company, a very good day to you.

Sophie My name is Gerland, could I please have a
Gerland quick word with Ms. Zacharias on extension
2467?
Secretary One moment, I'll put you through.
Barbara Zacharias.
Zacharias
Sophie Hello, Barbara, it's Sophie.
Gerland
Barbara Hello, Sophie. How are things?
Zacharias
Sophie Things are OK. Listen, I've got the following
Gerland suggestion for you. On Saturday the eleventh
of October there's a nice concert of Hndel's
 music at Charlottenburg Palace. I particularly
like listening to Hndel and Charlottenburg
Palace is certainly worth seeing. So I'd like to
go to the concert - but I'd prefer not to go on
my own. Would you like to come with me?
Barbara Of course, I'd love to come! That's a great
Zacharias idea.
Sophie Would you like me to get a ticket for you as
Gerland well?
Barbara Yes, that's nice of you.
Zacharias
Sophie Where is the Palace?
Gerland
Barbara On the Spandauer Damm. Behind the
Zacharias Egyptian Museum, I think.
Sophie The Egyptian Museum is opposite the
Gerland Berggruen collection, isn't it?
Barbara Could be. Where shall we meet? In front of
Zacharias the underground station at Sophie-Charlotte-
Platz? Or perhaps at the entrance to the
Palace?
Sophie Shall we say at the entrance to the Palace at
Gerland a quarter to seven?
Barbara Agreed! Shall we go to the disco tonight?
Zacharias
Sophie Oh no, I don't feel like doing that. I don't
Gerland want to go out dancing today.

Glossary
schnen guten a very good day to you
Tag
kurz briefly
der Augenblick (- This is another word for a "moment". We
e) would translate it here as "One moment".
ich verbinde Sie I'll connect you; I'll put you through
hallo! The informal greeting is used because the
two colleagues are on "du" terms with each
other.
die Sophie Using the definite article is common in
colloquial spoken German when asking or
giving your name. It simply means "It's
Sophie here".
geht's dir gut? Are you well?; how are things?
es geht so things are OK
folgende(r) "the following". Unlike English, the definite
article is usually omitted. It takes "strong"
adjective endings when not preceded by a
definite article.
der Vorschlag (pl. suggestion
- Vorschlge)
am Sonnabend As Sophie comes from Berlin, she uses the
North German word for Saturday.
Oktober October
am Sonnabend, "On Saturday, the eleventh of October". The
dem elften reason why "the eleventh of October" is in
Oktober the dative case will be explained in the
following sections.
das Konzert (-e) concert
das A concert featuring the works of Georg
Hndelkonzert (- Friedrich Hndel. Note the umlaut in his
e) surname - it is invariably omitted in English!
das Schloss A "castle", "palace" or "stately home". It is
also the word for a "lock".
Schloss The pleasure mansion or "palace" of Queen
Charlottenburg Sophie-Charlotte, built in Berlin in 1695.
Click here for an introduction to the mansion
and its gardens.
hren to hear, listen to
Hndel hre ich "I like listening to Hndel". Unlike in English,
gern the object of a German sentence can be
placed at the start of a clause or sentence.
bestimmt certainly; definitely
sehenswert worth seeing
ins Konzert to go to the concert
gehen
allein alone; on one's own
mitkommen This is a separable verb meaning "to come
with someone". Unlike in English you do not
need to supply a noun or pronoun in
German to indicate the person being
accompanied. Thus "Ich komme mit" means
"I'm coming with you (her/him etc.)".
na klar "Of course!" You would only use this in
conversation amongst friends. A word such
as "natrlich" should be used in more formal
circumstances.
ich komme gerne I'd be happy to come.
mit
toll great; excellent
die Idee (-n) idea
die Karte (-n) ticket
besorgen This means "to get". The thing which you
are getting (here: "die Karte") is in the
accusative case; the person for whom you
are getting it (here: "dir") is in the dative
case.
liegen Literally: "to lie". You would use it in this
context to say where buildings "are
situated".
der Damm Normally the word for a "dam" or a "dyke",
(pl. - Dmme) you will also find it (as here) in names of
roads - such as Berlin's most famous street
the "Kurfrstendamm". "Spandauer Damm"
equates to "Spandau Road". Click here to
locate Spandauer Damm on a map of Berlin.
hinter This is the preposition meaning "behind". It
takes the dative case when you are referring
to position, and the accusative case when
movement in involved.
das Museum (pl. - This means "museum". Note the unusual
Museen) plural.
gyptisch Egyptian
das gyptische The Egyptian Museum in Berlin contains one
Museum of the most important collections of
Egyptian culture, inlcuding works of art from
the time of King Echnaton of Tell el-Amarna.
Click here to visit a web-site devoted to the
museum. In German only.
gegenber This is a preposition meaning "opposite". It
always takes the dative case.
die Sammlung (- collection
en)
Sammlung The Berggruen Collection is a private art
Berggruen collection in Berlin containing works of art
from the classical modernist period. You can
see works by Picasso, Braque, Klee, Laurens
and Giacometti here. Click here for more
information.
oder? isn't it?; right?
kann sein "Could be". Note the use of the modal verb.
sich treffen "to meet". This is a reflexive verb (see
Chapter 10).
wo wollen wir uns "Where shall we meet?". This is a set phrase
treffen? where the modal verb wollen has the sense
of implying a future action.
vor This is the preposition meaning "in front of".
It takes the dative case when you are
referring to position, and the accusative
 case when movement is involved.
Sophie-Charlotte- "Sophie-Charlotte Square". Charlottenburg
Platz Palace was Queen Sophie-Charlotte's
pleasure mansion. Click here to locate the
underground station at Sophie-Charlotte-
Platz on a map of Berlin.
der Eingang entrance
(pl. - Eingnge)
am This means "at the entrance to the Palace".
Schlosseingang German makes a single compound noun out
of this concept.
sagen wir... Shall we say...?
abgemacht! "Agreed!; done!" The verb "abmachen" is a
separable verb meaning "to agree".
die Disko (-s) "disco". You might also see "die Disco" or
"die Diskothek".
wollen wir... in Shall we go to the disco?
die Disko gehen?
ach nein Oh, no!; no, no!
dazu habe ich I don't feel like doing that; I don't want to
keine Lust do that.
tanzen This means "to dance". "To go dancing" is
thus "tanzen gehen".

9.2 Gehen wir ins Kino!

In the Schneberg region of Berlin, Marko Tredup rings up Lukas Mller and asks him
if he would like to go and see a film with him. Unfortunately they have trouble
agreeing what they would like to see and when they would like to do it. What are
their favourite types of film? And why can't Marko Tredup go to the cinema the day
after tomorrow?

Conversation 2: Gehen wir ins Kino!

Marko Hallo, Lukas! Was mchtest du heute Abend

Tredup machen? Wollen wir vielleicht etwas zusammen
unternehmen?
Lukas Ja, gern! Was schlgst du vor?
Mller
Marko Ich wrde sehr gerne ins Kino gehen. Was fr
Tredup Filme siehst du gerne?
Lukas Krimis und spannende Abenteuerfilme.
Mller
Marko Ja, so was mag ich auch gerne.
Tredup
Lukas Was luft heute im Kino?
Mller
Marko Moment mal, ich schaue mal nach. Der
Tredup Wievielte ist heute?
Lukas Heute ist Donnerstag, der vierzehnte Mrz.
Mller
Marko Im Odeon gibt es "Hennen Rennen". Der Film
Tredup fngt um 20:15 Uhr an. Wir knnen auch erst
um elf gehen. Da gibt es noch eine
Sptvorstellung.
Lukas Was fr ein Film ist das?
Mller
Marko Das ist ein Zeichentrickfilm.
Tredup
Lukas Nein, so was finde ich zu kindisch. Was luft
Mller sonst noch?
Marko Morgen ist Freitag, der fnfzehnte Mrz,
Tredup stimmt's? Im Cosima gibt es morgen "Romeo
und Julia" von William Shakespeare. Der
Regisseur ist Baz Luhrmann.
Lukas Das ist eine Liebesgeschichte.
Mller
Marko Nein, so was finde ich langweilig. Das
Tredup interessiert mich berhaupt nicht.
Lukas Wie wr's mit bermorgen?
Mller
Marko Tut mir Leid, da kann ich nicht. Ich muss am
Tredup Wochenende zu Hause bleiben und packen.
Conversation 2: Let's go to the cinema!

Marko Hello, Lukas! What would you like to do this

Tredup evening? What about doing something together
perhaps?
Lukas Yes, I'd like that! What do you suggest?
Mller
Marko I'd really like to go to the cinema. What type of
Tredup films do you like?
Lukas Thrillers and exciting adventure films.
Mller
Marko Yes, that's the sort of thing I like too.
Tredup
Lukas What's on at the cinema today?
Mller
Marko One moment, I'll have a look. What's the date
Tredup today?
Lukas Today is Thursday, the fourteenth of March.
Mller
Marko There's "Chicken Run" at the Odeon. The film
Tredup starts at 8.15. We could also wait until eleven
o'clock to go. There's a late showing on then.
Lukas What sort of film is it?
Mller
Marko It's a cartoon film.
Tredup
Lukas No, things like that are too childish for me.
Mller What else is on?
Marko Tomorrow is Friday, the fifteenth of March,
Tredup right? There's William Shakespeare's "Romeo
and Juliet" at the Cosima. The director is Baz
Luhrmann.
Lukas That's a love story.
Mller
Marko Oh no, I find things like that boring. That's
Tredup doesn't interest me at all.
Lukas How about the day after tomorrow?
Mller
Marko Sorry, I can't manage it. I've got to stay at
Tredup home at the weekend and pack.

Glossary
machen This very common verb can either mean
"to make" or (as here) "to do".
unternehmen Literally: "to undertake", this inseparable
verb can also be translated as "to do".
vorschlagen (sep.) A separable verb meaning "to suggest"
das Kino (-s) cinema
ich wrde sehr I would really like to go to the cinema
gerne ins Kino
gehen
was fr...? "What sort of...". The noun which follows it
will be in the accusative case.
der Film (-e) film
sehen This irregular verb means "to see" or
occasionally "to watch".
der Krimi (-s) This is a "crime film" or "thriller". You tend
to hear it more often than the longer
version "der Kriminalfilm".
spannend exciting
der Abenteuerfilm adventure film
(-e)
so was A more conversational form of "so etwas".
Both mean "things like that".
mag The third person singular from the modal
verb "mgen" (see explanation on Page 10
of this chapter).
so was mag ich "I also like things like that". Note again
auch gerne that the object of the sentence can come
at the start of a phrase in German.
laufen An irregular verb meaning "to run".
im Kino This means "at the cinema". Note the
different preposition in German.
was luft heute im What's on at the cinema today?
Kino?
der Wievielte ist What's the date today?
heute?
Dienstag Tuesday
der vierzehnte "The fourteenth of March". There is no
Mrz word for "of" in the German phrase.
im Odeon "In the Odeon (cinema)". The word for
"cinema" (das Kino) is not repeated at this
point in the conversation, but it is
understood as being there, so the gender
of Odeon must be the same as das Kino,
namely neuter.
Hennen Rennen This is the literal German translation of the
cartoon film Chicken Run and was used as
the German title of the film because of the
fortuitous rhyme! Click here for more
information about the German version of
this film.
anfangen This is a separable verb meaning "to
begin". It is irregular.
erst um elf not until eleven o'clock
die Vorstellung (- showing (of a film); performance
en)
die Sptvorstellung late showing
(-en)
was fr ein Film ist What sort of film is that?
das?
der cartoon (film)
Zeichentrickfilm (-
e)
zu kindisch This means "too childish". Note this usage
of "zu" before an adjective.
was luft sonst What's on apart from that?
noch?
Mittwoch Wednesday
stimmt's? is that right?
im Cosima "At the Cosima (cinema)". This is also
neuter for the reasons outlined above.
Romeo und Julia Romeo and Juliet
von William by William Shakespeare
Shakespeare
der Regisseur (-e) director
die love story
Liebesgeschichte (-
n)
langweilig boring
interessieren to interest
berhaupt nicht not in the slightest; not at all
das interessiert That doesn't interest me at all
mich berhaupt
nicht
wie wr's mit...? what about...?
bermorgen the day after tomorrow
da kann ich nicht I can't manage that
das Wochenende (- weekend
)
am Wochenende at the weekend
zu Hause at home
bleiben remain
packen to pack

9.3 Der Einkaufsbummel

Barbara Zacharias and Sophie Gerland agree to go shopping the following morning.
They first need to find out where to meet. As they plan to meet at the square called
Hackescher Markt (= Hackescher Market) in a busy area of East Berlin, Barbara
Zacharias needs to be fairly precise in giving instructions to Sophie Gerland, who still
doesn't know her way round too well.
 Conversation 3: Der Einkaufsbummel

Barbara Sag mal, httest du Lust, morgen frh einen

Zacharias Einkaufsbummel zu machen?
Sophie Ja, warum nicht? Wann und wo wollen wir
Gerland uns treffen?
Barbara Um halb zehn vor der Bckerei am
Zacharias Hackeschen Markt - oder ist das vielleicht zu
frh?
Sophie Kein Problem. Ich bin Frhaufsteherin. Wo
Gerland ist die Bckerei?
Barbara Die Bckerei ist neben dem Blumengeschft.
Zacharias
Sophie Und wo ist das Blumengeschft?
Gerland
Barbara Unter dem Fitness-Center. Nein, es gibt
Zacharias Wohnungen ber dem Blumengeschft. Das
Blumengeschft ist gegenber der
Bibliothek.
Sophie Und wo ist der S-Bahnhof?
Gerland
Barbara Der S-Bahnhof ist hinter der Post. Die Post
Zacharias ist zwischen dem Reisebro und der
Sparkasse. Alles klar?
Sophie Alles klar! Bis morgen dann!
Gerland
Barbara Bis morgen!
Zacharias
Conversation 3: The shopping spree

Barbara Tell me, would you like to go on a shopping

Zacharias spree with me tomorrow morning?
Sophie Yes, why not? When and where shall we
Gerland meet?
Barbara At half past nine in front of the baker's at
Zacharias the Hackescher Markt - or is that perhaps
too early?
Sophie That's no problem. I'm an early riser. Where
Gerland is the baker's?
Barbara The baker's is next to the florist's.
Zacharias
Sophie And where is the florist's?
Gerland
Barbara Below the fitness centre. No, there are flats
Zacharias above the florist's. The florist's is opposite
 the library.
Sophie And where is the S-Bahn station?
Gerland
Barbara The S-Bahn station is behind the post office.
Zacharias The post office is between the travel agency
and the savings bank. Is that OK?
Sophie OK! See you tomorrow then!
Gerland
Barbara See you tomorrow!
Zacharias

Glossary
sag mal! "Tell me!" "Sag" is the imperative of the
verb "sagen" (= to say).
httest du Lust... "Would you like to..." This construction is
always followed by a comma, and then a
clause ending with the word "zu" and the
infinitive of a second verb.
morgen frh tomorrow morning
der shopping spree
Einkaufsbummel (-
)
einen to go on a shopping spree
Einkaufsbummel
machen
warum nicht? why not?
die Bckerei (-en) bakery
zu frh too early
das Problem (-e) problem
kein Problem! no problem
die This means an "early riser". The masculine
Frhaufsteherin (- version would be der Frhaufsteher.
innen)
neben This is a preposition meaning "next to". It
takes the dative case when position is
being described, and the accusative case
when movement is being described.
die Blume (-n) flower
das flower shop
Blumengeschft (-
e)
unter This is a preposition meaning "beneath" or
"under". It takes the dative case when
 position is being described, and the
accusative case when movement is being
described.
das Fitness-Center fitness centre
(-)
die Wohnung (- flat, apartment
en)
ber This is a preposition meaning "above". It
also takes the dative case when position is
being described, and the accusative case
when movement is being described.
gegenber This is a preposition meaning "opposite". It
always takes the dative case.
die Bibliothek (- library
en)
der S-Bahnhof S-Bahn station
(pl. -Bahnhfe)
hinter This is a preposition meaning "behind". It
also takes the dative case when position is
being described, and the accusative case
when movement is being described.
die Post post-office
zwischen This is a preposition meaning "between". It
also takes the dative case when position is
being described, and the accusative case
when movement is being described.
das Reisebro (-s) travel agency
die Sparkasse (-n) savings bank
alles klar? everything OK?
bis morgen until tomorrow

9.4 Das Kaufhaus

As part of their shopping tour, Sophie Gerland and Barbara Zacharias go to the Berlin
department store Kaufhaus des Westens which is the largest store on the European
continent. Since "KaDeWe", as it is commonly called, has eight storeys, a sales floor
area of 60,000 square metres and over 380,000 articles of merchandise, Sophie and
Barbara need to ask an assistant where things are.

Conversation 4: Das Kaufhaus

Sophie Entschuldigung. Ich mchte eine Puppe

Gerland kaufen. Wo finde ich die Abteilung fr
Spielwaren?
Assistentin Die Spielwarenabteilung ist im ersten
Stock. Sie mssen also in den ersten Stock.
Barbara Und wo kann ich hier eine Jacke
Zacharias bekommen?
Assistentin Fr einen Mann oder eine Frau?
Barbara Fr eine Frau.
Zacharias
Assistentin Also, da mssen Sie in den dritten Stock.
Damenjacken finden Sie im dritten Stock
bei Damenbekleidung.
Sophie Pralinen sind wohl bei Lebensmitteln im
Gerland Untergeschoss, oder?
Assistentin Nein, nicht im Untergeschoss. Wir haben
eine besondere Abteilung fr Swaren im
sechsten Stock.
Barbara Wir mchten auch eine Bettdecke kaufen.
Zacharias Welcher Stock ist das?
Assistentin Bettdecken sind bei Bettwsche ganz oben
im sechsten Stock. Da mssen Sie hinauf.
Sophie Und Portmonees?
Gerland
Assistentin Portmonees sind bei Taschen im
Untergeschoss. Sie mssen also ins
Untergeschoss.
Barbara Und wo knnen wir hier einen
Zacharias Kugelschreiber bekommen?
Assistentin Kugelschreiber sind bei Schreibwaren im
Erdgeschoss. Sie mssen also ins
Erdgeschoss.
Sophie Wo sind hier Topfplanzen?
Gerland
Assistentin Topfplanzen? Sie sind beim Gartenbedarf
im fnften Stock.
Sophie Vielen Dank.
Gerland
Assistentin Gern geschehen.
Conversation 4: The department store

Sophie Excuse me. I'd like to buy a doll. Where can

Gerland I find the toy department?
Shop The toy department is on the first floor. So
assistant you'll have to go to the first floor.
Barbara And where can I get a jacket here?
Zacharias
Shop For a man or a woman?
assistant
Barbara For a woman.
Zacharias
Shop Well, for that you'll have to go to the third
assistant floor. You will ladies' jackets on the third
floor in with the ladies' wear.
Sophie I take it that the chocolates are in the food
Gerland department in the basement, right?
Shop No, not in the basement. We have a special
assistant department for them amongst the
confectionery on the sixth floor.
Barbara We'd also like to buy a blanket. Which floor
Zacharias is that?
Shop Blankets are with the bedding right up on
assistant the sixth floor. You'll have to go up there
for that.
Sophie And purses?
Gerland
Shop Purses are in the bag department in the
assistant basement. So you'll have to go to the
basement.
Barbara And where can we get a fountain pen here?
Zacharias
Shop Fountain pens are with the stationery on
assistant the ground floor. So you'll have to go to the
ground floor.
Sophie Where are your potted plants?
Gerland
Shop Potted plants? They're with the garden
assistant equipment on the fifth floor.
Sophie Thank's very much.
Gerland
Shop You're welcome.
assistant

Glossary
die Puppe (-n) doll
die Abteilung (-en) department
Spielwaren (pl.) "toys". The singular word for a toy is
"das Spielzeug".
die "The toy department". As we have seen
Spielwarenabteilung before, German tends to make a
(-en) compound noun where English uses two
or more separate words
der Stock "floor (of shop); storey". It's also the
word for a "stick".
im ersten Stock "On the first floor". Note the preposition
used in German here.
Sie mssen also in "So you'll have to go to the first floor".
den ersten Stock The preposition "in" is used with the
accusative case when it denotes motion,
and in the dative case ("im ersten
Stock") when it denotes position. As the
preposition makes it clear that there is
motion involved, the verb for "to go" is
omitted here.
die Jacke jacket
da mssen Sie... for this you'll have to go...
die Dame lady
die Damenjacke (-n) A "lady's jacket". A man's jacket would
be "die Herrenjacke"
die "Ladies' wear". You would translate
Damenbekleidung "menswear" by "die Mnnerbekleidung".
bei in the ladies' wear department
Damenbekleidung
Pralinen (pl.) chocolates
die Lebensmittel (pl.) This means "groceries; food". Thus "bei
Lebensmitteln" means "in the food
department".
das Untergeschoss basement
im Untergeschoss in the basement
oder? "right"? Normally "oder" is the
conjunction meaning "or".
besondere particular; special
Swaren (pl.) confectionery
die Bettdecke (-n) blanket; duvet
welcher Stock ist which floor is that?
das?
die Bettwsche (-n) bedding
ganz oben right at the top
hinauf "up". The full sentence could be
translated as "You'll have to go up
there".
das Portmonee (-s) This is the new spelling of the German
word for "purse". The old spelling of the
word was "das Portemonnaie".
die Tasche (-n) "bag". Somewhat confusingly, it is also
the word for "pocket".
Sie mssen also ins "So you'll have to go to the basement".
Untergeschoss The word "ins" is a contraction of "in
das". The accusative case again denotes
motion.
der Kugelschreiber "ballpoint pen; biro"
Schreibwaren (pl.) stationery
das Erdgeschoss ground floor
im Erdgeschoss on the ground floor
ins Erdgeschoss to the ground floor
der Topf (pl. - pot
Tpfe)
die Pflanze (-n) plant
die Topfpflanze (-n) potted plant
der Garten (pl. - garden
Grten)
der Gartenbedarf garden equipment
gern geschehen you're welcome; it's my pleasure

9.5 Buying Clothes

After they have found their way to the women's clothing department (die
Damenbekleidung), Barbara and Sophie try and find a present for Barbara's sister.
What do they decide on, what size is it, and do they get a bargain?

Conversation 5: Buying Clothes

Barbara Entschuldigung, knnten Sie mir bitte

Zacharias helfen?
Assistentin Gerne, was darf ich Ihnen denn zeigen?
Barbara Ich suche ein T-Shirt.
Zacharias
Assistentin Aus Baumwolle?
Barbara Ja, aus Baumwolle.
Zacharias
Assistentin Ja, htten Sie es gerne selbst oder
mchten Sie es verschenken?
Barbara Ich suche ein T-Shirt fr meine Schwester.
Zacharias
Sophie Wann hat sie Geburtstag?
Gerland
Barbara Am einunddreiigsten Januar. Welche
Zacharias Farben haben Sie da?
Assistentin In gelb, rot, schwarz, beige, hellblau,
 dunkelblau...
Sophie Auch in grn, sehe ich.
Gerland
Barbara Ja, denn knnten Sie mir bitte ein grnes
Zacharias T-Shirt zeigen?
Assistentin Ja, gerne. Welche Gre muss es denn
sein?
Barbara Sie ist etwas kleiner als ich, ich glaube so
Zacharias Gre S.
Assistentin S oder M?
Barbara Hm, S reicht, glaube ich.
Zacharias
Assistentin Sehen Sie mal, ein grnes T-Shirt mit
rundem Ausschnitt.
Barbara Kann ich vielleicht ein T-Shirt in Gre M
Zacharias sehen?
Assistentin Gerne, schauen Sie, das ist es in Gre M.
Barbara Ja, ich nehme das T-Shirt in Gre M. Was
Zacharias kostet es?
Assistentin Sechzehn Euro.
Barbara Ist das billig oder teuer?
Zacharias
Sophie Sechzehn Euro fr ein T-Shirt. Das ist nicht
Gerland teuer. Das ist ein preiswertes T-Shirt.
Conversation 5: Buying Clothes

Barbara Excuse me, could you help me please?

Zacharias
Sales Of course, what might I show you?
assistant
Barbara I'm looking for a T-shirt.
Zacharias
Sales Made of cotton?
assistant
Barbara Yes, made of cotton.
Zacharias
Sales Yes, would you like it for yourself or are
assistant you going to give it as a present?
Barbara I'm looking for a T-shirt for my sister.
Zacharias
Sales When is her birthday?
assistant
Barbara On the thirty-first of January. Which
Zacharias colours do you have?
Sales We have it in yellow, red, black, beige,
assistant light blue, dark blue...
Sophie Also in green, I see.
Gerland
Barbara Yes, so could you show me a green T-shirt
Zacharias please?
Sales Yes, of course. Which size do you require?
assistant
Barbara She is a little smaller than I am, I think
Zacharias about a small size.
Sales Small or medium?
assistant
Barbara Hmm, small will be about right, I think.
Zacharias
Sales Here you are, a green T-shirt with a round
assistant neck.
Barbara Could I perhaps see a T-shirt in the
Zacharias medium size please?
Sales Of course, here you are, that's it in the
assistant medium size.
Barbara Yes, I'll take the T-shirt in the medium
Zacharias size. What does it cost?
Sales Sixteen euros.
assistant
Barbara Is that cheap or expensive?
Zacharias
Sophie Sixteen euros for a T-shirt. That's not
Gerland expensive. It's a T-shirt that is good value
for money.

Glossary
zeigen This means "to show". The thing which
you are showing is in the accusative
case. The person to whom you are
showing it ("Ihnen") is in the dative case.
was darf ich Ihnen What may I show you?
zeigen?
das T-Shirt (-s) T-Shirt
suchen to look for
die Baumwolle cotton
aus Baumwolle made of cotton
selbst This means "self" i.e. the full question
reads: "Would you like it for yourself?"
verschenken to give sth as a present
der Geburtstag (-e) birthday
wann hat sie when is her birthday?
Geburtstag?
Januar January
am on the thirty-first of January
einunddreiigsten
Januar
die Farbe (-n) colour
welche Farben...? which colours...?
hellblau light blue
dunkelblau dark blue
die Gre (-n) size
welche Gre muss which size do you need?
es denn sein?
klein small
etwas kleiner als ich a little smaller than me
(Gre) S small (size)
ich glaube so Gre I think she's a small size.
S
(Gre) M medium (size)
reichen to be sufficient
S reicht "Small" will do
Sehen Sie mal Look!; Here you are! (= polite
imperative)
rund round
der Ausschnitt (-e) neck (of shirt)
mit rundem This means "with a round neck". Note the
Ausschnitt strong adjective endings on "rund" as
there is no article preceding the
adjective.
schauen This is another verb meaning "to look" or
"to see".
preiswert good value
ein preiswertes T- a T-Shirt which is good value (for
Shirt money)

9.6 Zwei Geschenke

After buying a present for Barbara's sister, Sophie remembers that she needs to buy
presents for her brother and her aunt. What does she decide on in both cases? What
is a "Sonderangebot"?

Conversation 6: Zwei Geschenke

Sophie Ich mchte ein Geburtstagsgeschenk fr

Gerland meinen Bruder.
Barbara Wann hat er Geburtstag?
Zacharias
Sophie Im Sommer.
Gerland
Barbara Und wann genau?
Zacharias
Sophie Am sechzehnten Juli.
Gerland
Barbara Wie wr's mit einer CD? CDs sind in der
Zacharias zweiten Etage - in der Elektroabteilung. Was
fr Musik mag er?
Sophie Er findet Popmusik gut.
Gerland
Barbara Magst du Popmusik nicht?
Zacharias
Sophie Nein, ich hre lieber klassische Musik.
Gerland
Barbara Ich hre gern Rock und Techno.
Zacharias
Sophie (Spotting a stall with jewellery.) Ich mchte
Gerland auch ganz gerne ein Geschenk fr meine
Tante Kthe kaufen. Sie hat am dritten Juni
Geburtstag.
Assistent Was darf es sein? Ein Armband, eine
Brosche?
Sophie Eine Brosche.
Gerland
Assistent Gefllt Ihnen hiervon etwas? Diese vielleicht?
Sophie Nein, die gefllt mir nicht.
Gerland
Assistent Oder diese?
Sophie Die gefllt mir besser, aber ich glaube, die
Gerland ist ein bisschen zu teuer.
Barbara Hey, guck mal, hier sind Sonderangebote!
Zacharias Diese Armbnder sind billiger. Wie gefallen
sie dir?
Sophie Die gefallen mir gut. Ich glaube, ich werde
Gerland dieses Armband kaufen, das silberne.
Assistent Ja. Soll ich dieses Armband als Geschenk
verpacken?
Sophie Das wre sehr nett, ja bitte.
Gerland
Assistent Dann knnen Sie mir zur Kasse folgen und
dort bezahlen.
Sophie Ja, gut. Danke schn.
Gerland
Conversation 6: Two presents

Sophie I'd like to get a birthday present for my

Gerland brother.
Barbara When is his birthday?
Zacharias
Sophie In summer.
Gerland
Barbara And when exactly?
Zacharias
Sophie On the sixteenth of July.
Gerland
Barbara How about a CD? CDs are on the second
Zacharias floor - in the electrical department. What
sort of music does he like?
Sophie He thinks that popmusic is good.
Gerland
Barbara Don't you like pop music?
Zacharias
Sophie No, I prefer to listen to classical music.
Gerland
Barbara I like listening to rock and techno.
Zacharias
Sophie (Spotting a stall with jewellery.) I'd also
Gerland quite like to buy a present for my aunt
Kthe. Her birthday is on the third of June.
Sales How can I help you? A bracelet or a brooch?
assistant
Sophie A brooch.
Gerland
Sales Do you like anything here? This one
assistant perhaps?
Sophie No, I don't like that one.
Gerland
Sales Or this one?
assistant
Sophie I like that one more, but I think that it's a bit
Gerland too expensive.
Barbara Hey, look, there are some special offers
Zacharias here! These bracelets are cheaper. Do you
like them?
Sophie Yes, I like them. I think I'll buy this bracelet,
Gerland the silver one.
Sales Yes. Would you like me to wrap up this
assistant bracelet as a present?
Sophie Yes please, that would be very nice of you.
Gerland
Sales Could you follow me to the till then and pay
assistant there?
Sophie Yes, fine. Thank you.
Gerland

Glossary
das Geschenk (-e) present
das birthday present
Geburtstagsgeschenk
(-e)
der Sommer summer
im Sommer in summer
genau exact; precise
Juli July
die CD (-s) This means (unsurprisingly!) "compact
disc". The full German version is only
one word - "die Compactdisc".
wie wr's mit einer how about a CD?
CD?
die Etage (-n) This is another word meaning "the floor
(of a building)". It and "der Stock" are
interchangeable.
in der zweiten Etage on the second floor
die Elektroabteilung (- electrical department
en)
die Musik music
was fr Musik...? what sort of music...
die Popmusik pop music
ich hre lieber... I prefer to listen to...
klassisch classical
die klassische Musik classical music
der Rock This means both "rock music" and "a
skirt".
der Techno techno (music)
Juni June
was darf es sein? "How may I help?"
das Armband (pl. - This means "bracelet". It can also mean
Armbnder) a "watchstrap".
die Brosche (-n) brooch
gefallen This irregular verb literally means "to
please". It is however a very common
way of saying that you like something.
Thus "das gefllt mir" (literally: "That is
pleasing to me") means "I like that".
hiervon of these things here
gefllt Ihnen hiervon do you like any of the things here?
etwas?
diese It means "this one". The word for "one"
is not given in German, as the endings
on the word for "this" indicate the
gender of the noun, and thus tell the
reader which previously mentioned
noun is being referred to.
besser better
ein bisschen zu teuer a little too expensive
gucken Another word for "to look"! Unlike
"sehen" and "schauen", this verb is
strictly conversational and should not
be used in written German.
guck mal! "Look!" This is the "du" form of the
imperative.
das Sonderangebot (- special offer
e)
billiger This means "cheaper". To form the
comparative of most adjectives, you
add "-er" to the end.
die gefallen mir gut "I like them". The verb is in the third
person plural because there is more
than one brooch.
silbern silver
das silberne It means "the silver one". It is neuter
as it refers back to "das Armband".
als Geschenk This means "as a present". The
indefinite article is omitted in German.
verpacken to wrap (up)
das wre sehr nett that would be very nice of you
die Kasse (-n) till; checkout
folgen This means "to follow". The person
whom you are following is always in the
dative case.
zur Kasse folgen to follow to the till
bezahlen to pay

9.7 The Calendar

Grammar 1: Die Monate

Januar Juli
(January) (Juli)
Februar August
(February) (August)
Mrz September
(March) (September)
April Oktober
(April) (October)
Mai November
(May) (November)
Juni Dezember
(June) (December

In Austria, the word for January is Jnner.

You would translate "in January", "in February" etc. as im Januar, im Februar.
All German months are masculine.
The German word for a month is der Monat (-e).

Asking and giving the date

There are two phrases that you can use to ask the date in German. Both of them employ a
"how many" construction.

Grammar 2: What's the date today?

Der Wievielte ist heute?

(Literally: "The how many-th is it today?")
 Den Wievielten haben wir heute?
(Literally: "The how many-th do we have
today?")

To answer the question you would use any of the following responses, depending on
context. The masculine form of the definite article is used because all days of the week
are masculine. As in English the ordinal number is used to specify the date.

Grammar 3: Today is...

"Der Wievielte ist heute?"

Heute ist der Vierte
(Literally: "Today is the fourth")
Heute ist der vierte Mai
(Literally: "Today is the fourth of May")
Heute ist Mittwoch, der vierte Mai
(Literally: "Today is Wednesday the fourth of
May")

"Den Wievielten haben wir heute?"

Heute haben wir den Vierten
(Literally: "Today is the fourth")
Heute haben wir den vierten Mai
(Literally: "Today is the fourth of May")

The first question requires you to use the nominative case when giving the date; the
second question requires you to give the case in the accusative case. As the adjective
follows the definite article, you need to use the weak declension.

Writing the date

Unlike English which has several variations ("May 4", "May 4th", "4th May" etc.), the
abbreviated form of the German date is always written the same way - der 4. Mai. If you
are also giving the date you would write: 4. Mai 2001

At the head of letters, the date is given in the order day, month, year preceded by the
definite article in the accusative case. Thus "May 4, 2001" would appear in a letter
heading as den 4.5.2001. You can also precede the date by stating your location - i.e.
Exeter, den 4.5.2001.

Dates in German

Unlike English which has several variations (May 2, May 2nd, 2nd May etc.), dates in
German are always written the same way - der 2. Mai.
At the head of letters, the accusative form is used, preceded by the name of the place -
Exeter, den 2. Mai 2001. Dates written all in numbers are also found in German,
particularly in business letters - e.g. Exeter, den 2.5.2001.

Monday May 2nd 2001 Montag, der 2. Mai 2001

With reference to your letter of the Bezug nehmend auf Ihr Schreiben vom
2.5.2001 2.5.2001

Prepositions in dates

"On" with days and dates is translated by "an" (+ Dative) with the definite article,
conflated to "am", whether there is a definite article in English or not:

On Friday am Freitag
On May 2nd am 2. Mai
On Friday May 2nd am Freitag, den or dem 2. Mai
On the first of next month am nchsten Ersten

"In" with months is translated by "in" (+ Dative) with the definite article, conflated to
"im", whether there is a definite article in English or not:

in June im Juni
last June voriges Jahr im Juni
next June im Juni nchsten Jahres

BUT:

at the start of June Anfang Juni

in the middle of December Mitte Dezember
at the end of October Ende Oktober

When giving the year when something happened in German, the year is usually given on
its own without any preposition, although "im Jahre" can be added in more formal
language:
 She died in 1963 Sie starb 1963 Sie starb im Jahre 1963

Date of birth
Current usage of "geboren" is as follows:
"Ich bin geboren" is used when no other circumstances or only the place of birth are
mentioned:

"Ich wurde geboren" is used if further circumstances, such as the date, are given:

Referring to people who are dead, either passive may be used:

I was born in Hamburg Ich bin in Hamburg geboren

I was born in 1983 in
Blubberhouses
Goethe was born in 1749 in
Frankfurt
Date of birth: 2nd May 2001
Place of birth: Hanover
Ich wurde 1983 / im Jahre 1983 in Blubberhouses
geboren
Goethe wurde / war 1749 in Frankfurt geboren
Geburtsdatum: 02.05.2001
Geburtsort: Hannover

Other phrases

From April onwards ab April; vom April an

From April 5th onwards vom 5. April an
From next Tuesday von kommendem Dienstag an
From the 21st to the 30th vom 21. bis zum 30.
It will be ready by Friday Es wird bis Freitag fertig
 It will be ready by the 12th Es wird bis zum 12. fertig
It won't be ready until Friday Es wird erst (am) Freitag fertig
Around November 15th um den 15. November (herum)
In the 1980's in den Achtzigerjahren; in den 80er-Jahren

Years
The German word for a year is "das Jahr (-e)" You have two options when translating
"in 2001", neither of which is identical with the English version. The German
equivalents are either "im Jahre 2001" or simply "2001" without a preposition.

When years are spoken, they are done so in two blocks up to 1999 much as in
English. Thus 1999 would be neunzehnhundertneunundneunzig (literally: "nineteen
hundred ninety-nine"). Note that the word "hundert" is always included in German
whereas it can be omitted in English.

The year 2000 is das Jahr zweitausend, 2001 is written as zweitausendeins.

9.8 The Calendar (2)

April 2006
So Mo Di Mi Do Fr Sa
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30

A German calendar (der Kalender) showing the current month and day. Note the
German abbreviations that are used for the days of the week.

On which day?
To say "on which day" something is happening, you need to use "am" followed by
the date in the dative case:

Grammar 4: An welchem Tag?

Wann / An welchem Tag gehen Sie?

(When / On which day are you going?)
Wir gehen am vierten Mai
(We're going on the fourth of May)
Wir gehen am Vierten
 (We're going on the fourth)
Wir gehen am Mittwoch, dem/den vierten Mai
(We're going on Wednesday, the fourth of
May)
Wir gehen am 4. Mai
(We're going on May 4th)
Wir gehen am 4.5.2001
(spoken: am vierten, fnften,
zweitausendeins)
(We're going on 4.5.2001)

In the third response, you can either use the dative or the accusative of the definite
article when you are giving the day of the week followed by the date. It is more
formal to use the dative of the article.

Note in particular the word order when you say on what day your birthday falls. The
word "Geburtstag" will always be the final element in the clause:

Wann hast du Geburtstag?

(When is your birthday?)
Ich habe am vierten Mai Geburtstag.
(My birthday is on the fourth of May.)

Major festivals

Below are a few important events on the German calendar along with the preposition
that you would use when stating what you are doing on that day.

Grammar 5: Major festivals

Weihnachten zu Weihnachten
(Christmas) (at Christmas)
Ostern zu Ostern
(Easter) (at Easter)
Pfingsten zu Pfingsten
(Whitsun) (at Whitsun)

(In south German, "an" is often used rather than "zu" with these festivals.)

This morning/afternoon/evening
The table below gives the phrases needed to say at what part of the day you wish to
do something:

Grammar 6: This morning etc.

heute Morgen / morgen frh
heute Vormittag (tomorrow morning)
(this morning)
 heute morgen Nachmittag
Nachmittag (tomorrow
(this afternoon) afternoon)
heute Abend morgen Abend
(this evening) (tomorrow evening)

Why is "heute Morgen" used to translate "this morning" whereas "morgen frh" is
used for "tomorrow morning"? Because "morgen Morgen" would sound absurd!
Always make sure that you are using small and capital letters correctly with this
word - "Morgen" = morning; "morgen" = tomorrow.

9.9 Two-way prepositions

We have already learned that some prepositions in German are always followed by
an object in the accusative case, while others are always followed by an object in the
dative case.

A third group, called the "two-way prepositions" (Wechselprpositionen), all show

spatial relationships. They are followed by the accusative case when they signal
movement, and by the dative case when they signal location.

In the example sentences in the table below, notice how the verb determines
movement or location. Verbs such as sein, liegen and stehen show location and thus
require the dative case; verbs such as gehen and fahren show movement and thus
require the accusative case.

Grammar 7: Die Wechselprpositionen

an
Kevin geht ans Fenster. (Acc.)
("Kevin is going towards the window.")
Kevin steht am Fenster. (Dat.)
("Kevin is standing at the window.")

auf
Ich gehe auf die Post. (Acc.)
("I'm going to the post office.")
Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch. (Dat.)
("The book is on the table.")

hinter
Franziska luft hinter die Post. (Acc.)
("Franziska runs behind the post office.")
Der S-Bahnhof ist hinter der Post. (Dat.)
("The S-Bahn station is behind the post office.")
in
Sie mssen in den ersten Stock gehen! (Acc.)
("You'll have to go to the first floor.")
Damenjacken finden Sie im dritten Stock. (Dat.)
("You'll find ladies jackets on the third floor.")

neben
Ulla legt die Zeitung neben das Buch. (Acc.)
("Ulla puts the newspaper next to the book.")
Das Schloss liegt neben dem Blumengeschft
(Dat.)
("The castle is next to the florist's.")

ber
Wir fahren ber die Brcke. (Acc.)
("We're driving over the bridge")
Es gibt Wohnungen ber dem Blumengeschft.
(Dat.)
("There are flats above the florist's.")

unter
Das Kind luft unter das Bett. (Acc.)
("The child runs under the bed.")
Die Katze liegt unter dem Bett. (Dat.)
("The cat is lying under the bed.")

vor
Der Bus fhrt vor das Hotel. (Acc.)
("The bus drives up in front of the hotel.")
Der Bus ist vor dem Hotel. (Dat.)
("The bus is in front of the hotel.")

zwischen
Ich laufe zwischen das Reisebro und die
Sparkasse. (Acc.)
("I'm running between the travel agency and the
savings bank.")
Die Post ist zwischen dem Reisebro und der
Sparkasse. (Dat.)
("The post office is between the travel agency
 and the savings bank.")

This does not mean however that all prepositions of motion take the accusative case.
We have already seen that "aus", "nach", "von" and "zu" always take the dative
case, even when they indicate motion. It is much better to remember the three
different groupings which we have encountered so far:

Grammar 8: Prepositions and cases

Accusative
(bis, durch, fr, gegen, ohne, um)
Dative
(aus, bei, gegenber, mit, nach, seit (=
since), von, zu)
"Two-way" prepositions
(an, auf, hinter, in, neben, ber, unter, vor,
zwischen)

Merging of prepositions with the definite article

We have already seen in an earlier chapter that certain prepositions tend to merge
with the definite article in the dative case. This is also true with certain prepositions
in the accusative case, although fewer prepositions require this contraction in the
accusative case than they do in the dative case:

Grammar 9: Prepositions and the definite article

Prep. Example
an + das = ans Du gehst ans Telefon.
(You're going to the phone.)
in + das = ins Gehen wir ins Kino!
(Let's go to the cinema!)

Whilst you might hear some other contractions in spoken German (i.e. "aufs",
"durchs", "frs", "bers", "ums", "unters", they are quite colloquial and you should
use the uncontracted forms in formal writing.

9.10 Liking and disliking

Grammar 10: The verb "mgen" (= to like)

Singular
ich mag I like
du magst You like
Sie mgen (informal/formal)
 er/sie/es mag He/she/it likes
Plural
wir mgen We like
ihr mgt You like
Sie mgen (informal/formal)
sie mgen They like

The irregular verb "mgen" is the only one of the modal verbs which does not have
to be followed by an infinitive. When it takes a direct object, it simply means to like
something. The usage of "gern" is optional:

Magst du die Brosche? Ja, ich mag sie.

(Do you like the brooch? Yes, I like it.)
Mgt ihr Abenteuerfilme? Nein, wir mgen sie nicht.
(Do you like adventure films? No, we don't like them.)
Mag er Popmusik? Ja, er mag Popmusik gern.
(Does he like pop music? Yes, he likes pop music.)

The verb "gefallen"

The second verb which can used to express likes and dislikes is the irregular verb
"gefallen", which means "to please":

Grammar 11: The verb "gefallen" (= to please)

Singular
ich gefalle I please
du gefllst You please
Sie gefallen (informal/formal)
er/sie/es gefllt He/she/it pleases
Plural
wir gefallen We please
ihr gefallt You please
Sie gefallen (informal/formal)
sie gefallen They please

The verb takes the dative case, such that "das gefllt mir" means "that pleases me".
But it is equally used to translate "I like it", whereby the English speaker must
remember that it in the German construction, it is the thing which is being liked
which is the subject of the sentence. The person doing the liking is in the dative
case. The addition of "gut" for emphasis is an optional extra. For example:

Gefllt dir die Brosche? Ja, sie gefllt mir.

(Do you like the brooch? Yes, I like it.)
 Gefallen euch Abenteuerfilme? Nein, sie gefallen uns nicht.
(Do you like adventure films? No, we don't like them.)
Gefllt ihr das Schloss? Ja, es gefllt mir ganz gut.
(Does she like the stately home? Yes, see likes it.)

Gerne
You would use "mgen" and "gefallen" to describe whether you like objects or not.
To explain what you like doing, simply add the adverb "gern(e)" after the verb
denoting the action in question. If you don't like doing an action, add nicht gern(e):

Grammar 12: Gern(e)

Hndel hre ich gern.

("I like listening to Hndel.")
Hndel hre ich nicht gern.
("I don't like listening to Hndel.")

Was essen Sie gern?

("What do you like to eat?")
Ich esse gern Pommes frites.
("I like eating chips.")

9.11 Expressing a preference

The comparative
The comparative is formed in English by adding "-er" to an adjective or adverb, or by
preceding it with "more", according to the length of the adjective - i.e. "bigger",
"more difficult", "more easily".

German forms the comparative in one way only, by adding "-er" to the end of an
adjective or adverb. There is no equivalent to the English use of "more" with longer
adjectives:

Grammar 13: The Comparative

Adjective Comparative
klein kleiner
(small) (smaller)
schn schner
(nice) (nicer)
neu neuer
(new) (newer)
Unfortunately some of the most commonly used German adjectives and adverbs
have comparatives which are exceptions to this rule: either the vowel "modifies" -
i.e. adds an umlaut - or a different word is used entirely:

Grammar 14: Comparative - exceptions

Adjective Comparative
gro grer
(big) (bigger)
alt lter
(old) (older)
gut besser
(good) (better)
gern lieber
(gladly) (more gladly)

The comparative using "mgen"

As the optional adverb used with "mgen" is "gern", you need to use "lieber" (= the
comparative of "gern") if you wish to use this verb to say that you prefer something:

Grammar 15: Comparative with "mgen"

Wir mgen Berlin (gern).

("We like Berlin.")
Wir mgen Berlin lieber.
Wir mgen lieber Berlin.
("We prefer Berlin.")

Welchen Wein mgen Sie lieber?

("Which wine do you prefer?")
Ich mag Rotwein lieber.
Ich mag lieber Rotwein.
("I prefer red wine.")

By extension, as you use "gern(e)" to describe what you like doing, you will also use
"lieber" to describe what you prefer doing:

Grammar 16: Comparative with verbs

Ich hre Hndel gern.
("I like listening to Hndel.")
Ich hre Hndel lieber.
Ich hre lieber Hndel.
("I prefer listening to Hndel.")
 Welchen Wein trinken Sie lieber?
("Which wine do you prefer to drink?")
Ich trinke Rotwein lieber.
Ich trinke lieber Rotwein.
("I prefer to drink red wine.")

The comparative using "gefallen"

As the optional adverb used with "gefallen" is "gut", you need to use "besser" (= the
comparative of "gut") if you wish to use this verb to say that you prefer something:

Grammar 17: Comparative with "gefallen"

Diese Stadt gefllt uns (gut).

("We like this city.")
Diese Stadt gefllt uns besser.
("We prefer this city.")

Was gefllt dir besser?

("What do you like better?")
Das Armband gefllt mir besser.
("I prefer the bracelet.")

9.12 The conditional of "sein" and "haben"

The "conditional subjunctive" mood is used to express what might happen if
something else occurred and is normally formed in English with "would" - e.g. "I
would go if..." etc. The present-time conditional subjunctive is also used in German
to make very polite requests. We have already seen in Chapter 8 how the conditional
of some modal verbs is used in this way.

The present-time conditional subjunctive of the verbs "haben" and "sein" can be
translated into English as "would have" and "would be":

Grammar 18: Conditional of the verb "haben" (= to be)

Singular
ich htte I would have
du httest You would have
Sie htten (informal/formal)
er/sie/es htte He/she/it would have
Plural
wir htten We would have
ihr httet You would have
 Sie htten (informal/formal)
sie htten They would have

We have already seen several usages of the conditional form of "haben". It also
tends to have the sense of a polite request:

Grammar 20: Conditional sentences with "haben"

Was htten Sie gern?
("What would you like?")
Ich htte gerne ein Bier.
("I would like a beer.")
Htten Sie es gern selbst?
("Would you be buying it for
yourself?")
Ich htte gern Frau Arndt gesprochen.
("I would like to speak to Ms. Arndt.")

Occasionally the distinction between the normal present tense and the conditional is
a very small one. The following two sentences mean much the same thing - the first
is more direct, the second slightly more tentative:

Hast du Lust, morgen frh einen Einkaufsbummel zu machen?

(Are you interested in going on a shopping spree tomorrow morning?)
Httest du Lust, morgen frh einen Einkaufsbummel zu machen?
(Would you be interested in going on a shopping spree tomorrow morning?)

Conditional usage of "sein"

Grammar 19: Conditional of the verb "sein" (= to be)

Singular
ich wre I would be
du wr(e)st You would be
Sie wren (informal/formal)
er/sie/es wre He/she/it would be
Plural
wir wren We would be
ihr wrt You would be
Sie wren (informal/formal)
sie wren They would be
In this chapter we have met some conditional usages of the verb "sein". Sentences
containing such forms tend to be hypothetical in meaning:

Grammar 21: Conditional sentences with "sein"

Das wre seht nett.

("That would be very nice.")
Wie wre es mit einer CD?
("How about a CD?")
Wie wre es mit bermorgen?
("How about the day after tomorrow?")

9.13 New irregular verbs

In addition to the verb declinations already covered in this chapter, we have also
come across four new irregular verbs, two of which are separable.

Grammar 22: Present tense of "anfangen" (= to begin)

Singular
ich fange an I begin
du fngst an You begin
Sie fangen an (informal/formal)
er/sie/es fngt an He/she/it begins
Plural
wir fangen an We begin
ihr fangt an You begin
Sie fangen an (informal/formal)
sie fangen an They begin

Grammar 23: Present tense of "laufen" (= to run)

Singular
ich laufe I run
du lufst You run
Sie laufen (informal/formal)
er/sie/es luft He/she/it runs
Plural
 wir laufen We run
ihr lauft You run
Sie laufen (informal/formal)
sie laufen They run

Grammar 24: Present tense of "sehen" (= to see; to watch)

Singular
ich sehe I see
du siehst You see
Sie sehen (informal/formal)
er/sie/es sieht He/she/it sees
Plural
wir sehen We see
ihr seht You see
Sie sehen (informal/formal)
sie sehen They see

Grammar 25: Present tense of "vorschlagen" (= to suggest)

Singular
ich schlage vor I suggest
du schlgst vor You suggest
Sie schlagen vor (informal/formal)
er/sie/es schlgt vor He/she/it starts
Plural
wir schlagen vor We suggest
ihr schlagt vor You suggest
Sie schlagen vor (informal/formal)
sie schlagen vor They suggest

9.14 "dieser" and "jener"

The demonstrative "dieser" refers to something near at hand. It corresponds to
English "this", but as it is used in contexts where the difference between near and
distant is not crucial, it often equates to English "that". When placed in front of a
noun, it declines as follows:

Grammar 26: The declination of "dieser" (= this)

 Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative dieser Mann diese Frau dieses Kind
Accusative diesen Mann diese Frau dieses Kind
Dative diesem dieser diesem
Mann Frau Kind

Plural
Nominative diese Frauen
Accusative diese Frauen
Dative diesen Frauen

"Dieser" can also be used as a pronoun meaning "this one". It then of course takes
the same endings as in the table above:

Welches Kind arbeitet gut? - Dieses.

(Which child works well? - This one.)
Welchen Mann siehst du? - Diesen.
(Which man do you see? - That one.)

You will have noticed that "dieser" takes the same endings as the definite article. It
also takes the same adjective endings - the weak declension which we met in
Chapter 5:

Grammar 27: Adjective endings after "dieser"

Masculine Feminine Neuter

Nom. dieser gute Mann diese gute Frau dieses gute Kind
Acc. diesen guten Mann diese gute Frau dieses gute Kind
Dat. diesem guten dieser guten diesem guten
Mann Frau Kind

Plural
Nom. diese guten Frauen
Acc. diese guten Frauen
Dat. diesen guten Frauen

The demonstrative "jener"

Although the pronoun "jener" means "that", it is really only used in certain formal
registers or to contrast with "dieser", which should otherwise be used to translate
"that":
 Ich will nicht dieses Armband kaufen, sondern jenes.
(I don't want to buy this bracelet, but that one.)
Willst du diese Brosche oder jene?
(Do you want this brooch or that one?)

"Jener" adds the same endings as "dieser" and the definite article and adjectives
following "jener" will be in the weak declension:

Grammar 28: The declination of "jener" (= that)

Masculine Feminine Neuter

Nominative jener Mann jene Frau jenes Kind
Accusative jenen Mann jene Frau jenes Kind
Dative jenem Mann jener Frau jenem Kind

Plural
Nominative jene Frauen
Accusative jene Frauen
Dative jenen Frauen

9.15 The department store

Here is a list of vocabulary to help you navigate your way around a German
department store. Note the high number of compound nouns and the influx of
English words and phrases into commercial German! As ever, plurals are indicated by
brackets.

Vocabulary 1: Das Kaufhaus

English German
babywear die Babyartikel (pl.)
basement das Untergeschoss
bathroom fittings die Badezimmerausstattung
bedding die Bettwsche
book das Buch (pl. - Bcher)
car accessories das Autozubehr
carpet der Teppich (-e)
cheap billig
children's wear die Kinderbekleidung
clearance sale der Rumungsverkauf
closed geschlossen
clothing die Bekleidung
computer section der Computershop (-s)
confectionery Swaren (pl.)
cosmetics die Kosmetik
curtains die Gardine (-n)
der Kunde (-n); die Kundin
customer
(-nen)
customer service der Kundendienst
electrical
das Elektrogert (-e)
appliance
escalator die Rolltreppe (-n)
expensive teuer
fashion die Mode
- young people's
- die Junge Mode
fashion
der Stock (no pl.)
floor (of shop)
die Etage (-n)
furniture das Mbel (no pl.)
gardening
der Gartenbedarf
equipment
gift der Geschenkartikel (-)
glassware das Glas
good value (adj.) preiswert
groceries die Lebensmittel (pl.)
ground floor das Erdgeschoss
jewellery der Schmuck
ladies' shoes Damenschuhe (pl.)
ladies' wear die Damenbekleidung
der Fahrstuhl
lift
(pl. - Fahrsthle)
leather goods die Lederwaren (pl.)
lighting section das Lampenstudio (-s)
menswear die Herrenbekleidung
men's shoes Herrenschuhe (pl.)
music die Musik
open geffnet
opening hours die ffnungszeiten (pl.)
photography
der Fotoshop (-s)
section
porcelain das Porzellan
 present das Geschenk (-e)
price der Preis (-e)
reduced reduziert
sales receipt der Kassenbon (-s)
souvenir das Andenken (-)
special offer das Sonderangebot (-e)
sports goods Sportartikel (pl.)
stationery Schreibwaren (pl.)
der Sommerschlussverkauf
summer sale
(SSV)
television der Fernseher (-)
till die Kasse (-n)
tobacco goods Tabakwaren (pl.)
toilet die Toilette (-n)
toys Spielwaren (pl.)
video store die Videothek (-en)
der Winterschlussverkauf
winter sale
(WSV)

9.16 Opening hours in German-speaking countries

A gradual relaxation

Ever since the 1950's, shop opening hours in Germany, Austria and Switzerland have
been among the most restricted in Europe. Germany's draconian law on opening
hours (das Ladenschlussgesetz) ensured that stores remained closed after 1800 on
weekdays and 1400 on Saturdays. Shops were allowed to remain open two longer on
one Saturday every month, on a day called "the long Saturday" (der lange Samstag).

In June 1996, the German Parliament finally gave in to pressure from both business
and consumers and relaxed (das Ladenschlussgesetz). Starting from November 1
that year, shops were allowed to remain open until eight o'clock in the evening on
weekdays and until four o'clock on Saturdays. They are only allowed to open later
than that on Thursdays when some city centre shops choose to remain open until
20.30. In the weeks leading up to Christmas however, shops can open until 18:00 on
Saturdays.

Whilst there is intense pressure from customers to extend opening hours still further,
Germany's trade unions are unwilling to give way. And while it makes sense for
businesses in major cities like Berlin to extend opening hours (ffnungszeiten),
many shops in towns and villages have found that longer opening hours does not
necessarily mean more turnover, and have gone back to the old opening hours for
Thursdays and Saturdays.
All of which still means that if you run out of fresh milk on Sundays, then you are out
of luck. You will have to go to the station or airport where fresh goods can be sold on
Sundays. At kiosks and petrol station shops (der Tankstellenshop), you will find
durable items such as long-life milk, cold drinks, sweets etc. Flower shops usually
open for a couple of hours around lunchtime on Sundays and cake shops (die
Konditorei) are allowed to ensure that everyone can have a piece of fresh gateau at
the Sunday afternoon coffee and cake (Kaffee und Kuchen) sessions. Occasionally
department stores, particularly furniture stores, open on a Sunday for people to go
and look and get advice - but they are not allowed to buy things. These Sundays are
referred to as open days (der Tag der offenen Tr).

Under Austrian law, stores may stay open from 0600 until 1930 on work days. In
tourist areas they are allowed to conduct business until 2000, even on Sundays. In
Germany, Austria and Switzerland however, pub opening hours are much more
relaxed than in Britain - in general they open at around 11 a.m. and stay open till
midnight or beyond.

Sales
You can get particularly good bargains in the summer sales (der
Sommerschlussverkauf (SSV)) and winter sales (der Winterschlussverkauf (WSV)).
Strictly speaking the sales only begin on the last Monday in July and the last Monday
in January, selling goods left over from the previous season at considerably reduced
rates. Just look for the German word for "reduced" - reduziert. However, most shops
start offering reduced-price articles and special offers long before the official date so
that all that is left on the shelves when the real sales begin are often sub-standard
goods specially manufactured for the sales.

Chapter 10: Daily Life

10.1 Der Alltag: Mareike Herda

In Chapter 3 we listened to Radio Eins DJ Claudia Stenzel interviews Anna Mller and
Mslm Can about modern Berliners and their lives. Her series continues with
interviews entitled "Ein Tag in meinem Leben" ("One day in my life"), in which she
asks her guests what they do every day. First to be interviewed is the school-teacher
Mareike Herda, whom we met in Chapter 2.

Conversation 1: Ein Tag in meinem Leben

Claudia Wie ist Ihr Alltag?

Stenzel
Mareike Ich stehe um halb sieben Uhr auf...
Herda
Claudia Sie haben es gut! Ich stehe um fnf Uhr auf.
Stenzel
Mareike Ich frhstcke gegen sieben und gehe um halb
Herda acht aus dem Haus. Ich bin Lehrerin auf einer
Grundschule und wohne in einem Vorort. Ich
fahre mit dem Bus zur Schule, etwa 10
Minuten.
Claudia Wann arbeiten Sie?
Stenzel
Mareike Ich hab's ziemlich gut, denn mittwochs und
Herda freitags habe ich die erste Stunde frei. Das
heit, ich fange erst um Viertel vor neun an.
Und ich bin jeden Tag um halb zwei fertig. Um
Viertel vor zwei verlasse ich die Schule.
Claudia Gefllt Ihnen die Arbeit?
Stenzel
Mareike Ja, die Arbeit gefllt mir gut, aber ich mag nicht
Herda in Berlin wohnen. Die Stadt ist mir zu gro.
Claudia Und was machen Sie nachmittags?
Stenzel
Mareike Ich arbeite! Ich mache Schularbeiten und hre
Herda dabei ein bisschen Musik - oder ich gehe
einkaufen. Das mache ich eigentlich nicht so
gerne aber es muss sein. Um halb fnf hole ich
meinen Freund von der Arbeit ab.
Claudia Wann essen Sie Abendbrot?
Stenzel
Mareike Normalerweise essen wir um halb sieben
Herda Abendbrot.
Claudia Und was machen Sie abends?
Stenzel
Mareike Nach dem Abendbrot sehen wir im
Herda Wohnzimmer fern. Zweimal in der Woche gehe
ich zu einer Aerobicstunde. Ich mache gern
Aerobic, es macht Spa und ich bleibe fit. Mein
Freund treibt gern Sport. Jeden Mittwoch spielt
er Federball oder Handball im Sportzentrum.
Wir haben auch viele gute Freunde, und wir
unternehmen oft etwas zusammen.
Claudia Was zum Beispiel?
Stenzel
Mareike Jeden Freitagabend treffen wir uns zum Kegeln.
Herda Und nach dem Kegeln gehen wir dann noch ein
Bier trinken. Es gibt viele Kneipen. Es ist
natrlich viel los in Berlin! Meistens sind wir vor
zwei Uhr nie zu Hause. Aber normalerweise
gehen wir zwischen halb elf und elf ins Bett.
Conversation 1: A day in my life
Claudia What's your everyday life like?
Stenzel
Mareike I get up at half-past six...
Herda
Claudia You're lucky! I get up at five o'clock.
Stenzel
Mareike I have breakfast at about seven o'clock and
Herda leave the house at about half-past seven. I'm a
primary school teacher and live in the suburbs.
I travel to school on the bus, it takes about ten
minutes.
Claudia When are your working hours?
Stenzel
Mareike I'm pretty lucky, because I have the first hour
Herda off on Wednesdays and Fridays. That means
that I don't start until a quarter to nine. And I
finish every day at half-past one. I leave school
at a quarter to two.
Claudia Do you enjoy your work?
Stenzel
Mareike Yes, I enjoy the work a lot, but I don't like
Herda leaving in Berlin. I find the city too big.
Claudia And what do you do in the afternoon?
Stenzel
Mareike I work! I do school work and listen to some
Herda music while I'm doing it - or I go shopping. I
don't really like doing that but it has to be
done. At half-past four I pick up my boyfriend
from work.
Claudia When do you have your evening meal?
Stenzel
Mareike We normally have our evening meal at half-
Herda past six.
Claudia And what do you do in the evening?
Stenzel
Mareike After tea we watch television in the living room.
Herda I attend an aerobics class twice a week. I enjoy
doing aerobics, it's fun and I keep fit. My
boyfriend enjoys doing sport. He plays
badminton or handball every Wednesday in the
sports centre. We also have a lot of good
friends, and we often do something together.
Claudia What for example?
Stenzel
Mareike Every Friday evening we met up to go bowling.
Herda After bowling we then go and have a beer.
There are a lot of bars. Of course there's a lot
going on in Berlin! More often than not we don't
get back home before two o'clock. But we
normally go to bed between half-past ten and
eleven o'clock.

Glossary
das Leben (-) life
der Alltag everyday life
wie ist Ihr Alltag? what's your everyday life like?
aufstehen (sep.) This separable verb means "to get up".
(Literally: "to stand up")
Sie haben es "You're lucky!" (Literally "You have it
gut! good".) The "es" is invariable.
frhstcken This means "to have breakfast". It is an
inseparable verb.
gegen sieben "At about seven o'clock". The word "Uhr" is
often omitted in the German construction.
aus dem Haus to leave the house
gehen
die Grundschule primary school
(-n)
auf einer This means "in a primary school". Although
Grundschule the preposition "auf" usually means "on", it
can also be used with certain nouns to mean
"to" (with the accusative case) or "in" (with
the dative case).
der Vorort (-e) suburb
die Schule (-n) school
ich fahre zur "I travel to school". Mareike doesn't say in
Schule die Schule, because the bus isn't actually
entering the school.
etwa 10 minuten about 10 minutes; approximately 10
minutes.
ziemlich fairly
ich hab's ziemlich I'm pretty lucky
gut
denn for; because
die Stunde (-n) This also means "a school class" as well as
"an hour".
frei haben to have off
das heit this means...
erst um Viertel not until a quarter to nine
vor neun
jeden Tag This means "every day". It is one of many
German time phrases which is in the
accusative case no matter where it comes in
the sentence.
fertig It means "finished" in this context. It can
also mean "ready" of a meal.
verlassen (insep.) to leave
die Stadt ist mir I find the city too big
zu gro
Schularbeiten to do school work
machen
dabei A very useful word which means "while
I'm/you're (etc.) doing it".
das mache ich I don't really like doing that
nicht so gerne
abholen (sep.) This separable verb means "to fetch". What
you are fetching is in the accusative case.
der Freund (-e) This means "boyfriend" here - you have to
work it out from the context.
das Abendbrot evening meal; tea
normalerweise normally
das Wohnzimmer living room
(-)
fernsehen (sep.) This is a separable verb meaning "to watch
television". The prefix "fern" is invariable
but the "sehen" element of the verb declines
in exactly the way which we have already
encountered.
zweimal twice
zweimal in der twice a week
Woche
die Aerobicstunde aerobics class
(-n)
Aerobic machen to do aerobics
der Spa fun
es macht Spa it's fun
fit fit (!)
Sport treiben to do sport
jeden Mittwoch every Wednesday
das Sportzentrum sports centre
(pl. -zentren)
spielen to play
der Federball badminton
der Handball Handball is a much more popular sport in
German-speaking countries than it is in
Britain.
unternehmen to undertake; to do
(insep.)
zum Beispiel for example
(z.B.)
jeden "Every Friday evening". Another time phrase
Freitagabend which is always in the accusative case. Note
too that "Friday evening" is one word in
German.
kegeln to go bowling; to play skittles
wir treffen uns "We meet to go bowling." The grammatical
zum Kegeln construction with the second verb will be
explained in a later section.
trinken to drink
wir gehen ein Bier we go and have a beer
trinken
die Kneipe (-n) bar; pub
es ist viel los there's a lot going on
meistens mostly
vor zwei Uhr before two o'clock
nie never
zu Hause at home
das Bett (-en) bed
ins Bett gehen to go to bed

10.2 Der Alltag: Anna Mller

Now it is Anna Mller's turn to discuss her daily routine with Claudia Stenzel. What
five different things does she like to eat for supper? What does she like doing inthe
different seasons of the year? What can you do in Werder?

Conversation 2: Ein Tag in meinem Leben

Claudia Wie sieht Ihr typischer Tag aus?

Stenzel
Anna Ich stehe gegen sechs Uhr auf. Ich gehe ins
Mller Badezimmer und dusche. Danach bin ich ganz
schn wach. Dann gehe ich in die Kche und
frhstcke mit der Familie. Zum Frhstck esse
ich eine Grapefruit und trinke einen Frchtetee -
ich mache eine Dit. Ich muss abnehmen.
Claudia Wie lange machen Sie schon eine Dit?
Stenzel
Anna Seit fnf Wochen. Ich bemhe mich, aber es ist
Mller nicht einfach!
Claudia Und was drfen Sie essen?
Stenzel
Anna Viel Gemse und Obst, wenig Fleisch.
Mller
Claudia Und wie viel Kalorien drfen Sie essen?
Stenzel
Anna Tausend.
Mller
Claudia Drfen Sie Alkohol trinken?
Stenzel
Anna Nein, Alkohol darf ich nicht trinken.
Mller
Claudia Was essen Sie zum Abendbrot?
Stenzel
Anna Wir essen abends alle zusammen und wir essen
Mller sehr gesund. Das Abendbrot besteht
normalerweise aus Suppe (meine
Lieblingssuppe ist Gulaschsuppe!), Fleisch, Brot,
Kse und Quark. Nach dem Abendbrot rumen
die Kinder den Tisch und wir waschen ab.
Claudia Was machen Sie gern in Ihrer Freizeit?
Stenzel
Anna Abends? Nichts Besonderes. Ich faulenze gern.
Mller Vielleicht sehe ich mir ein paar
Fernsehsendungen an.
Claudia Was sehen Sie gern im Fernsehen?
Stenzel
Anna Seifenopern, Talkshows, Quizsendungen, die
Mller Nachrichten. Ich sehe mir alles an!
Claudia Was fr Hobbys haben Sie?
Stenzel
Anna Ich interessiere mich fr Reisen. Im Sommer
Mller bleibe ich nicht gern zu Hause - ich langweile
mich zu Tode! Im Winter fahren wir in die
Berge. Ich liebe den Schnee und ich laufe sehr
gern Ski. Im Frhling und im Herbst fahren wir
gern nach Werder. Dort kann man herrlich
segeln und spazieren gehen. Ich wandere gern
durch den Wald. Ich fotografiere auch
leidenschaftlich gern. Ich habe meinen
Fotoapparat immer dabei.
 Conversation 2: A day in my life

Claudia What does your typical day look like?

Stenzel
Anna I get up at about six o'clock. I go into the
Mller bathroom and have a shower. I'm really quite
awake afterwards. Then I go into the kitchen
and have breakfast with my family. I have
grapefruit for breakfast and drink a fruit tea -
I'm on a diet. I have to lose weight.
Claudia How long have you been on a diet for?
Stenzel
Anna For five weeks. I'm making an effort, but it isn't
Mller easy!
Claudia And what are you allowed to eat?
Stenzel
Anna A lot of vegetables and fruit, but not much
Mller meat.
Claudia And how many calories are you allowed to eat?
Stenzel
Anna A thousand.
Mller
Claudia Can you drink alcohol?
Stenzel
Anna No, I'm not allowed to drink alcohol.
Mller
Claudia What do you eat for tea?
Stenzel
Anna We all eat together in the evening and we eat
Mller very healthily. Our evening meal normally
consists of soup (my favourite soup is goulash
soup!), meat, bread, cheese and soft curd
cheese. After tea the children clear the table
and we do the washing-up.
Claudia What do you like doing in your spare time?
Stenzel
Anna In the evenings? Nothing in particular. I like
Mller lazing about. I might watch a few TV
programmes.
Claudia What do you like watching on the television?
Stenzel
Anna Soap operas, talk shows, quiz programmes, and
Mller the news. I watch everything!
Claudia What hobbies do you have?
Stenzel
Anna I'm interested in travel. I don't like staying at
Mller home in the summer - I get bored to death! In
winter we go to the mountains. I love the snow
and I really like skiing. In spring and in autumn
we like going to Werder. You can have a
wonderful time sailing and walking there. I like
rambling in the forest. I'm also mad about
photography. I always have my camera with
me.

Glossary
aussehen (sep.) to look (like)
typisch typisch
das Badezimmer bathroom
(-)
duschen to shower
danach afterwards
ganz schn wach This means "really quite awake". When
"ganz schn" precedes an adjective it has an
emphatic sense.
die Kche (-n) kitchen
zum Frhstck for breakfast
essen This means "to eat". It is an irregular verb.
die Grapefruit (- grapefruit
s)
der Frchtetee (- fruit tea
s)
die Dit (-en) diet
eine Dit machen to go on a diet
abnehmen (sep.) This means "to lose weight". To gain weight
is "zunehmen". Both verbs are separable.
wie lange...? how long...?
seit fnf Wochen Although seit literally means "since", this
translates as "for five weeks".
sich bemhen to make an effort
viel Gemse a lot of vegetables
das Obst fruit
wenig Fleisch "Not much meat". Note that neither "viel"
nor "wenig" have endings when used this
way.
die Kalorie (-n) calorie
der Alkohol alcohol
alle zusammen all together
gesund healthy
wir essen gesund we eat healthily
bestehen aus (+ This means "to consist of". The verb
Dat.) "bestehen" is inseparable.
die Suppe (-n) soup
die This means "favourite soup". You can add
Lieblingssuppe (- "Lieblings-" to the front of any noun to
n) create this effect.
die Gulaschsuppe goulash soup
(-n)
der Quark soft curd cheese
rumen to clear
abwaschen to do the washing up. As "waschen" is an
irregular verb, so too is "abwaschen".
die Freizeit free time; spare time
nichts nothing much; nothing in particular
Besonderes
faulenzen to laze about
ein paar a few
die TV programme
Fernsehsendung
(-en)
sich etwas This means "to watch something". The
ansehen programme that is being watched is in the
accusative case whilst the reflexive pronoun
referring back to the person doing the action
is in the dative case. The verb "ansehen" is
both separable and reflexive.
das Fernsehen This means "television" as in "the medium of
television", as opposed to a "TV set", which
is translated by "der Fernseher".
die Seifenoper (- soap opera
n)
die Talkshow (-s) talk show
die Quizsendung quiz programme
(-en)
die Nachrichten This means "the news". The singular of this
(plural) noun - die Nachricht (-en) - means "a piece
of news".
das Hobby (-s) hobby
 sich interessieren This reflexive verb means "to be interested
fr (+ Acc.) in". The reflexive pronoun referring back to
the person doing the action is in the
accusative case.
reisen to travel
ich interessiere "I'm interested in travelling". If the thing in
mich fr Reisen which you are interested is a verb, you use
the infinitive form of the verb starting with a
capital letter.
der Sommer summer
im Sommer in summer
sich langweilen to be bored
ich langweile I'm bored to death
mich zu Tode
der Winter winter
im Winter in winter
der Berg (-e) mountains
der Schnee snow
Ski laufen to ski
der Frhling spring
im Frhling in spring
der Herbst autumn
im Herbst in autumn
herrlich wonderful
segeln to sail
spazieren gehen to go for a walk
wandern to ramble; to hike
der Wald (pl. - wood, forest
Wlder)
fotografieren to take photos
ich ... "I'm mad about..." The word
leidenschaftlich "leidenschaftlich" on its own means
gern "passionately".
der Fotoapparat camera
(-e)
dabei with me/you etc.

10.3 Der Alltag: Jens Hoffmann

Now it is the turn of Jens Hoffmann (below right) to be interviewed. Try to work out
what he does during his lunchtime break and why his route home depends on the
weather. Which football team does he support?

Conversation 3: Jens Hoffmann

Claudia Herr Hoffmann, was machen Sie an einem

Stenzel normalen Tag?
Jens Ich stehe ziemlich frh auf, so gegen halb
Hoffmann sieben. Ich gehe ins Badezimmer und wasche
mich. Normalerweise rasiere ich mich - aber
am Wochenende nicht immer! Dann ziehe ich
mich an und lese den Tagesspiegel. Diese
Zeitung gefllt mir am besten. Zum Frhstck
esse ich Mesli, vielleicht eine Scheibe Brot
oder ein Brtchen und zwei Tassen Kaffee.
Claudia Welche Sorte trinken Sie am liebsten?
Stenzel
Jens Am allerliebsten trinke ich brasilianischen
Hoffmann Kaffee.
Claudia Wann gehen Sie normalerweise aus dem
Stenzel Haus?
Jens Das kommt darauf an. Normalerweise um
Hoffmann sieben Uhr zwanzig.
Claudia Und wie kommen sie zur Arbeit?
Stenzel
Jens Ich gehe zu Fu zum Bro - aber nur wenn es
Hoffmann nicht regnet! Ich wohne in einer
Dreizimmerwohnung im Stadtzentrum, nicht
weit von meinem Bro entfernt. Ich komme
um Viertel vor acht im Bro an.
Claudia Haben sie Mittagspause?
Stenzel
Jens Die Mittagspause ist von halb eins bis halb
Hoffmann zwei. Zu Mittag esse ich in einem kleinen
italienischen Restaurant, vielleicht eine Pizza
oder Spagetti oder etwas hnliches. Ich esse
gern auswrts und ich esse am liebsten
italienische Gerichte.
Claudia Wann verlassen Sie das Bro?
Stenzel
Jens Ich bin um siebzehn Uhr dreiig mit der Arbeit
Hoffmann fertig. Dann gehe ich aus dem Bro. Wenn die
Sonne scheint, gehe ich durch den Park
zurck nach Hause. Um zehn vor sechs bin ich
wieder zu Hause. Dann mache ich das
Abendessen. Nach dem Abendessen bin ich
 oft wirklich mde und ruhe mich vor dem
Fernseher aus. Jeden Donnerstagabend leihe
ich mir ein Video aus. Ich sehe mir gern alte
Horrorfilme und Komdien an.
Claudia Was machen Sie in Ihrer Freizeit? Haben Sie
Stenzel Hobbys?
Jens Tja, eigentlich habe ich nicht viel Freizeit. Ich
Hoffmann interessiere mich fr Literatur und gehe
regelmig ins Theater...
Claudia Was fr Bcher lesen Sie gerne?
Stenzel
Jens Meistens Romane und Kurzgeschichten. Ich
Hoffmann treibe nicht gern Sport aber ich sehe mir gern
Fuballspiele an.
Claudia Welche Fuballmannschaft mgen Sie lieber:
Stenzel Hertha Berlin oder Bayern Mnchen?
Jens Ich mag weder Hertha noch Bayern. Ich bin
Hoffmann TeBe-Fan.
Claudia Wie bitte?
Stenzel
Jens Meine Lieblingsmannschaft heit TeBe -
Hoffmann Tennis Borussia Berlin!
Conversation 3: Jens Hoffmann

Claudia Mr. Hoffmann, what do you do on a normal

Stenzel day?
Jens I get up quite early, at about half-past six. I
Hoffmann go into the bathroom and have a wash. I
usually have a shave - but not always at the
weekend! Then I get dressed and read the
Tagesspiegel. I like this newspaper most of
all. For breakfast I have muesli, perhaps a
slice of bread or a roll and two cups of coffee.
Claudia What sort of coffee do you like drinking the
Stenzel most?
Jens I like drinking Brazilian coffee most of all.
Hoffmann
Claudia When do you normally leave the house?
Stenzel
Jens That depends. Usually at twenty past seven.
Hoffmann
Claudia And how do you get to work?
Stenzel
Jens I walk to the office - but only when it doesn't
Hoffmann rain! I live in a three-room flat in the city
 centre, not far from my office. I get to the
office at a quarter to eight.
Claudia Do you have a lunch-break?
Stenzel
Jens The lunch-break is between half-past twelve
Hoffmann and half-past one. I have lunch in a small
Italian restaurant, perhaps a pizza or
spaghetti or something like that. I like eating
out and I like eating Italian dishes most of all.
Claudia When do you leave the office?
Stenzel
Jens I finish work at five thirty. Then I leave the
Hoffmann office. If the sun is shining, I walk home
through the park. I get back home at ten to
six. Then I cook my evening meal. After tea
I'm often really tired and relax in front of the
television. Every Thursday evening I rent a
video. I like watching old horror films and
comedies.
Claudia What do you do in your spare time? Do you
Stenzel have any hobbies?
Jens Well, I don't actually have much spare time.
Hoffmann I'm interested in literature and go to the
theatre regularly...
Claudia What kind of books do you like reading?
Stenzel
Jens Mainly novels and short stories. I don't like
Hoffmann doing sport but I enjoy watching football
matches.
Claudia Which football team do you prefer: Hertha
Stenzel Berlin or Bayern Munich?
Jens I don't like Hertha or Bayern. I'm a TeBe fan.
Hoffmann
Claudia I'm sorry?
Stenzel
Jens My favourite team is called TeBe - Tennis
Hoffmann Borussia Berlin!

Glossary
normal normal
sich waschen This reflexive verb means "to have a
wash". It is also an irregular verb.
sich rasieren to have a shave
das Wochenende (- weekend
n)
am Wochenende at the weekend
immer always
nicht immer not always
sich anziehen This is a separable verb meaning "to get
dressed".
lesen This is an irregular verb meaning "to
read"
Der Tagesspiegel This is a Berlin daily newspaper which
literally translates as "Daily Mirror" but
is actually a broadsheet. Click here to
read the latest edition of the newspaper
on the Internet!
die Zeitung (-en) newspaper
das Mesli muesli
am liebsten most
am allerliebsten most of all
das kommt darauf that depends
an
zur Arbeit kommen to get to work
nur wenn only when
es regnet it's raining
das Zimmer (-) room
die three-room flat
Dreizimmerwohnung
(-en)
das Stadtzentrum (pl. city centre
-zentren)
entfernt distant
nicht weit ... entfernt "Not far away from". The thing from
which you are not far away - here "the
office" - is in the dative case and is
preceded by "von" i.e. "nicht weit von
meinem Bro entfernt".
ankommen This means "to arrive". Note that the
place where you are arriving is in the
dative case even though motion is
involved.
die Mittagspause (- lunch-hour; lunch-break
n)
zu Mittag essen to have lunch
Spagetti (pl.) spaghetti
hnlich similar
etwas hnliches something similar
auswrts essen to eat out
das Gericht (-e) dish; meal
verlassen This irregular verb means "to leave".
die Sonne (-n) sun
scheinen This means "to shine". In other contexts
it can also mean "to appear".
der Park (-s) park
nach Hause gehen to go home
wieder again
das Abendessen (-) This is another word for "evening meal"
or "tea".
oft often
wirklich really
mde tired
sich ausruhen This separable and reflexive verb means
"to have a rest".
der Donnerstagabend Thursday evening
(-e)
sich etwas ausleihen This means "to borrow or rent". The
object that you are renting is in the
accusative case. The reflexive pronoun
referring back to the person doing in the
borrowing is in the dative case.
das Video (-s) video
der Horrorfilm (-e) horror film
die Komdie (-n) comedy
tja well...
die Literatur literature
regelmig regularly
das Theater (-) theatre
ins Theater gehen to go to the theatre
der Roman (-e) novel
die Kurzgeschichte (- short story
n)
der Sport sport
Sport treiben to do sport
der Fuball football
das Spiel (-e) game
das Fuballspiel (-e) football game
 die Mannschaft (-en) team
die football team
Fuballmannschaft (-
en)
Hertha Berlin Currently the biggest football team in
Berlin. Cynics would say that this has a
lot to do with the favouritism of the
Berlin media and local football
associations. Click here to visit the club's
homepage.
Bayern Mnchen This is the club that we call "Bayern
Munich", the biggest team in German
football. If you like them, click here. If
you don't like them, click here.
weder ... noch neither ... nor
der Fan (-s) (football) fan
die favourite team
Lieblingsmannschaft
(-en)
Tennis Borussia Despite their name, Tennis Borussia
Berlin Berlin - or TeBe - are a football club
based in the Charlottenburg area of
Berlin. Click here to visit their
homepage. This is also the team
supported by the author of this German
course!

10.4 Der Alltag: Lars Weber

Finally, Claudia Stenzel interviews one of the children taught by Mareike Herda. As
you would imagine, he is much more interested in playing than his schoolwork! Pay
particular attention to how he expresses his daily routine when he gets up in the
morning and when he goes to bed at night.

Conversation 4: Ein Tag in meinem Leben

Claudia Wann wachst du auf?

Stenzel
Lars Ich wache um sieben Uhr auf. Ich stehe auf,
Weber gehe ins Badezimmer und wasche mir die
Hnde. Ich wasche mir das Gesicht und putze
mir die Zhne. Ich ziehe mir das Hemd, die
Hose und die Schuhe an. Um Viertel nach
sieben ist Frhstck.
Claudia Trgst du keine Socken?
Stenzel
Lars Doch!
Weber
Claudia Und wann gehst du in die Schule?
Stenzel
Lars Kurz nach halb acht. Mutti bringt mich in die
Weber Schule.
Claudia Gefllt dir die Schule?
Stenzel
Lars Manchmal. Ich hasse Hausaufgaben! Am Abend
Weber muss ich immer lernen!
Claudia Gefllt dir Mathe?
Stenzel
Lars Nein, natrlich nicht!
Weber
Claudia Gefllt dir Sport?
Stenzel
Lars Ja. Finde ich Klasse!
Weber
Claudia Was gefllt dir am besten?
Stenzel
Lars Schwimmen und Wasserball.
Weber
Claudia Was machst du gern in deiner Freizeit?
Stenzel
Lars Skateboarden. Das macht Spa. Ich spiele gern
Weber drauen. Ich bin auch Inlineskater. Meine
Schwester fhrt gern Rad. Sie hat ein
nagelneues rotes Mountainbike. Ich interessiere
mich auch fr Briefmarken. Ich sammle sie
gern.
Claudia Wann gehst du ins Bett?
Stenzel
Lars Gegen neun Uhr. Ich ziehe mich aus, nehme ein
Weber Bad, und ziehe mir den Schlafanzug an. Ich
habe mein eigenes Schlafzimmer!
Conversation 4: A day in my life

Claudia When do you wake up?

Stenzel
Lars I wake up at seven o'clock. I get up, go into the
Weber bathroom and wash my hands. I wash my face
and clean my teeth. I put my shirt, my trousers
and my shoes on. Breakfast is at a quarter past
seven.
Claudia Don't you wear any socks?
Stenzel
Lars Yes I do!
Weber
Claudia And when do you go to school?
Stenzel
Lars Just after half-past seven. Mummy takes me to
Weber school.
Claudia Do you like school?
Stenzel
Lars Sometimes. I hate homework! I always have to
Weber study in the evenings!
Claudia Do you like maths?
Stenzel
Lars No, of course not!
Weber
Claudia Do you like sport?
Stenzel
Lars Yes. I think it's great!
Weber
Claudia What do you like the most?
Stenzel
Lars Swimming and water polo.
Weber
Claudia What do you like doing in your spare time?
Stenzel
Lars Skateboarding. It's fun. I like playing outside.
Weber I'm also an inline skater. My sister likes cycling.
She's got a brand new red mountain bike. I'm
also interested in stamps. I like collecting them.
Claudia When do you go to bed?
Stenzel
Lars About nine o'clock. I get undressed, have a
Weber bath, and put my pyjamas on. I've got my own
bedroom!

Glossary
aufwachen This is a separable verb meaning "to wake
(sep.) up".
die Hand (pl. - hand
Hnde)
das Gesicht (- face
er)
putzen to clean
der Zahn (pl. - tooth
Zhne)
das Hemd (-en) shirt
die Hose (-n) This means "(a pair of) trousers". It is a
singular noun in German.
der Schuh (-e) shoe
tragen This is an irregular verb meaning "to wear"
or "to carry".
die Socke (-n) sock
doch This means "yes" and it is used like the
French "si" after someone has asked a
question in the negative.
Mutti Mummy
manchmal sometimes
hassen to hate
die This means "homework". It is a plural noun
Hausaufgaben in German.
(pl.)
am Abend in the evening
lernen to learn; to study
die Mathe This means "maths". It is short for die
Mathematik.
Klasse! great!; cool!
das Schwimmen This means "swimming". To form a verbal
noun in German, you simply put a capital
letter in front of the infinitive of a verb. All
verbal nouns are neuter in gender.
der Wasserball water polo
das This means "skateboarding". It is another
Skateboarden verbal noun.
drauen (insep.) outside
der Inlineskater Unsurprisingly, this means "inline skater". It
(-) is another example of just how many English
words are entering the German language.
(sie) fhrt gern She likes riding her bike.
Rad
nagelneu This means "brand new". It literally
translates as "as new as a nail"!
das Mountainbike mountain bike
 (-s)
die Briefmarke (- (postage) stamp
n)
sammeln This means "to collect". Verbs ending in "-
eln" tend to drop the "-e-" of the infinitive in
the first person singular - i.e. "ich sammle".
sich ausziehen This means "to get undressed". It is both
irregular and separable.
das Bad (pl. - bath
Bder)
ein Bad nehmen to have a bath
der Schlafanzug This means "pyjamas". It is a singular noun
(pl. -anzge) in German.
eigen own
das bedroom
Schlafzimmer (-
)

10.5 Das Wetter

In this conversation Sophie Gerland tries to find out from Barabara Zacharias what
the weather is like in Berlin in general and then what the weather is going to be like
today. They decide to listen to the weather forecast on Radio Eins.

Conversation 5: Das Wetter

Sophie Gerland Wie ist das Wetter hier in Berlin?

Barbara Im Sommer ist es ziemlich hei und
Zacharias trocken. Im Winter ist es oft neblig
und sehr kalt - besonders in der
Nacht. Wir haben ab und zu viel
Schnee und Glatteis.
Sophie Gerland Das kann ich mir gut vorstellen!
Barbara Im Frhling ist es warm aber oft
Zacharias strmisch und im Herbst ist es khl
und wolkig - wir haben fast die ganze
Zeit Regen.
Sophie Gerland Und wie ist das Wetter heute?
Schlecht, oder?
Barbara Im Moment ist es mild. Es ist sonnig
Zacharias aber auch windig. Ich sehe keine
schwarzen Wolken!
Sophie Gerland Wie viel Grad sind es?
Barbara Wei ich nicht. Es sind wohl etwa
Zacharias vierzehn Grad. Hoffentlich kommt das
 schne Wetter noch. Hren wir uns die
Wettervorhersage im Radio an! (Sie
macht das Radio an.)
Wettervorhersage Und jetzt die Wettervorhersage bis
morgen abend. Im Norden stark
bewlkt, Gewitter oder Regenschauer.
Starker Wind aus Nordost. In der Mitte
bewlkt oder bedeckt, wiederholt gibt
es ein paar Tropfen Regen. Schwacher
Wind aus Ost bis Sdost. In
Sddeutschland heiter und trocken,
keine Niederschlge.

Hchsttemperaturen elf bis siebzehn

Grad. Temperaturen im Sendegebiet:
Berlin - 14 Grad; Neuruppin - 16
Grad; Angermnde - 15 Grad;
Frankfurt an der Oder - 15 Grad;
Finsterwalde - 12 Grad; Cottbus - 13
Grad.

Tiefsttemperaturen in der Nacht zum

Montag um den Gefrierpunkt. In
Norddeutschland leichter Frost bis
minus drei Grad. Vereinzelt
Gewitterschauer.
Conversation 5: The Weather

Sophie Gerland What is the weather like here in

Berlin?
Barbara In summer it is fairly hot and dry. In
Zacharias winter it is often foggy and very cold -
particularly in the night. Every now
and then we get a lot of snow and ice.
Sophie Gerland I can imagine that!
Barbara In spring it is warm but often stormy
Zacharias and in autumn it is cool and cloudy -
we have rain almost all the time.
Sophie Gerland And what's the weather like today?
Bad, isn't it?
Barbara At the moment it's mild. It's sunny but
Zacharias also windy. I can't see any black
clouds!
Sophie Gerland What's the temperature?
Barbara Don't know. It's probably about
Zacharias fourteen degrees. Hopefully the nice
weather will come. Let's listen to the
weather forecast on the radio! (She
 turns the radio on.)
Weather forecast And now the weather forecast until
tomorrow evening. In the north,
heavy clouds, thunderstorms or rain
showers. Strong wind from the north-
east. In the middle of Germany,
cloudy or overcast, with a few drops of
rain on several occasions. A slight
wind from the east to the south-east.
In South Germany it will be fine and
dry, with no precipitation.

The highest temperature will be

between eleven and seventeen
degrees. Temperatures in our
broadcast area: Berlin - 14 degrees;
Neuruppin - 16 degrees; Angermnde
- 15 degrees; Frankfurt an der Oder -
15 degrees; Finsterwalde - 12
degrees; Cottbus - 13 degrees.

Lowest temperatures between Sunday

night and early Monday morning
around the freezing point. In North
Germany there will a slight frost which
could reach minus three degrees.
Occasional thundery showers.

Glossary
das Wetter (-) weather
wie ist das Wetter? what's the weather like?
hei hot
trocken dry
der Winter winter
im Winter in winter
neblig foggy; misty
in der Nacht in the night
ab und zu now and then
das Glatteis (black) ice
sich etwas We have already met the verb "vorstellen"
vorstellen when it takes a direct object and means
"to introduce somebody". When it takes a
reflexive pronoun in the dative case
however it means "to imagine something".
der Frhling spring
im Frhling in spring
warm warm
strmisch stormy
der Herbst autumn
im Herbst in autumn
khl cool; cold
wolkig cloudy
fast almost
die ganze Zeit the whole time
der Regen rain
schlecht bad
mild mild
sonnig sunny
windig windy
die Wolke (-n) cloud
der Grad (-e) degree
wie viel Grad sind "What is the temperature?" Literally: "How
es? many degrees is it?"
wei ich nicht don't know
wohl probably
etwa approximately
hoffentlich hopefully
sich etwas anhren This means "to listen to something". The
thing that you are listening to is in the
accusative case, whereas the reflexive
pronoun referring back to the person
doing the listening is in the dative case.
die weather forecast
Wettervorhersage
(-n)
das Radio radio
im Radio on the radio
anmachen (sep.) This means "to switch on". It is a
separable verb.
bis morgen abend until tomorrow evening
der Norden the north
im Norden in the north
der Regenschauer rain shower
(-)
stark This normally means "strong", but when
used in weather phrases it can also mean
"heavy".
bewlkt cloudy
stark bewlkt with heavy clouds
das Gewitter (-) (thunder-)storm
der Wind (-e) wind
der Nordosten the north-east
aus Nordost This means "from the north-east". Note
that the shorter form of the part of the
compass without "-en" is used in this
construction.
die Mitte (-n) middle; centre
in der Mitte in the middle (i.e. between North and
South Germany)
bedeckt overcast
wiederholt repeatedly
der Tropfen (-) drop
schwach weak
der Osten the east
der Sdosten the south-east
aus Ost bis Sdost from the east to the south-east
Sddeutschland This means "South Germany". The shorter
form of the part of the compass is used in
the compound noun.
heiter fine; clear
trocken dry
der Niederschlag This means "precipitation". It is used very
(pl. -schlge) commonly in weather forecasts but not in
conversational German.
die Temperatur (- temperature
en)
die This means "highest temperature". It is
Hchsttemperatur often used in the plural in weather
(-en) forecasts.
das Sendegebiet (- broadcast area (i.e. the area to which the
e) radio station is broadcasting)
die This means "lowest temperature". It is
Tiefsttemperatur (- often used in the plural in weather
en) forecasts.
in der Nacht zum This literally means "in the night to
Montag Monday", but equates to "Sunday night
and early Monday morning".
der Gefrierpunkt This means "freezing point". You might
also hear "null Grad" used to translate
this.
um den around the freezing point
Gefrierpunkt
Norddeutschland North Germany
leicht light
der Frost frost
minus drei Grad minus three degrees
vereinzelt isolated; occasional
der thundery shower
Gewitterschauer (-
)

10.6 Vocabulary: The weather

To ask what the weather is like (today), you should say "Wie ist das Wetter
(heute)?". As in English, many descriptions of weather require impersonal verbs, i.e.
verbs which are only used in the "es" form.

Vocabulary 1: Wie ist das Wetter heute?

es regnet es schneit
("It's raining") ("It's snowing")
es donnert es blitzt
("There's thunder") ("There's lightning")
es hagelt die Sonne scheint
("It's hailing") ("The sun is shining")

Other weather phrases resemble their English equivalents in that they use "Es ist..."
(= It is...) followed by the appropriate adjective. The adjectives themselves can also
be quite similiar to the English version.

Vocabulary 2: Wie ist das Wetter? Es ist...

es ist sonnig es ist warm

("It's sunny") ("It's warm")
es ist hei es ist schwl
("It's hot") ("It's sultry")
es ist heiter es ist schn
("It's fine") ("It's nice")
es ist trocken es ist mild
("It's dry") ("It's mild")
es ist wolkig es ist bewlkt
("It's cloudy") ("It's cloudy")
es ist bedeckt es ist neb(e)lig
("It's overcast") ("It's misty")
es ist khl es ist kalt
("It's cool") ("It's cold")
 es ist eisig es ist windig
("It's icy") ("It's windy")
es ist regnerisch es ist strmisch
("It's rainy") ("It's stormy")
es ist wechselhaft
("It's changeable")

German weather nouns

Nouns relating to German weather phenomena are listed below. Plurals are given in
brackets. Some of these nouns are usually only found in German weather forecasts
and not in conversational German.

Vocabulary 3: German weather nouns

der Blitz (-e) die B (-en)

(lightning flash) (squall)
die Brise (-n) der Donner
(breeze) (thunder)
das Eis der Frost
(ice) (frost)
das Gewitter (-) das Glatteis
(thunderstorm) (black ice)
der Hagel der Nebel
(hail) (fog; mist)
der Niederschlag der Regen
(pl. -schlge) (rain)
(precipitation)
der Schauer (-) der Schnee
(shower) (snow)
die Sonne der Sturm
(sun) (pl. Strme)
(storm)
die Temperatur (-en) der Wind (-e)
(temperature) (wind)
die Wolke (-n)
(cloud)

Notes on nouns
1. To specify which type of shower you are experiencing, form a compound noun
using "der Schauer":

"der Hagel" + "der Schauer" = "der Hagelschauer" (brief hailstorm)

 "der Regen" + "der Schauer" = "der Regenschauer" (shower of rain)
"der Schnee" + "der Schauer" = "der Schneeschauer" (snow shower)

Similar compounds can also be made with "der Sturm". As with all compound nouns,
such nouns have the gender of the final element of the compound noun, and form
the plural in the same way as this final element:

"der Hagel" + "der Sturm" = "der Hagelsturm" (hailstorm)

"das Gewitter" + "der Sturm" = "der Gewittersturm" (thunderstorm)
"der Schnee" + "der Sturm" = "der Schneesturm" (snowstorm)

2. Whereas English speaks of "temperature" in the singular, German uses the word
almost exclusively in the plural - "die Temperaturen". This is also true of the other
compounds of the noun which we have met in this chapter: "die
Hchsttemperaturen" (highest temperature) and "die Tiefsttemperaturen" (lowest
temperature).

3. We have also encountered some other words in this section's conversations where
the usage of singular and plural is different from in English:

"die Hausaufgaben" (plural) = homework (singular)

"die Hose" (singular) = trousers (plural)
"der Schlafanzug" (singular) = pyjamas (plural)

10.7 Seasons and the compass

German seasons
The names of the German seasons are all masculine in German, with the exception
of "das Frhjahr", which is one of the words for "spring". The word for a season is
"die Jahreszeit (-en)", which literally means "the time of the year":

Vocabulary 4: Die vier Jahreszeiten

der Frhling der Sommer

das Frhjahr (summer)
(spring)
der Herbst der Winter
(autumn) (winter)

Note that German uses the definite article when translating "in spring etc.". In
practice, this means that you precede each of the seasons by "im" - "im Frhling /
Frhjahr", "im Sommer", "im Herbst", "im Winter".

Points of the compass

Similarly, the points of the compass are all masculine in German. To say "in the
north etc.". In practice, you also precede each of the compass points by "im" - "im
Norden", "im Westen", "im Sden", "im Osten".

Vocabulary 5: Points of the compass

 der Norden der Westen
(the North) (the West)
der Sden der Osten
(the South) (the East)

When used as the first element in compound nouns however, the points of the
compass drop the final "-en". Any compound noun thus formed will always take the
gender of the final element of the compound.

Vocabulary 6: Compound nouns of location

der Nordwesten der Nordosten
(the North-West) (the North-East)
der Sdwesten der Sdosten
(the South-West) (the South-East)
Nordengland Sddeutschland
(the North of (South Germany)
England)
Westfrankreich Ostbelgien
(the West of France) (the East of
Belgium)

Notes on the compass

1. When wind directions are given in weather forecasts, the shorter forms of the
points of the compass tend to be used:

Schwacher Wind aus Nordost

(= A light wind from the north-east)
Starker Wind aus West bis Sdwest
(= A strong wind from the west to the south-west)

2. If you wish to describe what the temperature is in the middle of a country, you
should say "in der Mitte". The element "Mittel-" in a compound geographical noun is
used to indicate centrality:

Mittelamerika (= Central America)

Mitteleuropa (= Central Europe)

10.8 Reflexive verbs (1)

Definition
In most sentences with objects, the subject and the object are two different people or
things - e.g. Ich sehe ihn ("I see him").

Sometimes however a verb's subject and object are the same person or thing. Such verbs
are called reflexive. In English, reflexive verbs end in "-self" or "-selves" - e.g. "I hurt
myself", "she flatters herself", "they're giving themselves a break".

Not all German reflexive verbs however can be translated by "-self". In fact, whilst most
English reflexive verbs are also reflexive in German, there are a number of German
reflexive verbs that are not reflexive in English. Some of them have English equivalents
which use "get" (i.e. to get dressed, to get washed, to get shaved), whereas some of them
describe physical actions for which we do not use a reflexive verb. Many other German
reflexive verbs however do not fall into either of these two categories (i.e. to be
interested, to relax).

The infinitive of a German reflexive verb

German reflexive verbs consist of a simple verb together with the reflexive pronoun
in the accusative or (in certain circumstances) the dative case. In the infinitive form,
the reflexive pronoun (sich) precedes the verb itself.

Here is the infinitive form of the reflexive verbs taking an accusative pronoun which
we have encountered in this and earlier chapters:

Grammar 1: Reflexive verbs with an accusative pronoun

sich anziehen sich ausruhen

(to get dressed) (to relax)
sich ausziehen sich bemhen
(to get undressed) (to make an effort)
sich interessieren sich langweilen
(to be interested) (to be bored)
sich rasieren sich treffen
(to have a shave) (to meet)
sich vorstellen sich waschen
(to introduce oneself) (to get washed)

Notes
1. The verb treffen (= to meet) is only used reflexively in the plural. In this context,
the reflexive pronoun denotes reciprocity and is the equivalent of each other:

Wir treffen uns morgen. (We will meet each other tomorrow.)
Wo treffen sie sich? (Where are they meeting each other?)

We will meet more reflexive verbs of this sort in subsequent chapters.

2. When using sich interessieren, you should employ the preposition fr followed by
a noun in the accusative case to say what it is that you are interested in. If your
interest is an activity, you should express this by using the infinitive of the German
verb, spelling it with a capital letter. This is called a verbal noun.
 Paula interessiert sich fr Fuball. (Paula is interested in football.)
Interessieren Sie sich fr Lesen? (Are you interested in reading?)

Reflexive and non-reflexive verbs

Most of the verbs which we have met on the previous page can either be used as a
reflexive verb followed by a reflexive pronoun in the accusative case, or as a normal
verb using a personal pronoun in the accusative case. In the second case the action
of the verb is being carried out to somebody else.

Grammar 2: Reflexive and non-reflexive verb pairs

sich anziehen jemanden anziehen

(to get dressed) (to dress somebody)
sich ausziehen jemanden ausziehen
(to get undressed) (to undress somebody)
sich interessieren jemanden
(to be interested) interessieren
(to interest somebody)
sich langweilen jemanden langweilen
(to be bored) (to bore somebody)
sich rasieren jemanden rasieren
(to have a shave) (to shave somebody)
sich treffen jemanden treffen
(to meet) (to meet somebody)
sich vorstellen jemanden vorstellen
(to introduce (to introduce somebody)
oneself)
sich waschen jemanden waschen
(to wash oneself) (to wash somebody)

Notes
1. In dictionaries, verbs which take a direct object are listed as in the table above,
namely preceded by jemanden or its abbreviated form jdn.. The word jemand is the
German word for somebody. In the accusative case (as here), it adds "-en". To use
the verb, simply replace jemanden with the accusative of the noun to which you are
referring.

2. Care needs to be taken in distinguishing between the reflexive and non-reflexive

usages of a verb:

Claudia wscht sich.

(Claudia washes herself.)
Claudia wscht das Kind.
(Claudia washes the child.)
Er stellt sich vor.
(He introduces himself.)
Er stellt ihn vor.
(He introduces him (i.e. somebody else).)
 Sie treffen sich.
(They meet each other.)
Sie treffen sie.
(They meet them (i.e. some other people).)

10.9 Reflexive verbs (2)

Present tense of reflexive verbs taking an accusative pronoun
The present tense of a reflexive verb consists of a verb with the normal present
tense endings followed by the reflexive pronoun in the appropriate case.

The only difference between reflexive pronouns and the personal pronouns which we
have encountered in previous chapters is that the reflexive pronoun is sich in the
formal "Sie" form as well as in the third person singular and plural.

Here is the present tense of a reflexive verb which takes a reflexive pronoun in the
accusative case:

Grammar 3: The present tense of "sich rasieren"

Singular
ich rasiere mich I shave myself
du rasierst dich You shave yourself
Sie rasieren sich (informal/formal)
er rasiert sich He shaves himself
Plural
wir rasieren uns We shave ourselves
ihr rasiert euch You shave yourselves
Sie rasieren sich (informal/formal)
sie rasieren sich They shave themselves

If the reflexive verb is also separable, then the separable prefix of the verb will
follow the pronoun (and any other elements of the clause). Of the verbs which we
have encountered so far, this is true for sich anziehen, sich ausruhen, sich ausziehen
and sich vorstellen:

Grammar 4: The present tense of "sich anziehen"

Singular
ich ziehe mich an I get dressed
du ziehst dich an You get dressed
Sie ziehen sich an (informal/formal)
er/sie/es zieht sich an He/she/it gets dressed
 Plural
wir ziehen uns an We get dressed
ihr zieht euch an You get dressed
Sie ziehen sich an (informal/formal)
sie ziehen sich an They get dressed

Present tense of reflexive verbs with a modal verb

When reflexive verbs are preceded by a modal verb, the infinitive of the verb itself is
used, but the reflexive pronoun agrees with the subject of the verb. The reflexive
pronoun in such cases is identical to the appropriate pronoun in the present tense of
the reflexive verb:

Grammar 5: The infinitive of a reflexive verb after a modal verb

Singular
ich muss mich waschen I must have a wash
du musst dich waschen You must have a wash
Sie mssen sich waschen (informal/formal)
er muss sich waschen He must have a wash
Plural
wir mssen uns waschen We must have a wash
ihr msst euch waschen You must have a wash
Sie mssen sich waschen (informal/formal)
sie mssen sich waschen They must have a wash

10.10 Reflexive verbs taking the dative case

Present tense of reflexive verbs taking a dative pronoun
A number of verbs use the reflexive pronoun in the dative case. Only two of the
dative reflexive pronouns are different from their equivalent accusative reflexive
pronoun. These are mich and dich which become mir and dir respectively.

Here is the present tense of sich vorstellen, a separable verb which takes a reflexive
pronoun in the dative case when it means "to imagine":

Grammar 6: The present tense of "sich vorstellen" (= to imagine)

Singular
ich stelle mir vor I imagine
du stellst dir vor You imagine
Sie stellen sich vor (informal/formal)
er/sie stellt sich vor He/she imagines
Plural
 wir stellen uns vor We imagine
ihr stellt euch vor You imagine
Sie stellen sich vor (informal/formal)
sie stellen sich vor They imagine

Great care must be taken with using this particular verb. As we have seen, when sich
vorstellen takes a reflexive pronoun in the accusative case, it means "to introduce
oneself". And when it takes a non-reflexive object in the accusative case it means "to
introduce somebody else":

Ich stelle ihn vor (I introduce him (= accusative))

Ich stelle mich vor (I introduce myself (= accusative))
Ich stelle mir vor (I imagine (= dative))

Other reflexive verbs taking a dative pronoun

We have already seen in Chapter 7 that a number of German verbs such as sagen,
geben and empfehlen take both a dative and an accusative object. The dative object
is usually a person whereas the accusative object is usually a thing.

The same construction is found with certain reflexive verbs. The reflexive pronoun,
which is an integral part of the verb, is in the dative case, but the verb also has an
accusative object. Here is a list of such verbs which we have encountered in this
chapter.

Grammar 7: Verbs taking a dative reflexive pronoun

sich etwas anhren sich etwas ansehen

(to listen to (to watch something)
something)
sich etwas ausleihen sich etwas
(to borrow something) vorstellen
(to imagine something)

Notes
1. All of these four verbs happen to be separable. This by no means always true of
verbs taking a reflexive pronoun in the dative case!

2. To use these verbs, replace etwas (= something) with an appropriate noun in the
accusative case. For example:

Ich hre mir die Wettervorhersage an. (I'm listening to the weather forecast.)
Wir sehen uns die Quizshow an. (We're watching the quiz show)
Du leihst dir das Video aus. (You borrow the video.)
 Das kann ich mir vorstellen. (I can imagine that.)

The complete present tense of "sich ansehen" with an accusative noun is thus as
follows:

Grammar 8: The present tense of "sich ansehen"

Singular
ich sehe mir den Film an I watch the film
du siehst dir den Film an You watch the film
Sie sehen sich den Film an (informal/formal)
er sieht sich den Film an He watches the film
sie sieht sich den Film an She watches the film
Plural
wir sehen uns den Film an We watch the film
ihr seht euch den Film an You watch the film
Sie sehen sich den Film an (informal/formal)
sie sehen sich den Film an They watch the film

Reflexive verbs concerning the body

The dative reflexive pronoun is used in German with certain verbs when they refer to
doing things to parts of the body (sich waschen) and putting on or taking off articles
of clothing (sich anziehen, sich ausziehen).

The dative reflexive pronoun must be used when you specify which part of your body
you are washing or which article of clothing you are putting on or taking off.
Furthermore, the definite article is used to refer to the specific part of the body,
whereas in English the possessive (my, your, his etc.) is used. It is therefore the
task of the dative reflexive pronoun to indicate possession.

Grammar 9: Dative reflexive pronouns referring to specific items

ich wasche mir die Hnde I wash my hands

du wscht dir das Gesicht You wash your face
ich ziehe mir das Hemd an I put my shirt on
du ziehst dir die Schuhe You take your shoes
aus off

Great care must therefore be taken to distinguish between the following pairs of
verbs:
 Ich wasche mich. (I'm having a wash.)
Ich wasche mir die Hnde. (I'm washing my hands.)

Du ziehst dich an. (You get dressed.)

Du ziehst dir die Hose an. (You put your trousers on.)

The same construction is also used in German to translate "to clean one's teeth". The
full present tense of this construction is given below.

Grammar 10: The present tense of "sich die Zhne putzen"

Singular
ich putze mir die Zhne I clean my teeth
du putzt dir die Zhne You clean your teeth
Sie putzen sich die Zhne (informal/formal)
er/sie putzt sich die He/she cleans her
Zhne teeth
Plural
wir putzen uns die Zhne We clean our teeth
ihr putzt euch die Zhne You clean your teeth
Sie putzen sich die Zhne (informal/formal)
sie putzen sich die Zhne They clean their teeth

As the stem of the verb putzen ends in "-z-", note that the "du" form of the verb
adds "-t", and not "-st" - du putzt.

10.11 Verbs in "-el", "-er" and new irregular verbs

Verbs whose stem ends in "-el" and "-er"
Regular verbs whose stem ends in "-el" or "-er" differ from the general pattern of
present tense endings in the following respects:

The infinitive of such verbs ends in "-n", not "-en".

The first and third person plural of the present tense, along with the polite "Sie" form,
also end in "-n", not "-en".
In the "ich" form of the present tense, the "-e-" of the stem is always dropped with
verbs in "-el" - e.g. ich sammle. This "-e-" is also occasionally dropped with verbs
ending in "-er", although this is more common in spoken German than in written
German - e.g. ich wand(e)re.

Here is the present tense of two such verbs which we have encountered in this
chapter: sammeln (= to collect) and wandern (= to ramble; to hike).

Grammar 11: Present tense of "sammeln" (= to collect)

Singular
ich sammle I collect
 du sammelst You collect
Sie sammeln (informal/formal)
er/sie/es sammelt He/she/it collects
Plural
wir sammeln We collect
ihr sammelt You collect
Sie sammeln (informal/formal)
sie sammeln They collect

Grammar 12: The present tense of "wandern" (= to ramble)

Singular
ich wand(e)re I ramble
du wanderst You ramble
Sie wandern (informal/formal)
er/sie/es wandert He/she/it rambles
Plural
wir wandern We ramble
ihr wandert You ramble
Sie wandern (informal/formal)
sie wandern They ramble

New irregular verbs

Here is the present tense of the new irregular verbs which we have met in this chapter.

Grammar 13: Present tense of "essen" (= to eat)

Singular
ich esse I eat
du isst You eat
Sie essen (informal/formal)
er/sie/es isst He/she/it eats
Plural
wir essen We eat
ihr esst You eat
Sie essen (informal/formal)
sie essen They eat

Grammar 14: The present tense of "lesen" (= to read)

Singular
 ich lese I read
du liest You read
Sie lesen (informal/formal)
er/sie/es liest He/she/it reads
Plural
wir lesen We read
ihr lest You read
Sie lesen (informal/formal)
sie lesen They read

Grammar 15: Present tense of "tragen" (= to wear, carry)

Singular
ich trage I wear
du trgst You wear
Sie tragen (informal/formal)
er/sie/es trgt He/she/it wears
Plural
wir tragen We wear
ihr tragt You wear
Sie tragen (informal/formal)
sie tragen They wear

Grammar 16: Present tense of "treffen" (= to meet)

Singular
ich treffe I meet
du triffst You meet
Sie treffen (informal/formal)
er/sie/es trifft He/she/it meets
Plural
wir treffen We meet
ihr trefft You meet
Sie treffen (informal/formal)
sie treffen They meet

Grammar 17: Present tense of "verlassen" (= to leave)

Singular
ich verlasse I leave
du verlsst You leave
 Sie verlassen (informal/formal)
er/sie/es verlsst He/she/it leaves
Plural
wir verlassen We leave
ihr verlasst You leave
Sie verlassen (informal/formal)
sie verlassen They leave

Grammar 18: Present tense of "waschen" (= to wash)

Singular
ich wasche I wash
du wschst You wash
Sie waschen (informal/formal)
er/sie/es wscht He/she/it washes
Plural
wir waschen We wash
ihr wascht You wash
Sie waschen (informal/formal)
sie waschen They wash

Grammar 19: Present tense of "wissen" (= to know)

Singular
ich wei I know
du weit You know
Sie wissen (informal/formal)
er/sie/es wei He/she/it knows
Plural
wir wissen We know
ihr wisst You know
Sie wissen (informal/formal)
sie wissen They know

10.12 Compound verbs

Types of compound verb
We have already seen in Chapter 6 how simple German verbs add prefixes to take on
another meaning. In this and the previous chapter we have come across a lot more
instances of such compound verbs which are listed in the table below.
 Grammar 20: New compound verbs in this section

Main Verb Compound Verb

fangen anfangen
(to catch) (to begin)
holen abholen
(to fetch) (to pick up)
kommen ankommen
(to come) (to depend; to arrive)
lassen verlassen
(to let; to leave) (to leave)
leihen ausleihen
(to lend, borrow) (to lend, borrow)
machen anmachen
(to do; to make) (to switch on)
nehmen abnehmen
(to take) (to lose weight)
unternehmen
(to do; undertake)
zunehmen
(to gain weight)
sehen ansehen
(to see) (to look at)
aussehen
(to look like)
fernsehen
(to watch television)
stehen aufstehen
(to stand) (to get up)
bestehen
(to consist)
wachen aufwachen
(to be awake) (to wake up)
waschen abwaschen
(to wash) (to do the washing up)
ziehen anziehen
(to pull) (to put on)
ausziehen
(to take off)

Just as the gender and plural of compound nouns are determined by the final
element of the noun, the declension of a compound verb is determined by the final
element. Thus although all the compounds of "sehen" are irregular, they are not
listed separately in verb tables as it suffices to learn the endings of "sehen" to be
able to decline them all!
 Ich sehe keine schwarzen Wolken (I can't see any black clouds)
Du siehst oft fern (You often watch television)
Anna sieht sich die Talkshow an (Anna watches the talk show)

And although we may only have come across the compounds of verbs such as
fangen, lassen and wachen, we know how they will decline if we learn the endings of
verbs such as anfangen, verlassen and aufwachen.

Other types of compound verbs

German compound verbs are not only formed by adding prefixes, but also by adding
other parts of speech. As the following four examples show, it is also possible to add
nouns and other verbs to form a compound verb:

Grammar 21: Other forms of compound verbs

Rad fahren Ski laufen

(to cycle) (to ski)
einkaufen gehen spazieren gehen
(to go shopping) (to go for a walk)

Notes
Although these compound verbs are written as two words, they behave in the same
way as verbs with a separable prefix. This means that it is only the second element
which declines - even if the first element is another verb as with einkaufen gehen
and spazieren gehen. It also means that, like a separable prefix, the first element is
positioned at the end of a German clause. For example:

Thomas fhrt gern Rad.

(Thomas likes cycling.)
Lufst du gern Ski?
(Do you like skiing?)
Heute Nachmittag gehe ich einkaufen.
(I'm going shopping this afternoon.)
Wir gehen jeden Abend spazieren.
(We go for a walk every evening.)

10.13 The modal verbs "drfen" und "mssen"

Present tense of "drfen"
We have already had an introduction to German modal verbs and their usage in
Chapter 8 of this course. Here are the present tenses of two more modal verbs which
we have encountered in this chapter:

Grammar 22: Present tense of "drfen" (= to be allowed to)

Singular
 ich darf I am allowed to
du darfst You are allowed to
Sie drfen (informal/formal)
er/sie/es darf He/she/it is allowed to
Plural
wir drfen We are allowed to
ihr drft You are allowed to
Sie drfen (informal/formal)
sie drfen They are allowed to

Usage of "drfen"
The verb "drfen" corresponds to English "be allowed to" or "can" (in the sense of
having the permission to do something).

Was drfen Sie essen?

(What are you allowed to eat?)
Drfen Sie Alkohol trinken?
(Can you drink alcohol?)

Great care must be taken when translating the English word "can" into German. You
need to distinguish between two different possible meanings of "can": "to be able to
do something" (= "knnen") and "to have permission to do something" (= "drfen").
For example:

Ich kann Rad fahren.

(I can (= know how to) ride a bicycle.)
Ich darf Rad fahren.
(I can (= have permission to) ride a bicycle.)
Andrea kann Deutsch.
(Andrea can (= knows how to) speak German.)
Andrea darf nach Deutschland fahren.
(Andrea is able to (= has permission to) go to Germany.)

Present tense of "mssen"

Grammar 23: The present tense of "mssen" (= must)

Singular
ich muss I must
du musst You must
Sie mssen (informal/formal)
er/sie/es muss He/she/it must
Plural
wir mssen We must
ihr msst You must
 Sie mssen (informal/formal)
sie mssen They must

Usage of "mssen"
The verb "mssen" corresponds to English "must" or "to have to". For example:

Ich muss abnehmen.

(I must lose weight.)
Am Abend muss ich immer lernen.
(In the evenings I have to study.)

The negative of "drfen" and "mssen"

Great care must be taken when using "drfen" and "mssen" in the negative.
Although "mssen" is used to translate "must", it is "nicht drfen" which is used to
translate "mustn't" in the sense of "not being allowed to do something".

The words "nicht mssen" are instead used to translate "don't have to". For
example:

Michael darf das nicht tun.

(Michael must not do that.)
Michael muss das nicht tun.
(Michael does not have to do that.)
Alkohol darf ich nicht trinken.
(I'm not allowed to drink alcohol.)
Alkohol muss ich nicht trinken.
(I don't have to drink alcohol.)

10.14 Adverbs and word order

Explanation
Adverbs are words which describe the action of a verb. They show how, when and
where things happen - e.g. "quickly", "often", "outside". You can usually recognise
an adverb in English becuase it ends in "-ly" - e.g. "happily", "regularly",
"completely".

This is not the case in German, where most adjectives can be used as adverbs
without adding a suffix. In fact, when such adjectives are used as adverbs they have
no endings at all:

Anna ist eine gesunde Frau.

(Anna is a healthy woman (= adjective).)
Wir essen sehr gesund.
(We eat very healthily (= adverb).)

"Metropolis" ist ein guter Film.

("Metropolis" is a good film (= adjective).)
Es geht mir gut.
(I am very well (= adverb).)
Word order with adverbs
The positioning of adverbs in a German sentence can be tricky as German word
order is quite specific on this point. For the moment it will suffice to note that if you
put an adverb or adverbial phrase at the start of the sentence, then the verb must
come next followed immediately by the subject of the clause. This is known as
inverted word order.

Note too that German adverbial phrases are not separated from the rest of the
clause by a comma when they occur at the start of the sentence.

Hoffentlich kommt das schne Wetter noch.

(Hopefully the good weather will still come.)
Manchmal fahren wir in die Berge.
(Sometimes we go into the mountains.)
Im Moment ist es mild.
(At the moment the weather is mild.)
Zweimal in der Woche gehe ich zu einer Aerobicstunde.
(Twice a week I go to an aerobics class.)

General word order

It is not only adverbs however which can be placed at the start of a German clause.
You may have noticed that - unlike in English - it is also possible to emphasise an
accusative or dative object by putting it at the start of a sentence. This is because in
German, it is the the case endings, not the word order, which tell us who is doing
what to whom, i.e. what is the subject and what are the objects.

Thus the following pairs of sentences have the same basic meaning, even though the
subject of the clause is in first position only in the first sentence in each pair. Note
how the case endings change depending on who is doing what to whom!

Grammar 24: Inverted word order

Die Katze sieht den Hund.

Den Hund sieht die Katze.
(The cat sees the dog.)
Der Hund sieht die Katze.
Die Katze sieht der Hund.
(The dog sees the cat.)
Ich sehe dich.
Dich sehe ich.
(I see you.)
Du siehst mich.
Mich siehst du.
(You see me.)
Der Mann hilft dem Kind.
Dem Kind hilft der Mann.
(The man helps the child.)
Das Kind hilft dem Mann.
Dem Mann hilft das Kind.
(The child helps the man.)
Notes
In each of these pairs there is a slight difference in that the first element in each
sentence is always being stressed. Whereas the first sentence in each pair stresses
therefore who is performing the action i.e. seeing or helping, the second sentence
stresses more who is being seen or being helped.

Certain nouns, pronouns, definite and indefinite articles have identical endings in the
nominative and accusative cases. In most instances, common sense will tell you who
is performing the action. For example, in the clause "Bier darf Thomas nicht trinken",
it should hopefully be clear that it is Thomas who not allowed to drink beer and not
vice versa.

Yet the phrase "sie sieht sie" could have six different meanings:
1) "she sees her"; 2) "she sees them"; 3) "she sees it (= feminine noun)"; 4) "it
sees her"; 5) "it sees them"; 6) "it sees it"!

10.15 Adverbs of time

Introduction
As has been indicated, most German adjectives can be used as adverbs without a
suffix being added. There are however a number of adverbs which are only (or
primarily) used in the adverbial form. On the next two pages of this chapter we have
listed a number of such adverbs which we have already encountered in this course or
which are in common usage in German.

They have been divided up into three groups which describe when, how and where
things happen - we call them adverbs of time, manner and place. Listed below are
the most common German adverbs of time - note that both "morgens" and
"vormittags" mean "in the morning".

Vocabulary 7: Adverbs of time

abends nachher
(in the evening) (afterwards)
bald nachts
(soon) (in the night)
danach nun
(afterwards) (now)
dann oft
(then) (often)
frh rechtzeitig
(early) (in good time)
gleich schon
(at once) (already)
gleichzeitig selten
(at the same time) (rarely)
 heute sofort
(today) (immediately)
immer spt
(always) (late)
jetzt tglich
(now) (every day)
lange vormittags
(for a long time) (in the morning)
manchmal zuerst
(sometimes) (at first)
morgen zuletzt
(tomorrow) (at last)
morgens
(in the morning)

Adverbs for days of the week

Vocabulary 8: Adverbs for days of the week

sonntags donnerstags
(on Sundays) (on Thursdays)
montags freitags
(on Mondays) (on Fridays)
dienstags samstags /
(on Tuesdays) sonnabends
mittwochs (on Saturdays)
(on Wednesdays)

To translate "on Tuesday mornings", "on Wednesday evenings" etc., form a

compound noun consisting of the name of the day followed by the adverb for the
appropriate part of the day - "morgens", "vormittags", "abends" and "nachts". Such
compound adverbs do not start with a capital letter. For example:

Wir treffen uns freitagabends zum Kegeln.

(We meet on Friday evenings and go bowling.)
Ich leihe mir donnerstagnachmittags ein Video aus.
(I rent a video on Thursday afternoons.)
Wir spielen sonnabendvormittags Fuball.
(We play football on Saturday morning.)

Adverbial phrases
We have also encountered a number of adverbial phrases with which you can
express the time in German. These are listed below:

Vocabulary 9: Adverbial phrases of time

 am Montag jeden Montag
(on Monday) (every Monday)
am Morgen jeden Morgen
(in the morning) (every morning)
am Vormittag jeden Vormittag
(in the morning) (every morning)
am Nachmittag jeden Nachmittag
(in the afternoon) (every afternoon)
am Abend jeden Abend
(in the evening) (every evening)
in der Nacht jede Nacht
(in the night) (every night)
die ganze Zeit im Moment
(the whole time) (at the moment)
zweimal in der Woche
(twice a week)

Notes
Both "der Morgen" and "der Vormittag" can be used to translate the English word
"morning".

Many adverbial time phrases in German are in the accusative case. This is the case
for "jeden Tag", "jede Nacht" etc. and also for the phrase "die ganze Zeit".

To translate "on Tuesday morning" or "every Wednesday evening", form a compound

noun from the name of the day and the part of the day. As the gender of the
compound noun is determined by the gender of the final element, the endings on
"am" and "jede(n)" remain unchanged. For example:

Jeden Freitagabend treffen wir uns zum Kegeln.

(Every Friday evening we meet up and go bowling.)
Jeden Donnerstagnachmittag leihe ich mir ein Video aus.
(Every Thursday afternoon I rent a video.)
Am Sonnabendvormittag spielen wir Fuball.
(We play football on Saturday morning.)

10.16 Adverbs of manner and place

Adverbs of manner
Having looked in the previous section at adverbs of time, we shall now examine the
adverbs of manner which we have already encountered in this course as well as
others which are in common usage in German:

Vocabulary 10: Adverbs of manner

auerdem natrlich
(besides) (of course)
 dazu normalerweise
(in addition) (normally)
eben pltzlich
(even, just) (suddenly)
eigentlich selbstverstndlich
(actually) (of course)
gern sonst
(gladly) (otherwise)
gleichfalls vielleicht
(likewise) (possibly)
hoffentlich wahrscheinlich
(hopefully) (probably)
leider wirklich
(unfortunately) (really)
mglicherweise
(possibly)

Adverbs of manner with "-erweise"

"Mglicherweise" and "normalerweise" belong to a group of adverbs which are

formed by adding the suffix "-erweise" to the adjective - in this case "mglich" (=
possible) and "normal" (= normal). Remember that the adverb is invariable, whereas
the adjective takes the appropriate adjective endings:

Heute ist ein normaler Tag.

(Today is a normal day (= adjective).)
Normalerweise essen wir um halb sieben Abendbrot.
(We normally have our evening meal at half-past six (= adverb).)
Das ist mglich.
(That is possible (= adjective).)
Mglicherweise geht er zu Fu.
(He's possibly walking (= adverb).)

Other such adverbs include: "glcklicherweise" (= "fortunately"), "natrlicherweise"

(= "naturally") and "unglcklicherweise" (= "unfortunately").

Adverbs of place

Vocabulary 11: Adverbs of place

auswrts irgendwo
(out; outwards) (somewhere)
da links
(there) (on the left)
dabei nirgendwo
(with me/you etc.) (nowhere)
 dort oben
(there) (at the top)
dorthin rechts
(there (= motion)) (on the right)
drauen berall
(outside) (everywhere)
geradeaus unten
(straight on) (at the bottom)
hier vorne
(here) (at the front)
hinten
(at the back)

Adverbs of degree
There is a further group of adverbs which precede other adjectives or adverbs to
emphasise or tone down the word which they are qualifying. These are known as
adverbs of degree.

Vocabulary 12: Adverbs of degree

uerst kaum
(extremely) (scarcely)
besonders meistens
(especially) (mostly)
etwas sehr
(somewhat) (very)
fast vllig
(almost) (completely)
ganz ziemlich
(quite) (fairly)
genug zu
(enough) (too)
hchst
(extremely, highly)

Notes
Adverbs of degree qualify other adjectives or adverbs but do not themselves add
endings. Like all adverbs they are invariable. For example:

Es ist sehr neblig und uerst kalt.

(It is very foggy and extremely cold.)
Im Frhling ist es besonders strmisch.
(In spring it is particularly stormy.)
Sein neuer Film ist ganz gut.
(His new film is pretty good.)
 Im Sommer ist es ziemlich trocken und oft zu hei.
(In summer it is pretty dry and often too hot.)
In der Nacht kann ich kaum sehen.
(I can hardly see at night.)
Die rztin ist etwas nervs.
(The doctor is a little nervous.)

The only exception to this pattern is the adverb "genug" (= enough), which as in
English follows the adjective or adverb which it qualifies:

Es ist heute warm genug.

(It is warm enough today.)
Das Fahrrad war nicht gut genug.
(The bicycle wasn't good enough.)

10.17 Adverbs: The Superlative

The superlative using "mgen"
In the previous chapter you learned how to form the comparative of German adverbs
and to express ideas such as "more", "bigger" etc. In this chapter, we have met
several instances of the superlative of German adverbs - i.e. how to say that you
like something "best" or enjoy doing something "most of all".

When using the verb "mgen" to express a preference, you form the superlative by
using "am liebsten" (which is the superlative of the adverb of manner "gern"):

Grammar 24: The superlative using "mgen"

Wir mgen Berlin (gern).

("We like Berlin.")
Wir mgen Berlin lieber.
("We prefer Berlin.")
Wir mgen Berlin am liebsten.
("We like Berlin most of all.")

Welchen Wein mgen Sie lieber?

("Which wine do you prefer?")
Ich mag Rotwein lieber.
("I prefer red wine.")
Ich mag Rotwein am liebsten.
("I like red wine most of all.")

To add even more emphasis to your preferences, you could also use "am
allerliebsten" to describe something which you like "more than anything else". For
example:

Was magst du am allerliebsten?

(What do you like more than anthing else?)
 Am allerliebsten mag ich Fuball.
(I like football more than anything else.)

The superlative of "gern" when used with other verbs

You will recall that we can use the adverb "gern(e)" with other verbs to describe
things that you like doing. By extension therefore, you use "am liebsten" - the
superlative of "gern(e)" with verbs other than "mgen" to describe what you like
doing most of all:

Grammar 25: The superlative with other verbs

Ich esse gern Kse.
("I like (to eat) cheese.")
Ich esse lieber Kse.
("I prefer (to eat) cheese.")
Ich esse am liebsten Kse.
("I like (to eat) cheese most of all.")

Welchen Wein trinken Sie am liebsten?

("Which wine do you like (drinking) most
of all?")
Ich trinke am liebsten Weiwein.
("I like (to drink) white wine most of all.")

Once again you could use "am allerliebsten" to add even more emphasis:

Welche Sorte trinken Sie am allerliebsten?

(What sort do you like drinking more than anthing else?)
Am allerliebsten trinken wir brasilianischen Kaffee.
(We like Brazilian coffee more than anything else.)

The superlative using "gefallen"

As the optional adverb used with the verb "gefallen" is "gut", you need to use "am
besten" (= the superlative of "gut") if you wish to use "gefallen" to say that you like
something "most of all":

Grammar 26: Superlative using "gefallen"

Diese Stadt gefllt uns (gut).
("We like this city.")
Diese Stadt gefllt uns besser.
("We prefer this city.")
 Diese Stadt gefllt uns am besten.
("We like this city most of all.")

Was gefllt dir am besten?

("What do you like the most?")
Das Armband gefllt mir am besten.
("I like the bracelet most of all.")

10.18 Prepositions with motion and place

The prepositions "in" und "aus"
As a general rule, the preposition "in" (+ Accusative) is used for going to places
which one will then be "inside". To describe being "inside" such places - which
include rooms and most buildings - you should use "in" (+ Dative). When leaving
such places, you use the preposition "aus". This preposition always takes the dative
case, even though motion is involved.

Grammar 27: "in" und "aus"

Ich gehe ins Badezimmer.

("I go into the bathroom.")
Ich gehe in die Kche.
("I go into the kitchen.")
Ich bin im Badezimmer.
("I am in the bathroom.")
Ich bin in der Kche.
("I am in the kitchen.")
Ich gehe aus dem Badezimmer.
("I go out of the bathroom.")
Ich gehe aus der Kche.
("I go out of the kitchen.")

Notes
German also uses the preposition "in" (+ Accusative) where we would not
necessarily do so in English:

Gehen wir ins Konzert!

(Let's go to the concert!)
Herr Dr. Schmidt geht regelmig ins Theater.
(Dr. Schmidt regularly goes to the theatre.)
Ich gehe ins Stadtzentrum!
(I'm going to the city centre.)
Im Winter fahren wir in die Berge.
(In winter we go into the mountains.)
For a number of German buildings and public places, you should use the preposition
"zu" (+ Dative) for motion towards, "an" (+ Dative) to translate position ("at" or
"in") and "von" (+ Dative) to translate motion away. We have already dealt with this
grammatical point in Chapter 6, where the correct prepositions for travelling to and
from countries are also explained.

When using the separable verb ankommen (= "to arrive"), the place where you
arrive is in the dative case:

Ich komme um Viertel vor acht im Bro an.

(I arrive in the office at a quarter to eight.)
Wann kommt sie am Flughafen an?
(When does she arrive at the airport?)

Note too that the same prepositions are used for travelling to and from towns and
cities as are used for travelling to (neuter) countries.

Grammar 28: Prepositions and cities

Wir fahren nach Werder.

("We travel to Werder.")
Mareike wohnt in Berlin.
("Mareike lives in Berlin.")
Peter kommt aus Nrnberg.
("Peter comes from Nuremberg.")

Prepositions with "die Schule"

Grammar 29: Die Schule

Lars geht in die Schule.

("Lars goes to school.")
Mutti bringt mich in die Schule.
("Mummy takes me to school.")
Mareike fhrt zur Schule.
("Mareike drives to school.")
Lars ist in der Schule.
("Lars is at school.")
Sie ist Lehrerin auf einer Grundschule.
("She teaches in a primary school.")
Um drei Uhr verlasse ich die Schule.
("I leave school at three o'clock.")

Notes
As a school is a building which you can be "inside", the preposition used for going
into a school is "in" (+ Accusative). It cannot be used in the third example however
as Mareike is driving to school. To use the German preposition "in" here would imply
that she drove her car into the school building itself!

As the example suggests, you should instead use the preposition "zu" (+ Dative),
which indicates motion up to, but not inside a place or building.

The preposition used for being physically inside a school is "in" (+ Dative). The
prepositions "auf" (+ Dative) or "an" (+ Dative) are used with academic institutions
at which a person is employed.

The verb "verlassen" equates to "to leave" in English. It is used to describe

movements out of buildings as opposed to rooms. "Verlassen" is a transitive verb,
which means that it has to be followed by an accusative (direct) object - i.e. "die
Schule". You cannot simply say "Ich verlasse".

Prepositions with "das Haus"

"Das Haus" is literally the German word for a house. Even though a large number of
Germans live in a flat (= "die Wohnung"), "das Haus" is nevertheless used to
translate "home".

Grammar 30: Das Haus

Ich gehe nach Hause.

("I go home.")
Ich bin zu Hause.
("I am at home.")
Ich gehe aus dem Haus.
Ich verlasse das Haus.
("I leave home.")

In older German, some masculine and neuter nouns, particularly those of one
syllable, added "-e" in the dative singular. This is now extremely uncommon in
modern German. The practice persists however with certain set phrases involving
"das Haus" - the phrases "nach Hause" kommen and "zu Hause sein" always add
the additional "-e".

It is rare however to find the "-e" in the expression "aus dem Haus gehen". You must
of course never add it in the expression "ich verlasse das Haus", as the noun is here
in the accusative case.

Prepositions used with meals

Note the different prepositional constructions used to translate the different meals of
the day:

Grammar 31: Prepositions and meals

Zum Frhstck esse ich Mesli.
("I have muesli for breakfast.")
 Zu Mittag esse ich eine Pizza.
("I have a pizza for lunch.")
Zum Abendbrot esse ich Fisch.
("I have fish for tea.")

The German word for "lunch" is "das Mittagessen", but the phrase for "to have lunch"
is "zu Mittag essen". You would use the construction "zum Mittagessen" when you
are describing what there is for lunch - i.e. "Zum Mittagessen gibt es eine Pizza"
("There is pizza for lunch").

10.19 Vocabulary: Clothes (1)

In the vocabulary sections of this chapter, we shall be dealing with clothes and
hobbies. Firstly here is a list of the different verbs used to translate "wearing",
"putting on" and "taking off" clothes. Pay particular attention to the different
compounds of the verb "ziehen" and the different cases which the object is in
depending on whether you are referring to the whole process of getting changed or
just one item of clothing.

Vocabulary 13: The verb "tragen"

tragen (du trgst, er trgt)
to wear (see Chapter 10.11)
was trgst du? was tragen Sie?
what are you wearing?
ich trage einen grauen Mantel
I'm wearing a grey coat
Lars trgt eine blaue Hose
Lars is wearing blue trousers
Trgst du eine Brille?
Do you wear glasses?
Anja trgt keine Socken
Anja is not wearing any socks

Vocabulary 14: Clothing - anziehen

was soll ich anziehen?
what shall I wear?
sich (+ Acc.) anziehen (ich ziehe mich an)
to get dressed (see Chapter 10.8)
sich (+ Dat.) etwas anziehen
to put something on (see Chapter 10.10)
ich ziehe mir die Jacke an
 I put my coat on
sich (+ Acc.) ausziehen (du ziehst dich aus)
to get undressed (see Chapter 10.8)
sich (+ Dat.) etwas ausziehen
to take something off (see Chapter 10.10)
du ziehst dir die Schuhe aus
You take your shoes off
sich (+Acc.) umziehen (er zieht sich um)
to get changed

Vocabulary 15: Clothing - other verbs

etwas (+ Acc.) anhaben
to have something on
ich habe die schwarzen Schuhe an
I've got my black shoes on
etwas (+ acc.) anprobieren
to try something on
Robert probiert diesen Sakko an
Robert is trying this sports jacket on
einen Hut aufprobieren
to try a hat on
Katja probiert den gelben Hut auf
Katja is trying the yellow hat on
sich (+ Dat.) den Hut aufsetzen
to put one's hat on
ich setze mir den Hut auf
I put my hat on
den Hut abnehmen
to take one's hat off
Mirjam nimmt den Hut ab
Mirjam takes her hat off

10.20 Vocabulary: Clothes (2)

Having learned the expressions for putting on and taking off clothes, here is a vocabulary
list containing articles of clothing and their German equivalents. Pay particular attention
to those words which are plural in English, but singular in German!

Vocabulary 15: Articles of clothing

English German
anorak der Anorak (-s)
apron die Schrze (-n)
belt der Grtel (-)
bikini der Bikini (-s)
blouse die Bluse (-n)
blouson das/der Blouson (-s)
boot der Stiefel (-)
bow-tie die Fliege (-n)
der Bstenhalter (-)
bra
der BH (-s)
das Armband
bracelet
(pl. -bnder)
(pair of) briefs (pl.) der Slip (-s)
cap die Mtze (-n)
cardigan (pl.) die Strickjacke (-n)
die Kleider (pl.)
clothes (pl.)
die Kleidung (no pl.)
coat der Mantel (pl. - Mntel)
der Hosenrock (pl. -
culottes (pl.)
rcke)
dinner-jacket der Smoking (-s)
dress das Kleid (-er)
der Bademantel (pl. -
mntel)
dressing-gown
der Morgenrock (pl. -
rcke)
duffle-coat der Dufflecoat (-s)
(pair of) dungarees
die Latzhose (-n)
(pl.)
earring der Ohrring (-e)
der Pelzmantel (pl. -
fur coat
mntel)
glasses (pl.) die Brille (-n)
glove der Handschuh (-e)
gym shoe der Turnschuh (-e)
das Taschentuch (pl. -
handkerchief
tcher)
hat der Hut (pl. - Hte)
das Kopftuch (pl. -
headscarf
tcher)
high-heeled shoe der Stckelschuh (-e)
jacket die Jacke (-n)
jeans die Jeans (-)
jumper der Jumper (-)
das Hschen (-)
knickers (pl.)
der Schlpfer (-)
(pair of) lederhosen
die Lederhose (-n)
(pl.)
mini-skirt der Minirock (pl. -rcke)
necklace die Halskette (-n)
petticoat der Unterrock (pl. -rcke)
polo-neck sweater der Rollkragenpulli (-s)
der Schlafanzug (pl. -
pyjamas (pl.)
anzge)
der Pullover (-)
pullover
der Pulli (-s)
der Regenmantel (pl. -
raincoat
mntel)
sandal die Sandale (-n)
scarf der Schal (pl. -s or -e)
shirt das Hemd (-en)
shoe der Schuh (-e)
shorts (pl.) die Shorts (pl.)
skirt der Rock (pl. - Rcke)
der Hausschuh (-e)
slipper
der Pantoffel (-n)
sock die Socke (-n)
sports jacket der/das Sakko (-s)
sports shirt das Sporthemd (-en)
der Strumpf (pl. -
stocking
Strmpfe)
suit der Anzug (pl. - Anzge)
suit (for women) das Kostm (-e)
sun-glasses die Sonnenbrille (-n)
sweatshirt das Sweatshirt (-s)
swimming trunks die Badehose (-n)
der Badeanzug (pl. -
swimsuit
anzge)
die Krawatte (-n)
tie
der Schlips (-e)
(pair of) tights die Strumpfhose (-n)
 der Trainingsanzug (pl. -
tracksuit
anzge)
trainer der Trainingsschuh (-e)
trousers (pl.) die Hose (-n)
T-shirt das T-Shirt (-s)
underpants die Unterhose (-n)
underwear die Unterwsche (no pl.)
uniform die Uniform (-en)
vest das Unterhemd (-en)
watch die Uhr (-en)
waistcoat die Weste (-n)
wellington boot der Gummistiefel (-)
wristwatch die Armbanduhr (-en)

10.21 Television and radio in Germany

Public broadcasters

Germany has two public broadcasting corporations. The first of these, ARD, was founded
in 1954 and comprises eleven regional public television and radio stations. Each of these
regional stations contributes programmes to ARD's national television channel "Das
Erste" (= "the first"), and also broadcasts its own regional channel known as "das dritte
Programm" (= "the third programme"), which concentrates on the culture and politics of
their area.

As its name suggests, ZDF (= "Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen") is the second national TV
channel. It was launched in 1961, and, unlike ARD, it is structured as a single national
corporation.

The Austrian public broadcaster ORF offers two TV channels: ORF 1 and ORF 2. The
Swiss national broadcasting company DRS also offers two German-speaking channels -
SF1 and SF2 - alongside their French and Italian output.

Licence fees
Both ARD and ZDF are funded by public licence fees (Rundfunkgebhren). If a
household has a television, or a television and a radio, a licence fee of 16 Euros and 15
cents (DM 31,58) per month must be paid to the central fees office (GEZ) of the public
broadcasting corporations. Payment can be made quarterly, every six months or annually
and is normally carried out by direct debit or standing order. Individuals with a low
income can apply for exemption.

Unlike in Britain, a licence fee of 5,32 (DM 10,40) per month must also be paid if you
only have a radio in the house! This includes radio alarm clocks and even car radios,
although a car driver who is already paying licence fees for a radio at his home address
does not need a separate licence for a car registered in his/her name.

Another major distinction to Britain is that licences in Germany are not merely
determined "per household" but on the principle of who has access to the television and
radio in a given accommodation. Thus a child who lives with their parents but who has a
personal income above a certain level has to pay "Rundfunkgebhren" for any TV sets
and radios in his/her own room, as do pensioners living with their sons and daughters.
Non-married couples are also treated differently in Germany. Whichever of the two
partners has the TV and radio licence registered under their name can have as many
radios and TV sets as they like, but the other partner must pay a licence fee for any
additional sets that he/she has in their room. And students are only exempted from paying
licence fees in their university accommodation if their total income (including grants) is
below a certain amount! You must apply to the municipal authorities to be exempted
from paying licence fees.

Similar licensing agreements exist in the other German-speaking countries, although the
licensing situation in Switzerland is comparatively liberal. Unlike in Germany, you only
need to register and pay the licence fee once if you share accommodation with your
partner and you also do not need to have a separate licence for a holiday home which is
not rented out commercially. Click here for more details.

Cable and satellite

In 1981 the Federal Constitutional court recognised the right of the individual German
Lnder to grant broadcasting licences to private companies, and the broadcasting law of
1987 allowed the creation of private broadcasting companies to compete with public
stations. The entertainment channel Sat 1 became Germany's first private television
station in 1985, quickly followed by a number of other national and local private
broadcasters which can be received via cable and satellite.

Many of these (such as RTL, Pro7, Vox and Kabel 1 and Neun Live) are light
entertainment channels, broadcasting a mixture of films, talkshows, soaps and series.
Others are purely specialist broadcasters: N24 and N-TV (owned by CNN and Time
Warner) are rolling news channels, Bloomberg TV concentrates on business news, the
encrypted channel Premiere is a film channel, DSF is a German sports broadcaster, and
both MTV Deutschland and Viva are music broadcasters.

The impact on the German media scene of the finanical collapse of the Kirch media
group, which owns Sat 1, Pro Sieben, Kabel 1, N24, DSF and Neun Live, in April 2002
has yet to fully evaluated. As the pay TV wing of Kirch has broadcasting rights to
German Bundesliga football, as well as to the football World Cup and Formula 1 motor
racing, jobs may well be at risk in the sproting world as well as in television.

Public broadcasters have also taken the opportunities offered by cable and satellite
broadcasting to create a number of new channels. 3Sat offers the best cultural and
documentary programmes from the German, Swiss and Austrian public channels, Arte is
a Franco-German cultural co-production, Phoenix is a German current affairs
programme, whereas Ki.Ka is a channel for children.

Reception of German programmes in Britain

There are currently over 30 (!) German-language channels broadcasting their

programmes unencrypted via the ASTRA satellite, including ARD, ZDF and all the
German "third programmes".

A large number of German radio stations also broadcast via the ASTRA satellite,
although many of them are digital channels only and you will need a special digital
receiver in order to listen to them. As in Britain, this may be an option worth considering,
as the number of digital TV channels - such as those offered by ARD Digital - are on the
rise.

A number of German TV stations allow you to view their programmes via the Internet.
Some of them - such as N-TV, Phoenix and Deutsche Welle TV (the German equivalent
of BBC World Service) broadcast their TV programme as a livestream. Other
broadcasters allow you to watch the current edition of certain programmes as a "video on
demand" option.

Viewing habits in Germany

According to a survey of viewing habits carried out on behalf of ARD, 90.2% of

Germans watch television several times a week. Only 83.6% of Germans said that
they read a newspaper or listened to the radio regularly each week. The viewing
figures are slightly higher for women (91.3%) than they are for men (89.1%), and in
terms of age groups, the over 60's watch the most television (95.5%), whereas the
20-39 year olds watch the least (85.4%).

In 2001, German households spent an average of 333 minutes per week compared
with 275 minutes in 1992. There was a pronounced regional difference: families in
the former GDR spend an average of 375 minutes per week watching the box,
whereas "West" Germans spent only 323 minutes doing so.

The same study showed that RTL had leapfrogged Das Erste (ARD) in 2001 to
become the most popular TV channel, with the families surveyed watching it for 28
minutes per day, closely followed by Das Erste (26 mins), ZDF and the regional
"third programmes" (25 mins). They are followed by channels which are broadcast
only on satellite and cabel - Sat 1 (19 mins), ProSieben (15 mins) and Kabel 1 (10
mins). A regional difference is again apparent, with citizens of the former GDR
spending much more time - 33 minutes per day - watching both RTL and the regional
third programmes.

10.22 Vocabulary: Leisure activities

Here is a list of words and phrases connected with general hobbies and leisure
activities. Note again that there are two ways of saying what your favourite hobby is.
You can either:

use "am liebsten" followed by the verb OR

say "mein Lieblingshobby ist" followed by a verbal noun or the noun describing the
activity
the translation of "my favourite leisure activity" shows you just how long German
compound nouns came be - "meine Lieblingsfreizeitsbeschftigung"!

Vocabulary 16: Leisure - Verbs

Sein Lieblingshobby ist Angeln
Am liebsten angelt er
His favourite hobby is fishing.
Mein Lieblingssport ist Eishockey
Am liebsten spiele ich Eishockey
My favourite sport is ice hockey.
Lieblings-
favourite
was machen Sie gern in Ihrer Freizeit?
what do you like doing in your spare time?
Haben Sie Hobbys?
Do you have any hobbies?
Am Abend liest Kai gern
Kai likes reading in the evening
Ich spiele gern Fuball, Karten usw.
I like playing football, cards etc.
sich interessieren fr (+ Accusative)
to be interested in (see Chapter 10.8)
wir interessieren uns fr Musik
we're interested in music
er interessiert sich fr Lesen
he's interested in reading
wofr interessierst du dich?
wofr interessieren Sie sich?
what are you interested in?

Vocabulary 17: Hobbys

English German
art die Kunst
bar die Bar (-s)
bird-watching die Vogelkunde
book das Buch (pl. - Bcher)
to go bowling kegeln
- bowling alley die Kegelbahn (-en)
der Fotoapparat (-e)
camera
die Kamera (-s)
to play cards Karten spielen
to play chess Schach spielen
to cook kochen
to dance tanzen
- to go dancing - tanzen gehen
die Diskothek (-en)
disco
die Disko (-s)
DIY das Do it yourself
to draw zeichnen
to do
schneidern
dressmaking
embroidery die Stickerei
to be fun Spa machen
gardening die Gartenarbeit
- to do
- grtnern
gardening
to go out ausgehen (sep.)
wandern
to hike; to
(For "-ern" verbs, see
ramble
Chapter 10.11)
hobby das Hobby (-s)
interest das Interesse
jigsaw das Puzzlespiel (-e)
to knit stricken
to laze about faulenzen
leisure die Freizeit
die Freizeitsbeschftigung (-
leisure activity
en)
das Freizeitzentrum (pl. -
leisure centre
zentren)
literature die Literatur
to do the lottery Lotto spielen
model-making der Modellbau
 - basteln
- to make
(For "-eln" verbs, see
models
Chapter 10.11)
music die Musik
to listen to
Musik hren
music
to go bowling kegeln
novel der Roman (-e)
to paint malen
- painting (as
- die Malerei
hobby)
photography die Fotografie
- to take
- fotografieren
photographs
die Kneipe (-n)
pub
das Lokal (-e)
radio das Radio
to listen to the
Radio hren
radio
to read lesen (irreg.)
to sew nhen
to sing singen
spare time die Freizeit
stamp die Briefmarke (-n)
- Briefmarken sammeln
- to collect
(For "-eln" verbs, see
stamps
Chapter 10.11)
to watch
fernsehen (sep.)
television
theatre das Theater (-)
- to go to the
- ins Theater gehen
theatre
to travel reisen
to go on a trip einen Ausflug machen
to go for a walk spazieren gehen
das Jugendzentrum (pl. -
youth club
zentren)
der Zoo (-s)
zoo
der Tiergarten (pl. -grten)
10.23 Sport in Germany (1)
An active sporting nation?

In 2001, the number of Germans who were members of the country's 87,000 sports
clubs was estimated at 26.8 million - or one in three German citizens and an
increase of three million people on the 1990 figure. The actual figure may be closer
to 18 million German club members however, as some sportsmen and sportswomen
belong to more than one club whereas others are merely passive or social members.

This figure is even more impressive if you consider the fact that only 29% of German
sportsmen and sportswomen play their sports "primarily in a club" (der Sportverein).
58% of people regularly participating in sport do not belong to any organisation, -
i.e. they cycle or jog -, and another 12% use a commercial facility such as a fitness
centre (das Fitness-Center) or a dance studio (das Tanzstudio). In fact, the number
of fitness centres has more than doubled since 1985, rising from 2,800 to 6,500.

Acording to a report commissioned by the Institut fr Demoskopie in Allensbach in

March 2001, 63% of Germans claim to take part in sporting activities, and 34% do
so at least once a week.

The German government is becoming increaingly concerned about the health of the
37% of Germans who do not take part in any sporting activity. Not least for financial
reasons - medical research has shown lack of exercise and physical work to be one
of the reasons for the increase in cardiovascular diseases, and about 30 per cent of
medical costs incurred in Germany result from heart, circulatory or metabolic
disorders.

This is a major problem in an ageing population, as 52% of German

Bewegungsmuffel (= people who don't like exercise) are aged fifty or over, and only
one in ten German adults between the age of 35 and 60 does two hours or more of
moderate sporting activity. Younger generations are equally threatened by an
increasingly sedentary lifestyle characterised by long periods of being seated in front
of a computer or television screen.

Keeping Germany fit is the aim of the Deutscher Sportbund (= German Sports
Federation), the umbrella organisation for Germany's 16 state sports federations and
numerous other specialised sports associations. In terms of numbers, it is the largest
organisation in Germany. Under the motto "Sport fr alle" (= "Sport for all") the DSB
has launched several campaigns to increase mass participation, starting in the
seventies with the construction of "Trimm-dich-Pfade", keep-fit trails in parks and
woods. Their current campaigns include Sport Pro Gesundheit (= "Sport For Health")
and Richtig Fit (= "Properly Fit"), both of which offer courses and information on how
best to use sport to stay fit and healthy.

10.24 Sport in Germany (2)

"Knig Fuball" (King Football)
As in Britain, football is by far the most popular spectator sport in Germany. The
football clubs of Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke 04 both attract an average over
60,000 fans per home game in the German Bundesliga, the top division in German
football. In third place in terms of attendance is Germany's most successful club in
terms of national and international titles - FC Bayern Mnchen. Bayern have won the
German championship more than anyone else (17 times) and have also won the
European Cup / Champions League four times, most recently in 2001. But there are
also literally thousands of smaller football clubs throughout Germany. With more
than 6.3 million members, the Deutscher Fuball-Bund (DFB) (= German Football
Federation) has the largest membership of any sports organisation in Germany.

The success of the German national team has also contributed to the mass appeal of
"Knig Fuball" (= King Football). Germany has won the World Cup three times
(1954, 1974, 1990) and has been runners-up on a further four occasions (1966,
1982, 1986, 2002). And footballing heroes such as Uwe Seeler, Franz Beckenbauer,
Lothar Matthus and Jrgen Klinsmann have proved excellent sporting ambassadors
for the nation abroad.

German success at the 2002 World Cup

Finishing runners-up at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea was a sensational
achievement for the team managed by popular ex-international Rudi Vller. For
despite having won the European Championships in 1996, the German national
squad had been widely perceived to be in decline. With not enough gifted players
coming through the ranks, the Deutscher Fuball-Bund (DFB) launched programmes
campaigns aimed at spotting and developing young German talent. Former
international striker Jrgen Klinsmann urged German children to start playing street
football again in their spare time as he had done as a boy.

Expectations in Germany were thus quite low when the 2002 World Cup got started.
Germany had required a playoff against Ukraine to qualify at all after an
unconvincing qualifying campaign which had included a 5-1 home defeat against
England in the Olympic Stadium in Munich.

Yet Germany grew in confidence as the tournament progressed. An 8-0 victory over
Saudi Arabia, in which Miroslav Klose scored a hat-trick, laid the foundation for
Germany to top a tricky frist-round group which also included Cameroon and Ireland.
It was then the turn of defenders such as Sebastian Kehl to shine, as successive 1-0
victories over Paraguay, USA and hosts South Korea took the Nationalelf through to
a clash in the finals with Brazil. Although an unfortunate error by goalkeeper Oliver
Kahn ultimately handed Brazil a 2-0 victory, he was subsequently voted the player of
the tournament by international journalists. And Kahn was cheered louder than
anyone when the German team received a heroes welcome on their return to
Frankfurt on July 1, 2002

Golden years until 2006?

Uli Hoeness, the general manager of Bayern Munich, predicted after the tournament
that German football would now experience "golden years". On one level this seems
plausible, not least because Germany itself will be hosting the next World Cup finals
in 2006. On another level however, domestic football is crying out for the kind of
shot in the arm which the unexpected success in the Far East could provide. TV
viewing figures for the Bundesliga have been dropping steadily for years. Whereas in
the 1995/96 football season, an average of 6.83 million viewers watched "ran", the
Saturday night Bundesliga highlights programme broadcast by Sat 1, the figure had
dropped to a mere 4.33 million viewers by December 2001.

And the pay TV channel Premiere, which has been showing all of the Bundesliga
matches live for the last two seasons has only managed to attract 2.4 million paying
customers. Most damagingly of all, the financial crisis affecting the Kirch media
group leaves German football in as uncertain a position as British football after the
collapse of ITV Digital. Many big clubs such as Eintracht Frankfurt and 1.FC
Kaiserslautern are already in extreme financial difficulties.

Other Sports
The German sporting landscape is quite different from that in Britain. Cricket and
rugby have very little support in Germany, although rugby union is gradually
establishing a presence in some towns and cities. Darts and snooker also enjoy a
very limited media presence in Germany.

Winter sports on the other hand enjoy a much greater popularity in the Federal
Republic than in the UK. The opportunities for alpine and cross-country skiing,
snowboarding and tobogganing make Germany's mountainous regions a favourite
destination for tourists. Both speed skating and in particular ice hockey are big
spectator in Germany, with an average of 4,765 fans attending matches in the
German ice-hockey league DEL. Germany in fact topped the medal table at the 2002
Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, winning twelve gold, sixteen silver and seven
bronze medals. The speed skaters Claudia Pechstein and Anni Friesinger were in
record-breaking form. Switzerland finished tenth in the medals table, and Austria
finished twelfth.

Alongside basketball, volleyball and - increasingly - American football, handball is a

good example of a sport that is much more popular in Germany than it is in Britain.
More than five thousand handball clubs with 838,000 members belong to the
German handball association Deutscher Handball-Bund (DHB).

Germany's cycling boom has developed steadily throughout the 1990s, triggered by
the reunification of the country which brought the GDR's highly successful amateur
cyclists into the professional fold. Deutsche Telekom, Europe's largest
telecommunications and internet service provider, sponsors a cycling team which
won the Tour de France two years running, in the shape of the Dane Bjarne Riis in
1996 and then homegrown star Jan Ullrich in 1997, who has also finished runner-up
in the race four times in the last six years. Another German cyclist, Erik Zabel,
managed won the Tour de France points jersey for Team Telekom six years in a row
(1996-2001). It is testimony to the popularity of cycling in Germany that both Ullrich
and Zabel regularly triumph in annual national sporting polls.

Other German sports have similarly benefited from the success of individual athletes.
Single-minded Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher has won the Formula 1
championship four times, and is joined on the start grid by his brother Ralf as well as
compatriots Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Nick Heidfeld. The tennis boom initiated by
the Wimbledon victories of Boris Becker, Steffi Graf and Michael Stich lasted for
much of the 1990s, although in recent times the pool of German tennis talent seems
to have dried up somewhat.
Bernhard Langers victories in the US Masters in 1985 and 1993 can be seen to have
triggered interest in golf - the number of golf clubs in the Federal Republic increased
by 70% in the 1990s to its current figure of over 500. Yet these are primarily private
clubs with high membership fees, targetted at the business community, the well-off
and overseas tourists. The absence of public municipal golf courses will possibly
prove as detrimental to the sport's growth as the lack of public courts has to tennis.

10.25 Vocabulary: Sports

Below is a list of words and phrases connected with sports and leisure activities. Note
in particular that there are two ways of saying what your favourite sport or hobby is.
You can either:

use "am liebsten" followed by the verb OR

say "mein Lieblingssport / Lieblingshobby ist" followed by a verbal noun or the noun
describing the activity
the translation of "my favourite leisure activity" shows you just how long German
compound nouns came be - "meine Lieblingsfreizeitsbeschftigung"!

Vocabulary 18: Leisure - Sportarten

English German
to do aerobics Aerobic machen
alpine skiing der Ski alpin
American football der Football
archery das Bogenschieen
athletics die Leichtathletik
das Badminton
badminton
der Federball
baseball der Baseball
basketball der Basketball
bobsleigh der Bob
boxing der Boxsport
- to box - boxen
bungee jumping das Bungeespringen
to climb klettern
cricket das Kricket
cross-country
der Skilanglauf
skiing
cycling der Radsport
- to cycle - Rad fahren
fencing der Fechtsport
- to fence - fechten
figure skating der Eiskunstlauf
to fish angeln
football der Fuball
golf der Golf
- to play golf - Golf spielen
gymnastics die Gymnastik
- to do gymnastics - turnen
handball der Handball
hockey der Hockey
to hunt jagen
ice hockey der Eishockey
to ice skate Schlittschuh laufen
to jog joggen
judo das Judo
long jump der Weitsprung
to luge rodeln
motorcycling der Motorradsport
motorracing der Rennsport
mountaineering das Bergsteigen
polo das Polo
riding der Reitsport
to ride reiten
to row rudern
rugby das Rugby
to sail segeln
shooting das Schieen
skateboard das Skateboarden
to ski Ski fahren; Ski laufen
skijumping das Skispringen
sport der Sport (no pl.)
- type of sport die Sportart (-en)
- to do sport Sport treiben
das Sportzentrum (pl. -
sports centre
zentren)
sports club der Sportverein (-e)
stadium das Stadion (pl. - Stadien)
to swim schwimmen
- to go swimming - schwimmen gehen
swimming pool das Schwimmbad (pl. -
 bder)
table tennis das Tischtennis
tennis das Tennis
to train trainieren
triathlon der Triathlon
volleyball der Volleyball
water polo der Wasserball
weightlifting das Gewichtheben
windsurfing das Windsurfing
to wrestle ringen

Chapter 11: Booking Accommodation

11.1 Am Empfang (1)

Sophie Gerland's boyfriend Marko Tredup, whom we first met in Chapter 1, has been
accepted to study at the Dresden University of Technology. He has arrived in the city
to sort out his course details and his accommodation for the coming year. He
therefore needs to find a hotel room in Dresden for a few days and makes enquiries
at the Hotel Ambiente. The hotel receptionist (die Empfangsdame) is called Ursula
Wagner.

Conversation 1: Am Empfang (1)

Marko Guten Tag. Haben Sie ein Zimmer frei?

Tredup
Ursula Fr heute Abend?
Wagner
Marko Ja, fr heute Abend.
Tredup
Ursula Mchten Sie ein Einzelzimmer oder ein
Wagner Doppelzimmer?
Marko Ein Einzelzimmer bitte.
Tredup
Ursula Mit Dusche oder mit Bad?
Wagner
Marko Mit Dusche.
Tredup
Ursula Ich schaue mal nach... ja, natrlich, wir haben
Wagner ein Einzelzimmer frei. Und das ist mit Dusche
und WC. Wie lange bleiben Sie?
Marko Drei Nchte, vom sechzehnten bis zum
Tredup neunzehnten Juli.
Ursula Also das heit am 16., 17. und 18. Juli?
Wagner
Marko Ja, genau. Ich fahre am 19. Juli wieder ab.
Tredup
Ursula Und mchten Sie Halbpension haben oder nur
Wagner bernachtung mit Frhstck?
Marko Nur bernachtung mit Frhstck. Was kostet
Tredup das?
Ursula In unseren Hotels kostet ein Einzelzimmer 85
Wagner Euro pro Nacht, und das ist inklusive Frhstck,
Bedienung und Mehrwertsteuer.
Marko Das ist ziemlich viel fr einen Studenten. Um
Tredup wie viel Uhr wird das Frhstck serviert?
Ursula Das ist ab sieben Uhr im Restaurant, hier
Wagner geradeaus.
Marko Wo ist der Parkplatz fr das Hotel? Mein Auto
Tredup steht hier auf der Strae.
Ursula Wir haben eine Tiefgarage mit 200 Stellpltzen.
Wagner
Marko Ausgezeichnet. Und welche
Tredup Freizeiteinrichtungen haben Sie hier?
Ursula Ein Solarium haben wir ... Fitnessraum, Sauna
Wagner und Schwimmbecken auch.
Marko Prima, das freut mich! Werden Kreditkarten
Tredup akzeptiert?
Ursula Ja, wir akzeptieren alle groen Kreditkarten.
Wagner
Marko Gut. Ich nehme das Zimmer.
Tredup
Ursula Wrden Sie sich bitte eintragen?
Wagner
Marko Gerne. (He signs the register.)
Tredup
Ursula Wollen Sie mir jetzt bitte folgen? Hier ist Ihr
Wagner Schlssel, ich zeige Ihnen Ihr Zimmer. Es ist im
obersten Stock und Ihre Zimmernummer ist
426. Der Portier trgt Ihr Gepck nach oben.
Conversation 1: At the reception desk (1)
Marko Hello. Do you have any vacancies?
Tredup
Ursula For this evening?
Wagner
Marko Yes, for this evening.
Tredup
Ursula Would you like a single room or a double room?
Wagner
Marko A single room please.
Tredup
Ursula With shower or bath?
Wagner
Marko With shower.
Tredup
Ursula Let me have a look... yes, of course, we have a
Wagner single room free. And this is with shower and
toilet. How long will you be staying?
Marko Three nights, from the sixteenth to the
Tredup nineteenth of July.
Ursula So that would be on the 16th, 17th and 18th of
Wagner July?
Marko Yes, precisely. I'll be departing on the 19th
Tredup July.
Ursula And would you like half-board or just bed and
Wagner breakfast?
Marko Just bed and breakfast. What does that cost?
Tredup
Ursula A single room costs 85 euros per night, and
Wagner that includes breakfast, service and VAT.
Marko That's quite a lot for a student. What time is
Tredup breakfast served?
Ursula From seven o'clock onwards in the restaurant,
Wagner straight in front of you.
Marko Where is the hotel car park? My car is here in
Tredup the street.
Ursula We have an underground car park with 200
Wagner parking spaces.
Marko Excellent. And what leisure facilities do you
Tredup have here?
Ursula We have a solarium, and also a fitness room, a
Wagner sauna and a swimming pool.
Marko Great, I'm pleased to hear that! Do you accept
Tredup credit cards?
Ursula Yes, we accept all major credit cards.
Wagner
Marko Good. I'll take the room.
Tredup
Ursula Would you like to sign the register?
Wagner
Marko With pleasure. (He signs the register.)
Tredup
Ursula Follow me please. Here is your key, I'll show
Wagner you your room. It's on the top floor and your
room number is 426. The porter will carry your
luggage upstairs.

Glossary
das Ambiente ambience
der Empfang reception (desk)
am Empfang at the reception desk
die Empfangsdame receptionist
(-n)
heute Abend this evening
das Einzelzimmer (- single room
)
das Doppelzimmer (- double room
)
die Dusche (-n) shower
das Bad (pl. - bath
Bder)
nachschauen (sep.) to have a look
der WC (-s) toilet; WC
vom ... bis zum from ... to
am 16., 17. und 18. "On the sixteenth, seventeenth and
Juli eighteenth of July". Note the abbreviated
form in German.
ja, genau yes, exactly
abfahren (sep.) to leave, depart
die Halbpension half-board
die bernachtung (- overnight stay
en)
bernachtung mit bed and breakfast
Frhstck
pro Nacht per night
inklusive This preposition means "inclusive of;
including". It takes the genitive case,
which we shall discuss in Chapter 12.
die Bedienung service
die Mehrwertsteuer value added tax, VAT
ziemlich viel quite a lot
fr einen Studenten This means "for a student". "Der
Student" is a weak masculine noun and
"Studenten" is the accusative singular of
this (see explanation on Page 9 of this
chapter).
um wie viel Uhr? at what time?
servieren to serve
wird ... serviert This means "is served". It is an example
of the passive mood in German.
ab sieben Uhr This means "from seven o'clock
onwards". The preposition "ab" takes the
dative case.
hier geradeaus straight ahead (of you)
der Parkplatz (pl. - Here it means "car park". It can also
pltze) mean "parking space".
die Tiefgarage (-n) underground car park
der Stellplatz (pl. - (parking) space
pltze)
die leisure facility
Freizeiteinrichtung (-
en)
das Solarium (pl. - solarium
ien)
der Fitnessraum (pl. fitness room
-rume)
die Sauna (-s) sauna
das Schwimmbecken swimming pool
(-)
das freut mich I'm pleased to hear that
die Kreditkarte (-n) credit card
akzeptieren to accept
werden Kreditkarten are credit cards accepted?
akzeptiert?
sich eintragen This is a separable and reflexive verb
(sep.) meaning "to sign the register".
 wrden Sie...? This means "would you like to...?" Using
the conditional form "wrden Sie" is a
polite way of asking someone to do
something.
wollen Sie...? This also means "would you like to...?"
Using the modal verb "wollen" is another
polite way of asking someone to do
something.
folgen (+ Dative) to follow
der Schlssel (-) key
zeigen This means "to show". The object that
you are showing is in the accusative case
and the person to whom you are showing
the object is in the dative case.
oberst top
im obersten Stock on the top floor
die Zimmernummer room number
(-n)
der Portier (-s) porter
tragen This means "to carry" in this context. It
can also mean "to wear".
das Gepck luggage
nach oben upstairs

11.2 Am Empfang (2)

The family Schulz arrive at the Hotel Ambiente and Frau Schulz approaches Ursula
Wagner to see if accommodation is available at short notice.

Conversation 2: Am Empfang (2)

Frau Guten Tag. Ich mchte ein Zimmer fr mich

Schulz und meine Familie reservieren, bitte. Wir sind
zwei Erwachsene und zwei Kinder.
Ursula Ja, klar. Die Kinder sind wohl beide unter zwlf
Wagner Jahren, oder?
Frau Ja, sie sind erst siebeneinhalb und neuneinhalb
Schulz Jahre alt.
Ursula Sie knnen also kostenlos in Ihrem Zimmer
Wagner bernachten. Wir haben Drei- und
Vierbettzimmer fr Familien. Wie lange wollen
Sie bleiben?
Frau Eine Woche.
Schulz
Ursula Also vom sechzehnten bis zum
Wagner dreiundzwanzigsten Juli?
Frau Ja, richtig.
Schulz
Ursula Und mchten Sie Halbpension haben, oder nur
Wagner bernachtung mit Frhstck?
Frau hmm ... Halbpension, bitte. Was kostet das?
Schulz
Ursula In unseren Hotels kostet ein Doppelzimmer mit
Wagner Bad und Balkon 100 Euro pro Nacht, und das ist
inklusive Frhstck, Bedienung und
Mehrwertsteuer. Halbpension kostet zustzlich
20 Euro pro Tag.
Frau Alles klar.
Schulz
Ursula Haben Sie spezielle Wnsche?
Wagner
Frau Ja. Mein Mann ist behindert. Hat das Hotel
Schulz Ausstattung fr Rollstuhlfahrer?
Ursula Ja, natrlich. Wir haben zwei Handicapzimmer
Wagner fr Behinderte im Erdgeschoss. Sie sind
rollstuhlgerecht eingerichtet und etwas grer
als die brigen Zimmer. Das Hotel hat natrlich
auch einen Lift zu allen Stockwerken.
Frau Wir mssen unbedingt ein ruhiges Zimmer
Schulz haben, wenn mglich in einer
Nichtraucheretage.
Ursula Ja, das ist kein Problem. Wir haben fnfzehn
Wagner Nichtraucherzimmer.
Frau Wir mchten auch Satellitenfernsehen haben.
Schulz
Ursula In unseren Hotelzimmern gibt es einen
Wagner Kabelfernseher mit Kabel-TV, Hausvideo und
Fernbedienung.
Frau Ist das Hotel familienfreundlich?
Schulz
Ursula Ja, wir haben einen Kinderspielplatz fr unsere
Wagner Gste. Haustiere sind leider aber nicht erlaubt.
Frau Gut. Wir nehmen das Zimmer.
Schulz
Ursula Bitte fllen Sie das Anmeldeformular aus.
Wagner Angenehmen Aufenthalt!
Conversation 2: At the reception desk (2)
Frau Hello. I'd like to reserve a room for myself and
Schulz my family please. We're two grown-ups and too
children.
Ursula Yes, of course. I assume that the children are
Wagner both younger than twelve, yes?
Frau Yes, they are only seven and half and nine and
Schulz a half years old.
Ursula Then they can spend the night in your room
Wagner free of charge. We have rooms with three beds
and four beds for families. How long do you
plan to stay?
Frau A week.
Schulz
Ursula That would be from the sixteenth to the
Wagner twenty-third of July?
Frau Yes, that's right.
Schulz
Ursula And would you like half-board or just bed and
Wagner breakfast?
Frau Um ... half-board, please. How much does that
Schulz cost?
Ursula A double room with a bath and a balcony costs
Wagner 100 euros per night, and that includes
breakfast, service and VAT. Half-board costs an
additional 20 euros per day.
Frau That's fine.
Schulz
Ursula Do you have any special wishes?
Wagner
Frau Yes. My husband is disabled. Does the hotel
Schulz have wheelchair facilities?
Ursula Yes, of course. We have two handicap rooms
Wagner for disabled guests on the ground floor. They
are furnished so as to be suitable for
wheelchairs and are a little bigger than the
other rooms. The hotel naturally also has a lift
to all floors.
Frau We absolutely have to have a quite room, if
Schulz possible on a non-smoking floor.
Ursula Yes, that's no problem. We have fifteen non-
Wagner smoking rooms.
Frau We'd also like satellite television.
Schulz
Ursula In our hotel rooms there are cable TV sets with
Wagner cable TV, in-house video and remore control.
Frau Is the hotel family-friendly?
Schulz
Ursula Yes, we have a children's playground for our
Wagner guests. Unfortunately pets are not allowed.
Frau Good. We'll take the room.
Schulz
Ursula Please fill out the registration form. Enjoy your
Wagner stay!

Glossary
reservieren to reserve, book
der/die Erwachsene adult
wohl This means "no doubt". You could
translate this by starting the sentence
"I assume that...".
erst This means "only" and is used with
time phrases.
siebeneinhalb seven and a half
neuneinhalb nine and a half
kostenlos free of charge
bernachten This means "to stay the night". It is an
inseparable verb.
das Dreibettzimmer (- room with three beds
)
das Vierbettzimmer (- room with four beds
)
bleiben to stay
zustzlich This means "additionally". The full
meaning is "an additional 20 euros".
der Wunsch (pl. - wish; desire
Wnsche)
behindert disabled
die Ausstattung (-en) facilities; equipment
der Rollstuhl (pl. - wheelchair
sthle)
der Rollstuhlfahrer (-) wheelchair user
das Handicapzimmer (- handicap room
)
der/die Behinderte This means "a disabled person". It is
an adjectival noun.
das Erdgeschoss ground floor
im Erdgeschoss on the ground floor
rollstuhlgerecht suitable for wheelchairs
einrichten furnish
eingerichtet furnished
etwas grer als a little bigger than
brig other
der Lift (-e or -s) lift; elevator
das Stockwerk (-e) This is another word for a "floor" or
"storey". It tends to be used when you
need to refer to "floors" in the plural.
unbedingt absolutely
wir mssen we absolutely have to...
unbedingt...
ruhig quiet
wenn mglich if possible
die Nichtraucheretage non-smoking floor
(-n)
kein Problem no problem
das non-smoking room
Nichtraucherzimmer (-
)
das satellite TV (i.e. as a medium)
Satellitenfernsehen
der Kabelfernseher (-) cable television set
das Kabel-TV cable TV (i.e. as a medium)
das Hausvideo in-house video
die Fernbedienung remote control
familienfreundlich family-friendly
der Kinderspielplatz children's playground
(pl. -pltze)
der Gast (pl. - Gste) guest
das Haustier (-e) pet
erlaubt allowed
ausfllen (sep.) to fill out
das Anmeldeformular registration form
(-e)
angenehm pleasant
der Aufenthalt (-e) stay
angenehmen This means "enjoy your stay!". Note
Aufenthalt! that the phrase is in the accusative
case in German.
11.3 Am Empfang (3)
Detlef Grn rings up the Hotel Ambiente on behalf of his company to try and book
accommodation and meeting rooms for a forthcoming conference. His call is
answered by Ursula Wagner.

Conversation 3: Am Empfang (3)

Ursula Guten Morgen. Hier das Hotel Ambiente

Wagner Dresden. Wie kann ich Ihnen helfen?
Detlef Guten Morgen. Hier Herr Grn von der Firma
Grn Kster & Hermann in Chemnitz. Ich mchte fr
ein paar Kollegen Zimmer reservieren.
Ursula Ja, gerne. Wie viele Personen sind das?
Wagner
Detlef Elf Personen, das wren also elf Einzelzimmer,
Grn und Vollpension fr alle.
Ursula Und fr welches Datum, bitte?
Wagner
Detlef Fr den 7. und 8. Oktober, also zwei Nchte
Grn insgesamt.
Ursula Ich schaue mal nach... Ja, das wre mglich.
Wagner Haben Sie spezielle Wnsche?
Detlef Ja, wir brauchen zwei Seminarrume.
Grn
Ursula Kein Problem. Fnf klimatisierte
Wagner Konferenzrume mit modernen
Tagungseinrichtungen stehen unseren Gsten
zur Verfgung. Die Tagungspauschale ist 25
Euro pro Person.
Detlef Haben alle Zimmer Telefon und Minibar?
Grn
Ursula Ja, wir haben dreiig stilvolle Businesszimmer
Wagner mit separatem Schlaf-, Wohn- und
Arbeitsbereich. In smtlichen Businesszimmern
gibt es Direktwahltelefon, PC- und
Telefaxanschluss, Radiowecker, Farbfernseher,
Schreibtisch und Minibar. Wir haben natrlich
auch eine Hausbar mit offenem Kamin.
Detlef Gibt es eine Gruppenermigung?
Grn
Ursula Ja, bei Gruppen von elf bis fnfzehn Personen
Wagner kostet ein Businesszimmer nur 95 Euro pro
Nacht.
Detlef Gut. Kann ich Sie auch noch fragen... Zwei von
Grn meinen Kollegen sind Vegetarier...
Ursula Das ist kein Problem. Unser Restaurant ist auch
Wagner fr Vegetarier geeignet. Es gibt ein
Vegetariermen mit internationalen und
regionalen Spezialitten und Ihre Kollegen
kommt mit Sicherheit zu ihrem Recht.
Detlef Alles klar. Wo liegt das Hotel? Wie weit ist es
Grn zum Stadtzentrum?
Ursula Das Hotel befindet sich in ruhiger Lage nahe der
Wagner Elbe im Stadtteil Laubegast, circa sechs
Kilometer vom Stadtzentrum entfernt. Direkt
vor dem Hotel befindet sich eine
Straenbahnhaltestelle. Die
Verkehrsanbindungen zu allen wichtigen
Autobahnen sind optimal.
Detlef Das freut mich. Und was fr
Grn Freizeitmglichkeiten gibt es in der Nhe vom
Hotel?
Ursula Recht viele! Am besten schicke ich Ihnen einen
Wagner Prospekt. Geben Sie mir bitte die Adresse von
Ihrer Firma.
Detlef Kster & Hermann GmbH, Hauptstrae 57,
Grn 09117 Chemnitz.
Ursula Und auf welchen Namen gehen die Zimmer?
Wagner
Detlef Detlef Grn. Meine Telefonnummer lautet 0371
Grn 6 57 68 41. Meine Faxnummer lautet 0371 6 57
68 42.
Ursula Alles klar. Sie mssen die Reservierung
Wagner schriftlich besttigen, bitte.

Conversation 3: At the reception desk (3)

Ursula Good morning. This is the Hotel Ambiente in

Wagner Dresden. How may I help you?
Detlef Good morning. This is Herr Grn from the
Grn Kster & Hermann company in Chemnitz. I
would like to book some rooms for some
colleagues of mine.
Ursula Yes, of course. How many people would that
Wagner be?
Detlef Eleven people, so that would be eleven single
Grn rooms, and full board for everyone.
Ursula And for which date would that be please?
Wagner
Detlef For the 7th and 8th of October, so that's two
Grn nights in total.
Ursula I'll just have a look... Yes, that would be
Wagner possible. Do you have any special wishes?
Detlef Yes, we shall require two seminar rooms.
Grn
Ursula No problem. Our guests have five air-
Wagner conditioned conference rooms at their disposal
with modern conference facilities. The
conference charge is 25 euros per person.
Detlef Do all rooms have telephone and mini-bar?
Grn
Ursula Yes, we have thirty stylish business rooms with
Wagner separate sleeping, living and working areas. In
all of our business rooms there is a direct-dial
telephone, PC connection, fax connection, radio
alarm clock, colour TV set, desk and mini-bar.
Of course we also have a house bar with an
open fire.
Detlef Is there a reduction for groups?
Grn
Ursula Yes, for groups of eleven to fifteen people a
Wagner business room only costs 95 euros per night.
Detlef Good. Could I also ask... Two of my colleagues
Grn are vegetarians...
Ursula That's no problem. Our restaurant is also
Wagner suitable for vegetarians. There is a vegetarian
menu with international and regional
specialities and your colleagues will certainly be
well-treated.
Detlef That's fine. Where is the hotel? How far is it to
Grn the city centre?
Ursula The hotel is situated in a quiet location near to
Wagner the River Elbe in a district called Laubegast,
which is about six kilometres from the city
centre. There is a tram stop directly outside the
hotel. The transport connections to all
important motorways are excellent.
Detlef That's good to hear. And what leisure
Grn opportunities are there in the vicinity of the
hotel?
Ursula Quite a lot! The best thing would be if I sent
Wagner you a brochure. Please give me the address of
your company.
Detlef Kster & Hermann Ltd., Hauptstrae 57, 09117
 Grn Chemnitz.
Ursula And in what name should I book the rooms?
Wagner
Detlef Detlef Grn. My telephone number is 0371 657
Grn 6841. My fax number is 0371 657 6842.
Ursula OK. You need to confirm your reservation in
Wagner writing please.

Glossary
die Firma (pl. - Firmen) company; firm
Chemnitz This city in Saxony was called Karl-
Marx-Stadt during the GDR period.
der Kollege (-n) colleague
die Person (-en) person
das wren also... that would make...
die Vollpension full board
das Datum (pl. - Daten) date
insgesamt in total
das Seminar (-e) seminar
der Seminarraum (pl. - seminar room
rume)
klimatisiert air-conditioned
die Konferenz (-en) conference
der Konferenzraum (pl. conference room
-rume)
modern modern
die Tagung (-en) conference
die conference equipment
Tagungseinrichtungen
(pl.)
zur Verfgung stehen This means "to be available". It
literally translates as "to stand at
someone's disposal". The person to
whom the objects are available (here
"unseren Gsten") is in the dative
case.
die Pauschale flat rate
die Tagungspauschale This is often translated as "conference
(-n) package" and means the flat rate
charged for attending a conference.
die Minibar (-s) mini-bar
stilvoll stylish
das Businesszimmer (-) business room
separat separate
der Bereich (-e) area
der Schlafbereich (-e) sleeping area
der Wohnbereich (-e) living area
der Arbeitsbereich (-e) working area
Schlaf-, Wohn- und This means "sleeping, living and
Arbeitsbereich working area". When two or more
compound nouns are listed which
share a common final element, this
final element can be omitted for the
first noun(s) in the list and is replaced
by a hyphen.
smtliche (pl.) all
das Direktwahltelefon (- direct-dial telephone
e)
der Anschluss (pl. - connection
schlsse)
der PC (-s) PC; personal computer
der PC-Anschluss (pl. - computer connection
schlsse)
das Telefax fax
der Telefaxanschluss fax connection
(pl. -schlsse)
PC- und PC and fax connection
Telefaxanschluss
der Radiowecker (-e) radio alarm clock
der Farbfernseher (-) colour television set
der Schreibtisch (-e) desk
die Hausbar (-s) house bar
offen open
der Kamin (-e) chimney
der offene Kamin open fire
die Gruppe (-n) group
die Ermigung (-en) reduction
die Gruppenermigung group reduction
(-en)
der Vegetarier (-) vegetarian
geeignet This means "suitable". Note that the
person for whom the object is suitable
normally precedes the adjective
itself.
das Men (-s) menu
das Vegetariermen (- vegetarian menu
s)
international international
regional regional
die Spezialitt (-en) speciality
mit Sicherheit certainly
sie kommen zu ihrem they will be well-treated
Recht
das Stadtzentrum (-en) city centre
sich befinden This is a reflexive verb meaning "to be
situated".
die Lage (-n) This can either mean "situation" or (as
here) "location".
in ruhiger Lage in a quiet location
nahe (+ Dative) This is a preposition meaning "near
to" or "close to". It takes the dative
case.
die Elbe River Elbe
der Stadtteil (-e) district; part of town
Laubegast This is a district in the south-east of
Dresden.
der Kilometer (-) kilometre
nicht weit ... entfernt not far away
direkt directly
die tram stop
Straenbahnhaltestelle
(-n)
die transport connections
Verkehrsanbindungen
(pl.)
wichtig important
die Autobahn (-en) motorway
optimal excellent; optimal
was fr...? what kind of...?
die leisure opportunities
Freizeitmglichkeiten
(pl.)
in der Nhe von (+ near
Dat.)
recht viele quite a lot
schicken This means "to send". Note that the
object that you are sending is in the
 accusative case whereas the person to
whom you are sending the object is in
the dative case.
am besten schicke "The best thing would be if I sent
ich... you". Note that German uses the
present tense for this construction.
der Prospekt (-e) brochure
geben Sie mir... (pl.) This is the imperative of the verb "to
give". Note that the object that you
are giving is in the accusative case
whereas the person to whom you are
giving the object is in the dative
case.
die Adresse (-n) address
GmbH This means "limited company" or
"Ltd.". As it is short for "Gesellschaft
mit beschrnkter Haftung", you can
see why the abbreviation is used!
auf welchen Namen...? This translates as "in whose
(+ Acc.) name...?". In this instance, the two-
way preposition "auf" takes the
accusative case. Note that the weak
masculine noun "der Name" adds an
"-n" in the accusative case (see
explanation on Page 9 of this
chapter).
6 57 68 41 German telephone numbers are
normally said in pairs. If (as in this
case) there is an odd number of digits
in the phone number, the first digit is
given separately and the following
digits are then spoken in pairs.
die Faxnummer (-n) fax number
alles klar OK; fine
die Reservierung (-en) reservation
schriftlich in writing
besttigen to confirm

11.4 Der Prospekt

Below is the brochure of the Pension Sonnenhof in Dresden. It sets out the facilities
that are available, the type of rooms, prices and how to get there.

Text 1: Der Prospekt

Herzlich willkommen in der Pension Sonnenhof!

Unsere beliebte und gastfreundliche Pension befindet sich
im Nordwesten von Dresden, im Grnen aber dennoch
verkehrsgnstig gelegen (nur 25 Minuten Fahrtzeit vom
Stadtzentrum entfernt). Ganzjhrig geffnet.
Appartements und Zimmer
Wir bieten komplett ausgestattete Ferienwohnungen und
Appartements, sowie gemtliche Gstezimmer fr
Reisende und Suiten mit Blick auf die Elbe oder ins
Grne. Alle Zimmer sind fr Rollstuhlfahrer geeignet und
verfgen ber Klimaanlage und ein Badezimmer mit
Dusche/WC, teilweise Badewanne. Zusatzbett auf
Anfrage.
Parkanlage
Unseren Gsten steht eine groe Parkanlage mit
Terrasse, Gartenrestaurant und Liegesthlen zur
Verfgung. Hauseigener Parkplatz.
Schsische Kche
Wir verwhnen Sie in unserem Restaurant mit einem
reichhaltigen Frhstck, gepflegten Getrnken und
kulinarischen Genssen am Abend (3-Gang-Men). Es
gibt auch ein Vegetarier- und Kindermen.
Freizeiteinrichtungen
Ein heller freundlicher Aufenthaltsraum mit Farb-TV steht
unseren Gsten zur Verfgung. In 10 Gehminuten ist das
Hallenbad erreichbar. In unmittelbarer Umgebung:
Eisbahn, Minigolf, Vergngungspark und Kasino.
Exzellente Verkehrsanbindungen
Unsere Pension ist problemlos erreichbar. Aus Richtung
Norden fhren die Autobahnen A 13 und A 14, aus
Richtung Osten und Westen die A 4 sowie aus Richtung
Sden die A 9 und A 72 nach Dresden. Ab Hauptbahnhof
direkt per S-Bahn: S3 oder S35 Haltestelle Pankstrae
(Entfernung 250 Meter). Von unserer Pension aus
erreichen Sie einfach und schnell alle
Sehenswrdigkeiten!
Preise
Alle Preise auf Anfrage. Sonderpreise in der Vor- und
Nachsaison. Kinderermigung ab 12 Jahren.
Unsere Gste kommen als Fremde und gehen als
Freunde!

Text 1: The Guest-House Brochure

A very warm welcome to the Sonnenhof Guest-House!
Our popular and hospitable guest-house is situated in the
north-west of Dresden - in the countryside but
nevertheless conveniently located (only a 25 minute
journey from the city centre). Open all the year round.
Apartments and rooms
We offer fully furnished holiday flats and apartments, as
well as comfortable guest rooms for travellers and suites
that look out on the River Elbe or the countryside. All of
our rooms are suitable for wheelchair users and have air-
conditioning and a bathroom with shower/toilet, some of
them have a bath. Additional beds available on request.
Park
A large park with terrace, garden restaurant and
deckchairs is at our guests' disposal. Car park that
belongs to the hotel.
Saxon cuisine
We spoil you in our restaurant with a lavish breakfast,
excellent drinks and culinary delights in the evening (3
course menu). There is also a vegetarian menu and a
children's menu.
Leisure facilities
A bright friendly recreation room with colour TV is at our
guests' disposal. The indoor swimming pool is only 10
minutes walk away. In the immediate vicinity are an ice
rink, crazy golf, amusement park and a casino.
Excellent travel connections
You can get to our guest-house without any difficulties.
From the north, the A 13 and A 14 motorways go to
Dresden, as does the A 4 from the east and the west and
the A 9 and the A 72 from the south. From the central
station the S-Bahn brings you directly here: take the S3
or the S35, and the Pankstrae bus-stop is 250 metres
away. You can reach all the attractions of Dresden easily
and quickly from our guest-house!
Prices
All prices are available on request. Special prices at the
start of the season and in late season. Child reduction
from 12 years upwards.
Our guests arrive as strangers and leave as friends!
 Glossary
der Prospekt (-e) brochure
herzlich willkommen a very warm welcome
die Pension (-en) guest-house
beliebt popular
gastfreundlich hospitable
im Nordwesten von (+ in the north-west of
Dat.)
im Grnen in the countryside
dennoch nevertheless
verkehrsgnstig conveniently situated (for travel)
gelegen
die Fahrtzeit (-en) journey time
ganzjhrig all the year round
geffnet open
das Appartement (-s) apartment
bieten This means "to offer". The person to
whom the object is being offered is in
the dative case, whereas the thing that
is being offered is in the accusative
case.
komplett completely; fully
ausgestattet furnished
komplett ausgestattet fully furnished
die Wohnung (-en) flat
die Ferienwohnung (- holiday flat
en)
sowie as well as
gemtlich comfortable; cosy
das Gstezimmer (-) guest room
der/die Reisende This is the word for a "traveller". It is
an adjectival noun (see explanation on
Page 7 of this chapter).
die Suite (-n) suite
der Blick (-e) look; glance
mit Blick auf (+ Acc.) This means "looking out on", with the
object that is being looked out on in
the accusative case. The German title
of the book and film "A Room With A
View" was "Zimmer mit Blick".
das Grne This means "the countryside". It is
another adjectival noun.
mit Blick ... ins Grne looking out over the countryside
verfgen ber (+ This means "to have" or "to possess".
Acc.) Unlike "haben" it does not take a direct
object, but instead requires "ber"
followed by the accusative case.
die Klimaanlage (-n) air-conditioning (system)
teilweise This can mean "partially", but here it
means "some of them".
die Badewanne (-n) bath tub
teilweise Badewanne some of them have a bath tub
das Zusatzbett (-en) This means an "additional bed".
"Zusatz" (= additional) can be used as
the first element in a number of
compound nouns.
die Parkanlage (-n) park
die Terrasse (-n) terrace
das Gartenrestaurant garden restaurant
(-s)
der Liegestuhl (pl. - deckchair
sthle)
hauseigen (adj.) belonging to the hotel
der Parkplatz (pl. - car park
pltze)
schsisch This means "Saxon". Dresden is in
Saxony.
die Kche This means "cuisine" in this context. It
more commonly means "kitchen", as
we have already seen.
verwhnen This means "to pamper or spoil
somebody".
reichhaltig substantial
gepflegt This can mean "sophisticated" in other
contexts, but when it refers to food and
drink it means "excellent".
das Getrnk (-e) drink; beverage
kulinarisch (-) culinary
der Genuss (pl. - delight; pleasure
Gensse)
der Gang (pl. - course (of meal)
Gnge)
das 3-Gang-Men (-s) three course menu
das Kindermen (-s) children's menu
hell bright
freundlich friendly
der Aufenthaltsraum day room; recreation room
(pl. -rume)
Farb-TV colour TV
die Gehminute (-n) minute's walk
in 10 Gehminuten in 10 minutes walk
das Hallenbad (pl. - indoor swimming pool
bder)
erreichbar can be reached; reachable
unmittelbar immediate
die Umgebung surroundings; vicinity
in unmittelbarer in the immediate vicinity
Umgebung
die Eisbahn (-en) ice-rink
das Minigolf crazy golf
der Vergngungspark amusement park
(-s)
das Kasino (-s) casino
exzellent excellent
die transport connections
Verkehrsanbindungen
(pl.)
problemlos without any problems
problemlos erreichbar can be reached without any problems
die Richtung (-en) direction
aus Richtung Norden from the north
fhren This normally means "to lead", but it
means "to go" when it describes a
road.
die Autobahn (-en) motorway
A 13 German motorways start with the letter
"A".
der Hauptbahnhof (pl. central station
-hfe)
per S-Bahn This means "with the S-Bahn". The
preposition "per" is used as an
alternative to "mit" to describe
travelling on means of transport. It is
used without a following definite article
and can take the accusative or
(sometimes) the dative case.
Haltestelle Pankstrae the Pankstrae stop
die Entfernung (-en) distance
das/der Meter (-) The German word for "metre" is
officially neuter, but often appears in as
 a masculine noun in colloquial usage
and sometimes even in print.
von unserer Pension from our guest-house
aus
erreichen to reach; to get to
einfach easily
schnell quick(-ly)
die Sehenswrdigkeit attraction; sight
(-en)
alle Preise auf Anfrage all prices available on request
der Sonderpreis (-e) special price
die Saison (-s) (holiday) season
die Vorsaison (-s) start of the season
die Nachsaison (-s) late season
die Kinderermigung child reduction
(-en)
ab 12 Jahren from 12 years upwards
als In this context, it means "as" although
in can mean "than" when used with the
comparative.
der/die Fremde This means "stranger". It is another
adjectival noun.

11.5 Zimmer frei?

Meanwhile, back in Berlin, Sophie Gerland rings up the tourist information office in
Dresden in an attempt to book a room in a boarding house so that she can come and
visit her boyfriend Marko. She does not appear to be having much luck however, as
it is summer and much of the accommodation has already been booked up.

Conversation 4: Zimmer frei?

Frau Fremdenverkehrsbro Dresden, guten Tag.

Dbritz
Sophie Guten Tag, mein Name ist Gerland. Ich htte
Gerland gern ein Zweibettzimmer mit Dusche in einem
Hotel in Dresden reserviert. Ich reise mit einer
Bekannten von mir.
Frau Ja gut, und von wann bis wann?
Dbritz
Sophie Vom zwanzigsten bis zum vierundzwanzigsten
Gerland August.
Frau Moment, bitte. Oh, das tut mir Leid, smtliche
Dbritz Hotels sind fr diese Zeit schon voll belegt.
Sophie Voll belegt? Schade. Hm, was mache ich denn
Gerland da? Knnen Sie mir eine Pension oder ein Hotel
garni in der Nhe empfehlen?
Frau Versuchen Sie es mal in der Pension Schmidt,
Dbritz die Telefonnummer lautet 0351 49 56 98. Aber
wir sind jetzt in den Sommermonaten und alle
Unterknfte sind bereits ausgebucht...
Sophie Knnen Sie mir Informationen ber
Gerland Jugendherbergen in Dresden geben?
Frau Ja, natrlich. Die Jugendherberge Dresden
Dbritz "Rudi Arndt" liegt in der Sdvorstadt und das
Jugendgstehaus Dresden befindet sich wenige
Minuten Fuweg vom historischen Stadtkern
entfernt, gegenber dem World-Trade-Center.
Beide Jugendherbergen sind geeignet fr
Jugendliche, Studenten und Schulklassen.
Sophie Gibt es bestimmte Regeln und Vorschriften in
Gerland den Herbergen?
Frau Man muss sptestens vor 19 Uhr in der
Dbritz Jugendherberge eintreffen. Man darf nicht
rauchen. Man darf keinen Alkohol mitbringen.
Man muss nach dem Essen abwaschen. Man
muss einen gltigen Herbergsausweis haben...
Sophie Auweia! Ich habe keinen Herbergsausweis! Ich
Gerland werde langsam verrckt!
Frau Wie wr's mit einem Campingplatz? Haben Sie
Dbritz einen Wohnwagen, ein Wohnmobil oder ein
Zelt...?
Sophie Ich habe ein altes Zelt. Knnte ich einen
Gerland Stellplatz reservieren?
Frau Da muss ich mal nachschauen. Eine
Dbritz Reservierung ist normalerweise ab 4 Nchten
und gegen Anzahlung mglich. Aber mitten in
der Hauptsaison ist es unbedingt erforderlich,
frhzeitig Unterknfte zu reservieren!

Conversation 4: Any rooms available?

Frau Dbritz Hello, Dresden tourist information office.

Barbara Hello, my name is Zacharias. I'd like to
Zacharias book a room with two beds and a shower
in a hotel in Dresden. I'll be travelling with
one of my acquaintances.
Frau Dbritz Yes OK - from when to when?
Barbara From the twentieth to the twenty-fourth of
Zacharias August.
Frau One moment please. Oh, I'm sorry, all
Dauml;britz hotels are already fully booked for this
period.
Barbara Fully booked? Oh, that's a shame. Hmm,
Zacharias what will I do now? Could you recommend
a guest-house or a bed and breakfast in
the vicinity?
Frau You could try the Schmidt guest-house,
Dauml;britz the telephone number is 0351 495698. But
we're now in the summer months and all
of the accommodation is already booked...
Barbara Could you give me some information about
Zacharias youth hostels in Dresden?
Frau Dbritz Yes, of course. The youth hostel "Dresden
Rudi Arndt" is situated in the southern
suburb and the youth hostel Dresden is
only a few minutes walk from the historic
town centre, opposite the World Trade
Centre. Both youth hostels are suitable for
young people, students and school classes.
Barbara Are there certain rules and regulations in
Zacharias the hostels?
Frau Dbritz You must arrive in the youth hostel before
seven o'clock in the evening. Smoking is
forbidden. You must not bring any alcohol
with you. You have to do the washing-up
after meals. You have to have a valid
youth hostel card...
Barbara Oh dear! I don't have a youth hostel card!
Zacharias I think I'm going mad!
Frau Dbritz What about a camp site? Do you have a
tent, a dormobile or a caravan?
Barbara I have an old tent. Could I book a pitch for
Zacharias the tent?
Frau Dbritz I'll have to have a look. A reservation is
usually possible if you are staying more
than four nights and on payment of a
deposit. But in the middle of high season it
is aboslutely necessary to book
accommodation in good time!
 Glossary
ich htte gern ... I would like to reserve
reserviert
das room with two beds
Zweibettzimmer (-
)
reisen to travel
der/die Bekannte (- This means "acquaintance" or "friend" and
n) is an adjectival noun
von wann bis from when to when?
wann?
voll full; fully
belegt occupied
Sie haben es gut! "You're lucky!" (Literally "You have it
good".) The "es" is invariable in this
construction.
Schade! What a pity / shame!
was mache ich what shall I do now?
denn da?
das Hotel garni (-s, This is is the German expression for a
-s) "bed and breakfast". Note that both words
add an "-s" in the plural.
empfehlen This means "to recommend". The object
that is being recommended is in the
accusative case, the person to whom the
object is being recommended is in the
dative case.
versuchen to try
versuchen Sie es why not try...?
mal...
der Sommermonat summer month
(-e)
bereits already
ausgebucht fully booked
die Information (- This means "a piece of information".
en) Whereas English uses "information" only in
the singular, German uses "die
Information" in the plural unless you are
referring to one specific piece of
information.
Informationen ber information about
(+ Acc.)
die Jugendherberge youth hostel
(-n)
"Rudi Arndt" A lot of German youth hostels are named
after people.
die Vorstadt (pl. - suburb
stdte)
die Sdvorstadt southern suburb
das Gstehaus (pl. guest house
-huser)
das This is another word for "youth hostel"
Jugendgstehaus
(pl. -huser)
sich befinden to be situated
der Fuweg (-e) walk; footpath
wenige Minuten only a few minutes walk from
Fuweg von
historisch historic
der Stadtkern (-e) city centre
gegenber (+ opposite
Dat.)
das World-Trade- This means "World Trade Centre" and is
Center (-) one of the many European trade centres
to belong to the World Trade Centre
Association.
eineinhalb one and a half
fr etwas (+ Acc.) The word "geeignet" follows the person for
geeignet whom the object is suitable unless there is
a long list of such people.
der/die The German word for "young person" is
Jugendliche another adjectival noun.
der Student (-en) The German word for "student" is a weak
masculine noun. See explanation on Page
7 of this chapter.
die Schulklasse (- school class
n)
bestimmt certain
die Regel (-n) rule
die Vorschrift (-en) regulation
die Herberge (-n) hostel
vor 19 Uhr before seven o'clock in the evening
eintreffen (sep.) This is a separable verb meaning "to
arrive". Like "ankommen", the place in
which you are arriving is in the dative case
even though motion is involved.
rauchen to smoke
man darf nicht you are not allowed to smoke
rauchen
der Alkohol alcohol
mitbringen (sep.) This means "to bring with you".
das Essen (-) meal
abwaschen (sep.) to do the washing-up
gltig valid
der youth hostel card
Herbergsausweis (-
e)
auweia! oh dear!
werden to become
langsam slowly; gradually
verrckt mad
ich werde langsam I think I'm going mad
verrckt
wie wr's mit...? how about...?
der Campingplatz camp site
(pl. -pltze)
der Wohnwagen (- caravan
)
das Wohnmobil (- dormobile; camper van
e)
das Zelt (-e) tent
der Stellplatz (pl. - In this context this means a "pitch for a
pltze) tent" on a camping site. As we have seen
already in this chapter, it can also mean a
parking space in a car park.
ab 4 Nchten This means "from 4 nights", i.e. you can
book a pitch for your tent if you are
staying longer than four nights.
die Anzahlung (- deposit
en)
gegen Anzahlung This means "if you pay a deposit". It is
one of many instances where the German
language uses a noun where English uses
a verb.
mitten in (+ in the middle of
Dative)
die Hauptsaison (- high season
s)
unbedingt absolutely
erforderlich necessary; essential
frhzeitig in good time; early
... zu reservieren This is an infinitive clause meaning "to
reserve ..." We will look at this from a
grammatical perspective in subsequent
chapters.
11.6 The dative plural
German plural nouns add an "-n" when in the dative case unless:

The plural of the noun already ends in "-n"

The plural of the noun ends in "-s"

Grammar 1: Nouns in the dative plural

The man
der Mann Singular
die Mnner Plural
den Mnnern Dative plural
The guest
der Gast Singular
die Gste Plural
den Gsten Dative plural
The hotel room
das Hotelzimmer Singular
die Hotelzimmer Plural
den Hotelzimmern Dative plural
The hotel
das Hotel Singular
die Hotels Plural
den Hotels Dative plural
The woman
die Frau Singular
die Frauen Plural
den Frauen Dative plural
The speciality
die Spezialitt Singular
die Spezialitten Plural
den Spezialitten Dative plural
Examples from this chapter
You will already have seen the following instances in this chapter where an "-n" has
been added to nouns in the dative plural:

Wir haben eine Tiefgarage mit 200 Stellpltzen.

(We have an underpground garage with 200 parking spaces.)
(Singular = der Stellplatz; Plural = die Stellpltze; Dative Plural = den Stellpltzen)
Das Hotel hat einen Lift zu allen Stockwerken.
(The hotel has a lift to all floors.)
(Singular = das Stockwerk; Plural = die Stockwerke; Dative Plural = den
Stockwerken)
In smtlichen Businesszimmern gibt es Direktwahltelefon.
(There is a direct-dial telephone in every business room.)
(Singular = das Businesszimmer; Plural = die Businesszimmer; Dative Plural = den
Businesszimmern)
Das steht unseren Gsten zur Verfgung.
(This is available to our guests.)
(Singular = unser Gast; Plural = unsere Gste; Dative Plural = unseren Gsten)

In the following examples however, the nouns in the dative plural do not add an
extra "-n":

In unseren Hotels kostet ein Einzelzimmer 85 Euro pro Nacht.

(In our hotels a single room costs 85 euros per night.)
(Singular = unser Hotel; Plural = unsere Hotels; Dative Plural = unseren Hotels)
Bei Gruppen von 11 bis 15 Personen ...
(With groups of eleven to 15 people ...)
(Singular = die Person; Plural = die Personen; Dative Plural = den Personen)
Die Verkehrsanbindungen zu allen wichtigen Autobahnen sind optimal.
(Travel connections to all important motorways are excellent.)
(Singular = die Autobahn; Plural = die Autobahnen; Dative Plural = den Autobahnen)

Determiners and adjectives in the dative plural

As you will have noticed, the dative plural of the definite article is "den", regardless
of the gender of the noun.

All other determiners (i.e. articles, possessives and all other items that "determine"
adjective endings) also end in "-n" in the dative plural - i.e. diesen, meinen, deinen,
seinen, ihren, unseren, euren, Ihren, allen, smtlichen, welchen etc.

All adjective endings in the dative plural also end in "-en" - regardless of whether
they are in the weak, mixed or strong declension:

Grammar 2: Adjective endings in the dative plural

Weak declension
in Ihren groen Hotelzimmern
("in your big hotel rooms")
 aus diesen roten Autos
("out of these red cars")
zu allen wichtigen Autobahnen
("to all important motorways")
bei smtlichen internationalen Gruppen
("with all international groups")

Mixed declension
nach meinen ersten Nchten
("after my first nights")
vor euren letzten Abenden
("before your final evenings")
mit keinen besonderen Wnschen
("with no particular wishes")

Strong declension
mit modernen Tagungseinrichtungen
("with modern conference facilities")
mit gepflegten Getrnken und kulinarischen
Genssen
("with excellent drinks and culinary delights")
in zwei guten Studios
("in two good studios")

Notes
Both words meaning "all" - "alle" and "smtliche" - take weak adjectival endings.

11.7 Adjectival nouns (1)

All adjectives can be used as nouns in German. This is much more common than in
English where usage of such adjectives is restricted to certain instances in the plural
(the old, the young, the French, etc.). German adjectives used as nouns (or
"adjectival nouns") can either refer to people - in which case they are masculine or
feminine - or abstract concepts, in which case they tend to be neuter.

Here are a list of the adjectival nouns that we have already encountered in this and
other chapters, as well as other commonly used adjectival nouns:

Grammar 3: German adjectival nouns

der/die Angestellte der/die Fremde

(employee) (stranger; foreigner)
 der/die der/die Jugendliche
Bankangestellte (young person)
(bank employee)
der Beamte der/die Obdachlose
(civil servant) (homeless person)
der/die Behinderte der/die Reisende
(disabled person) (traveller)
der/die Bekannte der/die
(acquaintance) berlebende
(survivor)
der/die Deutsche der/die Verlobte
(German) (fianc(e))
der/die Erwachsene der/die Verwandte
(adult) (relative)
der/die Gefangene der/die Vorsitzende
(prisoner) (chairperson)

Notes
1. Although formed from adjectives, adjectival nouns are written with a capital letter.

2. "Die Beamtin", a female civil servant, is not an adjectival noun. It declines just
like a normal feminine noun ending in "-in" and has the plural "die Beamtinnen".

The declension of adjectival nouns

German adjectival nouns take exactly the same endings as adjectives would in the
same grammatical context. Let us take for example one of the most common
adjectival nouns to have been incorporated into the German language - "der
Deutsche" (= the German man). It has an "-e" ending because it is:

masculine
singular
in the nominative case
in the weak declension (i.e. it follows the definite article "der")

Likewise the feminine equivalent "the German woman" is "die Deutsche", because
this adjectival noun is feminine, singular, nominative and in the weak declension.

(It may help you at first to imagine the adjectival noun followed by "Mann" or "Frau".
"Der Deutsche" has the same endings as "der deutsche Mann" and "die Deutsche"
has the same endings as "die deutsche Frau".)

The full table of endings for adjectival nouns in the weak declension is as follows:
 Grammar 4: Adjectival nouns in the weak declension

Singular Masculine Feminine

Nominative der Deutsche die Deutsche
Accusative den Deutschen die Deutsche
Dative dem Deutschen der Deutschen

Plural
Nominative die Deutschen
Accusative die Deutschen
Dative den Deutschen

Notes
1. Adjectival nouns have the same endings as above after other determiners which
require the weak declension such as "dieser", "jener", "welcher", "alle" and
"smtliche":

Mit welchem Deutschen redet er?

(To which German (man) is he speaking?)
Smtliche Behinderten sind hier.
(All of the disabled people are here.)
Man muss allen Obdachlosen helfen.
(We must help all the homeless people.)

2. Note in the following examples how the endings of the determiner and the
adjectival noun serve to distinguish between different genders and numbers of
people:

Welche Verwandte besuchen Sie?

(Which (female) relative are you visiting?)
Welche Verwandten besuchen Sie?
(Which relatives are you visiting?)
Welchen Verwandten besuchen Sie?
(Which (male) relative are you visiting?)
Die Empfangsdame spricht mit dem Vorsitzenden.
(The receptionist is speaking to the chairman.)
Die Empfangsdame spricht mit der Vorsitzenden.
(The receptionist is speaking to the chairwoman.)
Die Empfangsdame spricht mit den Vorsitzenden.
(The receptionist is speaking to the chairpersons.)

11.8 Adjectival nouns (2)

Mixed declension
As we have seen on the previous page, the endings for adjectives used as nouns are
dependent on the determiner that precedes it. Below are the endings for the "mixed
declension", i.e. when the adjectival noun follows "ein", "kein" or one of the
possessives.

Grammar 5: Adjectival nouns in the mixed declension

Singular Masculine Feminine

Nominative ein Deutscher eine Deutsche
Accusative einen Deutschen eine Deutsche
Dative einem Deutschen einer Deutschen

Plural
Nominative keine Deutschen
Accusative keine Deutschen
Dative keinen Deutschen

Notes
1. The following examples show how adjectival nouns are used with the possessives:

Ihr Verlobter ist Arzt.

(Her fianc is a doctor.)
Seine Verlobte ist rztin.
(His fiance is a doctor.)
Wir verhandeln mit unseren Angestellten.
(We're in discussions with our employees.)

2. Note once again how the ending of both the determiner and the adjectival noun
indicates the gender and the number of the noun:

Ich reise mit einer Bekannten von mir.

(I'm travelling with one of my acquaintances (female).)
Ich reise mit einem Bekannten von mir.
(I'm travelling with one of my acquaintances (female).)
Sie arbeitet fr ihren Verwandten.
(She's working for her relative (male).)
Sie arbeitet fr ihre Verwandte.
(She's working for her relative (female).)
Sie arbeitet fr ihre Verwandten.
(She's working for her relatives.)

Strong declension
This is how adjectival nouns decline in the strong declension i.e. after "viele" (many),
numbers and when they are not preceded by a determiner.

Grammar 6: Adjectival nouns in the strong declension

Singular Masculine Feminine

 Nominative Deutscher Deutsche
Accusative Deutschen Deutsche
Dative Deutschem Deutscher

Plural
Nominative zwei Deutsche
Accusative zwei Deutsche
Dative zwei Deutschen

Notes
1. In practice the singular of the strong declension is rarely used.

2. The following examples shos how the strong declension of adjectival nouns is used
in different contexts:

Viele Reisende brauchen Businesszimmer.

(Many travellers require business rooms.)
Wir fahren mit drei Gefangenen.
(We're travelling with three prisoners)
Fremde haben keinen Zutritt.
(No access for strangers!)

Adjectives with adjectival nouns

When adjectival nouns are preceded by adjectives, these adjectives - logically
enough - have the same endings as the adjectival nouns. For example:

Wir helfen den kalten berlebenden.

(We are helping the cold survivors.)
Ein alter Bekannter von mir spielt auch Squash.
(An old friend of mine also plays squash.)
Junge Erwachsene haben oft viele Probleme.
(Young adults often have a lot of problems.)
Ich fahre zu meiner franzsischen Verlobten.
(I'm travelling to my French fiance's house.)

Neuter adjectival nouns

Adjectival nouns that refer to things or abstract concepts are neuter. We have met
only one of these so far - "das Grne", which can means "green" but also means "the
countryside". It it is often used with the preposition "in" as in the examples below:

Unsere Pension befindet sich im Grnen.

(Our guest-house is in the countryside.)
Eure Verwandten fahren ins Grne.
(Your relatives are going to the countryside.)
Wir bieten Suiten mit Blick ins Grne.
(We offer suites which look out on the countryside.)
11.9 Weak masculine nouns
As the name suggests, this a group of masculine nouns which predominantly denote
living beings. Although they are occasionally confused by students with adjectival
nouns, they decline in a different way: weak masculine nouns add "-(e)n" throughout
the plural and in all singular cases other than the nominative.

The table below gives the endings for "der Student" (= (male) student) and "der
Name" (= name):

Grammar 7: Declension of weak adjectival nouns

Singular Plural
Nominative der Student die Studenten
Accusative den Studenten die Studenten
Dative dem Studenten den Studenten

Nominative der Name die Namen

Accusative den Namen die Namen
Dative dem Namen den Namen

Examples

Ihr Bruder ist Student.

(Her brother is a student (= nominative).)
Das ist ziemlich viel fr einen Studenten.
(That's quite a lot for a student (= accusative).)
Meine Schwester ist mit einem Studenten verlobt.
(My sister is engaged to a student (= dative).)
Alle Studenten mssen nach dem Essen abwaschen!
(All of the male students (= nominative) must wash up after the meal!)
Wie ist Ihr Name?
(What is your name (= nominative)?)
Auf welchen Namen geht das Zimmer?
(In what name (= accusative) should I book the room?)

Male nationalities ending in "-e"

These include many of the masculine nouns describing nationalities that we met in
Chapter 2.

Grammar 8: Weak masculine nouns - nationalities

der Brite der Monegasse

(Briton (male)) (Monegasque man)
der Bulgare der Pole
(Bulgarian man) (Polish man)
 der Chinese der Portugiese
(Chinese man) (Portuguese man)
der Dne der Rumne
(Dane (male)) (Romanian man)
der Este der Russe
(Estonian man) (Russian (male))
der Finne der Schotte
(Finnish man) (Scotsman)
der Franzose der Schwede
(Frenchman) (Swede (male))
der Grieche der Slowake
(Greek (male)) (Slowak (male))
der Ire der Slowene
(Irishman) (Slovenian man)
der Kroate der Tscheche
(Croatian man) (Czech man)
der Lette der Trke
(Latvian man) (Turk (male))

Other weak masculine nouns ending in "-e"

Other weak masculine nouns ending in "-e" that we have encountered so far or are
in common usage include:

Grammar 9: Weak masculine nouns ending in "-e"

der Affe der Knabe

(ape) (boy; lad)
der Buchstabe der Kollege
(letter of alphabet) (colleague (male))
der Bulle der Kunde
(bull; policeman) (customer (male))
der Bursche der Lwe
(boy; lad) (lion)
der Experte der Name
(expert) (name)
der Hase der Neffe
(hare; rabbit) (nephew)
der Jude der Sklave
(Jew (male)) (slave (male))
der Junge der Zeuge
(boy) (witness (male))
Notes
1. As we shall see in the following chapter, both "der Buchstabe" and "der Name"
belong to a separate subdivision of weak masculine nouns and behave differently in
the genitive case.

2. You would only use "der Experte", "der Jude", "der Kollege", "der Kunde", "der
Lwe", "der Sklave", and "der Zeuge" if you are speaking of male experts, Jews,
colleagues etc. The female equivalents have their own separate German noun, all of
which end in "-in" - "die Expertin (-innen)", "die Jdin (-innen)", "die Kollegin (-
innen)", "die Kundin (-innen)", "die Lwin (-innen)", "die Sklavin (-innen)" and "die
Zeugin (-innen)".

Masculine nouns coming from the Greek and other foreign languages
This is particularly the case with masculine nouns ending in "-and", "-ant", "-ent", "-
ist", "-krat" and "-log(e)". These primarily (but not exclusively) refer to human
beings:

Grammar 10: Weak masculine nouns with certain endings

der Architekt der Katholik

(architect) (Catholic)
der Biologe der Komponist
(biologist) (composer)
der Brokrat der Monarch
(bureaucrat) (monarch)
der Demokrat der Philosoph
(democrat) (philosopher)
der Diplomat der Polizist
(diplomat) (policeman)
der Elefant der Prsident
(elephant) (president)
der Fotograf der Soziologe
(photographer) (sociologist)
der Journalist der Student
(journalist) (student)

Other German masculine nouns

There are a few native German weak masculine nouns which do not end in "-e" in
the nominative singular:

Grammar 11: Other weak masculine nouns

der Br der Herr

(bear) (man; gentleman)
der Bauer der Mensch
(peasant) (human being)
 der Bayer der Nachbar
(Bavarian) (neighbour)
der Frst der Narr
(prince) (fool)
der Graf der Oberst
(count) (colonel)
der Held der Prinz
(hero) (prince)

Note the irregular declension of "der Herr". This weak masculine noun adds "-en"
throughout the plural, but "-n" in the singular for all cases other than the
nominative.

Grammar 12: Declension of "der Herr"

Singular Plural
Nominative der Herr die Herren
Accusative den Herrn die Herren
Dative dem Herrn den Herren

11.10 Prepositions and questions

It is possible in English (although not always strictly grammatically correct!) to place
a preposition at the end of a question. In spoken English therefore you might hear
"for which date is this?" or "which date is this for?". This second option does not exist
in German as the preposition must be the first element in a question followed by the
interrogative as second element. If the interrogative is not invariable (i.e. if its
endings can change), then the case of the interrogative - and thus its endings - is
determined by the preposition.

We have encountered the following combinations of questions and prepositions in

this and previous chapters:

Grammar 13: Questions involving prepositions

Welcher?
Auf welchen Namen gehen die Zimmer?
("In which name should I book the rooms?")
Fr welches Datum?
("For which date?")
Von welchem Gleis fhrt der Zug?
("From which platform does the train leave?")
Mit welchem Bus fhrst du?
 ("Which bus are you travelling on?")

Invariable interrogatives
Um wie viel Uhr wird das Frhstck serviert?
("At what time is breakfast served?")
Von wann bis wann?
("From when to when?")

Was fr...?
Although the question phrase "was fr...?" (= what kind of...?) is comprised of a
pronoun and a preposition, it should be considered as a single concept which
behaves according to the rules outlined above. This means that the case of the noun
that follows "was fr...?" depends on the role of the phrase in the clause and not on
"fr" - i.e. it does not mean that any noun following "was fr...?" is automatically in
the accusative case. Equally, "was fr...?" can be preceded by a preposition which
then determines the case of any subsequent noun.

Look at the following examples using the weak masculine noun "der Mensch" (see
previous page):

Grammar 14: Questions involving "was fr...?"

Nominative
Was fr ein Mensch ist er?
("What kind of a person is he?")

Accusative
Was fr einen Menschen siehst du?
("What sort of a person can you see?")</EM<
td>
Was fr Freizeitmglichkeiten gibt es im
Hotel?
("What sort of leisure facilities are there in the
hotel?")

Dative
Mit was fr einem Menschen ist deine
Schwester verlobt?
("With what sort of man is your sister
engaged?")
In was fr einer Pension bernachten wir?
("What sort of guest-house are we spending
the night in?")
Questions involving "wie...?"
Note the following different question constructions involving "wie...?" that we have
encountered in this chapter:

Grammar 15: Questions involving "wie...?"

Wie lange bleiben Sie?

("How long are you staying?")
Um wie viel Uhr wird das Frhstck serviert?
("At what time is breakfast served?")
Wie kann ich Ihnen helfen?
("How may I help you?")
Wie viele Personen sind das?
("How many people will that be?")
Wie weit ist es zum Stadtzentrum?
("How far is it to the city centre?")

Notes
1. Note the type of constructions required for responding to the question "Wie weit
ist es zum Stadtzentrum?":

Wie weit ist es zum Stadtzentrum?

(How far is it to the city centre?)
Das Hotel ist circa sechs Kilometer vom Stadtzentrum entfernt.
(The hotel is approximately six kilometres away from the city centre.)
Unsere Pension ist nur 25 Minuten Fahrtzeit vom Stadtzentrum entfernt.
(Our guest-house is only 25 minutes travel away from the city centre.)
Die Jugendherberge befindet sich nur wenige Minuten Fuweg vom Stadtkern entfernt.
(The youth hostel is only a few minutes walk from the city centre.)
Der Gasthof liegt nur 15 Gehminuten vom Stadtzentrum entfernt.
(The inn is only 15 minutes walk from the city centre.)
Das Stadtzentrum ist etwa 15 Gehminuten entfernt.
(The city centre is about 15 minutes walk away.)

2. When in German-speaking countries, remember to give all distances in metres

and kilometres, and not yards and miles!

11.11 New prepositions

The preposition "ab"
The German preposition "ab" means "from ... onwards" and tends to be used without
a following article or determiner. It normally takes the dative case, but it can also
take the accusative case in time phrases when it is not followed by a determiner.

Grammar 16: The preposition "ab"

 Das ist ab sieben Uhr im Restaurant
("That is from seven o'clock onwards in the
restaurant")
Kinderermigung ab 12 Jahre(n)
("Child reductions for 12-year-olds and
above.")
Eine Reservierung ist ab 4 Nchte(n) mglich.
("A reservation is possible for stays of longer
than four nights.")
Ab Hauptbahnhof direkt per U-Bahn
("From the central station you can travel
directly using the underground")

The prepositions "per" and "pro"

Take care not to confuse these two prepositions. The German preposition "pro"
should be used to translate English "per". The German preposition "per" on the other
hand is used mainly in commercial German to translate "by" as in a means of doing
something, often a means of transport.

Both "per" and "pro" take the accusative case, but are almost always used without a
following determiner.

Grammar 17: The prepositions "per" and "pro"

Pro
Was ist der Preis pro Tag?
("What is the price per day?")
Ein Einzelzimmer kostet 85 Euro pro Tag.
("A single room costs 85 euros per day.")
Die Tagungspauschale ist 25 Euro pro Person.
("The conference charge is 25 euros per
person.")
Die pfel kosten 50 Cent pro Stck.
("The apples cost 50 cents each.")

Per
Wie Sie uns per Bahn finden:
("How you can find us by rail:")
So erreichen Sie unser Hotel per Straenbahn:
("This is how you can reach our hotel by
tram:")
per Post
("by post")
The preposition "bis"
In practice, "bis" is used on its own only with names, adverbs and a few time
phrases. Otherwise it is followed by another preposition which determines the case of
the following noun.

We shall look at "bis" in more detail in subsequent chapters, but for the moment
note the construction required to express the date until which you plan to stay
somewhere and how to travel "as far as" a place:

Grammar 18: The preposition "bis"

Von wann bis wann bleiben Sie hier?

("From when until when are you staying
here?")
Wir bleiben vom ersten bis zum siebten
Februar.
("We're staying from the first to the seventh
of February.")
Sie bleibt vom 20. August bis zum 24. August.
("She's staying from the twentieth to the
twenty-fourth of August.")
Wie weit ist es bis zum Hotel?
("How far is it to the hotel?")
Mit dem Bus Linie 27 fahren Sie direkt bis zur
Pension.
("You can travel directly to the guest-house
using bus number 27.")
BUT:
von acht Uhr bis neun Uhr
("from eight o'clock until nine o'clock")
Ihr fahrt nur bis Dresden.
("You're only travelling as far as Dresden.")

Notes
1. If you need reminding about how to express dates in German, click here to return
to the appropriate page in Chapter 9.

2. Note another construction that you can use to describe the duration of your stay:

Und fr welches Datum, bitte?

(And for which date, please?)
Fr den 14. und 15. Mrz, also zwei Nchte.
(For the fourteenth and the fifteenth of March, that makes two nights.)

11.12 "Werden" and the passive

Grammar 19: Present tense of "werden" (= to become)
 Singular
ich werde I become
du wirst You become
Sie werden (informal/formal)
er/sie/es wird He/she/it becomes
Plural
wir werden We become
ihr werdet You become
Sie werden (informal/formal)
sie werden They become

The German irregular verb "werden" has a number of uses. Its basic meaning is "to
become" and it can be combined with both adjectives and nouns:

Es wird kalt.
(It's getting cold.)
Ich werde langsam verrckt!
(I think I'm going mad!)
Britta will Lehrerin werden.
(Britta wants to become a teacher.)
Es wird Winter.
(Winter is coming.)

In addition to this "werden" is used as an auxiliary verb to form the future tense
(which we shall look at in the next chapter) and the passive voice which we shall
examine here.

The passive voice

What is the passive voice? The passive voice is where the subject of the verb
experiences the action rather than performs it:

He was seen (= passive).

(He saw (= active).)
You are being helped by us (= passive).
(We are helping you (= active).)

How is the passive voice formed? As the examples above indicate, the passive in
English is formed with parts of the verb "to be" and the past participle. This is only
one of two possibilities in German, both of which however include the past participle.

As we shall not learn how to construct the past participle until a later chapter, it will
suffice for the moment to be able to identify it in German passages:

For the vast number of verbs, the past participle will start with "ge-" and end with
either "-t" or "-en" - e.g. "gemacht" (= done), "geschlossen" (= closed).
 Verbs that end in "-ieren" or that have inseparable prefixes also end in "-t" or "-en"
but do not start with "ge-". These include two of the past participles that we have
encountered in this chapter - "akzeptiert" (= accepted) and "serviert" (= served).

What is the distinction between the two forms of the German passive? If a state is
being described as opposed to an action, the present tense of the German passive -
like its English equivalent - consists of the present tense of "sein" and the past
participle.

Das Geschft ist heute geschlossen.

(The shop is closed today.)
Haustiere sind nicht erlaubt.
(Pets are not allowed.)

But if an action is being described as opposed to a state, the present tense of the
German passive consists of the present tense of "werden" and the past participle.

Das Geschft wird jetzt geschlossen.

(The shop is being closed now.)
Wann wird das Frhstck serviert?
(When is breakfast served?)
Werden Kreditkarten akzeptiert? - Ja, wir akzeptieren alle groen Kreditkarten.
(Are credit cards accepted? - Yes, we accept all major credit cards.)

Note the word order in all of the above clauses. The verbs "sein" and "werden" occur
in the same position as a main verb would in a clause, whereas the past participle
comes at the end of the sentence. There will be an extensive explanation of the
passive, the past participle and the distinction between a state and an action in a
subsequent chapter.

11.13 Compound nouns in lists

To avoid clumsy repetition, German uses hyphens in a list of compound nouns to
represent those elements that are common to all nouns in the list:

Grammar 20: Lists of compound nouns

Drei- und Vierbettzimmer

(Implied: "Dreibettzimmer und
Vierbettzimmer")
(Translation: "rooms with three and four
beds")
PC- und Telefaxanschluss
(Implied: "PC-Anschluss und
Telefaxanschluss")
(Translation: "PC connection and fax
connection")
Schlaf-, Wohn- und Arbeitsbereich
(Implied: "Schlafbereich, Wohnbereich und
Arbeitsbereich")
(Translation: "sleeping area, living area and
 working area")
Vegetarier- und Kindermen
(Implied: "Vegetariermen und Kindermen")
(Translation: "vegetarian menu and children's
menu")

Hyphens and compound nouns

Hyphens are also used to break up individual compound nouns that would otherwise
be difficult to read. This is particularly true in compound nouns were one element is
an abbreviation such as "der PC-Anschluss", "der/die HIV-Infizierte" (= HIV-infected
person) or "die VIP-Lounge" (= VIP lounge).

One of the changes introduced recently in the German spelling reforms has made it
possible to have three (!) of the same letters in a row in a German compound noun.
This occurs when the first element of a compound noun ends with a double letter and
the second element of the compound noun starts with the same letter. Before the
spelling reforms, only two of the three letters would have been written. It is still an
accepted variant however to split up such compound nouns with a hyphen, and this
version is more common when you have three vowels in a row.

Grammar 21: Same three letters in a row!

3 Consonants 3 Vowels
die Balletttnzerin die Teeei
("die Ballett-Tnzerin") ("die Tee-Ei")
(ballet dancer) (tea infuser)
der Rollladen der Kaffeeersatz
("der Roll-Laden") ("der Kaffee-Ersatz")
(shutter) (coffee substitute)
die Brennnessel die Hawaiiinseln
("die Brenn-Nessel") ("die Hawaii-Inseln")
(stinging nettle) (Hawaii islands)
der Schlussstrich die Armeeeinheit
("der Schluss-Strich") ("die Armee-Einheit")
(final stroke) (army unit)

Common first elements in compound nouns

In Chapter 10 we looked at main verbs that appear as the second element in a
number of compound verbs.

On a similar theme, you may have noticed how certain parts of speech form the first
element in many compound nouns and colour the element which follows in a
particular way. For example:

Grammar 22: First elements in compound nouns

First element Compound noun

Bade- der Badeanzug
 (bathing) (swimming costume)
die Badehose
(swimming trunks)
der Bademantel
(bathrobe)
die Badewanne
(bath tub)
das Badezimmer
(bathroom)
Einzel- das Einzelkind
(individual) (only child)
das Einzelzimmer
(single room)
Fern- die Fernbedienung
(distance) (remote control)
das Ferngesprch
(long-distance call)
das Fernsehen
(television)
Haupt- der Hauptbahnhof
(central) (central station)
die Hauptstadt
(capital city)
Sonder- das Sonderangebot
(special) (special offer)
der Sonderpreis
(special price)
Zusatz- das Zusatzbett
(additional) (additional bed)
die Zusatzzahl
(additional number)

11.14 Addresses and postcodes

On the following three pages you will find a basic introduction to structuring a
German letter.

The address (die Adresse)

German addresses are much shorter than British addresses. Whereas British
addresses can extend to six or seven lines with their house names, villages, town
and counties, addresses in German-speaking countries tend to contain only three
lines - the name of the addressee, the street name and number and the town/city
together with the post code. Other differences include:

German street numbers occur after the name of the street and not before -
e.g. Hauptstrae 43, Wolburgsweg 36c, Webergasse 7-9.
Postcodes in German-speaking countries precede the name of the town or city
- e.g. 10825 Berlin, 09117 Chemnitz, 01069 Dresden.
Street names (der Straenname)
German street names are usually one or two words long, depending on the nature of
the first element of the name. Whereas streets named after people tend to written as
one word - e.g. Schillerstrae, Brahmsweg -, cities and regions that appear in street
names are for example usually written as a separate word - e.g. Berliner Strae,
Frankfurter Allee, Leipziger Platz.

The signpost below bears this out. Lothringer Weg is written as two words as it is
named after the German word for the region of Lorraine (= Lothringen). Goetheallee
on the other hand is written as one word as it celebrates Germany's most famous
writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832).

The second element of a German street name is normally a type of thoroughfare as

listed in the table below:

Vocabulary 1: Types of German roads

die Allee (-n) der Ring (-e)

(avenue) (ring road)
die Chaussee (-n) der Steig (-e)
(avenue; highway) (path)
der Damm die Strae (-n)
(pl. - Dmme) (road; street)
(road (lit: dam))
die Gasse (-n) das Ufer (-)
(lane; alley) ((river-)bank)
die Landstrae (-n) der Weg (-e)
(country road) (way; road)
der Pfad (-e) die Zeile (-n)
(path; track) (row)
der Platz (pl. - Pltze)
(square)

Other road names do not contain a type of thoroughfare, but instead describe a
landmark in the vicinity of the road - i.e. Am Park, Am Hauptbahnhof, An der Brcke
(= bridge).

The postcode (die Postleitzahl)

Germany pioneered the idea of post codes back in the early sixties, and the rest of
the world imitated the concept. The German word for a postcode is "die Postleitzahl
(-en)", which is often abbreviated to "PLZ".

The current postcode system was introduced on 1 July 1993 to take account of post-
reunification Germany. All addresses now have a five-digit code, with the first two
numbers indicating the region and the last three narrowing it down to a specific area
of a town or a village. Hence the reason why German addresses are so much shorter
than British ones - the postcode supplies all the requisite information. Below is a
map showing the regions of Germany to which the first number of the post code
corresponds.

Unlike British postcodes, German postcodes precede the name of the place in
addresses.

In addition, when writing to one of the German-speaking countries from abroad,

people sometimes prefix the postcode with the international country code for the
sake of clarity. As Germany has the international country code "D", this produces
such postcodes as D-10825 Berlin and D-01069 Dresden.

A similar principle applies when writing from overseas to addresses in the other
German-speaking countries. Austria has the international country code "A",
Switzerland has "CH" and Liechtenstein "FL". As postcodes in these countries have
four digits, this produces such postcodes as A-9010 Klagenfurt, CH-4012 Basel or FL-
9490 Vaduz.

These international country codes are now however increasingly seen as archaic. The
correct convention for addressing international letters is not to prefix the postcode
with a country code, but to ensure that the country name is written in capital letters
in the language of the origin country on a line of its own at the end of the address -
e.g. "10825 Berlin, Deutschland", "9010 Klagenfurt, sterreich", "4012 Basel,
Schweiz", "9490 Vaduz, Liechtenstein".

German addresses look different to English ones.

Linie 1 Herrn Professor Frau Herrn

Linie 2 Jens Melzig Dr.Ingeborg Holm Goran Curko
Linie 3 Jenaer Strae 11a Wolburgsweg 36c bei Schmidt
 Linie 4 D-10717 Berlin A-8010 Graz Frankenstrae 4
Linie 5 Germany Austria CH-6002 Luzern
Linie 6 Switzerland

Line 1: the person's basic title (Mr = Herrn, Mrs or Ms = Frau, Miss = Frulein)
followed by any other title or rank (Professor, Major etc.).
This is except for Dr. and Dipl.-Ing (Diplomingenieur) which precede the name on Line
2.

N.B. There is an "n" after Herr in addresses because this is an accusative.

Line 3: the street, with the house number after it.

Line 4: the place, preceded by the postcode (die Postleitzahl). The postcode may be
preceded by "D" for Germany, "A" for Austria or "CH" for Switzerland on letters from
outside the country itself. A district of a large town will often be added after the name of
the town and joined with a hyphen (e.g. Berlin-Tegel).

Line 5: the country itself.

When writing to someone staying with a family or friend, use "bei" plus the surname, e.g.
bei Schmidt. This is then placed on Line 3, after the addressee and before the street name.

Writing to a firm
If the name of the company is a person's name, the word Firma can
be placed on Line 1. The name of the department and person you
want follows the firm's name, and if you writing to a person, precede
it with "z.H." = zu Hnden (for the attention of).

Linie 1 Firma ZF Friedrich AG

Linie 2 Winni Schfer Verkaufsabteilung
Linie 3 z.H. Herrn Hamann Postfach 23 96 17
Linie 4 Harbigstrae 13 48637 Coesfeld
Linie 5 14055 Berlin

If you are writing to a specific person with a specific post within a

company, you can put:
 Linie 1 An Herrn An den
Linie 2 Mike Lnsmann Personaldirektor
Linie 3 Personaldirektor Musterfirma GmbH
Linie 4 Musterfirma GmbH Industriestrae 78
Linie 5 Industriestrae 78 77649 Offenburg
Linie 6 77649 Offenburg

N.B. In typed or printed business mail there is often a blank line before
the place on an envelope, but not when the name of the firm is typed
on the heading of the letter itself.
Thus on an envelope you might see:

Linie 1 An Herrn An den

Linie 2 Mike Lnsmann Personaldirektor
Linie 3 Personaldirektor Musterfirma GmbH
Linie 4 Musterfirma GmbH Industriestrae 78
Linie 5 Industriestrae 78
Linie 6 77649 Offenburg
Linie 7 77649 Offenburg

The Austrian post office's guide to addressing an envelope however

clearly states that no blank lines should be included on an envelope -
see the separate section on setting out an envelope.

Dear Sir... Yours Faithfully

1) If you do not know the person's name

If you are writing to a firm or an institution and do not know the name of the person to
whom you are writing, use "Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren," (= Dear Sir or Madam).

You should only use "Sehr geehrte Herren," or "Sehr geehrte Damen," if you are sure that
the people to whom you are writing are all male or all female.

In all cases you should close the letter - "Mit freundlichen Gren".
If you are writing a business letter as a representative of a company, you could also use -
"Mit besten Empfehlungen".
If you are a writing to one individual woman whose name you do not know, open with
"Sehr geehrte gndige Frau" and close with "Mit vorzglicher Hochachtung".

2) If you know the person's job title, but not their name
If you are writing (say) to the head of personnel of a company (= "der
Personaldirektor"), start with "Sehr geehrter Herr Personaldirektor,". End as usual with
"mit freundlichen Gren".

3) If you know the person's name

Dear Mr. Wagner Sehr geehrter Herr Wagner,

Dear Mrs Wagner Sehr geehrte Frau Wagner,
Dear Mr and Mrs Wagner Sehr geehrte Frau Wagner, sehr geehrter Herr Wagner,

An important point to remember is that Herr / Frau is retained when writing to someone
who has a title:

Dear Professor Yates Sehr geehrter Herr Professor Yates,

Dear Professor Lauster Sehr geehrte Frau Professor Lauster,

If you are writing to somebody with a title, you should not write their Christian name.
Thus the opening formula to write to Dr. Marie Huana is Sehr geehrte Frau Dr. Huana.

In all cases, "mit freundlichen Gren" would be an acceptable closing formula. A

possible (if rather formal) alternative when writing to a female professor would be: "Ich
verbleibe, sehr geehrte Frau Professor, mit vorzglicher Hochachtung Ihr / Ihre..."

N.B. The usage of feminine endings with German titles varies. The
feminine endings are no longer used with "Frau Doktor" and "Frau
Professor", but they are used with Frau Studienrtin (= "secondary
school teacher").

4) When writing to someone in the same profession

In a formal letter: Sehr geehrter Herr Kollege; Sehr geehrte Frau Kollegin,
In an informal letter: Lieber Kollege; Liebe Kollegin,
In both cases conclude with: Mit freundlichen kollegialen Gren,
5) When writing to a person in a very important position
In this case it is usual practice to omit the name:

Addressing a president: Sehr geehrte Frau Prsidentin,

Addressing a government minister: Sehr geehrter Herr Bundesminister,
In both cases conclude with: Mit vorzglicher Hochachtung,

Letter-writing vocabulary

Letter headings and initials

our reference unser Zeichen

your reference Ihr Zeichen
your message of 13th June Ihre Nachricht vom 13. Juni
our person responsible unser Sachbearbeiter
Betreff:
concerning, re:
Oder: Betr.:
with reference to Bezug:
in replying please quote bei Beantwortung bitte angeben

Applying for an advertised post

an applicant der Bewerber; die Bewerberin

an application die Bewerbung
to apply for something sich um (+ Acc.) bewerben
a vacancy die freie Stelle

sich um den Posten der Bankkauffrau bewerben

(to apply for the post of bank clerk)
Hiermit mchte ich mich um die ausgeschriebene Stelle als Lehrer bewerben.
(I would like to apply for the advertised job as a teacher.)

in die engere Wahl gezogen werden

(to be short-listed)

Bewerbung als Leiter der Anzeigenabteilung.

(Application for the post of head of the advertising department.)

Ich beziehe mich auf Ihre Stellenanzeige in der heutigen Ausgabe der "Berliner
Zeitung" und mchte Sie bitten, mir nhere Angaben ber die Stelle zuzusenden.
Oder: Ich nehme Bezug auf Ihre Anzeige in der heutigen Ausgabe der "Berliner
Zeitung" und wre Ihnen dankbar, wenn Sie mir nhere Angaben ber die Stelle
zusenden wrden..
(In reply to your advertisement in today's "Berliner Zeitung", I should be grateful if you
could send me further details of this post.)

In Beantwortung Ihrer Stellenanzeige in der FAZ wre ich Ihnen fr die

Bercksichtigung meiner Bewerbung sehr verbunden.
(In response to your advertisement in "Frankfurter Allgemeine", I would be grateful if
you could consider my application.)

Ich mchte mich um die Stelle eines Marketingmanagers bewerben, die Sie im
"Spiegel-Online" vom August ausgeschrieben haben.
Oder: Hiermit bewerbe ich mich auf Ihre Anzeige im "Spiegel-Online" vom August
fr die ausgeschriebene Stelle eines Marketingmanagers.
(I wish to apply for the post of marketing manager which you advertised in the August
edition of "Spiegel-Online".)

Mit Bezug auf Ihre Anzeige in der "Tageszeitung" bewerbe ich mich fr die oben
erwhnte Position.
(With reference to your advertisement in the "Tageszeitung", I would like to apply for the
aforementioned position.)

Ihrer Anzeige in der Juli-Ausgabe von "Kicker" entnehme ich, dass...

(I see from your advertisement in the July edition of "Kicker" that ...)

Bewerbungen mssen bis sptestens 13. Juni eingehen.

(The closing date for applications is the 13th June.)
To whom am I writing?

personnel office die Personalabteilung

der Personaldirektor; die Personaldirektorin
personnel officer
Oder: der Leiter der Personalabteilung
"To the Personnel Officer" "An den Personaldirektor"
personnel management die Personalfhrung
"To the Management" "An die Geschftsfhrung"

Asking for more details

Knnten Sie mir bitte .... bersenden?

(Could you please send me ...?)

Fr weitere Einzelheiten wenden Sie sich an:

(For more details, contact:)

Ich beziehe mich auf Ihre Stellenanzeige in der heutigen Ausgabe der "Berliner
Zeitung" und mchte Sie bitten, mir nhere Angaben ber die Stelle zuzusenden.
Oder: Ich nehme Bezug auf Ihre Anzeige in der heutigen Ausgabe der "Berliner
Zeitung" und wre Ihnen dankbar, wenn Sie mir nhere Angaben ber die Stelle
zusenden wrden.
(In reply to your advertisement in today's "Berliner Zeitung", I should be grateful if you
could send me further details of this post.)

Asking for a reply to a letter

Auf mein Schreiben vom 27. Oktober habe ich noch keine Antwort erhalten.
I have received no reply to my letter of 27 October.

Bitte besttigen Sie den Empfang dieses Schreibens.

Please acknowledge receipt of this letter.

Ich danke im voraus fr eine postwendende Antwort.

I would be grateful for a reply by return of post.

Ich wrde mich freuen, bald von Ihnen Nachricht zu erhalten.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Being offered a post

Wir freuen uns, hiermit die Stelle eines / einer ..... anbieten zu knnen.
(We are happy to offer you the post of ...)

Mit Bezug auf Ihr Schreiben vom Montag den 12. Januar kann ich Ihnen nun die
Position des Systemanalytikers in unserer Firma anbieten.
(Further to your letter of Monday the 12th of January, I would like to offer you the post
of systems analyst in our firm.)

Dieses Angebot gilt bei verbindlicher Bestellung vor dem 24. Mrz des nchsten
Jahres.
(This offer is subject to your firm acceptance by 24th March next.)

Bitte setzen Sie sich mit uns in Verbindung, damit die ntigen Vorbereitungen
getroffen werden knnen.
(Please contact us in order to make the necessary arrangements.)

Being turned down for a post

Es tut mir leid, Ihnen mitteilen zu knnen, dass ...

(I regret to inform you that...)

Wir mssen Ihnen leider mitteilen, dass der Posten schon besetzt wurde.
(We regret to inform that the post has already been filled.)

Wir mssen Ihnen leider mitteilen, dass Sie nicht in die engere Wahl gekommen sind.
(We regret to inform you that your name has not been put on our short list.)

Nach eingehenden berlegungen kamen wir zu dem Entschluss, dass wir Ihnen im
Moment keine Anstellung in unseren Bros anbieten knnen.
(After lengthy considerations we decided that we do not have any work for you in our
offices at the moment.)

Wir werden Ihren Lebenslauf und Ihre Bewerbung zu unseren Akten legen.
(We will keep your CV and application form on file.)

Wir werden Ihre Bewerbung zu einem spteren Zeitpunkt bercksichtigen, da wir

regelmig zustzliches Personal oder Ersatzpersonal suchen.
(We will keep your application on file as we regularly look for replacement staff.)

Bei knftigen Stellenangeboten knnen Sie sich gerne um einen hnlichen Posten
bewerben.
(Please do not hesitate to reply to future advertisements for a similar post.)

Ich hoffe, dass diese Entscheidung keine zu groe Enttuschung fr sie bedeutet.
(I hope that you do not feel too disappointed by this decision.)

Curriculum vitae
General phrases

der Lebenslauf
(curriculum vitae)

Anbei sende ich Ihnen meinen Lebenslauf

(Please find enclosed my C.V.)

Wie Sie meinem Lebenslauf entnehmen knnen, habe ich schon in Deutschland
gearbeitet.
(As you will see from my C.V., I have worked in Germany before.)

Aus meinem beiliegenden Lebenslauf erfahren Sie Nheres ber meine akademische
Laufbahn.
(You will learn more about my academic career from the C.V. enclosed within.)

Skills

skills Kenntnisse (pl.)

computer skills PC-Kenntnisse (pl.)
- data processing skills - EDV-Kenntnisse (pl.)
- I am familiar with word
- Ich bin mit der Textverarbeitung vertraut
processors
- Textverarbeitung (Word 6.0) ist mir
- I am familiar with Word 6.0
gelufig
- I am familiar with DataBase3 - DataBase3 ist mir gelufig
I can type well Ich kann gut Maschine schreiben
- typing speed - die Schreibgeschwindigkeit
- typewritten
driving licence
- I've lost my driving licence
my organisational ability
my sound knowledge of the field
to come up to your expectations
- Maschine geschrieben
der Fhrerschein
- mir wurde der Fhrerschein entzogen
mein organisatorisches Knnen
meine fundierten Sachkenntnisse (pl.)
Ihren Erwartungen entsprechen

Ich bin stets bemht, meine beruflichen Kenntnisse zu verbessern.

(I have always tried to improve my career skills.)

Ich besuchte Kurse in Betriebswirtschaft und Datenverarbeitung.

(I have taken courses in business management and data processing.)

Ich habe einen Abendkurs in Broorganisation belegt.

(I have taken a night-school course in office management.)

Spezialkenntnisse (pl.) auf dem Fachgebiet der Psychologie

(Special knowledge in the field of psychology)

Ich bin sicher, dass ich alle mir anvertrauten Aufgaben als Sekretrin zu Ihrer vollsten
Zufriedenheit ausben wrde.
(I am confident that I could fulfil all the tasks which you would require of a secretary.)

Sie hat die ihr bertragenen Aufgaben stets zur vollsten Zufriedenheit erledigt.
(She carried out her work to our complete satisfaction.)

Language skills

Englisch ist meine Muttersprache.

(English is my first language.)

Haben Sie irgendwelche Sprachkenntnisse?

(Do you know any languages?)

Ich habe gute mndliche und schriftliche deutsche Sprachkenntnisse.

(I speak and write German well.)

Ich spreche flieend Deutsch.

(I speak fluent German.)

Meine Deutschkenntnisse sind ziemlich eingerostet.

(My German is a little rusty.)

Mein Handelsdeutsch erwarb ich am Goethe-Institut in London.

(I learned business German at the Goethe Institute in London.)

Ich habe gute Anfangskenntnisse im Italienischen.

(I have some knowledge of Italian.)

Ich habe Grundkenntnisse in Russisch.

(I have a working knowledge of Russian.)

Ich habe Kurse in Spanisch und Franzsisch mit Erfolg belegt.

(I have successfully taken courses in Spanish and French.)

Ich kann Schwedisch lesen.

(I can read Swedish.)

Ich verstehe kein Griechisch.

(I don't understand Greek.)

Ich mchte meine Sprachkenntnisse verbessern.

(I want to improve my language.)

Ich wrde meine Sprachkenntnisse gerne etwas mehr einsetzen.

(I would like to make better use of my languages.)

deutschen Sprachunterricht erteilen

(to give German lessons)

einen Text aus dem Deutschen ins Englische bersetzen.

(to translate a text from German into English)
 Ich kann nicht gut bersetzen.
(I'm not very good at translation.)

die zweisprachige Sekretrin

(bilingual secretary)

Work experience

"previous employment" "berufliche Ttigkeiten"

die Arbeitsplatzbeschreibung job description
die Berufsbezeichnung job title
der Ferienjob (-s) holiday job
Dienstjahre (pl.) length of service

Meine offizielle Berufsbezeichnung ist ...

(My official job title is ...)

Ich arbeite zur Zeit in diesem Bereich.

(I am currently working in this field.)

Ich bin seit 5 Jahren hier ttig.

(I have been working here for 5 years.)

Ich bin seit 1998 in dieser Stelle.

(I started the job in 1998.)

Seit vier Jahren bin ich als Sekretrin in einer aufstrebenden kleinen Firma ttig.
(I have been a secretary in a small but ambitious company for 4 years.)

Die letzten sechs Jahre war ich in der Exportabteilung von EMI ttig.
(I was working in the export dept. of EMI for the last 6 years.)

Ich habe die ntige Erfahrung fr diese Stelle.

(I have the necessary experience for this job.)
Erfahrung in diesem Bereich ist erwnscht, aber nicht unbedingt erforderlich.
(Experience in the field is preferable but not essential.)

Ich verfge ber Berufserfahrung in der Werbebranche.

(I have experience of working in advertising.)

Ich verfge ber 2 Jahre Broerfahrung.

Oder: Ich habe zwei Jahre Broerfahrung.
(I have 2 years experience of office work.)

Ich habe drei Jahre Erfahrung in diesem Bereich.

(I have 3 years experience of this kind of work.)

viel Berufserfahrung im Bankwesen haben

(to have a lot of experience in banking)

Ich habe zwar keine Erfahrung auf diesem speziellen Fachgebiet, habe aber ...
(Although I have no experience of this type of work, I have ....)

Ich bin ausgebildeter Ingenieur.

(I was trained as an engineer.)

Durch die dadurch gewonnenen Erfahrungen bin ich mit den Aufgaben einer
Sekretrin bestens vertraut.
(Thanks to this experience I am thoroughly familiar with the job of secretary.)

Ich habe mehrere Ferienjobs ausgebt.

(I have had many holiday jobs.)

in meiner Funktion als Richter

Oder: in meiner Eigenschaft als Richter
(in my function as judge)

Qualifications - general

die Qualifikationen (pl.)

(qualifications)
Meine Qualifikationen sind folgende:
(My qualifications are briefly as follows:)

Ich habe die erforderlichen Qualifikationen fr die Stelle.

(I have the necessary qualifications for the job.)

Ich beendete meine schulische Laufbahn 1999.

(I left school in 1999.)

Ich graduierte von der Universitt Exeter in dem Fach moderne Sprachen (Deutsch &
Franzsisch).
(I graduated from Exeter University with a degree in Modern Languages (German &
French).)

The contract

the contract der Arbeitsvertrag; der Vertrag

- der Vertrag mit bestimmter Dauer - fixed term contract
- einen Vertrag unterzeichnen - to sign a contract
- Vertragsbedingungen (pl.) - terms of contract
- ein vertraglich zugesichertes Recht - a contractual right

Anbei senden wir Ihnen drei Kopien Ihres Arbeitsvertrags.

(Please find enclosed three copies of your contract.)

Dieser Vertrag erfordert die Schriftform.

(This contract must be drawn up in writing.)

Bitte schicken Sie sobald wie mglich zwei unterschriebene Vertrge an meine
Sekretrin zurck.
(Please sign two copies of this contract and return it to my secretary as soon as possible.)

Sollten Sie noch Fragen zu den Vertragsbedingungen haben, wenden Sie sich bitte an
mich.
(Should you have any further questions about the contract terms, please contact me.)
bei ICI unter Vertrag stehen
(to be under contract to ICI)

Habe ich das Recht auf Rcktritt aus diesem Vertrag?

(Do I have the right to withdraw from this conract?)

Work permits

work permit die Arbeitserlaubnis

das Aufenthaltserlaubnis;
residence permit
die Aufenthaltsgenehmigung
to obtain a work permit eine Arbeitserlaubnis erteilen

Knnen Sie mir bitte Informationen bezglich Erhalt einer Aufenthaltserlaubnis

zusenden?
(Could you send me details about getting a residence permit?)

Requests

Knnten Sie bitte ...?

(Could you please ....?)

Drfte ich Sie bitten, das zu tun?

(May I ask you to ...?)

Ich wre Ihnen (sehr) dankbar, wenn Sie...

Oder: Ich wre Ihnen zu Dank verpflichtet, wenn Sie...
(I would be (very) grateful if you ...)

Htten Sie die Liebenswrdigkeit, mir mitzuteilen, ob Sie ...?

(Would you be kind enough to inform me whether you...?)

Ich wte gerne, ob ich ...

(I would like to know whether I ...)
 Ich wte gerne, wie lange ich ...
(I would like to know how long I ...)

Ich verlasse mich darauf, dass Sie das tun.

(I'm relying on you doing that.)

Wir bestehen darauf, dass ...

(We must insist that ...)

Wir mchten Sie dringend bitten, das nicht zu tun.

(We must insist that you do not do that.)

Wir mchten Sie dringend auffordern, das zu tun.

(You are urgently requested to do that.)

Types of Letter

the letter der Brief (-e)

- der Bewerbungsbrief (-e);
- a letter of application
- das Bewerbungsschreiben (-)
- handwritten letter - der handgeschriebene Brief
- typewritten letter - der Maschine(n) geschriebene Brief
- draft letter - der Entwurf
circular die Wurfsendung
parcel das Pckchen; das Paket
parcel post die Paketpost

Sending a fax

the fax das Fax; das Telefax

to send somebody a fax jdm ein Fax schicken
to fax somebody something jemandem etwas faxen
fax machine die Faxmaschine; das Fax
fax number die Faxnummer
 Kann ich von hier aus ein Fax schicken?
Can I send a fax from here?

Ending a letter

Ich hoffe, dass Sie meine Bewerbung wohlwollend in Betracht ziehen werden.
(I hope that you will look favourably upon my application.)

Fr weitere Ausknfte stehe ich Ihnen gerne jederzeit zur Verfgung.

(Please feel free to ask for any further details which you may require.)

Sollten Sie irgendwelche Fragen haben, werde ich sie Ihnen gerne beantworten.
(Should you have any queries, I shall be pleased to discuss them with you.)

Ich wrde mich freuen, bald von Ihnen Nachricht zu erhalten.

Oder: Ich hoffe, bald von Ihnen zu hren.
Oder: Ich sehe Ihrer Antwort mit Interesse entgegen.
(I look forward to hearing from you soon.)

Wir danken im voraus fr eine postwendende Antwort.

Oder: Ich wre Ihnen dankbar, wenn Sie mir umgehend antworten wrden.
(I would be grateful if you could reply by return of post.)

Wenn ich sonst noch etwas fr Sie tun kann, setzen Sie sich bitte wieder mit mir in
Verbindung.
(If there is anything further that I can do for you, please do not hesitate to contact me.)

Ich hoffe, Sie sind hiermit einverstanden.

(I trust the foregoing is to your satisfaction.)

Asking if work is available

die Blindbewerbung; die Initiativbewerbung

(unsolicited application)

Ich schreibe Ihnen in der Hoffnung, dass Sie mir eine Stelle im Bereich ... anbieten
knnen.
(I am writing to you in the hope that you will be able to offer me employment in the field
of ...)

Als Teil meines Universittsstudiums wrde ich gerne 6 Monate in Deutschland

arbeiten.
(As part of my university course, I would like to work in Germany for approximately 6
months.)

ein Praktikum absolvieren

(to go on work placement)

Ich mchte mich hiermit erkundigen, ob es mglich wre, in Ihrer Firma ein
sechsmonatiges / zwlfmonatiges Praktikum zu absolvieren.
(I am writing to enquire about the possibility of joining your company for 6 / 12 months
on work placement.)

Haben Sie Stellen fr ....?

(Do you vacancies for ....?)

Ich habe mit Interesse erfahren, dass ...

(I was interested to hear that ...)

Ich mchte sehr gern in der Werbebranche arbeiten und wrde mich freuen, wenn Sie
eine entsprechende Arbeit fr mich htten.
(I would very much like to work in advertising and wonder whether you are able to offer
me work in any capacity.)

Ich mchte unbedingt im Verlagswesen / in der Werbebranche arbeiten.

(I am very anxious to work in publishing / advertising.)

Reasons for applying for a post

Das Auslandsjahr ist obligatorischer Teil meines Studiums an der Universitt Exeter.
(As part of my university course I am required to spend a year abroad.)

Als Teil meines Universittsstudiums wrde ich gerne 6 Monate in Deutschland

arbeiten.
(As part of my university course, I would like to work in Germany for approximately 6
months.)
Ich interessiere mich ganz besonders fr diese Stelle, weil ich sehr gerne im
Verlagswesen arbeiten mchte.
(I am particularly interested in this job, because I am very keen to work in publishing.)

Ich wrde meine Sprachkenntnisse gerne etwas mehr einsetzen.

(I would like to make better use of my languages.)

Ich wrde gerne wieder im Ausland arbeiten.

(I would like to work in Germany again.)

Ich mchte in Deutschland arbeiten, um meine Sprachkenntnisse zu verbessern und

Erfahrungen in der Hotelbranche zu sammeln.
(I wish to work in Germany in order to improve my languages and to gain experience of
hotel work.)

Ich mchte meinen Arbeitsplatz wechseln, weil ...

(I would like to change jobs because...)

Ich mchte mich verndern.

(I would welcome a change.)

aus persnlichen Grnden

(for personal reasons)

aus beruflichen Grnden

(for professional reasons)

Nachdem ich auf diesem Niveau nun seit einigen Jahren gearbeitet habe, strebe ich
eine verantwortungsvollere Ttigkeit an.
(Having worked at this level for some years, I am looking for a more responsible
position.)

Arranging a meeting

mit jemandem einen Termin ausmachen

(to arrange a time for a meeting)
Ich wre Ihnen sehr verbunden, wenn Sie mich den Termin baldmglichst wissen
lassen.
(I would be most obliged if you inform me of the date as soon as possible.)

Bitte schlagen Sie einen gnstigen Termin fr unsere Besprechung vor.

(Please suggest a convenient time and date for our meeting.)

Ich habe in der Woche vom 20. Mrz Zeit fr eine Besprechung mit Ihnen.
(I shall be free to meet you some time during the week commencing 20 March.)

Der vorgeschlagene Termin kommt mir sehr gelegen / passt mir ausgezeichnet.
(The suggested date suits me perfectly.)

Tut mir leid, aber an diesem Tag / zu dieser Zeit geht es nicht.
(I'm afraid I can't manage the date / time you suggest.)

Ich komme gerne zu dem von Ihnen angegebenen Zeitpunkt zu Ihrem Bro.
(I will be happy to meet you at your office at the time you suggest.)

Ich bin am 2. Februar in Bonn und knnte Sie zwischen 14 und 17 Uhr treffen.
(I will be in Bonn on 2 February, and would be free to meet you from 2pm to 5pm.)

Sollten Sie den Termin fr unsere Besprechung ndern mssen, dann setzen Sie sich
bitte so bald wie mglich mit mir in Verbindung.
(Should you need to change the time / date of our meeting, please contact me as soon as
possible.)

eine Sitzung (auf morgen) vertagen

(to postpone a meeting (until tomorrow))

Das Datum / die Zeit fr die Besprechung wurde auf .... vorverlegt.
(The date / time of the meeting has been brought forward to ...)

Das Datum / die Zeit fr die Besprechung wurde verschoben auf ...
(The date / time of the meeting has been put back to ...)

Wenn mglich, wrde ich die Besprechung gern vorverlegen / verschieben / absagen.
(I'd like to bring forward / postpone / cancel the meeting if possible.)

Acknowledging receipt of a letter

Vielen Dank fr Ihr Schreiben vom 13.Juni.

(Thank you for your letter of 13th June.)

Vielen Dank fr Ihr Schreiben, das ich gerade erhalten habe.

(Thank you for your letter, which I have just received.)

Vielen Dank fr Ihr Schreiben, das von X an mich weitergeleitet wurde.

(Thank you for your letter, which X has passed on to me.)

Vielen Dank fr die Zusendung Ihrer Broschre.

(Thank you for sending me your brochure.)

Bitte besttigen Sie den Empfang dieses Schreibens.

(Please acknowledge receipt of this letter.)

Accepting a job offer

das Angebot annehmen

(to accept the offer)

Es freut mich sehr, Ihnen mitteilen zu knnen, dass ich Ihr Angebot fr die Stelle als
... mit Arbeitsbeginn am 28. Dezember gerne annehme.
(I am very pleased to say that I would like to accept your offer of the post of ...,
commencing on 28 December.)

Ich freue mich, Ihnen mitteilen zu knnen, dass ...

(I am happy to inform you that...)

Ich wrde die Stelle, die Sie mir angeboten haben, sehr gerne annehmen. Wre es
jedoch mglich, das Anfangsdatum auf den 1. April zu verschieben?
(I would very much like to accept the post which you have offered me. Would it be
possible however to postpone my starting date until the 1st of April?)

Ich wrde Ihr Angebot sehr gerne annehmen, wenn Sie bereit wren, das Gehalt auf
.... zu erhhen.
(I would be very glad to accept your offer if you agreed to increase the salary to ...)

Hiermit besttige ich, dass ...

(I hereby confirm that ...)

Confidentiality

"vertraulich"
("confidential")

Ich wre Ihnen zu Dank verpflichtet, wenn Sie in dieser Sache uerste Diskretion
walten lassen knnten.
(I would be grateful if you could show the utmost discretion in this matter.)

Ihre Antwort wird selbstverstndlich streng vertraulich behandelt.

(Your answer will be treated in strict confidence.)

Curriculum vitae:
things to include

abroad: im Ausland:
- year abroad - das Auslandsjahr
- term abroad - das Auslandssemester
activities: Ttigkeiten (pl.):
- activities outside work - nebenberufliche Ttigkeiten
- cultural activities - kulturelle Ttigkeiten
- sporting activities - sportliche Ttigkeiten
address die Anschrift
birth: die Geburt:
- date of birth - das Geburtsdatum
- place of birth - der Geburtsort
dissertation die Diplomarbeit
- dissertation topic - das Diplomarbeitsthema
education: die Ausbildung:
- school education - die Schulbildung
- university education - das Studium
 "enclosed" "Anlage"
grant (university) das Stipendium
job experience berufliche Ttigkeiten (pl.)
marital status: der Familienstand:
- single - unverheiratet; ledig
- married - verheiratet
mark: die Note:
- overall mark - die Gesamtnote
membership die Mitgliedschaft
name: der Name:
- full name - der vollstndige Name
photograph das Lichtbild
postgraduate studies postgraduatierte Studien (pl.)
skills: Kenntnisse (pl.):
- computer skills - PC-Kenntnisse (pl.)
- language skills - Fremdsprachenkenntnisse (pl.)
- multimedia skills - Multimedia-Kenntnisse (pl.)
- other skills - sonstige Kenntnisse (pl.)
society, club: der Verein:
- a University society - ein universitrer Verein
- a non-University society - ein aueruniversitrer Verein
subject studied das Studienfach
telephone number die Telefonnummer
work experience das Praktikum

Personal qualities

competent kompetent
conscientious gewissenhaft
hard-working fleiig
punctual pnktlich
reliable zuverlssig
trustworthy vertrauenswrdig
 Ich bin kontaktfreudig.
(I am an outgoing person.)

Er ist ein uerst zuverlssiger Mitarbeiter.

(He is a thoroughly reliable worker.)

Ich habe Freude am selbstndigen Arbeiten.

(I like taking responsibility.)

Ich bin pflichtbewusst.

(I have a sense of responsibility.)

Im Umgang mit seinen Kollegen zeigte er sich stets hilfsbereit.

(He was always helpful to his colleagues.)

meine sorgfltige Arbeitsweise

(a careful approach to my work)

University vocabulary

Exeter University die Universitt Exeter

at Exeter University an der Universitt Exeter
to enrol at a university sich an einer Universitt einschreiben
first-year student Student(in) im ersten Jahr
during the summer vacation whrend der Sommersemesterferien
before starting University bevor ich mit meinem Universittsstudium begann
after graduating in 1999 nach meiner Graduierung 1999

Als Teil meines Universittsstudiums wrde ich gerne 6 Monate in Deutschland

arbeiten.
As part of my university course, I would like to work in Germany for approximately 6
months.
Ich graduierte von der Universitt Exeter in dem Fach moderne Sprachen (Deutsch &
Franzsisch).
I graduated from Exeter University with a degree in Modern Languages (German &
French).
Types of work
to work
- to work in advertising
- to work in banking
- to work in the hotel
industry
- to work in publishing
holiday job
- I have had many holiday
jobs
work placement
- to go on a work placement
full-time job
- full-time occupation
- to work full-time
part-time job
die Teilzeitbeschftigiung (-en)
- part-time worker
- I'm only working part-time
- employed part-time
- Can I do the job part-time?
- She only teaches part-time
self-employed
- a self-employed person
- to be self-employed
freelance work for a
publisher
short-time work
arbeiten
- in der Werbebranche arbeiten
- im Bankwesen ttig sein
- in der Hotelbranche arbeiten
- im Verlagswesen arbeiten
der Ferienjob (-s)
- Ich habe mehrere Ferienjobs ausgebt
das Praktikum
- ein Praktikum absolvieren
die Ganztagsstelle; die ganztgige Arbeit
- die Ganztagsbeschftigung
- ganztgig arbeiten
der Teilzeitjob (-s); die Teilzeitarbeit;
- der/die Teilzeitbeschftigte
- Ich arbeite nur Teilzeit
- teilzeitbeschftigt
- Kann ich auf Teilzeit arbeiten?
- Sie unterrichtet nur stundenweise
freiberuflich; selbstndig
- der Freiberufler; die Freiberuflerin
- freiberuflich fr eine Firma arbeiten
freie Mitarbeit bei einem Verlag
die Kurzarbeit
employee / white-collar
worker
skilled worker
- semi-skilled worker
- unskilled worker
employer
- equal opportunities
employer
der/die Angestellte
der Facharbeiter
- die angelernte Arbeitskraft
- der ungelernte Arbeiter; die ungelernte
Arbeiterin
der Arbeitgeber
- ein Arbeitgeber, der Chancengleichheit
praktiziert

English qualifications

O Levels, GCSEs, Standard

die mittlere Reife
Grades
das Abitur (in Germany);
A Levels, Higher Grades
die Matura (in Austria, Switzerland)
A Levels/Highers in German, Abitur/Matura in den Fchern Deutsch,
French, Maths Franzsisch, Mathematik
a degree (in ...) akademischer Abschluss (in ...)
a diploma in industrial
Diplom in Betriebsfhrung
management
zweijhriges Studium an einer technischen
OND (in ...)
Fachschule (in...)
dreijhriges Studium an einer technischen
HND (in ...)
Fachschule (in...)
MA (in ...) der M.A. (in ...)
der MBA (Magister in
MBA
Betriebswirtschaftslehre)
MSc Magister der Naturwissenschaften (in ...)
PhD (in...) Dr. (der / des ...)

Salary and conditions

salary das Gehalt

- salary increase - die Gehaltserhhung
 - an across the board
- die allgemeine Gehaltserhhung
salary increase
- My present salary is X - Zur Zeit verdiene ich DM X im Jahr;
DM per annum Oder: Mein derzeitiges Gehalt ist DM X pro Jahr
- salaried employee - der Gehaltsempfnger
- salary on application - Auskunft ber Gehalt auf Anfrage
- salary review - die Gehaltsberprfung
wage der Lohn
- minimum wage - der Mindestlohn
- guaranteed minimum
- der garantierte Mindestlohn
wage
- wage earner - der Lohnempfnger
paid holidays der bezahlte Urlaub
- I have five weeks paid - Ich habe einen jhrlichen Anspruch auf fnf
holiday Wochen bezahlten Urlaub
to receive a bonus
eine Prmie erhalten
payment
golden hello die Einstellungsprmie
golden handshake die hohe Abfindung bei Entlassung
contributory pension
die beitragspflichtige Rentenversicherung
scheme
employee benefits Sachbezge (pl.) fr Angestellte
equal pay gleicher Lohn (m.)
expense account das Spesenkonto
expenses Spesen (pl.)
flexitime die Gleitzeit
fringe benefits Lohnnebenleistungen (pl.)
gross pay der Bruttolohn; das Bruttogehalt
incentive scheme das Anreizsystem
luncheon voucher die Essensmarke
maternity benefit das Mutterschaftsgeld
maternity leave der Mutterschaftsurlaub
national insurance die Nationalversicherung
net pay der Nettolohn
non-contributory pension
scheme
paternity leave
payment-by-results system das Leistungslohnsystem
performance-related pay
probationary period
profit-sharing scheme
redundancy agreement
redundancy payment
security of tenure
statutory deductions
take-home pay
time-and-a-half
die beitragsfreie Rentenversicherung
der Vaterschaftsurlaub
Der leistungsbezogene Lohn
die Probezeit
der Gewinnbeteiligungsplan
die Entlassungsvereinbarung
die Entlassungsabfindung
der Kndigungsschutz
gesetzliche Abzge (pl.)
der Nettolohn; das Nettogehalt
die Arbeitszeit zu anderthalbfachem Tarif

Gehalt: ... pro Jahr zustzlich Kommission / Prmien und Firmenwagen

Salary: ... p.a. plus commission / bonuses and a company car

Ich wrde Ihr Angebot sehr gerne annehmen, wenn Sie bereit wren, das Gehalt auf
.... zu erhhen.
I would be very glad to accept your offer if you agreed to increase the salary to ...

Sending a letter

I'd like to send this letter...
- by airmail
- by registered post
- express delivery
- as cheaply as possible
postage and packing
postage rate
surface mail
express delivery
recorded delivery
Ich mchte diesen Brief ... schicken.
- per Luftpost
- per Einschreiben
- per Express / per Eilboten
- auf die billigste Art
Porto und Verpackung
Porto
die Post auf dem Landweg / Seeweg
die Eilzustellung
die eingeschriebene Sendung
Datapost Datapost
Freepost Freepost
courier service der Kurierdienst
poste restante postlagernd
by return of post postwendend
postpaid portofrei
prepaid envelope der Freiumschlag
window envelope der Fensterumschlag
international reply coupon = der internationale Rckantowrtschein
reply paid postcard die Rckantwortkarte
address die Anschrift
- business address - die Geschftsadresse
- at the above address - unter obenstehender Adresse
- sender's address: - Absender:
postcode die Postleitzahl (PLZ)
P.O. Box 226 Postfach 226
postmark der Poststempel
"date as postmark" das Datum des Poststempels
printed matter Drucksache (f.)
for the attention of Mr. Joyce z. Hd. Herrn Joyce
care of, c/o per Adresse
"private" "vertraulich"
"private and confidential" "streng vertraulich"
please forward bitte nachsenden

jemandem einen Brief schicken, zusenden

(to send somebody a letter)

etwas mit getrennter Post senden

(to send something in a separate letter)

Wie lange wird dieser Brief brauchen?

 (How long will this letter take to arrive?)

Wie kann ich diesen Brief auf die schnellste Art schicken?
(What's the quickest way of sending this letter?)

Ich wei die Postleitzahl nicht. Wo knnte ich sie nachschlagen?

(I don't know the postcode. Where can I look it up?)

Ich lege einen frankierten Umschlag bei.

(I enclose a stamped, addressed envelope)

Offers and offering

Wenden Sie sich bitte jederzeit an mich.

(Please feel free to contact me at any time.)

Ich kmmere mich gern um diese Sache.

(I would be glad to take care of this matter.)

Ich wre gerne bereit, das zu tun

Oder: Ich wre mit Vergngen bereit, das zu tun.
(I would be happy to ...)

Booking accomodation

Ich mchte bei Ihnen bernachtungen mit Frhstck buchen.

(I would like to book bed-and-breakfast accommodation with you.)

Ich wrde gerne ein Doppelzimmer fr meine Frau und mich sowie ein
Zweibettzimmer fr unsere beiden Shne (beide unter 12 Jahren) reservieren.
(I wish to book one double room for my wife and myself, and one twin-bedded room for
our sons, who are both under 12 years of age.)

Ich htte gerne ein Einzelzimmer mit Dusche fr zwei Nchte.

(I'd like a single room with shower for two nights.)

Ich mchte fr Herrn Namdar ein Einzelzimmer mit Bad fr die Woche nach dem 23.
Februar selbst. Herr Namdar bezahlt seine Rechnung selbst.
(I wish to reserve a single room with bath for one week from the 23rd February, in the
name of Herr Namdar. Herr Namdar will settle the bill himself.)

Bitte betrachten Sie diese Reservierung als bindend, und halten Sie mir das Zimmer
frei, auch wenn ich sehr spt am Abend ankommen sollte.
(Please consider this a firm booking, and hold the room till I arrive, however late in the
evening.)

Ich htte gerne ein Zimmer mit Blick auf .... , wenn mglich.
(If possible, I would like a room with a view of ...)

Ich htte gerne ein ruhiges Zimmer.

(I would like a room which isn't too noisy, please.)

Was sind Ihre Preise?

(What are your room rates?)

Was kostet eine bernachtung mit Frhstck?

(How much is a room per night, with breakfast?)

Knnen Sie mir bitte ein Prospekt von Ihrem Hotel schicken?
(Please send me a brochure about your hotel.)

Wir wollen gegen Abend eintreffen, falls nicht dazwischenkommt.

(We expect to arrive in the early evening, unless something unforeseen prevents us.)

Bitte senden Sie die Rechnung an die obige Adresse.

(Please send the bill to the above address.)

Welche Kreditkarten nehmen Sie?

(Which credit cards do you accept?)

Knnen Sie mir vielleicht ein anderes Hotel empfehlen, das eventuell noch Zimmer frei
hat?
(Can you suggest another hotel that might have a vacancy?)

Ich muss Ihnen leider mitteilen, dass ich aufgrund unvorhersehbarer Umstnde meine
Zimmerreservierung fr die Woche ab dem 5. September stornieren muss.
(Owing to unforeseen circumstances, I am afraid that I must cancel the booking made
with you for the week beginning September 5th.)

Leider muss ich Sie bitten, meine Reservierung vom 24. August auf den 3. September
umzubuchen.
(I am afraid I must ask you to alter my booking from 24th August to 3rd September.)

Thanks and best wishes

Vielen Dank schon im voraus

Oder: Ich danke Ihnen im voraus fr Ihre Bemhungen.
(Thanks in anticipation)

Vielen Dank, dass Sie sich die Mhe gemacht haben, mir zu schreiben.
(Thank you for taking the trouble to write to me.)

Ich danke Ihnen vielmals fr Ihre Zeit und Mhe.

(I greatly appreciate the time and trouble which you took for us.)

Ich danke Ihnen vielmals fr all Ihre Bemhungen.

(Please accept my grateful thanks for all your efforts.)

Application forms

das Bewerbungsformular (-e); das Antragsformular (-e)

(application form)

ein Bewerbungsformular ausfllen

(to complete an application form)

Hiermit bersende ich Ihnen mein ausgeflltes Bewerbungsformular.

(Please find herewith my completed application form.)

Ich fge ein Bewerbungsformular bei. Bitte senden Sie es ausgefllt bis zum 10.
Oktober an uns zurck.
(I enclose an application form. Please fill it and return it by 10th October.)
Availability for work

Ich knnte diese Stelle im Mai 2001 antreten

Oder: Ich knnte Ihnen ab Mai 2001 zur Verfgung stehen.
(I shall be available from May 2001.)

Ich bin in unangekndigter Stellung.

(I am not under notice to leave.)

Ich verlasse die Firma auf eigenen Wunsch.

(I am leaving the firm at my own request.)

The job interview

das Vorstellungsgesprch; das Einstellungsgesprch

(the job interview)

das Beurteilungsgesprch
(appraisal interview)

Ich stehe Ihnen jederzeit zu einem persnlichen Vorstellungsgesprch zur Verfgung.

(I am available for a personal interview at any time.)

ber ein Vorstellungsgesprch wrde ich mich sehr freuen.

(I would welcome an interview.)

Ich hoffe sehr, dass Sie mir die Gelegenheit zu einem persnlichen
Vorstellungsgesprch gewhren werden.
(I hope that you will allow me a personal interview.)

Ich freue mich, Sie persnlich kennenzulernen.

(I look forward to meeting you in person.)

Wenn mglich, wrde ich lieber an einem Freitag zu einem Vorstellungsgesprch

kommen.
(If possible, I would prefer to have my interview on a Friday.)

Wir mchten Sie hiermit am 20. Juni zu einem Vorstellungsgesprch bitten.

(We would be grateful if you could come here for an interview on the 20th June.)

Ich komme gern am 20. Juni zu einem Vorstellungsgesprch in Ihr Bro.

(I shall be delighted to attend for interview in your offices on 20th June.)

Lassen Sie mich bitte wissen, ob dieser Termin Ihnen ungelegen ist.
(Please let me know if this time is inconvenient.)

Falls Ihnen dieser Termin nicht passt, setzen Sie sich bitte sofort mit uns in
Verbindung.
(Please contact us immediately if this is not convenient.)

Sollte dieser Termin Ihnen ungelegen sein, wenden Sie sich bitte an meine Sekretrin
zur Vereinbarung eines beiderseits akzeptablen Termins.
(If this time is not convenient for you, I would appreciate it if you could let my secretary
know, and I will arrange the interview for a date that it suitable for us both.)

Replying to a letter

In Beantwortung Ihres Briefes

(In reply to your letter)

Bezug nehmend auf Ihr Schreiben vom 31 Juli ...

(With reference to your letter of 31 July...)

Mit Bezug auf Ihr Angebot mchten wir Sie bitten, ...
(With reference to your offer we would like to ask you ...)

Ich beziehe mich auf Ihre Anfrage vom 14. Februar und sende Ihnen in der Anlage ...
(In response to your enquiry of the 14th February, I enclose ...)

Ich nehme Bezug auf unser Gesprch vom 23. August

(Further to our conversation of 23 August)

Turning down a job offer

das Angebot ablehnen
(to refuse the offer)

Ich mchte Ihnen mitteilen, dass ich mich nach reiflicher berlegung leider
gezwungen sehe, Ihr Angebot abzulehnen.
(Having given your offer due consideration, I regret to say that I am forced to decline
your offer.)

Es tut mir wirklich leid, aber ich kann Ihr Angebot nicht annehmen.
(I'm very sorry but I can't accept your offer.)

Ich danke Ihnen herzlich fr die Einladung, muss aber leider ablehnen.
(I'm afraid I cannot accept your kind invitation.)

Es ist mir leider nicht mglich, das zu tun.

(I'm afraid I will not be able to do that.)

Ich bin nicht in der Lage, das zu tun.

(I am not in a position to do that.)

Ich kann Ihre Bitte nur unter grten Schwierigkeiten erfllen.

(It will be very difficult for me to fulfil your request.)

References

a reference das Zeugnis (-sse); die Referenz (-en)

a letter of recommendation das Empfehlungsschreiben
a referee die Referenz

Zeugnisse meiner frheren Arbeitgeber vorlegen

(to provide references from my previous employers)

Auf Verlangen kann ich Ihnen jederzeit Zeugnisse meiner frheren Arbeitgeber
vorlegen.
Oder: Wenn Sie wnschen, kann ich Ihnen Referenzen von frheren Arbeitgebern
vorlegen.
(I can supply references from my previous employers, if you would like them.)

Bitte setzen Sie sich nicht mit meinem derzeitigen Arbeitgeber in Verbindung.
(Please do not contact my present employers.)

Ich wre Ihnen sehr dankbar, wenn Sie mir gestatten wrden, Ihren Namen als
Referenz nennen zu drfen.
(I would very much appreciate it if I could include your name in my list of references.)

Ich habe mich fr den Sommer um eine Stelle als Kellnerin beworben und wurde jetzt
gebeten, ein Zeugnis vorzulegen. Wren Sie so freundlich, mir eines auszustellen? Ich
wre Ihnen sehr dankbar dafr.
(I have applied for a job of waitress for the summer and they have asked me to supply a
reference. I wonder if you would be kind enough to write one for me? I would be very
grateful.)

Ich wre Ihnen sehr dankbar, wenn Sie mir so bald wie mglich ein Zeugnis ber
meine Ttigkeit hier zuschicken knnten.
(I would be very grateful if you would send me a reference relating to my time here as
soon as possible.)

Ich wre Ihnen sehr verbunden, wenn Sie mir ein Empfehlungsschreiben ausstellen
knnten.
(I would be very grateful if you could write a letter of recommendation on my behalf.)

Da Sie mit meiner Arbeit vertraut sind, wre ich Ihnen dankbar, wenn Sie eine
unparteiische Einschtzung meiner Fhigkeiten geben knnten.
(As you are familiar with my work I would be grateful if you could give a fair evaluation
of my capabilities.)

jemandem als Referenz dienen

(to be a referee for somebody)

jemandem ein gutes Zeugnis ausstellen

Oder: jemandem gute Referenzen ausstellen
(to give somebody a good reference)
Man hat mich gebeten, ihm eine Referenz zu geben.
(I have been asked to write a reference for him.)

Wir wren Ihnen sehr dankbar, wenn Sie uns mitteilen knnten, ob sie Ihrer Meinung
nach fr diesen Posten geeignet ist.
(We would be grateful if you could let us know whether she is suitable for the post.)

Knnten Sie uns bitte mitteilen, ob Sie ihn fr diese Ttigkeit empfehlen knnen?
(Would you be kind enough to tell us whether you can recommend him for this post?)

Ich bin gerne bereit, Ihnen nhere Auskunft ber Ellen Bogen zu geben.
(I am happy to provide information about Ellen Bogen.)

Ich kann Ihnen Bill Anz bestens empfehlen.

(I can strongly recommend Bill Anz.)

Ich bin berzeugt, dass Harry Bo fr den Posten in Ihrer Firma sehr geeignet ist.
(I am convinced that Harry Bo is suitable for the post in your firm)

Documents

my application documents meine Bewerbungsunterlagen (pl.)

the original document das Originaldokument (-e)
a copy of a document die Zeugnisabschrift; die Zeugniskopie
an authenticated copy eine beglaubigte Kopie
medical certificate das amtsrztliche Zeugnis

You should never send the original Sie sollten nie Originaldokumente verschicken,
documents, but instead approved copies immer nur beglaubigte Kopien.

Enclosing documents

In der Anlage bersende ich Ihnen meinen Lebenslauf und Referenzen.

(Please find enclosed my C.V. and references.)
In der Anlage bersende ich Ihnen die blichen Bewerbungsunterlagen.
(I have enclosed the customary application documents.)

Aus meinem beiliegenden Lebenslauf erfahren Sie Nheres ber meine berufliche
Laufbahn.
(You will learn more about my career from the CV enclosed within.)

In der Anlage sende ich Ihnen einen Scheck ber DM X.

(I enclose a cheque for X Marks.)

Fr Ihre Rckantwort lege ich einen frankierten Umschlag bei.

(I enclose a stamped, addressed envelope for your reply.)

Ich lege einen (internationalen) Antwortschein bei.

(I enclose an international reply coupon.)

Mit getrennter Post bersende ich Ihnen ...

(I am sending under separate cover ...)

Training

training die Ausbildung

- training course - der Ausbildungskurs
- training officer - der Ausbildungsleiter
- in-house training - die betriebsinterne Ausbildung
- off-the-job training - die auerbetriebliche Ausbildung
- on-the-job training - die innerbetriebliche Ausbildung
- vocational training - die Berufsausbildung
trainee; apprentice der/die Auszubildende; der Azubi
- management trainee - der/die Management-Auszubildende

Responsibilities

Ich war verantwortlich fr die Publicity.

(I was responsible for publicity.)
 Ich bin dafr verantwortlich, dass ...
Oder: Es ist meine Aufgabe, sicherzustellen, dass ...
(I am responsible for ensuring that ...)

Meine Aufgabe innerhalb der Firma ist es, ... zu .....

(My role within the company is to ...)

Ich kmmere mich um alle Angelegenheiten, die mit ... zu tun haben.
(I deal with all matters regarding ...)

Ich war fr den tglichen Broablauf verantwortlich.

(I looked after the day-to-day running of the office.)

Zu meinen Aufgaben gehrte auerdem die Vereinbarung weiterer Termine.

(I was also responsible for arranging private appointments.)

Ein Teil meines Aufgabengebiets war ...

(One of my responsibilities was ...)

German qualifications

Diplom (Dipl.) = diploma after 5-6 years at university

Dipl.-Ing = academically qualified engineer
Dipl.-Kfm = business school graduate
Fachabitur = A Levels in a specific subject
FH = qualification from a Fachhochschule
Gesellenprfung = craftman's certificate
Lehre = apprenticeship
Meisterprfung = master craftman's certificate
Staatsexamen = first degree required before teacher training

Accommodation / relocation expenses

Wrden Sie mir bei der Wohnungssuche behilflich sein?

(Would you help me to find accommodation?)
 Wir werden Ihnen gerne behilflich sein, vorbergehende Unterkunft zu finden.
(We will help you to find temporary accommodation.)

Wir werden kostenlos vorbergehende Unterkunft fr Sie arrangieren.

(We will arrange temporary accommodation for you free of charge.)

Wrden Sie fr meine Umzugskosten aufkommen?

(Would you cover my relocation expenses?)

Wir kommen fr Umzugskosten bis zu einer Summe von ..... auf

(We will cover your relocation expenses up to ...)

Telephone and fax vocabulary

telephone das Telefon

telephone number die Telefonnummer
telephone extension die Durchwahl
extension number 213 Apparat 213
telephone box die Telefonzelle
telephone directory das Telefonbuch
Yellow Pages das Branchenverzeichnis; die Gelben Seiten
directory enquiries die (Fernsprech)auskunft
answering machine der Anrufbeantworter
recorded answerphone message der Ansagetext
cardphone das Kartentelefon
carphone das Autotelefon
cellular telephone das Funktelefon
cordless telephone das schnurlose Telefon
mobile telephone das Handy (-s)
der Funkrufempfnger;
pager
die Personenrufanlage
 Ich bin jederzeit unter der Telefonnummer 123-4567 zu erreichen.
(I can be contacted by phone at any time at the number 123-4567.)

Ich bin jederzeit ber meinen Anrufbeantworter zu erreichen.

(You can leave a message on my answering machine at any time.)

Orders and compulsion

Ich bin verpflichtet, Sie darauf hinzuweisen, dass...

(It is my duty to point out that...)

Ich sehe mich gezwungen, das zu tun.

(I am obliged / forced to do this.)

Man ist (dazu) verpflichtet, das zu tun.

(It is compulsory to do this.)

Booking accomodation (2)

accommodation die Unterkunft

"accommodation offered" "Fremdenzimmer"
"accommodation wanted" "Zimmer / Wohnung gesucht"
adjacent rooms nebeneinanderliegende Zimmer
air conditioned klimatisiert
alarm call der Weckruf
balcony der Balkon
chambermaid das Zimmermdchen
to check in sich anmelden
to check out abreisen
check-out time die Abreisezeit
conference facilities die Konferenzrumlichkeiten
conference room das Konferenzzimmer
connecting rooms angrenzende Zimmer
dining room der Speisesaal
 double room das Doppelzimmer
emergency exit der Notausgang
with en suite bathroom mit Bad
foyer die Empfangshalle
full board die Vollpension
function suite die Veranstaltungsrume
half board die Halbpension
hotel reservation die Hotelreservierung
laundry service die Wscherei
lobby die Eingangshalle
lounge der Gesellschaftsraum
meeting room der Besprechungsraum
mini-bar die Minibar
night porter der Nachtportier
non-smoking room das Nichtraucherzimmer
porter der Portier
receipt die Quittung
reception der Empfang; die Rezeption
der Empfangschef;
receptionist (male)
der Herr am Empfang
die Empfangsdame;
receptionist (female)
die Dame am Empfang
room rates die Zimmerpreise (pl.)
room service der Zimmerservice
secretarial services Schreibdienste (pl.)
single room das Einzelzimmer
sleeping accommodation for six Schlafgelegenheit fr 6 Personen
suite die Suite
twin beds zwei Einzelbetten
valet service der Reinigungsdienst

Postcodes
Germany
Germany pioneered the idea of post codes (= Postleitzahlen) back in the
early sixties, and the rest of the world imitated the concept. Under the
current system established after reunification all addresses have a five-digit
code, and letters are directed not just to cities, but to certain parts of cities.
Hence the reason why German addresses are so much shorter than British
ones - the postcode supplies all the requisite information.

Dates in German

Unlike English which has several variations (May 2, May 2nd, 2nd May etc.), dates in
German are always written the same way - der 2. Mai.

At the head of letters, the accusative form is used, preceded by the name of the place -
Exeter, den 2. Mai 2001. Dates written all in numbers are also found in German,
particularly in business letters - e.g. Exeter, den 2.5.2001.

Monday May 2nd 2001 Montag, der 2. Mai 2001

With reference to your letter of the Bezug nehmend auf Ihr Schreiben vom
2.5.2001 2.5.2001

Prepositions in dates
"On" with days and dates is translated by "an" (+ Dative) with the definite article,
conflated to "am", whether there is a definite article in English or not:

On Friday am Freitag
On May 2nd am 2. Mai
On Friday May 2nd am Freitag, den or dem 2. Mai
On the first of next month am nchsten Ersten

"In" with months is translated by "in" (+ Dative) with the definite article, conflated to
"im", whether there is a definite article in English or not:

in June im Juni
last June voriges Jahr im Juni
next June im Juni nchsten Jahres
BUT:

at the start of June Anfang Juni

in the middle of December Mitte Dezember
at the end of October Ende Oktober

When giving the year when something happened in German, the year is usually given on
its own without any preposition, although "im Jahre" can be added in more formal
language:

She died in 1963 Sie starb 1963 Sie starb im Jahre 1963

Date of birth
Current usage of "geboren" is as follows:
"Ich bin geboren" is used when no other circumstances or only the place of birth are
mentioned:

"Ich wurde geboren" is used if further circumstances, such as the date, are given:

Referring to people who are dead, either passive may be used:

I was born in Hamburg Ich bin in Hamburg geboren

I was born in 1983 in
Blubberhouses
Goethe was born in 1749 in
Frankfurt
Date of birth: 2nd May 2001
Place of birth: Hanover
Ich wurde 1983 / im Jahre 1983 in Blubberhouses
geboren
Goethe wurde / war 1749 in Frankfurt geboren
Geburtsdatum: 02.05.2001
Geburtsort: Hannover

Other phrases

From April onwards ab April; vom April an

From April 5th onwards vom 5. April an
 From next Tuesday von kommendem Dienstag an
From the 21st to the 30th vom 21. bis zum 30.
It will be ready by Friday Es wird bis Freitag fertig
It will be ready by the 12th Es wird bis zum 12. fertig
It won't be ready until Friday Es wird erst (am) Freitag fertig
Around November 15th um den 15. November (herum)
In the 1980's in den Achtzigerjahren; in den 80er-Jahren

Writing to friends

1) Writing formally to acquaintances and friends (using "Sie")

Dear Dr. Jaekel, Sehr geehrter Herr Dr. Jaekel,

Ending formula: mit freundlichen Gren,
Dear friends, Liebe Freunde,
Ending formula: mit besten Gren,

2) Writing quite informally to acquaintances and friends ("du" or "Sie")

Dear Ingrid, Liebe Ingrid,

Dear Peter, Lieber Peter,
Dear Peter and Ingrid, Liebe Ingrid, lieber Peter,
Es grt dich / Sie...,
Ending formula in each case: Herzliche Gre von deinem / Ihrem (+ Dat.)...
(followed by your own name)

When writing to two people you can also close by saying: "Viele Gre
an euch / Sie beide".

3) Writing to close friends and family ("du")

Dear Uncle Tom, Lieber Onkel Tom,

 Dear Mother and Father, Liebe Mutti, lieber Vati,
Dear Peter and Ingrid, Liebe Ingrid, lieber Peter,
- Liebe Gre von ... (+ Dative),
Possible ending formulae: - Viele liebe Gre
- Viele Gre und Ksse von deinem / eurem ...(+ Dat.)

Please note that as of August 1998, the second person singular and
plural ("du" and "ihr") and their various forms ("dich", "dir" and
"euch") are no longer written with an initial capital letter in letters.

The polite form "Sie" is however still written with a capital letter.

Envelope layout

1) Basic rules
There are some basic rules to be adhered to when writing the name and address on
an envelope. These are:

1) Make sure that the address is written flush left - i.e. that the first letters of each
line are written directly beneath each other.
2) The street name (= "b" in our graphic) should be placed on the last line but two
when writing to a foreign country, and on the last line but one when writing to an
addressee in the same country as you.

3) The postcode and city/region (= "c" and "d" in our graphic) should be placed on
the last line but one when writing to a foreign country, and on the very last line
when writing to an addressee in the same country as you.

Separate the postcode and the city/region by a single space. When writing to a
German-speaking country from Britain you should always include the international
abbreviation.

4) The country to which you are writing should go on the very last line of a letter
abroad.

5) Do not underline any part of the address or use any graphics.

6) The Austrian post office's guide to addressing an envelope states that no blank
lines should be included on an envelope. In typed or printed business mail however
there is often a blank line before the place on an envelope.

2) "Absender"
When sending a letter, you should always put your own name and address on the
envelope. Many companies print this on the top left corner of the front of the envelope,
but if you do this, make sure that this is printed in small lettering so as not to distract
from the address of the person to whom you are sending the letter!

On handwritten envelopes, most Germans write their own address on the back, preceded
by the word "Absender:".

International Postcodes
International abbreviations
As well as the four/five digit postcodes which determine cities and regions, you should
also preface the postcode on a letter heading overseas with the appropriate international
abbreviation (= internationales Kennzeichen) for the country where the addressee lives.

Thus a letter to Germany might bear the postcode: D-05067.

A letter to Austria might bear the postcode: A-9010.
A letter to Switzerland might bear the postcode: CH-4012.
A letter to Liechtenstein might bear the postcode: FL-9490.

The following countries would prefer you to include their international abbreviation in
letters posted from overseas:

A Austria L Luxembourg
B Belgium LT Lithuania
BG Bulgaria LV Latvia
CH Switzerland MC Monaco
CY Cyprus MD Moldova
CZ Czech Republic MK Macedonia
D Germany N Norway
DK Denmark P Portugal
E Spain PL Poland
EE Estonia RD Dominican Republic
F France RO Romania
FIN Finland RSM San Marino
FL Liechtenstein S Sweden
FO Faroe Islands SI Slovenia
GR Greece SK Slovakia
H Hungary TN Tunisia
HR Croatia TR Turkey
HT Haiti V Vatican City
I Italy YU Yugoslavia
IS Iceland
When sending a letter from one place in Germany to another, there is no need to add the
international abbreviation.

How to write a CV

Introduction
As with the letter of application, a German CV should be brief - one side, at most two.
Unless otherwise stipulated, the CV should be typewritten and set out as a table (= "der
tabellarische Lebenslauf"). Thus the requisite headings should appear on the left of the
page followed on the right by a brief keyword description of your personal details. The
advantages for an employer are clear: the information is clearly set out, and comparisons
between candidates are much easier.

The following information should be included (usually in this order):

1) Personal data ("die persnlichen Daten")

(Full) name Name:

Address Anschrift:
Telephone number Telefonnummer:
Date of birth Geburtsdatum:
Place of birth Geburtsort:
Marital status Familienstand:
Number of children Kinderzahl:

2) School Education
List all the schools which you attended and the years that you were
there. After the name of each school, it would make sense to indicate
in German which type of establishment this was - e.g. "Grundschule",
"Gymnasium".

You should also list all qualifications gained, again followed by the
appopriate German equivalent in brackets - e.g. "Abitur", "Mittlere
Reife". See the specific vocabulary section for help in this.

3) University career ("das Studium")

Name and location of university Name und Ort der Universitt:

Subject(s) studied Studienfach:
 (Main emphasis of studies) (Schwerpunkt:)
(Subject of dissertation) (Diplomarbeitsthema:)
Level of qualification Akademischer Grad:
(Expected academic grade) (Angestrebter akademischer Grad:)

You might also wish to list:

Terms spent abroad Auslandssemester:

Year spent abroad Auslandsjahr:
Postgraduate Studies Postgraduierte Studien:
Awards Frderpreise:
Publications Verffentlichungen:

4) Work experience ("Berufliche Ttigkeiten; Berufserfahrung")

List any jobs which you have already had, and the dates of each employment. Although
you may not have had much work experience at this point, the more jobs you can supply,
the more active a person you appear.

5) Other skills ("Besondere Kenntnisse")

Or in other words, anything impressive which you haven't managed to fit into the
previous categories. This should include knowledge of foreign languages
("Sprachkenntnisse"), other than those which you have indicated on your earlier degree
information. Be as specific as possible. The phrase "zwei Jahre Spanischunterricht" is
less likely to convince a company than an honest assessment of your actual standard - e.g.
"Grundkenntnisse in Italienisch" (a basic knowledge of Italian).

It is better still to mention specific certificates which you have attained, particularly if
they are business-related such as the "Cambridge Certificate for International Business
and Trade". If you have attended a "Business German" course at the Foreign Language
Centre, here would be the ideal place to mention it!

Other skills which you might care to mention:

Computer skills PC-Kenntnisse:

Multimedia skills Multimedia-Kenntnisse:
Driving licence Fhrerschein:
6) Hobbies ("Hobbys")

Be sensible here - the aim is to show that you are a well-balanced individual with cultural
and sporting inclinations and NOT somebody with so many extracurricular activities that
work responsibilties would merely get in the way of your social life.

Try to reduce the number of hobbies that you list to ones where you held positions of
responsibility or achieved something tangible - e.g. Mitgliedschaft in universitren und
aueruniversitren Vereinen (= membership of university societies and non-university
groupings).

7) Date and place ("Ort und Datum")

At the bottom of your CV you should give the name of the town in which you are writing
the form, followed by a comma and the date - e.g. "Exeter, 01.10.2000".

8) Signature ("Unterschrift")
Finally sign your CV in your own handwriting and on the left-hand side of the page.
Beneath that you should then print your name.

9) Photograph ("Lichtbild")
If there is not a specific place on an application form for a photograph of yourself then
you should attach one on the first page of the CV, if possible in the top right hand corner.
German employers tend to be quite picky about the quality of picture required - the
quality of picture is deemed to correspond to the seriousness of your application.

A passport picture will NOT suffice, and it should be slightly larger than that in size (4 x
5cm). Whether you choose a colour or a black and white picture is a matter of taste.

The photograph

The photograph "Das Lichtbild"

If there is not a specific place on an application form for a photograph of yourself then
you should affix one on the first page of the CV, if possible in the top right hand corner.
German employers tend to be quite picky about the quality of picture required - the
quality of picture is deemed to correspond to the seriousness of your application. A
passport picture will not suffice, and it should be slightly bigger than this in size (4 x
5cm). Whether you choose a colour or a black and white picture is a matter of taste.

On the letter of application itself, you should list the picture as one of the items enclosed,
even if it is attached to the CV.

photograph das Lichtbild (-er); das Bewerbungsfoto (-s)

passport photo das Passfoto
picture from a photo booth das Automatenfoto
black and white picture das Schwarzweifoto
 colour picture das Farbfoto

Das Lichtbild auf dem Bewerbungsbogen leicht ankleben!

(Please stick the picture onto the application form.)

Das Lichtbild stellt den ersten optischen Eindruck Ihrer Person dar.
(The photograph gives the first visual impression of your character.)

Vocabulary - Curriculum vitae

General phrases

der Lebenslauf
(curriculum vitae)

Anbei sende ich Ihnen meinen Lebenslauf

(Please find enclosed my C.V.)

Wie Sie meinem Lebenslauf entnehmen knnen, habe ich schon in Deutschland
gearbeitet.
(As you will see from my C.V., I have worked in Germany before.)

Aus meinem beiliegenden Lebenslauf erfahren Sie Nheres ber meine akademische
Laufbahn.
(You will learn more about my academic career from the C.V. enclosed within.)

Documents

my application documents meine Bewerbungsunterlagen (pl.)

the original document das Originaldokument (-e)
a copy of a document die Zeugnisabschrift; die Zeugniskopie
an authenticated copy eine beglaubigte Kopie
medical certificate das amtsrztliche Zeugnis
You should never send the original Sie sollten nie Originaldokumente verschicken,
documents, but instead approved copies immer nur beglaubigte Kopien.

Qualifications - general

die Qualifikationen (pl.)

(qualifications)

Meine Qualifikationen sind folgende:

(My qualifications are briefly as follows:)

Ich habe die erforderlichen Qualifikationen fr die Stelle.

(I have the necessary qualifications for the job.)

Ich beendete meine schulische Laufbahn 1999.

(I left school in 1999.)

Ich graduierte von der Universitt Exeter in dem Fach moderne Sprachen (Deutsch &
Franzsisch).
(I graduated from Exeter University with a degree in Modern Languages (German &
French).)

University vocabulary

Exeter University die Universitt Exeter

at Exeter University an der Universitt Exeter
to enrol at a university sich an einer Universitt einschreiben
first-year student Student(in) im ersten Jahr
during the summer vacation whrend der Sommersemesterferien
before starting University bevor ich mit meinem Universittsstudium begann
after graduating in 1999 nach meiner Graduierung 1999

Als Teil meines Universittsstudiums wrde ich gerne 6 Monate in Deutschland

arbeiten.
As part of my university course, I would like to work in Germany for approximately 6
months.
Ich graduierte von der Universitt Exeter in dem Fach moderne Sprachen (Deutsch &
Franzsisch).
I graduated from Exeter University with a degree in Modern Languages (German &
French).

Work experience

"previous employment" "berufliche Ttigkeiten"

die Arbeitsplatzbeschreibung job description
die Berufsbezeichnung job title
der Ferienjob (-s) holiday job
Dienstjahre (pl.) length of service

Meine offizielle Berufsbezeichnung ist ...

(My official job title is ...)

Ich arbeite zur Zeit in diesem Bereich.

(I am currently working in this field.)

Ich bin seit 5 Jahren hier ttig.

(I have been working here for 5 years.)

Ich bin seit 1998 in dieser Stelle.

(I started the job in 1998.)

Seit vier Jahren bin ich als Sekretrin in einer aufstrebenden kleinen Firma ttig.
(I have been a secretary in a small but ambitious company for 4 years.)

Die letzten sechs Jahre war ich in der Exportabteilung von EMI ttig.
(I was working in the export dept. of EMI for the last 6 years.)

Ich habe die ntige Erfahrung fr diese Stelle.

(I have the necessary experience for this job.)
Erfahrung in diesem Bereich ist erwnscht, aber nicht unbedingt erforderlich.
(Experience in the field is preferable but not essential.)

Ich verfge ber Berufserfahrung in der Werbebranche.

(I have experience of working in advertising.)

Ich verfge ber 2 Jahre Broerfahrung.

Oder: Ich habe zwei Jahre Broerfahrung.
(I have 2 years experience of office work.)

Ich habe drei Jahre Erfahrung in diesem Bereich.

(I have 3 years experience of this kind of work.)

viel Berufserfahrung im Bankwesen haben

(to have a lot of experience in banking)

Ich habe zwar keine Erfahrung auf diesem speziellen Fachgebiet, habe aber ...
(Although I have no experience of this type of work, I have ....)

Ich bin ausgebildeter Ingenieur.

(I was trained as an engineer.)

Durch die dadurch gewonnenen Erfahrungen bin ich mit den Aufgaben einer
Sekretrin bestens vertraut.
(Thanks to this experience I am thoroughly familiar with the job of secretary.)

Ich habe mehrere Ferienjobs ausgebt.

(I have had many holiday jobs.)

in meiner Funktion als Richter

Oder: in meiner Eigenschaft als Richter
(in my function as judge)

Curriculum vitae:
things to include

abroad: im Ausland:
- year abroad - das Auslandsjahr
- term abroad - das Auslandssemester
activities: Ttigkeiten (pl.):
- activities outside work - nebenberufliche Ttigkeiten
- cultural activities - kulturelle Ttigkeiten
- sporting activities - sportliche Ttigkeiten
address die Anschrift
birth: die Geburt:
- date of birth - das Geburtsdatum
- place of birth - der Geburtsort
dissertation die Diplomarbeit
- dissertation topic - das Diplomarbeitsthema
education: die Ausbildung:
- school education - die Schulbildung
- university education - das Studium
"enclosed" "Anlage"
grant (university) das Stipendium
job experience berufliche Ttigkeiten (pl.)
marital status: der Familienstand:
- single - unverheiratet; ledig
- married - verheiratet
mark: die Note:
- overall mark - die Gesamtnote
membership die Mitgliedschaft
name: der Name:
- full name - der vollstndige Name
photograph das Lichtbild
postgraduate studies postgraduatierte Studien (pl.)
skills: Kenntnisse (pl.):
- computer skills - PC-Kenntnisse (pl.)
- language skills - Fremdsprachenkenntnisse (pl.)
- multimedia skills - Multimedia-Kenntnisse (pl.)
- other skills - sonstige Kenntnisse (pl.)
 society, club: der Verein:
- a University society - ein universitrer Verein
- a non-University society - ein aueruniversitrer Verein
subject studied das Studienfach
telephone number die Telefonnummer
work experience das Praktikum

Enclosing documents

In der Anlage bersende ich Ihnen meinen Lebenslauf und Referenzen.

(Please find enclosed my C.V. and references.)

In der Anlage bersende ich Ihnen die blichen Bewerbungsunterlagen.

(I have enclosed the customary application documents.)

Aus meinem beiliegenden Lebenslauf erfahren Sie Nheres ber meine berufliche
Laufbahn.
(You will learn more about my career from the CV enclosed within.)

In der Anlage sende ich Ihnen einen Scheck ber DM X.

(I enclose a cheque for X Marks.)

Fr Ihre Rckantwort lege ich einen frankierten Umschlag bei.

(I enclose a stamped, addressed envelope for your reply.)

Ich lege einen (internationalen) Antwortschein bei.

(I enclose an international reply coupon.)

Mit getrennter Post bersende ich Ihnen ...

(I am sending under separate cover ...)

English qualifications

O Levels, GCSEs, Standard

die mittlere Reife
Grades
 das Abitur (in Germany);
A Levels, Higher Grades
die Matura (in Austria, Switzerland)
A Levels/Highers in German, Abitur/Matura in den Fchern Deutsch,
French, Maths Franzsisch, Mathematik
a degree (in ...) akademischer Abschluss (in ...)
a diploma in industrial
Diplom in Betriebsfhrung
management
zweijhriges Studium an einer technischen
OND (in ...)
Fachschule (in...)
dreijhriges Studium an einer technischen
HND (in ...)
Fachschule (in...)
MA (in ...) der M.A. (in ...)
der MBA (Magister in
MBA
Betriebswirtschaftslehre)
MSc Magister der Naturwissenschaften (in ...)
PhD (in...) Dr. (der / des ...)

Language skills

Englisch ist meine Muttersprache.

(English is my first language.)

Haben Sie irgendwelche Sprachkenntnisse?

(Do you know any languages?)

Ich habe gute mndliche und schriftliche deutsche Sprachkenntnisse.

(I speak and write German well.)

Ich spreche flieend Deutsch.

(I speak fluent German.)

Meine Deutschkenntnisse sind ziemlich eingerostet.

(My German is a little rusty.)

Mein Handelsdeutsch erwarb ich am Goethe-Institut in London.

(I learned business German at the Goethe Institute in London.)
 Ich habe gute Anfangskenntnisse im Italienischen.
(I have some knowledge of Italian.)

Ich habe Grundkenntnisse in Russisch.

(I have a working knowledge of Russian.)

Ich habe Kurse in Spanisch und Franzsisch mit Erfolg belegt.

(I have successfully taken courses in Spanish and French.)

Ich kann Schwedisch lesen.

(I can read Swedish.)

Ich verstehe kein Griechisch.

(I don't understand Greek.)

Ich mchte meine Sprachkenntnisse verbessern.

(I want to improve my language.)

Ich wrde meine Sprachkenntnisse gerne etwas mehr einsetzen.

(I would like to make better use of my languages.)

deutschen Sprachunterricht erteilen

(to give German lessons)

einen Text aus dem Deutschen ins Englische bersetzen.

(to translate a text from German into English)

Ich kann nicht gut bersetzen.

(I'm not very good at translation.)

die zweisprachige Sekretrin

(bilingual secretary)

Types of work

to work arbeiten
- to work in advertising - in der Werbebranche arbeiten
 - to work in banking
- to work in the hotel
industry
- to work in publishing
holiday job
- I have had many holiday
jobs
work placement
- to go on a work placement
full-time job
- full-time occupation
- to work full-time
part-time job
- part-time worker
- I'm only working part-time
- employed part-time
- Can I do the job part-time?
- She only teaches part-time
self-employed
- a self-employed person
- to be self-employed
freelance work for a
publisher
short-time work
employee / white-collar
worker
skilled worker
- semi-skilled worker
- unskilled worker
employer
- equal opportunities
employer
- im Bankwesen ttig sein
- in der Hotelbranche arbeiten
- im Verlagswesen arbeiten
der Ferienjob (-s)
- Ich habe mehrere Ferienjobs ausgebt
das Praktikum
- ein Praktikum absolvieren
die Ganztagsstelle; die ganztgige Arbeit
- die Ganztagsbeschftigung
- ganztgig arbeiten
der Teilzeitjob (-s); die Teilzeitarbeit;
die Teilzeitbeschftigiung (-en)
- der/die Teilzeitbeschftigte
- Ich arbeite nur Teilzeit
- teilzeitbeschftigt
- Kann ich auf Teilzeit arbeiten?
- Sie unterrichtet nur stundenweise
freiberuflich; selbstndig
- der Freiberufler; die Freiberuflerin
- freiberuflich fr eine Firma arbeiten
freie Mitarbeit bei einem Verlag
die Kurzarbeit
der/die Angestellte
der Facharbeiter
- die angelernte Arbeitskraft
- der ungelernte Arbeiter; die ungelernte
Arbeiterin
der Arbeitgeber
- ein Arbeitgeber, der Chancengleichheit
praktiziert
Skills

skills Kenntnisse (pl.)

computer skills
- data processing skills
- I am familiar with word
processors
- I am familiar with Word 6.0
- I am familiar with DataBase3
I can type well
- typing speed
- typewritten
driving licence
- I've lost my driving licence
my organisational ability
my sound knowledge of the field
to come up to your expectations
PC-Kenntnisse (pl.)
- EDV-Kenntnisse (pl.)
- Ich bin mit der Textverarbeitung vertraut
- Textverarbeitung (Word 6.0) ist mir
gelufig
- DataBase3 ist mir gelufig
Ich kann gut Maschine schreiben
- die Schreibgeschwindigkeit
- Maschine geschrieben
der Fhrerschein
- mir wurde der Fhrerschein entzogen
mein organisatorisches Knnen
meine fundierten Sachkenntnisse (pl.)
Ihren Erwartungen entsprechen

Ich bin stets bemht, meine beruflichen Kenntnisse zu verbessern.

(I have always tried to improve my career skills.)

Ich besuchte Kurse in Betriebswirtschaft und Datenverarbeitung.

(I have taken courses in business management and data processing.)

Ich habe einen Abendkurs in Broorganisation belegt.

(I have taken a night-school course in office management.)

Spezialkenntnisse (pl.) auf dem Fachgebiet der Psychologie

(Special knowledge in the field of psychology)

Ich bin sicher, dass ich alle mir anvertrauten Aufgaben als Sekretrin zu Ihrer vollsten
Zufriedenheit ausben wrde.
(I am confident that I could fulfil all the tasks which you would require of a secretary.)
Sie hat die ihr bertragenen Aufgaben stets zur vollsten Zufriedenheit erledigt.
(She carried out her work to our complete satisfaction.)

Personal qualities

competent kompetent
conscientious gewissenhaft
hard-working fleiig
punctual pnktlich
reliable zuverlssig
trustworthy vertrauenswrdig

Ich bin kontaktfreudig.

(I am an outgoing person.)

Er ist ein uerst zuverlssiger Mitarbeiter.

(He is a thoroughly reliable worker.)

Ich habe Freude am selbstndigen Arbeiten.

(I like taking responsibility.)

Ich bin pflichtbewusst.

(I have a sense of responsibility.)

Im Umgang mit seinen Kollegen zeigte er sich stets hilfsbereit.

(He was always helpful to his colleagues.)

meine sorgfltige Arbeitsweise

(a careful approach to my work)

German qualifications
 Diplom (Dipl.) = diploma after 5-6 years at university
Dipl.-Ing = academically qualified engineer
Dipl.-Kfm = business school graduate
Fachabitur = A Levels in a specific subject
FH = qualification from a Fachhochschule
Gesellenprfung = craftman's certificate
Lehre = apprenticeship
Meisterprfung = master craftman's certificate
Staatsexamen = first degree required before teacher training

Training

training die Ausbildung

- training course - der Ausbildungskurs
- training officer - der Ausbildungsleiter
- in-house training - die betriebsinterne Ausbildung
- off-the-job training - die auerbetriebliche Ausbildung
- on-the-job training - die innerbetriebliche Ausbildung
- vocational training - die Berufsausbildung
trainee; apprentice der/die Auszubildende; der Azubi
- management trainee - der/die Management-Auszubildende

Responsibilities

Ich war verantwortlich fr die Publicity.

(I was responsible for publicity.)

Ich bin dafr verantwortlich, dass ...

Oder: Es ist meine Aufgabe, sicherzustellen, dass ...
(I am responsible for ensuring that ...)

Meine Aufgabe innerhalb der Firma ist es, ... zu .....

(My role within the company is to ...)

Ich kmmere mich um alle Angelegenheiten, die mit ... zu tun haben.
 (I deal with all matters regarding ...)

Ich war fr den tglichen Broablauf verantwortlich.

(I looked after the day-to-day running of the office.)

Zu meinen Aufgaben gehrte auerdem die Vereinbarung weiterer Termine.

(I was also responsible for arranging private appointments.)

Ein Teil meines Aufgabengebiets war ...

(One of my responsibilities was ...)

Model CV (1)

Lebenslauf

Name: Martina Mustermann

Anschrift: Im Spektefeld 23

D-13307 Berlin

Telefonnummer: 0123/45678

Geburtsdatum: 5. Juni 1983

Geburtsort: Halle

Eltern: Erwin Mustermann, Maurermeister

Lena Mustermann, Erzieherin

September 1989 - Juli 1993 Erich-Kstner-

Schulbildung:
Grundschule Musterstadt
 September 1993 - Juli 1995 Pestalozzi-Hauptschule
Musterstadt

seit September 1995 Hermann-Hesse-Realschule

Musterstadt

Schulabschluss: Mittlere Reife voraussichtlich im Juli 1999

Lieblingsfcher: Mathematik, Englisch

Auerschulische seit Juni 1996 Leiterin der Jugendgruppe "Kleine

Ttigkeiten: Schwalben"

Juli 1998 Betriebspraktikum bei der Wieauchimmer

GmbH

Besondere Kenntnisse: Maschinenschreiben

Textverarbeitung mit Word for Windows

Hobbys: Tanzen, Lesen

Berufswunsch: Industriekauffrau

Musterstadt, 1. Oktober 1998

(handschriftlich unterschreiben)

Model CV (2)

Lebenslauf

Harry Kearie
 Alexandrinenstrae 43a

D-10969 Berlin

Tel: 030/123 4567

Geboren: 15.9.1962 in Braunschweig

Familienstand: Verheiratet seit 1990, 3 Kinder

Schulbildung: 5 Jahre Grundschule in Lbeck

9 Jahre Pestalozzi-Gymnasium Lbeck

Abitur 1980

Studium: Chemie und Physik

Universitt Gieen

1983-1989

Berufliche Ttigkeiten: Juli 1989 - Juni 1991

Auslandsaufenthalt New York

Freie Mitarbeit bei Reuters News Agency

Seit Juli 1991

Personaldirektor bei der Spielwarenfirma

Kinderschreck GmbH in Berlin-Neuklln

Kenntnisse: PC-Kenntnisse (Textverarbeitung und Tabellenkalulation)

Gute mndliche und schriftliche englische und

franzsische Sprachkenntnisse

Anfangskenntnisse Japanisch

Fhrerschein Klasse 3

Berlin, 2. Mai 1997

(handschriftlich unterschrieben)

Model CV (3)

LEBENSLAUF

NAME: Duncan George Disorderly

ANSCHRIFT: 12 Letsby Avenue

Exeter EX2 4QQ

England

Tel:(0044) 1392 987654

E-Mail: D.Disorderly@exeter.ac.uk

GEBURTSDATUM: 19.06.1975

GEBURTSORT: Sellafield, England

AUSBILDUNG:

1986-1993 Queen Mary's Girls School, Sellafield

(Gymnasium)

Mai 1993 4 A Levels: German, French, Maths, Physics

(Abitur in 4 Fchern: Deutsch, Franzsisch,

Mathematik, Physik)

1993-1997 BSc in Mechanical Engineering II.1

(Diplom in Maschinenbau)

Universitt Exeter

1997-1998 Master of Business Administration

(Magister in Betriebswirtschaftslehre)

Universitt Exeter

BERUFLICHE
TTIGKEITEN:

Juni 1998 - Juli 1998 Trainee Salesman (Firmenpraktikant)

Marko Tredup KG, Hamburg

Juli 1998 - heute Deputy Export Manager

(Stellvertretender Leiter der Exportabteilung)

 Rancid Scones Ltd., Exeter

HOBBYS: In meiner Freizeit leite ich eine Jugendgruppe

SPRACHKENNTNISSE: Englisch (Muttersprache)

Deutsch (flieend)

Franzsisch (gute mndliche und schriftliche

Kenntnisse)

WEITERE
PC-Kenntnisse
INFORMATIONEN:

Fhrerschein

Model CV (4)

Lebenslauf

Persnliche Daten

Name: Nina Muster

Adresse: Musterstr. 5

12345 Musterstadt

Telefon: 0814 / 4711

Geburtsdatum: 5.10.1981
Geburtsort: Musterstadt

Staatsangehrigkeit: deutsch

Familienstand: ledig

Eltern: Vater: Felix Muster, Bauingenieur

Mutter: Beate Muster, geb. Glck, Hausfrau

Geschwister: Bruder: Dennis Muster

Geboren am: 13.05.1985

Schulische Daten

September 1987 - Juli 1991: Musterschule Musterhausen

Seit September 1991: Gymnasium von Musterhausen

Juni 1999: Schulabschlu Abitur

Lieblingsfcher: Physik, Mathematik, Geschichte

Fremdsprachenkenntnisse

Englisch gut, Grundkenntnisse in Franzsisch und Italienisch

Nina Muster

Musterstadt, 22.12.1998

Asking if work is available

Model Letter 1

Peter Maier
Rosenstrae 3
Musterstadt
Telefon 1 23 / 6 78
Firma XY
Geschftsfhrung
Herrn Jrg Klein
Detmolder Strae 3
40213 Dsseldorf

Beispielstadt, den 17. Januar 1999

Meine Bewerbung bei der XXXXX

Sehr geehrter Herr Klein,

Ihre Gesellschaften gehren zu einem der grten und wachstumsstrksten Unternehmen

der Branche und bieten in Anzeigen immer wieder attraktive Aufgaben an. Ich knnte
mir vorstellen, da Ihr Haus qualifizierten Fach- und Fhrungskrften auch darber
hinaus interessante Perspektiven aufzeigen kann. Deshalb bewerbe ich mich bei Ihrer
Unternehmensgruppe.

Als Volljurist und gelernter "Sachmann" mit fundierten und zugleich vielseitigen
Erfahrungen in der Branche, im Innen- und Auendienst, interessiere ich mich fr eine
neue Aufgabe bei einem namhaften xxxx. Zehn Jahre bei der xxxx und etwa zweieinhalb
Jahre bei einem xxxx Unternehmen sind meine Ausgangsposition.

Fr den Einstieg stelle ich mir vor, eine Funktion im Auendienst zu bernehmen und
denke dabei an den Vertrieb fr den privaten oder industriell, gewerblichen Bereich. So
knnte ich wieder an meine bei der xxxx ausgebten Ttigkeit anknpfen.

Aber auch ein anderer Weg, mit der Chance, Neues dazuzulernen, wrde mich sehr
reizen. Vielleicht ergibt sich vor dem Hintergrund der aktuellen Entwicklung auf dem
Gebiet des xxxx eine solche Mglichkeit im Bereich xxxx. Einschlgige
Berufserfahrungen auf diesem Gebiet sind bei mir vorhanden.

Gerne sende ich Ihnen, wie telefonisch vereinbart, mit diesem Schreiben meine
Bewerbungsunterlagen. Ich wrde mich sehr freuen, wenn Sie die Einsatzmglichkeiten
fr mich in Ihrem Hause prfen knnten.

Mit freundlichen Gren

xxxx

Anlagen: Lichtbild, Lebenslauf, Zeugniskopie

How good is this application?

Good unsolicited applications are personalised - i.e. the intended addressee of the letter is
mentioned with both Christian name and surname in the firm's address. By simply
writing to "the management", the applicant sends a negative signal. He has clearly not
taken time to investigate the company and find out the name of its employees.

In unsolicited applications, the letter-writer must seek the shortest possible path to the
decision-maker in the department in which he seeks to work. Writing directly to a Head
of Department often yields more positive results in Germany than simple writing to
personnel departments.

The reason for writing (Betreffzeile) is not punchy enough. The name of the firm can be
taken for granted - why does the applicant not simply write "Bewerbung Vertriebsleiter"
(Application for the post of Sales Manager), thus immediately telling the recipient which
post he is interested in?

As there as already been telephone contact between applicant and addressee, the
"Betreffzeile" should be completed by the line "Unser Telefonat vom ..." (Re: Our
telephone call of ...) so as to remind the recipient that he knows this man. This letter-
writer only mentions the phone call in the final paragraph - by which time the company
representative may well have thrown his letter in the bin!

And if we assume that the function of the telephone call was to see if the firm needed a
sales manager, the opening paragraph is very vague and does not suggest that the
applicant knows that an opportunity might be available. A much better opening paragraph
would therefore be: "Sie teilten mir mit, dass Sie im Bereich der gewerblich /
industriellen Kunden expandieren wollen. Hierbei knnte ich Sie durch meine
langjhrige Erfahrung auf diesem Gebiet untersttzen. Daher bewerbe ich mich."

The main function of a letter of application should be to communicate the applicant's

experience and skills as concisely and punchily as possible. Here again our letter-writer is
found wanting, using too many relative clauses and over-complex sentences. The reader's
attention naturally wanders, particularly if he/she has to read many such letters per day.
Crisp (German) sentences should ideally be no longer than eight or nine words.

Another error on behalf of the letter-writer is to talk in too much detail about the benefits
of a new job for him. He should instead concentrate upon delineating what expertise he
can offer the company. In unsolicited applications at least three positions of responsibility
which the applicant has held should be mentioned - but only if they are relevant to the
post itself

Perhaps the most serious mistake is in the fourth paragraph, where the applicant undoes
all his good work by suggesting another area in the company in which he would be
prepared to work. In trying to display his flexibility, he instead inadvertently signals both
career uncertainty and a degree of desperation to the reader! For clarity's sake, stick to
applying for one particular post.
The idea of listing the enclosed items next to each other, instead of beneath each other as
is usual, is perfectly acceptable in longish letters where the dangers of going on to a new
sheet of paper is present.

Model Letter 2

How effective is this letter of application?

The form of letter heading is very compact and provides more room for the main body of
the text - a detail depiction of the person applying for the post. It is by no means the most
conventional of letter headings, but as formal requirements are met, it is acceptable.

BUT there is no "Betreffzeile" - the brief key-word explanation of the purpose of the
letter which should come before the body of the text. A minus point! Nor has the
applicant remembered to list the documents which she has enclosed - another black mark.

To the content: A plus point is the way in which the text is split up into clear and concise
sections, which makes it easy to read. Note too how the writer of the letter relates the
various elements of her career so as to give a clear sense of purpose and direction. The
application for this job thus seems like a logical conclusion, and not a whim.

Equally strong is the reference in the first line to a concrete episode, a conversation which
the applicant had with the person to whom she is writing (and the fact what she has
remembered her name is another advantage!).

The conclusion of the letter is not exactly creative - but then there are no prizes for
creativity in letters of application. The traditional formulae of greetings and good wishes
are a safe option - particularly for non-native German speakers!

Translation of Anna Morgner's letter of application

Dear Ms Haupt,

We have already exchanged initial details at your company's "Milk Round" presentation
at the University of Cologne on the 6th May 1997. I was especially pleased to discover
how much emphasis you placed on personality as opposed to the by now standard
intellectual excellence. For in all my activities I have concentrated precisely upon
personality development. Thus I was able to complete my psychology degree with a very
high level of success and graduated from business school in eight terms.

In order to not only possess theoretical knowledge, I looked for practical challenges,
avoiding the circuitous route. In my function as assistant to the commercial manager of
the Bau GmbH, I was required to display not only my knowledge of the field but above
all social competence in completing the tasks allocated to me and a good deal of common
sense. How good it is therefore that the motto of the "Kaufbank" is thinking on your feet.
In my capacity as assistant, I fulfilled tasks on projects such as the introduction of a new
accounting system for building-sites, but also carried out the myriad chores of everyday
working life. In accordance with my special subjects, my dissertation topic centred on the
area of financing and investment accounting. the dissertation title "The private financing
of municipal properties" and my specialised subjects of investment / financing and
banking complement each other to form the perfect basis for starting out with the
"Kaufbank".

As a continuation of my previous efforts and of the possibilities for development offered

by the "Kaufbank" through its focus on the areas of financing and real estate, I would like
to start climbing the career ladder with you. The "Kaufbank", which requires charisma
and the ability to think on your feet, and myself, who can offer both of these qualities,
make a perfect combination in my eyes.

If you also see it this way, I would be grateful for the opportunity of an interview.

Yours faithfully,

Anna Morgner

Model Letter 3

Guildo Horn
Dieffenbachstrae 28
D-10967 Berlin

Frau
Christiane Schindler
Fremdspracheninstitut
Bettinastrae 9-11
D-14193 Berlin

Berlin, 5. November 1998

Bewerbung

Sehr geehrte Frau Schindler,

von meinem Kollegen Ben Dover, der bis vor kurzem bei Ihnen beschftigt war, wei
ich, dass Sie im kommenden Mrz neue Mitarbeiter einstellen wollen.

Ich bin derzeit als Lehrer fr Deutsch als Fremdsprache bei einem Fremdspracheninstitut
in Potsdam beschftigt. Da mein Vertrag jedoch auf Ende Dezember dieses Jahres
befristet ist, suche ich nach einem neuen Bettigungsfeld.
Wie Sie meinem Lebenslauf entnehmen knnen, bringe ich die notwendigen
Qualifikationen sowie einschlgige Berufserfahrung mit.

Zu einem Vorstellungsgesprch stehe ich ab dem 18. Dezember jederzeit zur Verfgung.
Sie knnen mich ab diesem Datum unter der folgenden Adresse erreichen:

c/o Strittmatter
Herzbergstrae 79
D-10365 Berlin
Tel: (030) 5 47 20

Mit freundlichen Gren

(handschriftlich unterschrieben)

Guildo Horn

Anlage

Model Letter 4

Claudia Schiffer
Niederwallstrae 10
70715 Stuttgart

Softwarehaus
Fiducia AG
Dieselstrae 1
76227 Karlsruhe

Stuttgart, 23. Mrz 1999

Bewerbung

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

ich wende mich an Sie in der Hoffnung, dass Sie mir eventuell eine Stelle anbieten
knnen. Wie Sie meinem Lebenslauf entnehmen knnen, verfge ich ber betrchtliche
Berufserfahrung. Ich bin derzeit auf der Basis eines demnchst auslaufenden Zeitvertrags
bei der Firma Evocom Informationssysteme GmbH in Stuttgart ttig und habe nun den
Wunsch, in einem kleinen Team hier im Karlsruher Raum zu arbeiten.

Ich hoffe, von Ihnen zu hren, und wrde Ihnen gerne auch Arbeitsproben vorlegen.
Mit freundlichen Gren
(handschriftlich unterschrieben)

Claudia Schiffer

Anlage

Asking for references

Which referees should I ask?

References ("Referenzen, Zeugnisse")

The references which you supply should portray you in as positive a light as possible. As
in Britain you should choose as referees people who can vouch for your personal qualities
or who can provide an overview of youe academic / working skills, such as teachers,
lecturers or previous employers.

As such, the referees whom you choose should be credible witnesses whose title and
position within society would boost your application. Remember to ask for their
permission first!

Asking someone to give a reference

Letter asking for permission to give a person's name as a referee

Sehr geehrter Herr Professor Dermech,

ich mchte mich als Auendienstmitarbeiter bei Newag Papier GmbH in Salzburg
bewerben. Ich wre Ihnen daher sehr dankbar, wenn Sie mir gestatten wrden, Ihren
Namen als Referenz nennen zu drfen.

Da Sie mit meiner Arbeit bei Consilium Agentur GmbH in Heidelberg vertraut sind, wre
ich Ihnen dankbar, wenn Sie eine unparteiische Einschtzung meiner Fhigkeiten geben
knnten.

Anbei sende ich Ihnen einen frankierten und adressierten Briefumschlag fr Ihre
Rckantwort.

Mit freundlichen Gren

Walter Wall-Carpeting
Asking someone to send a reference to an employer

Letter asking a referee to send a reference directly to a potential employer

Sehr geehrter Frau Kovacec,

ich bewerbe mich um den Posten der zweisprachigen Fremdsprachensekretrin bei Haut
Como Cosmetic GmbH in Saarbrcken.

Da Sie mich zur Fortfhrung meines Studiums der deutschen Sprache in jeglicher Weise
anspornten und mir bei der Vorbereitung der Abschlussprfung beim Goethe-Institut
behilflich waren, wre ich Ihnen sehr verbunden, wenn Sie mir ein
Empfehlungsschreiben ausstellen knnten.

Anbei sende ich Ihnen einen frankierten Briefumschlag, adressiert an Herrn Jansen, dem
Personalleiter bei Haut Como Cosmetic GmbH.

Mit freundlichen Gr

Stella R. Trois

Vocabulary

a reference das Zeugnis (-sse); die Referenz (-en)

a letter of recommendation das Empfehlungsschreiben
a referee die Referenz

Zeugnisse meiner frheren Arbeitgeber vorlegen

(to provide references from my previous employers)

Auf Verlangen kann ich Ihnen jederzeit Zeugnisse meiner frheren Arbeitgeber
vorlegen.
Oder: Wenn Sie wnschen, kann ich Ihnen Referenzen von frheren Arbeitgebern
vorlegen.
(I can supply references from my previous employers, if you would like them.)

Bitte setzen Sie sich nicht mit meinem derzeitigen Arbeitgeber in Verbindung.
(Please do not contact my present employers.)

Ich wre Ihnen sehr dankbar, wenn Sie mir gestatten wrden, Ihren Namen als
Referenz nennen zu drfen.
(I would very much appreciate it if I could include your name in my list of references.)

Ich habe mich fr den Sommer um eine Stelle als Kellnerin beworben und wurde jetzt
gebeten, ein Zeugnis vorzulegen. Wren Sie so freundlich, mir eines auszustellen? Ich
wre Ihnen sehr dankbar dafr.
(I have applied for a job of waitress for the summer and they have asked me to supply a
reference. I wonder if you would be kind enough to write one for me? I would be very
grateful.)

Ich wre Ihnen sehr dankbar, wenn Sie mir so bald wie mglich ein Zeugnis ber
meine Ttigkeit hier zuschicken knnten.
(I would be very grateful if you would send me a reference relating to my time here as
soon as possible.)

Ich wre Ihnen sehr verbunden, wenn Sie mir ein Empfehlungsschreiben ausstellen
knnten.
(I would be very grateful if you could write a letter of recommendation on my behalf.)

Da Sie mit meiner Arbeit vertraut sind, wre ich Ihnen dankbar, wenn Sie eine
unparteiische Einschtzung meiner Fhigkeiten geben knnten.
(As you are familiar with my work I would be grateful if you could give a fair evaluation
of my capabilities.)

jemandem als Referenz dienen

(to be a referee for somebody)

jemandem ein gutes Zeugnis ausstellen

Oder: jemandem gute Referenzen ausstellen
(to give somebody a good reference)

Man hat mich gebeten, ihm eine Referenz zu geben.

(I have been asked to write a reference for him.)

Wir wren Ihnen sehr dankbar, wenn Sie uns mitteilen knnten, ob sie Ihrer Meinung
nach fr diesen Posten geeignet ist.
(We would be grateful if you could let us know whether she is suitable for the post.)

Knnten Sie uns bitte mitteilen, ob Sie ihn fr diese Ttigkeit empfehlen knnen?
(Would you be kind enough to tell us whether you can recommend him for this post?)

Ich bin gerne bereit, Ihnen nhere Auskunft ber Ellen Bogen zu geben.
(I am happy to provide information about Ellen Bogen.)

Ich kann Ihnen Bill Anz bestens empfehlen.

(I can strongly recommend Bill Anz.)

Ich bin berzeugt, dass Harry Bo fr den Posten in Ihrer Firma sehr geeignet ist.
(I am convinced that Harry Bo is suitable for the post in your firm)

Letters of application

How to write letters of application

How to write a letter of application ("Wie schreibt man ein

Bewerbungsanschreiben?")
An ideal letter of application should cover one side of paper, and certainly no more than a
side and a half. It must be typewritten, using an easily legible font (Times New Roman,
Arial).

Font size should be between 10-12 cpi. A laser printed version on high quality A4 paper
is also essential. The following elements are essential for a letter of application:

1) Letter heading (Der Briefkopf)

This should be placed on the left hand side of the paper (= linksbndig). It should include
your own address ("die Anschrift") and telephone number ("die Telefonnummer"). You
may also wish to include a fax number ("die Faxnummer") or E-Mail address ("die E-
Mail-Adresse"). Then leave 2/3 lines of space.

Be logical here: it is no use asking a German firm to contact you at an Exeter E-Mail
address if you are not going to be here to answer it!

2) Address of the firm

This should again be on the left hand side of the page (= linksbndig). The more precise
you can make this the better. If you know the name and the post of the person to whom
you are writing, you should include this. If not, try and specify a department of the
company - e.g. "Personalabteilung" (= "personnel department").

A vague instruction such as "An die Geschftsfhrung" (= "To the management")

suggests apathy and lack of initiative on behalf of the applicant.
3) Place and date (Ort und Datum)
This should be on the right hand side of the page (= rechtsbndig). The town where you
are writing the letter comes first, followed by a comma and then the date - e.g. Exeter, 1.
Oktober 2000.

4) Reason for writing (die Betreffzeile)

This should be on the left hand side of the page - as should all subsequent components of
your letter. Here is where you give the reason for your application. This should be short
and given in key words (= stichwortartig). Thus if you are applying for the job of sales
manager, the words Bewerbung Vertriebsleiter" will suffice, as opposed to a vague
formulation such as "Meine Bewerbung bei der Firma XXXX".

Do not write the German word for concerning - "Betreff" - itself!

If you have already been in telephone contact with the person to whom you are writing,
you should mention it here, as this gives you an advantage over other applicants. This
should also be written in the form of key words. For example: "Unser Telefonat vom
01.05.1999, Einstiegsmglichkeit Controlling" is a concise way of expressing "Re: Our
telephone conversation of the 1st June 1999 about the possibility of my starting work in
the controlling department"!

5) Dear Sir (= die Anrede)

If you know the name of the person to whom you are writing, then use his/her name:
"Sehr geehrter Herr XYZ" or "Sehr geehrte Frau XYZ". If you do not know the name of
the person to whom you are writing, then you should you use the traditional business
introduction "Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren".

You will gain plus points if you ring up or E-mail beforehand to ask the name of the
person to whom you should address your application. This is especially true if you are
making a speculative enquiry to see whether work is available ("eine
Initiativbewerbung"). If your letter reaches the wrong person, they may well throw it
away!

6) Body of the text

The aim of your letter is to advertise your qualities as concisely and relevantly as
possible. An employer will pose the following questions: Why is the applicant writing to
me of all people? Do I need what he/she has to offer? What makes him / her stand out?

So as a general principle, avoid overcomplicated sentences ("Bandwurmstze") with too

many unnecessary relative clauses ("Satzverschachtelungen").

You should firstly describe in a clear and precise form the post for which you are
applying and your reasons for doing so. If you are applying for a post on the basis of a
telephone call or other personal contact, you should mention this - e.g. "Sie teilten mir
mit, dass Sie im Bereich der industriellen Kunden expandieren wollen. Hierbei knnte ich
Sie durch meine langjhrige Erfahrung auf diesem Gebiet untersttzen. Daher bewerbe
ich mich."
("You told me that you were looking to expand your industrial customer-base. With my
many years of experience in this area, I can help you in this goal. This is the reason for
my application.)

Then start a new paragraph, in which you describe the most important aspects of your
academic career and work experience, so long as they are relevant to the post for which
you are applying. The other stages of your career can be taken from your curriculum
vitae. Bring out your strengths without exaggerating - the probationary period in your
new job will clearly show if you have been lying!

Make sure to emphasise any positions of responsibility and give concrete instances of
when you used the skills which you have learned - e.g. "Organisatorische Fhigkeiten
stellte ich bei ... unter Beweis".
(I showed my organisational skills when ...)

N.B. For people who are just starting out on their career, it is not normal to
suggest the salary which you would like to earn!

7) Concluding phrase ("die Schlussformulierung")

Between the main text and the concluding phrase you should again leave a line. Write a
short, collegial, and practical sentence expressing (say) that you would look forward to a
meeting at the next possible opportunity. In many situations you are required to state the
earliest possible date when you would be able to start work - this would also be a good
point in your application to do so.

8) Greeting and signature ("Gruformel und Unterschrift")

See vocabulary section for the various options - "Mit freundlichen Gren" is now the
standard business greeting. Underneath your handwritten signature, you should also type
your name (Christian name and surname will suffice).

9) "Enclosed" ("Anlagenvermerk")
If you enclose documents with your letter of application it is essential to list them here.
Leave 2/3 lines after you have typed your name, and then type the word "Anlagen". Then
list beneath the various documents which you have enlcosed - e.g. Lebenslauf
("curriculum vitae"), Lichtbild ("photograph") etc.

These enclosed documents should be listed one beneath the other, but be sensible - if you
are running out of space on the page and have enclosed a number of documents, it makes
more sense to list them all on the same line as opposed to starting a new page for one
item.

Which certificates should be included?

Academic Certificates (= Zeugnisse)

All stages of your academic and working career should ideally be backed up with
documentation (good quality copies only, never the originals!). If this isn't possible, it is
advisable to provide an explanation for any absences on a separate piece of paper.

If you have not yet finished your degree, you should provide a copy of your Vordiplom
(= first diploma) if you have one, or if not a summary of the marks which you have
already gained. As university authorities do not issue these, you should type your own,
pointing out that the university may be contacted for confirmation of these marks.

People starting work for the first time should also include documentation confirming
periods of practical training, student jobs etc., particularly if the comments of your
employers are likely to be positive!

Vocabulary

the original document das Originaldokument (-e)

a copy of a document die Zeugniskopie (-n); die Zeugnisabschrift (-en)
an authenticated copy eine beglaubigte Kopie
medical certificate das amtsrztliche Zeugnis

eine Notenbersicht bereits abgelegter Examensprfungen

(An overview of the marks which I have already obtained)

Die Noten knnen beim Prfungsamt der Universitt Exeter besttigt werden.
(The marks can be confirmed by the examinations office of Exeter University.)

Sie sollten nie Originaldokumente verschicken, immer nur beglaubigte Kopien.

(You should never send the original documents, but instead approved copies.)

Model Letter of Application 1

Martina Mustermann
Bahnhofstrae 15
12345 Musterstadt
Tel. 0123/56789

Musterfirma GmbH
Frau Inge Schmidt
Industriestrae 98-102
34567 Irgendwo
 Musterstadt, 1. Oktober 1998

Bewerbung um eine Ausbildungsstelle als Industriekauffrau

Ihre Anzeige im "Musterstdter Tagblatt" vom 28.9.1998

Sehr geehrte Frau Schmidt,

durch Ihre Anzeige im Musterstdter Tagblatt habe ich erfahren, dass Sie mehrere
Auszubildende suchen. Daher bewerbe ich mich um einen Ausbildungsplatz als
Industriekauffrau.

Ich besuche zur Zeit noch die Hermann-Hesse-Realschule in Musterstadt, die ich im Juli
nchsten Jahres mit der Mittleren Reife abschlieen werde.

Whrend eines vierwchigen Betriebspraktikums im Juli 1998 bei der Wieauchimmer

GmbH habe ich einen ersten Einblick in die Arbeit von Industriekaufleuten gewonnen.
Ich habe erlebt, wie sie Kosten kalkulieren und Auftrge abrechnen. Besonders gut
gefallen hat mir auerdem der Umgang mit den Kunden. Nach diesem Praktikum habe
ich mich fr eine Ausbildung zur Industriekauffrau entschieden und mich im
Berufsinformationszentrum ausfhrlich ber diesen Beruf informiert.

Meine guten Leistungen in Mathematik und meine in der Schule erworbenen Computer-
und Schreibmaschinenkenntnisse kann ich sicher gut in die Arbeit einbringen. Auch auf
die Beratung von Kunden freue ich mich, da ich sehr kontaktfreudig bin und in meiner
Freizeit eine Jugendgruppe leite.

ber eine Einladung zu einem Vorstellungsgesprch wrde ich mich sehr freuen.

Mit freundlichen Gren,

(handschriftlich unterschreiben)

Martina Mustermann

PS: Meine Bewerbung habe ich bereits nach den neuen Rechtschreibregeln verfasst

Anlagen:
Lebenslauf
Versetzungszeugnis Klasse 9
Zeugnis Betriebspraktikum bei der Wieauchimmer GmbH

Model Letter of Application 2

Anna Baptiste
52 Festive Road
Exeter
Devon EX3 5LT

An Frau
Dr. Anna Konder
Leiterin der Personabteilung
Musterfirma GmbH
Johnathan-Aitken-Strae 35
D-12623 Berlin
Germany

Exeter, 24. Mrz 1999

Bewerbung als Leiter der Exportabteilung

Ihre Anzeige im "Dornacher Tagblatt" vom 22.3.1999

Sehr geehrte Frau Dr. Konder,

hiermit mchte ich mich um die ausgeschriebene Stelle als Leiter der Exportabteilung in
Ihrem Verlag bewerben.

Neben Spezialkenntnissen auf dem Fachgebiet der Psychiatrie verfge ich ber
Berufserfahrung in der Exportbranche. Auerdem habe ich gute deutsche
Sprachkenntnisse und bin mit der internationalen Marktsituation vertraut. Ich bin
kontaktfreudig und habe Freude am selbstndigen Arbeiten.

In der Anlage bersende ich Ihnen meine Bewerbungsunterlagen sowie meinen

Lebenslauf und Kopien meiner Zeugnisse.

Fr weitere Ausknfte stehe ich Ihnen gerne jederzeit zur Verfgung.

Ich wrde mich freuen, bald von Ihnen zu hren.

Mit freundlichen Gren

(handschriftlich unterschrieben)

Anna Baptiste

Anlagen: Lebenslauf
Zeugnisse
Lichtbild
 Translation of Anna Baptiste's application

Dear Dr. Konder,

Re: Application for the post of Export Manager

Ref.: Advertisement in the "Dornacher Tagblatt" of 22nd March 1999

I wish to apply for the above-mentioned post of Export Manager in your publishing
house.

In addition to my specialised knowledge in the field of psychiatry, I have experience of

exporting. I also have a good command of written and spoken German and am well
acquainted with the international market situation. I have an outgoing personality and
enjoy working independently.

Please find enclosed the documents in support of my application, as well as Curriculum

Vitae and copies of my references.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any further information.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully

(Signature)

Anna Baptiste

Model Letter of Application 3

Rhoda Hawes
34 Ambrosia Avenue
Exeter
Devon EX1 1LL

Firma XYZ
z. Hd. Frau Anke Ranke
Personalreferentin
Lipschitzallee 7b
D-12351 Berlin
Germany

Exeter, den 25. August 1999

Bewerbung um einen Ausbildungsplatz als Touristik-Informations-Assistentin

Ihre Anzeige in der "Sddeutschen Zeitung" vom 22. August 1999
Sehr geehrte Frau Ranke,

mit Bezug auf Ihre Anzeige in der "Sddeutschen Zeitung" bewerbe ich mich fr die
oben erwhnte Position. Meine Qualifikationen und Berufserfahrungen sind folgende:

Ich graduierte von der Universitt in Exeter in dem Fach moderne Sprachen (Deutsch und
Franzsisch). Mein Handelsdeutsch erwarb ich am Goethe-Institut in London.

Nach meiner Graduierung 1999 arbeitete ich als Korrekturleserin bei einer Werbeagentur
fr deren Monatsmagazin, das sich mit dem deutschen Grohandel befasste. Whrend
dieser Zeit besuchte ich Abendkurse in Betriebswirtschaft und Datenverarbeitung.

Ich bin sicher, dass ich alle mir anvertrauten Aufgaben als Touristik-Informations-
Assistentin zu Ihrer vollsten Zufriedenheit ausben wrde.

Ich spreche flieend Deutsch und hoffe, dass sie meine Bewerbung wohlwollend in
Betracht ziehen werden.

Mit freundlichen Gren

(handschriftlich unterschrieben)

Rhoda Hawes

Anlagen: Lebenslauf
Lichtbild
Zeugnisabschriften

Model Letter of Application 4

Laura Norder
45 Yokel Terrace
Exeter
Devon EX6 5EX
England

An Herrn
Niclas Weiland
Leiter der Personalabteilung
Feurigstrae 16
D-10827 Berlin
Germany

Exeter, den 30. Oktober 1999

Bewerbung um einen Posten als Privatsekretrin
Ihre Anzeige in der "Berliner Zeitung" vom 28. Oktober 1999

Sehr geehrter Herr Weiland,

da ich seit drei Jahren als einzige Sekretrin in einer aufstrebenden kleinen Firma ttig
bin, mchte ich mich nun auf Grund Ihrer Anzeige in der "Berliner Zeitung" vom
28.10.1999 um den Posten der Privatsekretrin bewerben.

Als Privatsekretrin des Inhabers James Young plc in Exeter war ich nicht nur fr den
tglichen Broablauf verantwortlich, sondern auch fr die gesamte
Auslandskorrespondenz, vorwiegend in Deutsch, da wir viele unserer Produkte nach
Deutschland und Osteuropa exportieren.

Zu meinen Aufgaben gehrte auerdem die Vereinbarung privater Termine, das

Selektieren von Telefongesprchen und Besuchern und die Organisation von Mr. Youngs
Korrespondenz. Durch die dadurch gewonnenen Erfahrungen bin ich mit den Aufgaben
einer Chefsekretrin bestens vertraut und werde Ihren Erwartungen entsprechen.

Anbei sende ich Ihnen meinen Lebenslauf und stehe Ihnen jederzeit zu einem
persnlichen Vorstellungsgesprch zur Verfgung.

Ich bin jederzeit ber meinen Anrufbeantworter unter der Nummer 01392 - 987654 zu
erreichen.

Mit freundlichen Gren

(handschriftlich unterschrieben)

Laura Norder

Anlagen:
Lichtbild
Lebenslauf
Zeugniskopie

Year abroad work

Gordon Bennett
65 Quality Street
Small Heath
Birmingham BH2 8TE
Tel. (0044) 21 666 6666

Fa.
Werner-Werbung
Markstrae 20
D-13409 Berlin

Birmingham, 14. Februar 1999

Bewerbung um eine Praktikantenstelle

Sehr geeehrte Damen und Herren,

als Teil meines Studiums an der Universitt Exeter muss ich mein Auslandsjahr
(September 1999 Juli 2000) in einem deutschsprachigen Land verbringen. Ich mchte
unbedingt in Berlin arbeiten, um meine Sprachkenntnisse zu verbessern und Erfahrungen
in der Werbebranche zu sammeln.

Da ich Ihre Firma durch Frau Silke Jones, die im vorigen Jahr fr neun Monate bei Ihnen
war, kenne, erlaube ich mir, bei Ihnen anzufragen, ob Sie mir eine geeignete
Praktikantenstelle anbieten knnten..

In der Anlage finden Sie meinen Lebenslauf und ein Empfehlungsschreiben.

In der Hoffnung auf eine positive Antwort verbleibe ich mit freundlichen Gren

(handschriftlich unterschrieben)

Gordon Bennett

Anlagen

Leaving a job

Heinz Tetzner
Merowingerstrae 33
50677 Kln
Telefon (02 21) 9 31 24 40

Robotron GmbH
Personalleitung
Herrn Dr. Matthus
Heumarkt 45
50667 Kln

Kln, 24. November 1998

Kndigung des Arbeitsverhltnisses zum 31.01.1999

Sehr geehrter Herr Dr. Matthus,

hiermit kndige ich form- und fristgem mein Arbeitsverhltnis zum 31. Januar 1999.

Ich bitte um ein qualifiziertes Zeugnis und Aushndigung der Arbeitspapiere zum
Dienstzeitende.

Mit freundlichem Gru

Bernd Sommer

Sabine Hecht
Steintorweg 17
20099 Hamburg
Telefon (040) 24 63 14

Kilper Baustellenservice GmbH

Herrn Kilper
Oberaltenallee 12
21039 Hamburg

Hamburg, 10. Februar 1999

Kndigung des Arbeitsverhltnisses zum 30.03.1997

Sehr geehrter Herr Kilper,

wie mit Ihnen bereits persnlich besprochen, tritt mein Mann am 1. April 1999 eine neue
Stelle als Buchhalter bei einer englischen Firma an. Dadurch bedingt werden wir in die
Nhe von London ziehen und unsere Wohnung in Hamburg zum 1. Mai 1999 aufgeben.

Aus den genannten Grnden kndige ich mein Arbeitsverhltnis zum 30. Mrz 1999 und
bitte daher um ein qualifiziertes Zeugnis sowie um bergabe meiner Arbeitspapiere zum
Zeitpunkt des Ausscheidens.

Abschlieend mchte ich mich fr die vertrauensvolle Zusammenarbeit whrend meiner

fnfjhrigen Firmenzugehrigkeit recht herzlich bedanken und wnsche Ihnen, Ihrer
Familie und allen Mitarbeitern der Kilpen Baustellenservice GmbH alles erdenklich Gute
und viel Erfolg.

Mit freundlichen Gren

Sabine Hecht

Booking accommodation

Booking a hotel room for yourself

Booking a hotel room for yourself

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

ich wrde gerne ein Doppelzimmer fr meine Frau und mich sowie ein Zweibettzimmer
fr unsere beiden Tchter (beide unter 12 Jahren) fr den 7., 8. und 9. September
reservieren.

Falls nichts dazwischenkommt, werden wir am 7. September um ca. 17.00 Uhr

ankommen und am 9. September vormittags wieder abreisen.

Bitte betrachten Sie diese Reservierung als bindend, und halten Sie uns die Zimmer frei,
auch wenn wir sehr spt am Abend ankommen sollten.

Ich wre Ihnen fr eine Zimmerreservierung auf der Rckseite Ihres Hotels sehr dankbar.

Mit freundlichen Gren

Frank N. Sense

Booking a hotel room for someone else

Booking a hotel room for sombody else

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

ich mchte fr unseren Export-Verkaufsleiter ein Einzelzimmer mit Bad und Vollpension
fr die Woche nach dem 24. September buchen. Fr seine Sekretrin wird ein
Einzelzimmer auf der gleichen Etage bentigt.

Wir wren Ihnen sehr dankbar fr die umgehende Besttigung der Reservierung vom 24.
- 30. September einschlielich. Bitte lassen sie uns auch Informationen ber Ihre Preise
zukommen und senden Sie die Rechnung an die obige Adresse.

Mit freundlichen Gren

Annette Curton
i.A. B. Styng
Verkaufsleiter

How to cancel / alter a booking

Cancelling / amending a booking

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

Ich muss Ihnen leider mitteilen, dass ich aufgrund unvorhersehbarer Umstnde meine
Zimmerreservierung fr die Woche ab dem 12. Januar stornieren muss.

Leider muss ich Sie auch bitten, meine Reservierung vom 3. Februar auf den 17. Februar
umzubuchen

Mit freunlichen Gren,

Stan Dan Deliver

Translation

Dear Sir or Madam,

Owing to unforeseen circumstances, I am afraid that I must cancel the booking made with
you for the week beginning January 12th.

I am afraid that I must also ask you to alter my booking from February 3rd to February
17th.

Yours faithfully,

Stan Dan Deliver

Asking for details

Julia Reich
Mhnstrae 9
55130 Mainz
Telefon (0 61 31) 4 00 49

Hotel Cafe Reiss

Haifa-Allee 6
82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen
 Mainz, 10. April 1999

Bitte um Zusendung von Prospektmaterial

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

mit Bezug auf Ihre Annonce in der Zeitschrift "Schne Ferien" mchte ich Sie bitten, mir
Prospektmaterial ber Ihr Haus - inklusive Preise - zuzusenden.

Vielleicht knnen Sie mir auch Ausknfte ber die Umgebung, die
Ausflugsmglichkeiten und die Sehenswrdigkeiten geben.

Im voraus herzlichen Dank!

Mit freundlichen Gren

Julia Reich

Accommodation vocabulary

accommodation die Unterkunft

"accommodation offered" "Fremdenzimmer"
"accommodation wanted" "Zimmer / Wohnung gesucht"
adjacent rooms nebeneinanderliegende Zimmer
air conditioned klimatisiert
alarm call der Weckruf
balcony der Balkon
chambermaid das Zimmermdchen
to check in sich anmelden
to check out abreisen
check-out time die Abreisezeit
conference facilities die Konferenzrumlichkeiten
conference room das Konferenzzimmer
connecting rooms angrenzende Zimmer
dining room der Speisesaal
double room das Doppelzimmer
emergency exit der Notausgang
with en suite bathroom mit Bad
foyer die Empfangshalle
 full board die Vollpension
function suite die Veranstaltungsrume
half board die Halbpension
hotel reservation die Hotelreservierung
laundry service die Wscherei
lobby die Eingangshalle
lounge der Gesellschaftsraum
meeting room der Besprechungsraum
mini-bar die Minibar
night porter der Nachtportier
non-smoking room das Nichtraucherzimmer
porter der Portier
receipt die Quittung
reception der Empfang; die Rezeption
der Empfangschef;
receptionist (male)
der Herr am Empfang
die Empfangsdame;
receptionist (female)
die Dame am Empfang
room rates die Zimmerpreise (pl.)
room service der Zimmerservice
secretarial services Schreibdienste (pl.)
single room das Einzelzimmer
sleeping accommodation for six Schlafgelegenheit fr 6 Personen
suite die Suite
twin beds zwei Einzelbetten
valet service der Reinigungsdienst

Ich mchte bei Ihnen bernachtungen mit Frhstck buchen.

(I would like to book bed-and-breakfast accommodation with you.)

Ich wrde gerne ein Doppelzimmer fr meine Frau und mich sowie ein
Zweibettzimmer fr unsere beiden Shne (beide unter 12 Jahren) reservieren.
(I wish to book one double room for my wife and myself, and one twin-bedded room for
our sons, who are both under 12 years of age.)

Ich htte gerne ein Einzelzimmer mit Dusche fr zwei Nchte.

(I'd like a single room with shower for two nights.)

Ich mchte fr Herrn Namdar ein Einzelzimmer mit Bad fr die Woche nach dem 23.
Februar selbst. Herr Namdar bezahlt seine Rechnung selbst.
(I wish to reserve a single room with bath for one week from the 23rd February, in the
name of Herr Namdar. Herr Namdar will settle the bill himself.)

Bitte betrachten Sie diese Reservierung als bindend, und halten Sie mir das Zimmer
frei, auch wenn ich sehr spt am Abend ankommen sollte.
(Please consider this a firm booking, and hold the room till I arrive, however late in the
evening.)

Ich htte gerne ein Zimmer mit Blick auf .... , wenn mglich.
(If possible, I would like a room with a view of ...)

Ich htte gerne ein ruhiges Zimmer.

(I would like a room which isn't too noisy, please.)

Was sind Ihre Preise?

(What are your room rates?)

Was kostet eine bernachtung mit Frhstck?

(How much is a room per night, with breakfast?)

Knnen Sie mir bitte ein Prospekt von Ihrem Hotel schicken?
(Please send me a brochure about your hotel.)

Wir wollen gegen Abend eintreffen, falls nicht dazwischenkommt.

(We expect to arrive in the early evening, unless something unforeseen prevents us.)

Bitte senden Sie die Rechnung an die obige Adresse.

(Please send the bill to the above address.)

Welche Kreditkarten nehmen Sie?

(Which credit cards do you accept?)

Knnen Sie mir vielleicht ein anderes Hotel empfehlen, das eventuell noch Zimmer frei
hat?
(Can you suggest another hotel that might have a vacancy?)

Ich muss Ihnen leider mitteilen, dass ich aufgrund unvorhersehbarer Umstnde meine
Zimmerreservierung fr die Woche ab dem 5. September stornieren muss.
(Owing to unforeseen circumstances, I am afraid that I must cancel the booking made
with you for the week beginning September 5th.)

Leider muss ich Sie bitten, meine Reservierung vom 24. August auf den 3. September
umzubuchen.
(I am afraid I must ask you to alter my booking from 24th August to 3rd September.)

Writing to a bank

Asking for a loan

Marco Walker
Eisenacher Strae 16
10781 Berlin

Berliner Bank AG
Niederlassung Schneberg
Bayerischer Platz 1
10779 Berlin

Berlin, 2. Mrz 1999

Anfrage Konditionen fr einen Bankkredit

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

wegen der geplanten Neuanschaffung eines Computers bitte ich Sie, mir Ihre
Konditionen fr einen Kredit in Hhe von 5.500,00 DM zu nennen. Die Laufzeit
sollte 2 Jahre betragen. Ich rechne mit einer monatlichen Ratenzahlung von ca.
250,00 DM.

Die Kopie meiner Verdienstbescheinigung des Arbeitgebers fge ich bei.

Ich freue mich auf Ihre baldige Antwort.

Mit freundlichen Gren

Marco Walker

Anlage:
Verdienstbescheinigung (Kopie)

Asking for an overdraft

Marco Walker
Eisenacher Strae 16
10781 Berlin

Berliner Bank AG
Niederlassung Schneberg
Bayerischer Platz 1
10779 Berlin

Berlin, 3. August, 1999

Girokonto 1462859
Antrag auf Gewhrung eines Dispositionskredits

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

seit dem 1. Oktober 1992 bin ich Kunde Ihrer Bank. Zahlungen von dem oben
genannten Girokonto wurden bisher ausnahmslos ber das Guthabensaldo
ausgefhrt. Aufgrund kurzfristiger Liquidittsengpsse - meine Baufirma hat noch
DM 2.000 Auenstnde - bitte ich um Einrichtung eines berziehungskredits in
Hhe von 1.500,00 DM.

Ich bitte um umgehende Bearbeitung meines Antrags.

Mit freundlichen Gren

Marco Walker

Stating a change of address

Ansgar Brinkmann
Am Stadtpark 99
90499 Nrnberg

Berliner Bank AG
Niederlassung Nrnberg
Frankenhauser Strae 2
90456 Nrnberg

Nrnberg, 30. August 1999

Girokonto 146532459: Umzug

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

am 1. September 1999 werde ich nach Pansdorf umziehen. Mein Girokonto soll
von der dortigen Filiale gefhrt werden. Meine neue Anschrift lautet:

Koloniestrae 36
51879 Pansdorf

Bisher habe ich die Kontoauszge selbst bei der Bank abgeholt. Zuknftig sollen
die Auszge per Post an meine neue Anschrift verschickt werden.

Mit freundlichen Gren

Ansgar Brinkmann

When cheques have been stolen

Ansgar Brinkmann
Am Stadtpark 99
90499 Nrnberg

Berliner Bank AG
Niederlassung Nrnberg-West
Frankenhauser Strae 2
90456 Nrnberg

Nrnberg, 17. Juni 1999

Girokonto 1457862342
Sperrung meiner Euroschecks und meiner Euro-Scheckkarte nach
Diebstahl

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

gestern wurde mir in Frth meine Aktentasche gestohlen. In ihr befanden sich
unter anderem meine Euro-Scheckkarte sowie mein Scheckbuch.
Selbstverstndlich habe ich den Diebstahl bei der Polizei sofort angezeigt. Dort
riet man mir dringend, die Schecks und die Scheckkarte sofort sperren zu lassen.
Ich beantrage hiermit die Sperrung der Schecks und der Euro-Scheckkarte. Die
Schecks tragen fortlaufend die Nummer 1123258 bis 1123265.

Ich bitte um Ihre schriftliche Besttigung.

Mit freundlichem Gru

Ansgar Brinkmann

Closing a bank account (1)

Marco Walker
Eisenacher Strae 16
10781 Berlin

Berliner Bank
Niederlassung Schneberg
Bayerischer Platz 1
10779 Berlin

Berlin, 18. Februar 1999

Kndigung des Girokontos 136465234

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

hiermit kndige ich das oben genannte Girokonto bei Ihrer Bank zum 1. Mrz
1999. Aus familiren Grnden werde ich Berlin verlassen und mich in
Liechtenstein als Arzt niederlassen. Daher bentige ich das Konto bei Ihrer Bank
nicht lnger.

Bitte besttigen Sie mir die Kndigung.

Mit freundlichem Gru

Marco Walker

Closing a bank account (2)

Marco Walker
Eisenacher Strae 16
10781 Berlin

EINSCHREIBEN MIT RCKSCHEIN

Berliner Bank AG
Niederlassung Schneberg
Bayerischer Platz 1
10779 Berlin

Berlin, 17. September 1999

Auflsung des Sparkontos 147741

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

ich bitte Sie, das beigefgte Sparbuch aufzulsen und den Betrag meinem
Girokonto 112333358, Bankleitzahl 322 855 45 bei der Berliner Bank, Filiale
Berlin-Lbars gutzuschreiben.

Das Sparbuch unterliegt der gesetzlichen Kndigungsfrist.

Mit freundlichen Gren

Marco Walker

Anlage:
Sparbuch 147741

Letters of condolence

Martin Bergmann
Schumannstrae 21
01069 Dresden
Telefon 03 51 / 4 95 10 81

Ricarda Krenz
Anton-Graff-Strae 20
01309 Dresden

Dresden-Laubegast, 10. Januar 1999

Liebe Frau Krenz,

zum Heimgang Ihres lieben Vaters, den ich so sehr schtzte und verehrte,
spreche ich Ihnen mein herzliches Beileid aus. Sie drfen berzeugt sein, da
die Selbstlosigkeit und das politische Engagement, die Ihren Vater
auszeichneten, all jenen, die ihn kannten, unvergessen bleiben werden.

In aufrichtiger Anteilnahme
Martin Bergmann

Registering with authorities

Urs Bauer

Schellingstrae 7
70177 Stuttgart
Telefon 0711 / 6574500

Stadt Stuttgart
Einwohnermeldeamt
Fritz-Reuter-Strae 23
70255 Stuttgart

Stuttgart, 7. Mai 1999

Anmeldung bei der Stadt Stuttgart nach Umzug

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

am 6. Mai 1999 bin ich von 24159 Kiel, Eichhofstrae 31a nach Stuttgart
umgezogen. Ich wohne nun in der Schellingstrae 7 in 70177 Stuttgart.

Bitte senden Sie mir ein entsprechendes Anmeldeformular zu. Teilen Sie mir
auch bitte mit, welche weiteren Dokumente fr die Anmeldung erforderlich sind.

Mit freundlichen Gren

Urs Bauer

Invitations

Accepting an invitation (1)

Ulrike und Jens Fiedler

Innere Klosterstrae 42
09111 Chemnitz

Herrn
Lothar Staiger
Rudolf-Marek-Strae 18
09112 Chemnitz

Chemnitz, 20. Oktober 1998

Einladung zum Abendessen

Hallo Lothar,

fr die nette Einladung zum Abendessen am nchsten Freitag danken wir recht herzlich.
Wir kommen sehr gerne.

Wir freuen uns, Sie und Ihre Frau wiederzusehen und verbleiben bis dahin mit herzlichen
Gren

Ulrike und Jens Fiedler

Declining an invitation (1)

Iris Naumann
Saargemnder Strae 182
66129 Saarbrcken

Frau
Elke Schneider
Kreuzstrae 15

66132 Saarbrcken

Saarbrcken, 22. Oktober 1998

Einladung zur Geburtstagsfeier

Liebe Elke,

ich mchte mich ganz herzlich fr deine freundliche Einladung bedanken.

Bedauerlicherweise kann ich am kommenden Freitag nicht kommen, da ich fr diesen

Abend bereits eine Einladung von meinen Groeltern angenommen habe.

Ich hoffe, da wir vielleicht nach der Party deinen Geburtstag feiern knnen. Wie wre es
mit Sonntag?

Bis dahin feiere schn und ganz herzliche Gre

Deine Iris

Accepting an invitation (2)

Edith Herzog
Moltkestrae 14
33330 Gtersloh

Eheleute
Nicole und Andreas Scholz
Avenwedder Strae 35
33335 Gtersloh

Gtersloh, 11. Dezember 1998

Einladung zur Silvesterparty

Liebe Nicole, lieber Andreas,

ber Eure Einladung zur Silvesterparty habe ich mich riesig gefreut. Natrlich komme
ich gerne an diesem Abend gegen 19.30 Uhr zu Euch nach Hause.

Wir alle werden bestimmt eine Menge Spa miteinander haben. Falls ich noch etwas
mitbringen kann, ruft mich doch einfach an.

Wir sehen uns sptestens am 31. Dezember.

Es grt Euch ganz herzlich

Eure

Edith

Declining an invitation (2)

Eheleute
Birgit und Robert Weber
Hochbaumstrae 27a
14167 Berlin

Herrn
Werner Gtz
Stechlinstrae 8
10318 Berlin

Berlin, 10. April 1999

Einladung zur Jubilumsfeier

Sehr geehrter Herr Gtz

haben Sie aufrichtigen Dank fr die freundliche Einladung. Leider knnen wir am 22.
April nicht kommen, da wir in dieser Zeit verreist sind.

Wir hoffen auf Ihr Verstndnis und verbleiben mit den besten Wnschen auch an Ihre
Frau Gemahlin

Birgit und Robert Weber

Invitation to a cocktail party

Irene und Dirk Lottner

Tnisberger Strae 39
47839 Krefeld
Telefon 0 21 51 / 81 30

Eheleute
Helene und Markus Sprl
Friedrichstrae 25
47798 Krefeld

Krefeld, 13. Juni 1999

Liebe Frau Sprl, lieber Herr Sprl,

es gehrt zu unseren liebgewonnenen Gewohnheiten, den Sommer mit einer Cocktail-

Party zu begren. Auch in diesem Jahr mchten wir mit guten Freunden den
Sommeranfang am 25. Juni 1999 in unserem Garten feiern. Wir hoffen, das Wetter spielt
mit und alle Gste bringen gute Laune mit.

Haben Sie Lust zu kommen? Sie wrden uns eine groe Freude machen.

Ihre

Irene und Dirk Lottner

Invitation to a birthday party

Ute Malewski
Von-Coels-Strae 232
52080 Aachen

Kai Assmann
Theaterstrae 63
52062 Aachen
 Aachen, 5. August 1999

Geburtstagsfeier am 17. August 1999

Lieber Kai,

kaum zu glauben, aber wahr: Am 16. August werde ich ganze 21. Jahr !

Ich mchte Dich aus diesem Anla ganz herzlich zu meiner Geburtstagsfeier um 20.00
Uhr im Pfarrzentrum Peter und Paula einladen.

Bitte gib mir bis 14. August 1999 Bescheid, ob Du kommen kannst. Ich wrde mich sehr
freuen.

Bis dahin, liebe Gre

Ute

Invitation to a picnic

Karin Prger
Sandhofer Strae 31
68307 Mannheim
Telefon 06 21 / 4 70 30

Herrn
Uwe Frontzeck
Kfertaler Strae 24
68167 Mannheim

Mannheim, 2. Juni 1999

Hallo Uwe,

das anhaltend strahlende Wetter und mein neuer Wagen haben mich auf die Idee
gebracht, am kommenden Samstag, den 6. Juni 1999 irgendwo im Grnen ein Picknick
zu veranstalten, zu dem ich Dich herzlich einladen mchte.

Ich wei nicht, wo es sein wird, sondern nur, wann ich Dich abhole - nmlich genau um
11.00 Uhr vormittags.

Wenn Du mich telefonisch nicht erreichst, so hinterlasse mir doch bitte eine Nachricht
auf meinem Anrufbeantworter, damit ich wei, ob Du Lust hast, meine Einladung
anzunehmen.

Viele Gre
Karin

Letters of apology

Apologising for absence from studies

Neil Downe
Bodenmaiser Weg 4
10318 Berlin
Telefon 0 30 / 21 56 96

Kleist-Gymnasium
Herrn Oberstudienrat Eduard Knoblauch
Lassaner Strae 11
12621 Berlin

Berlin, 16. Februar 1999

Entschuldigung

Sehr geehrter Herr Knoblauch,

am Dienstag, dem 14. November 1999, konnte ich wegen einer starken Erkltung nicht
am Unterricht teilnehmen. Ich bitte, mein Fernbleiben zu entschuldigen.

Mit freundlichen Gren

Neil Downe

Apologising due to ill health

Neil Downe
Bodenmaiser Weg 4
10318 Berlin
Telefon 0 30 / 21 56 96

Kleist-Gymnasium
Schulleitung
Herrn Oberstudiendirektor Dr. Wilhelm Schadow
Lassaner Strae 11
12621 Berlin

Berlin, 12. Juni 1999

Entschuldigung
Sehr geehrter Herr Dr. Fleischer,

in der Zeit von 4. Juni 1999 bis 10. Juni 1999 konnte ich wegen eines grippalen Infekts
nicht am Unterricht teilnehmen. Ein erstes rztliches Attest liegt Ihnen bereits vor. Die
neue Bescheinigung von Herrn Dr. Staiger ist diesem Schreiben beigefgt.

Ich besuche die Jahrgangsstufe 12. Mein Beratungslehrer ist Herr Wunderlich.

Mit freundlichen Gren

Neil Downe

Anlage:

rztliche Bescheinigung

Letters of complaint

Lost luggage (1)

Friederike Wagner
Spreeallee 4
24111 Kiel
Telefon 0431 / 8 15 33

Deutsche Bahn AG
Hauptbahnhof Kiel
Gepckausgabe
Bahnhofsplatz 5-9
24312 Kiel

Kiel, 25. November 1998

Verlust meines Koffers

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

am 23. November 1998 gab ich am Bahnhof meinen Koffer fr eine

Geschftsreise nach Flensburg auf. Der Koffer sollte an diesen Ort
vorausgeschickt und am Bahnhof von mir in Empfang genommen werden. Dort
traf er aber nie ein.

Bei dem vermiten Gepckstck handelt es sich um einen grauen Koffer aus
Kunstleder. Das Gepckstck war mit meinem Namen und meiner Privatanschrift
in Kiel versehen.
Ich bitte Sie, Nachforschungen ber den Verbleib des Gepcks anzustellen, das
einen Wert von ca. 1.500,-- DM darstellt.

Mit freundlichen Gren

Friederike Wagner

Lost luggage (2)

Ansgar Brinkmann
Am Stadtpark 99
90409 Nrnberg
Telefon 0911/ 356377

Deutsche Bahn AG
Hauptbahnhof Hannover
Fundbro
Bahnhofsplatz 5-9
30451 Hannover

Nrnberg, 12. April 1999

Verlust meines Reisegepcks

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

am 9. April reiste ich mit dem ICE 1389 von Mnchen nach Hannover. Ich hatte
einen Platz im Wagen 7, Sitz 11 gebucht. Der Zug fuhr um 10.25 Uhr in Mnchen
ab und erreichte Dsseldorf-Hauptbahnhof um 14.08 Uhr.

Da ich den D-Zug nach Wolfsburg unbedingt erreichen mute, lie ich in der Eile
einen Koffer im Gepcknetz liegen.

Es handelt sich um einen schwarzblauen Koffer der Marke "ExtraSafe" aus

echtem Leder. Am Griff sind meine Initialen "A B" aufgeklebt. Im Koffer befinden
sich einige Ausweispapiere (Geburtsurkunde, Studentenausweis, etc.) mit
meinem Namen. Weiterhin enthlt er wichtige Vertragsdokumente sowie ein paar
Geschenke fr meine Nichte.

Falls der Koffer bei Ihnen abgegeben wurde oder noch gebracht wird, bitte ich
um schnellstmgliche Nachricht, wann und wo ich ihn in Empfang nehmen kann.

Mit freundlichen Gren

Ansgar Brinkmann
Postal delay

Michael Kocak

Mnchener Strae 42
45145 Essen
Telefon 02 01/23 21 61

Postamt Essen-West
Vogelheimer Strasse 14
45326 Essen

Essen, 7. Dezember 1998

Beschwerde ber die Postzustellung

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

hiermit mchte ich mich ber die Zustellung meiner Post beschweren.

Zur Zeit bewerbe ich mich bei einigen Unternehmen und versende die
Bewerbungsunterlagen per Post. Da ich als Berufseinsteiger selbstverstndlich
mit mehreren Rcklufern rechne, bat ich den Zusteller, Herrn Franz
Beckenbauer, die zurckkommenden Umschlge nach Mglichkeit nicht zu
knicken, da ich die verhltnismig teuren Bewerbungsmappen
wiederverwenden mchte.

Herr Beckenbauer versprach darauf zu achten und bei der Zustellung brauner
DIN A4-Umschlge zu klingeln.

Leider sind meine Wnsche nicht bercksichtigt worden. Erst vorgestern fand ich
in meinem Briefkasten zwei vllig ramponierte Umschlge mit meinen kaum
wiederverwendbaren Bewerbungsmappen.

Ich bitte Sie darauf einzuwirken, da die Zustellung meiner DIN A4-Umschlge
knftig sorgfltiger erfolgt.

Mit freundlichen Gren

Michael Kocak

Faulty goods

Katja Ostwald
Frankfurter Strae 181
35392 Gieen
Telefon 06 41/ 2 00 30

Wilhelm Busch Elektroanlagen-Installation

Bismarckstrae 11
35390 Gieen

Gieen, 13. Mai 1999

Reklamation Hi-Fi-Anlage "Tower of Power TP 5000"

Sehr geehrter Herr Busch,

vor drei Wochen kaufte ich in Ihrem Geschft eine Hi-Fi-Anlage "Tower of Power
TP 5000" zum Preis von 1.200,-- DM. Eine Kopie der Quittung ist diesem Brief
beigefgt.

Leider mu ich Ihnen mitteilen, da ich mit dem Gert nicht zufrieden bin. Das
Kassettendeck und die Lautsprecher sind defekt. Bitte schicken Sie einen Ihrer
Kundendienst-Mitarbeiter, um die Stereoanlage zu prfen oder es gegen ein
anderes Modell auszutauschen.

Fr eine schnelle Erledigung der Angelegenheit danke ich Ihnen im voraus und
verbleibe mit freundlichen Gren

Katja Ostwald

Anlage:
Quittung ber den Kauf der Hi-Fi-Anlage "Tower of Power TP 5000"

Letters of congratulation

On the birth of a child

Michael Schmidt
Nachtigallenweg 10
04356 Leipzig
Telefon 03 41 / 5 26 91 42

Familie
Horst Gerber
Buchbinderstrae 19
18055 Rostock

Leipzig, 13.06.1999
Liebe Frau Gerber, lieber Herr Gerber,

ich wnsche Ihnen und dem neuen Familienzuwachs alles Gute. Vor allem Ihnen,
liebe Frau Gerber, wnsche ich baldige Erholung.

Hoffentlich habe ich in Blde Gelegenheit, Ihren strammen Sohn persnlich

kennenzulernen.

Ich bin ganz sicher, dass er seiner groen Schwester Anja viel Freude bereiten wird.

Herzlichst Ihr

Michael Schmidt

On somebody's engagement

Richard und Franziska Kirsten

38108 Braunschweig
Telefon 0 53 09 / 53 59

Herrn
Michael Clement
Amalienstrae 47
90763 Frth

Braunschweig, 17.08.1998

Lieber Herr Clement

Ihnen und Ihrer Frau Michaela mchten wir zu Ihrer Vermhlung die herzlichsten
Glckwnsche aussprechen.

Fr Ihren gemeinsamen Lebensweg wnschen wir Ihnen zu allen Zeiten Glck,

Harmonie und vor allem Gesundheit.

Richard Kirsten, Franziska Kirsten

Letters to the phone company

Asking for a phone to be installed

Jrg Osthoff
Varenholzstrae 26
44797 Bochum
Deutsche Telekom AG
Bezirksstelle Bochum
Postfach 10 20 30
44801 Bochum

Bochum, 04.10.1999

Fernsprechanschlu

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

fr meine neubezogene Wohnung in der Varenholzstrae 26 in 44797 Bochum

beantrage ich einen Telefonanschlu. Bitte senden Sie mir die entsprechenden
Antragsformulare schnellstmglich zu.

Mit freundlichen Gren

Jrg Osthoff

When moving house

Simon Jentzsch
Borchener Strae 23
33098 Paderborn
Telefon (0 52 51) 6 94 25

Deutsche Telekom
Niederlassung Paderborn
An der Talle 46
33102 Paderborn

Paderborn, 28. Mai 1999

Kndigung des Fernsprechanschlusses (0 52 51) 7 80 05

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

hiermit kndige ich meinen Fernsprechanschlu (0 52 51) 7 80 05 fristgerecht

zum 1. Juli 1999. Mein Nachmieter mchte den Anschlu gerne zum gleichen
Termin bernehmen.

Ich bitte, die Endabrechnung an meine neue Adresse zu senden:

Wilhelm Meister
Borchener Strae 23
33098 Paderborn
Mit freundlichen Gren

Simon Jentzsch

11.15 Ein Brief an ein Hotel

Below is a letter received by the Hotel Blauer Engel in Dresden from Annette Curton of
the marketing department of the company E. Rsler KG in Berlin. Annette is booking a
suite for the chairman of the company and another room for his secretary. Pay particular
attention to the layout of the letter and the vocabulary used in a business letter such as
this. The next page will explain how to set out a letter in German.

Text 2: Ein Brief an ein Hotel

Firma E. Rsler KG
Bozener Strae 11-15
10825 Berlin
Tel: 0 30 / 21 56 96
Fax: 0 30 / 21 56 98

Hotel Blauer Engel

Prinzenallee 6
01069 Dresden

Berlin, den 13. Juni 2002

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

wir mchten fr unseren Vorsitzenden Herrn Erhard Rsler eine

Suite mit Loggia und Halbpension in einer Nichtraucheretage
fr die Woche nach dem 18. August buchen. Fr seine
Sekretrin bentigen wir ein Einzelzimmer auf der gleichen
Etage.

Bitte betrachten Sie diese Reservierung als bindend, und halten

Sie die Zimmer frei, auch wenn unser Vorsitzender sehr spt
am Abend ankommen sollte.

Besttigen Sie uns bitte schriftlich die Reservierung und den

Preis von 146 Euro pro Tag fr die Suite und zustzlich 29 Euro
pro Tag fr Halbpension. Bitte schicken Sie uns auch Ihren
Hotelprospekt zu.

Mit freundlichen Gren,

Thomas Berger
Marketing-Abteilung

Text 2: A letter to a hotel

Firma E. Rsler KG
Bozener Strae 11-15
10825 Berlin
Tel: 0 30 / 21 56 96
Fax: 0 30 / 21 56 98

Hotel Blauer Engel

Prinzenallee 6
01069 Dresden

Berlin, 13th June 2002

Dear Sir or Madam,

We would like to book a suite with a balcony on a non-smoking

floor and half-board for our chairman Erhard Rsler for the
week commencing 18th August. We also require a single room
on the same floor for his secretary.

Please regard this reservation as definite and save the rooms

for our chairman even if he should arrive very late in the
evening.

Please confirm this reservation in writing and confirm that the

price of the suite will be 146 euros per day with an additional
29 euros per day for half-board. Please also send us a copy of
your hotel brochure.

Yours faithfully,

Thomas Berger
Marketing Department
 Glossary
der Brief (-e) letter
ein Brief an (+ a letter to
Acc.)
KG (-s) This means "limited partnership". It is short
for "die Kommanditgesellschaft"
der Engel (-) This means "angel". The full title of the hotel
translates as "Blue Angel", which was a
famous Marlene Dietrich film!
die Allee (-n) This means not an "alley" but an "avenue".
geehrt honoured, esteemed
die Dame (-n) lady
der Herr (weak gentleman
masc.)
Sehr geehrte This equates to the English "Dear Sir or
Damen und Madam". It is the standard opening in a
Herren business letter where you do not know the
name or gender of the recipient.
fr unseren This means "for our chairman". Note the
Vorsitzenden accusative endings on this adjectival noun.
Herrn Rsler Note too that the weak masculine noun "Herr"
adds an "-n" here as it is also in the
accusative case.
die Suite (-n) suite
die Loggia (pl. - balcony
Loggien)
buchen to book
die Sekretrin (- secretary
innen)
bentigen to require
der/die gleiche the same
auf der gleichen on the same floor
Etage
betrachten als to regard as
die Reservierung reservation
(-en)
bindend binding; definite
freihalten This is a separable verb ("frei-halten")
(sep.) meaning "to keep or save" a hotel room for
someone
auch wenn even if
unser Once again note the mixed declension
Vorsitzender endings on the adjectival noun.
spt late
spt am Abend late in the evening
sollte This means "should arrive" and is a form of
ankommen the conditional tense which shall be discussed
in forthcoming chapters.
besttigen to confirm
besttigen Sie please confirm for us...
uns...
schriftlich in writing
der Preis (-e) price
zustzlich additionally
zuschicken This is a separable verb meaning "to send".
(sep.) The object that you are sending is in the
accusative case, and the person to whom you
are sending it is in the dative case.
der hotel brochure
Hotelprospekt (-
e)
der Gru (pl. - greeting
Gre)
mit freundlichen This literally means "with friendly greetings" -
Gren note the dative plural endings on the noun! It
equates to the English "Yours..." at the end of
a business letter.
das Marketing marketing
die Marketing- marketing department
Abteilung (-en)

11.16 German letter layout

1. Position of the address
Your own address should be the first element of the letter, and you can include your
telephone number, fax number and/or E-mail address at the end of this, if you are
willing to be contacted in this way. Leave a gap and then type in the address of the
person or company to whom you are writing.

Note that whilst telephone numbers are said in pairs, they are written in a business
letter as only two numbers, the regional dialling code followed by the actual number.
If you are writing from overseas, remember to add the international dialling code.

Both addresses should be positioned flush left on your page and should not contain
commas at the end of each line.

If you know the name of the person to whom you are addressing the letter, then this
should be included in their address. In such cases the first line of the address should
either be "Herrn" or "Frau", depending on the gender of the addressee.
 Grammar 23: Addresses with titles

Herrn Frau
Jan Walle Irmgard Krznaric
Lehrter Pfad 34 Halker Zeile 4c
10825 Berlin 9490 Vaduz
Herrn Doktor Frau Professor
Armin Prill Andrea Widy
Bleicherweg 7 Krtnerring 6/3a
8002 Zrich 1010 Wien

Notes
1. Why is it "Herrn" and not "Herr"? Because you are writing to the man in question,
and he is thus in the accusative case. As we have seen in this chapter, "Herr" is a
weak masculine noun and thus adds an extra "-n" in all cases other than the
nominative singular.

2. If the person to whom you are writing has a title such as "doctor" or "professor",
this title is preceded on the first line of the address by either "Herrn" or "Frau"
depending on the gender of the addressee.

3. In many cases, the masculine form of the title is used regardless of the gender of
the person possessing this title - e.g. "Frau Doktor", "Frau Professor". With some
other titles however, the feminine form is used for a female addressee - e.g. "Frau
Studienrtin" (= secondary school teacher).

2. The date and its position

The date should be written on the right-hand side of the page. Unlike English which
has several variations (May 2, May 2nd, 2nd May etc.), dates in German are always
written the same way - der 2. Mai.

At the head of letters, the accusative form is used, preceded by the name of the
place from where you are writing - e.g. Exeter, den 25. Dezember 2002.

Dates written all in numbers are also found in German, particularly in business
letters - e.g. Exeter, den 25.12.2002.

3. Dear Sir or Madam

The "Dear Sir or Madam..." line is written flush left on the page.

If you are writing to a firm or an institution and do not know the name of the person
to whom you are writing, use "Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren," which literally
translates as "Very esteemed ladies and gentlemen" but equates to the English "Dear
Sir or Madam". (You should only use "Sehr geehrte Herren," or "Sehr geehrte
Damen," if you are sure that the people to whom you are writing are all male or all
female.)

The table below shows how you should start a letter when writing to someone whose
name you know:
 Grammar 24: Addressing the addressee

Sehr geehrter Herr Wagner,

("Dear Mr. Wagner,")
Sehr geehrte Frau Wagner,
("Dear Mrs. Wagner,")
Sehr geehrte Frau Wagner, sehr geehrter
Herr Wagner,
("Dear Mr. and Mrs. Wagner")

With titles
Sehr geehrter Herr Doktor Prill,
("Dear Doctor Prill,")
Sehr geehrte Frau Professor Widy,
("Dear Professor Widy,")

Notes
1. In this case the person to whom you are writing is in the nominative case. You
can tell this by the adjective endings and the fact that "Herr" does not have an "-n"
on the end.

2. Note again that "Herr" and "Frau" are retained when writing to someone who has
a title.

3. If you are writing to somebody with a title, you should not write their Christian
name. Thus the opening formula to write to Professor Andrea Widy is "Sehr geehrte
Frau Professor Widy".

4. Body of the letter

The first line of the body of a German letter is not indented, but is positioned flush
left on the page.

Note too that - unlike in English - the first word of the body of a letter does not start
with a capital letter (unless it is a noun). Why? This is because this first word is only
the start of a new clause, not a new sentence. Viewed from a grammatical
perspective, it continues the sentence started on the previous line by "Sehr geehrte
Damen und Herren,".

5. Ending a letter
Whereas in English we must choose between "Yours faithfully" and "Yours sincerely"
when concluding a business letter, the standard ending for a German letter is "Mit
freundlichen Gren," (= with friendly wishes).

As in English letters you then sign the letter and print your name beneath it.

11.17 Hotel vocabulary (1)

Listed below is a two-page vocabulary guide to booking accommodation in German-
speaking countries. We have also included symbols for each word or phrases that
you may well find in tourist brochures or tourist offices. On this page you will find
types of accommodation, stay and rooms as well as general accommodation phrases.
On the next page you will find vocabulary for room facilities and hotel facilities. As
ever, plurals of nouns are given in brackets.

Vocabulary 2: Types of accomodation

der Campingplatz (pl. - camp site
pltze)
das Ferienhaus (pl. - holiday home
huser)
die Ferienwohnung (-en) holiday flat
das Gasthaus (pl. - inn
huser)
der Gasthof (pl. -hfe) inn
die Herberge (-n) hostel
das Hotel (-s) hotel
das Hotel garni (-s -s) bed and breakfast
das Jugendgstehaus (pl. youth hostel
-huser)
die Jugendherberge (-n) youth hostel
die Pension (-en) guest-house
die Unterkunft (pl. - accommodation; place
knfte) to stay
das Wohnmobil (-e) dormobile; camper
van
der Wohnwagen (-) dormobile; camper
van
das Zelt (-e) tent

Vocabulary 3: Types of stay

die Halbpension half-board
die bernachtung (-en) overnight stay
bernachtung mit Frhstck bed and breakfast
die Vollpension full board

Vocabulary 4: Der Zimmertyp (type of room)

das Businesszimmer (-)
 business room
D das Doppelzimmer (-)
double room
T das Dreibettzimmer (-)
room with three beds
E das Einzelzimmer (-)
single room
D das Gstezimmer (-)
guest room
das Handicapzimmer (-)
handicap room
das Komfortzimmer (-)
luxury room
das Nichtraucherzimmer (-)
no-smoking room
die Nichtraucheretage (-n)
no-smoking floor
die Suite (-n)
suite
V das Vierbettzimmer (-)
room with four beds
Z das Zweibettzimmer (-)
twin room

Vocabulary 5: Hotel phrases

wie kann ich Ihnen helfen?
how may I help you?
knnen Sie mir Informationen ber das Hotel
geben?
can you give me some information about the
hotel?
smtliche Zimmer sind voll belegt
all of the rooms are fully occupied
alle Unterknfte sind bereits ausgebucht
all accommodation is already fully booked
das steht unseren Gsten zur Verfgung
this is available to our guests
das Hotel befindet sich...
the hotel is situated...
in ruhiger Lage
in a quiet location
in 10 Gehminuten erreichbar
can be reached with a ten-minute walk
in unmittelbarer Umgebung
in the immediate vicinity
ganzjhrig geffnet
open all the year round
der hauseigene Parkplatz
car park belonging to the hotel
um wie viel Uhr wird das Frhstck serviert?
at what time is breakfast served?
werden Kreditkarten akzeptiert?
are credit cards accepted?
bitte betrachten Sie diese Reservierung als
bindend
please regard this reservation as binding
bitte halten Sie (uns) das Zimmer frei...
please keep the room (for us)...
...auch wenn wir sehr spt am Abend ankommen
sollten
...even if we should arrive very late in the evening
Preise auf Anfrage
prices on request
inklusive Mehrwertsteuer
including value added tax
Kinderermigung ab 12 Jahren
child reduction from 12 years upwards
Wollen Sie mir bitte jetzt folgen?
Would you like to follow me please?
im Erdgeschoss
on the ground floor
im obersten Stock
on the top floor
das Zimmer verfgt ber (+ Acc.)
the room has...
ein Zimmer mit Blick auf (+ Acc.)
a room that looks out on...
komplett ausgestattet
fully furnished
rollstuhlgerecht eingerichtet
 furnished so as to be suitable for wheelchairs
Vegetarier kommen zu ihrem Recht
vegetarians are well-treated
wie weit ist es zum Stadtzentrum?
how far is it to the city centre?
verkehrsgnstig gelegen
conveniently situated
wrden Sie sich bitte eintragen?
would you like to sign the hotel register?
bitte fllen Sie das Anmeldeformular aus
please fill out the registration form
Sie mssen die Reservierung schriftlich besttigen
you must confirm the reservation in writing

11.18 Hotel vocabulary (2)

Listed below is a two-page vocabulary guide to booking accommodation in German-
speaking countries. We have also included symbols for each word or phrases that
you may well find in tourist brochures or tourist offices. On this page you will find
vocabulary for room facilities and hotel facilities. On the previous page you will find
types of accommodation, stay and rooms as well as general accommodation phrases.
As ever, plurals of nouns are given in brackets.

Vocabulary 6: Hotel room facilities

der Arbeitsbereich (-e)
working area
das Bad (pl. - Bder)
bath
der Balkon (-s)
balcony
das Direktwahltelefon (-e)
direct-dial telephone
die Dusche (-n)
shower
der Farbfernseher (-)
colour television set
die Fernbedienung
remote control
der Fernseher (-)
television set
das Hausvideo
in-house video
der Internetanschluss (pl. -schlsse)
internet connection
das Kabelfernsehen; das Kabel-TV
cable television (as a medium)
der Kabelfernseher (-)
cable television set
das Kinderbett (-en)
cot
die Klimaanlage (-n)
air-conditioning
klimatisiert
air-conditioned
die Loggia (pl. - Loggien)
balcony
die Minibar (-s)
mini-bar
der PC-Anschluss (pl. -schlsse)
PC connection
der Radiowecker (-)
radio alarm clock
das Satellitenfernsehen
satellite TV
der Schlafbereich (-e)
sleeping area
der Schlssel (-)
key
der Schreibtisch (-e)
desk
der Telefaxanschluss (pl. -schlsse)
fax connection
das Telefon (-e)
telephone
der WC (-s)
toilet
der Wohnbereich (-e)
living area
die Zimmernummer (-n)
room number
das Zusatzbett (-en)
additional bed

Vocabulary 7: General hotel vocabulary

der Airport-Shuttle (-s)
airport shuttle
das Anmeldeformular (-e)
registration form
die Anzahlung (-en)
deposit
gegen Anzahlung
if you pay a deposit
der Aufenthaltsraum (pl. -rume)
day room; recreation room
der Bahnhof-Shuttle (-s)
station shuttle
die Bar (-s)
hotel bar
die Bedienung
service
die behindertengerechte Ausstattung
disabled facilities
der Empfang (pl. -fnge)
reception
die Empfangsdame (-n)
receptionist
das englischsprachige Personal
English-speaking staff
die Ermigung (-en)
reduction
die Etage (-n)
floor
der Etagenservice
floor service
fahrradfreundlich
catering for cyclists
familienfreundlich
catering for families
der Fitnessraum (pl. -rume)
fitness room
die Freizeitmglichkeiten (pl.)
leisure opportunities
das Frhstcksbfett (-s)
breakfast buffet
die Garage (-n)
garage / car park
der Gast (pl. - Gste)
guest
gastfreundlich
hospitable
das Getrnk (-e)
drink; beverage
die Gruppenermigung (-en)
group reduction
die Hausbar (-s)
house bar
Haustiere erlaubt
pets allowed
kinderfreundlich
catering for children
das Kindermen (-s)
children's menu
der Kinderspielplatz (pl. -pltze)
children's playground
der Konferenzraum (pl. -rume)
conference room
Kreditkarten akzeptiert
credit cards accepted
die (schsische) Kche
(Saxon) cuisine
der Lift (-e or -s)
lift; elevator
der Messe-Shuttle (-s)
trade fair shuttle
der Nachtportier (-s)
night porter
der offene Kamin
open fire
die Parkanlage (-n)
park
der Parkplatz (pl. -pltze)
parking space
der Portier (-s)
porter
der Prospekt (-e)
brochure
der/die Reisende
traveller
die Reservierung (-en)
reservation
das Restaurant (-s)
restaurant
die Sauna (-s)
sauna
das Schwimmbecken (-)
swimming pool
 der Seminarraum (pl. -rume)
seminar room
das Solarium (pl. -rien)
solarium
der Stock (no pl.)
floor; storey
das Stockwerk (-e)
floor; storey
die Tagungseinrichtungen (pl.)
conference equpiment
der Tagungsraum (pl. -rume)
conference room
die Terrasse (-n)
terrace
die Tiefgarage (-n)
underground car park
das Vegetariermen (-s)
vegetarian menu
die Verkehrsanbindungen (pl.)
transport connections
der Whirlpool (-s)
whirlpool

11.19 Tourist accommodation

Hotels
Prices and standards in German hotels vary enormously. You can stay overnight in
luxury suites, rooms in middle class hotels or very inexpensive accommodation in
smaller hotels. Whilst it is true as a general principle that hotels are cheaper in rural
areas and on the outskirts of cities than in city centres, a more reliable guide to what
you can expect to find and pay is the German hotel classification system. This was
introduced by the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (DEHOGA) in 1996.
Hotels are classified based on a uniform criteria and are categorized by a certain
number of stars - five stars is the best that a hotel (or other accommodation facility)
can achieve. Click here for details of the mininum criteria for each of the star
categories.

Some of Germany's most luxurious hotels are the Accor, ArabellaSheraton, Hilton,
Inter-Continental, Kempinski, Marriott, Radisson, Romantik and Steigenberger

When you arrive in a German town or city, the local tourist office (das
Fremdenverkehrsbro) - will usually be able to help you find a hotel that meets your
requirements. If the tourist office is not open, there may well be a list of rooms on
display outside the office with prices and other details. At airports and railway
stations, you will often find a counter with a sign saying Zimmernachweis (=
accommodation service) where you can book a room.
It is becoming easier and easier however to book hotel rooms via the Internet. See
the web links at the bottom of this page for a number of hotel reservation services
and hotel search engines which can enable you you to book your ideal
accommodation from the comfort of your own desk!

Rooms in other types of accommodation

As a general rule, prices in a German guest house (die Pension) or a bed and
breakfast (das Hotel garni) will be cheaper than in a hotel, but in high season guest
house prices in tourist areas can still be quite high.

Look out for country inns (der Gasthof) that offer rooms. Many of them have their
own butcher's and offer a wide variety of local specialities.

Holiday flats (die Ferienwohnung), holiday homes (das Ferienhaus) and holiday
villages (das Feriendorf) are gaining in popularity as a low-price vacation option.

With environmental awareness in German-speaking countries being high, holidays on

farms (Ferien auf dem Bauernhof) or in other "green" locations (such as stables or
vineyards) are very popular. The German Agricultural Society (DLG) provides a
comprehensive list of such approved holiday locations.

Youth hostels
Germany's 608 youth hostels are used not only by students, youth groups and
school parties but also by hikers and tourists of all ages who seek an informal
environment where you can meet people from a wide range of backgrounds. Most
youth hostels are also suitable for families, offer sports facilities on their grounds and
are wheelchair-accessible.

The only requirement is that one must be a member of the German Youth Hostel
Association (DJH). You may purchase a membership card directly from the German
Youth Hostel Association or in the youth hostels themselves.

So-called "Friends of Nature hostels" (das Naturfreundehaus) exist in locations of

natural beauty such as mountain regions or walking areas. Many of them are youth
guest houses or hiking centres, but it is possible for tourists, travellers and families
to stay overnight. There are 500 such hostels in Germany alone and they range from
simple boathouses and self-catering accommodation to recognised education
centres. In mountainous areas you may also find a mountain hut (die Berghtte)
that is willing to put up passing travellers for the night.

Tourist boards
Your first port of call when trying to find out more about accommodation and/or
holidays in Germany should be the English homepage of the German National Tourist
Board (GNTB). In addition to their excellent service for tourists, the sixteen German
Lnder have their own tourist boards.

11.20 Dresden: Florence of the North

Early history
Situated in the east of modern Germany on the River Elbe, Dresden was first
mentioned in official documents in 1206. The city derives its name from "Drezdany",
the name of a village inhabited by Sorbs, and which literally means "the people from
the marshy forest". It quickly became the capital of Saxony (in German: Sachsen),
which became a major European power in 1697 when August the Strong of Saxony
converted to catholicism and gained the Polish crown. Dresden became known
internationally for its elaborately-decorated china which was manufactured from
1710 onwards in nearby Meien.

In 1806 French troops occupied Dresden, and the city was the scene of Napoleon's
last great military victory in August 1813 when 23,000 enemy soldiers died as
French troops defeated Austrian forces under the command of General
Schwarzenberg. Dresden grew quickly in size during the 19th Century and had a
population of 632,710 by 1930 - by which time of course Saxony had become part of
a unified Germany.

The air-raid on Dresden in 1945

In 1945, during the latter stages of World War II, Dresden was perceived by the
Allied forces to be a pivotal centre of communications as the Allied commander-in-
chief General Eisenhower was anxious to link up with the advancing Red Army in
south Germany. Many factors spoke against it being a bombing target however.
Dresden was a beautiful Baroque city known as the "Florence of the North". It had no
war industry and little military value. The city was known to be overcrowded with
some 200,000 refugees, mainly peasants from Silesia fleeing the Red Army.

Despite this however, it was believed that air attacks on Dresden would sap the
morale of the German populace and also provide retaliation for German attacks on
London and other British cities. On the night of 13-14 February 1945, heavy and
sustained air-raids were launched on Dresden by Britain's Bomber Command. 805
bombers dropped a total of 2690 tonnes of bombs on the city, followed by three
more in daylight by the US 8th Air Force.

A firestorm engulfing eight square miles flattened over 30,000 buildings, including
many of great cultural importance such as the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady).
The numbers of those who died in the bombing and the ensuing firestorm are still in
dispute, with estimates varying from 55,000 to 250,000. Whatever the figure, it was
probably greater than the 51,509 British civilians killed by the Luftwaffe during the
whole of the Second World War and the 70,000 immediate deaths at Hiroshima after
the dropping of the first atom bomb on 6th August 1945.

1949 to the present day

After World War II, Dresden found itself in the Soviet occupation zone and thus
became part of the German Democratic Republic. Saxony was dissolved as an
administrational area and replaced by three regions: Dresden, Leipzig and Chemnitz.
The city was located in what once was called the Tal der Ahnungslosen (Valley of the
Clueless) - as the city is encircled by mountains and hills, the signals of the West
German TV stations never seemed to reach peoples antennas, forcing them to watch
the television channels of the socialist state broadcaster. German reunification in
1990 saw the reinstatement of Saxony as a German Land, with Dresden once again
as its capital.

In August 2002 large areas of Dresden were flooded, first by the Weieritz river and
then by the River Elbe. The Elbe, which has a normal summer level of around two
metres on its way through Dresden, reached a height of over nine metres, thus
beating the all-time high of 1845. 35,000 people had to be evacuated and 100,000
people were without electricity. The basement of the 19th-century Semper Opera
House (pictured below) was filled with water to a depth of almost three metres,
although most of the cultural artefacts in the building were thankfully brought to
safety. The biggest clear-up operation in Dresden since 1945 looks set to cost the
city millions of euros.

Size and architecture

Dresden currently has a population of 472,350 inhabitants, which makes it the
fifteenth biggest city in Germany. The city owes its reputation as the "Florence of the
North" to the baroque period, when it became one of the most glamorous European
royal capitals. This period witnessed the construction of many of Dresden's most
beautiful buildings such as the Zwinger, the Hofkirche and the Schaumburgpalais.
Dresden's highlights include the magnificent palatial buildings around the
Theaterplatz and the Brhl Terraces, and the many art treasures at the state
museums.

The reconstruction of Dresden's elegant landmarks after the air-raids of August 1945
was largely neglected by the GDR authorities. Inner-city areas that had only been
lightly damaged by the bombing were largely left as they were. Instead a series of
Soviet-style concrete buildings and housing blocks were added in areas such as
Johannstadt, Gorbitz and Prohlis. Until 1989 the architecture of the city constituted a
harsh contrast between decaying baroque splendour and concrete functionalism.

It was only after reunification in 1990 that large scale reconstruction of the city got
underway. Work was started in 1994 to rebuild the Frauenkirche (see picture left),
the 18th Century baroque church at the heart of Dresden which had been in ruins
since the bombing raids of 1945. Restoration work should be completed by the 800th
anniversary of the city in 2006 and the new Frauenkirche will not only complete
Dresden's city landscape but also provide Europe with a symbol of reconciliation
between nations.

Chapter 12: Accommodation (2)

12.1 Am Studentenwerk
Having found a hotel room for a few days, Marko Tredup must now use his time in
Dresden to find some student accommodation for when he starts at the Dresden
University of Technology in October. He goes to seek advice from das Studentenwerk
- the student administration of the university. Unfortunately it is Friday, the one day
of the week on which the office is closed. Instead Marko meets fellow student Leon
Arndt who gives him some information about the accommodation situation for
students in Germany.

Conversation 1: Am Studentenwerk
Marko Ach, Entschuldigung, wo finde ich das
Tredup Studentenwerk?
Leon Das Studentenwerk befindet sich gleich um die
Arndt Ecke im Hauptgebude.
Marko Und wann hat das Studentenwerk geffnet?
Tredup
Leon Tja, Pech gehabt! Die Sprechzeiten whrend der
Arndt Semesterferien sind montags und mittwochs von
09.00 Uhr bis 12.00 Uhr und dienstags und
donnerstags von 09.00 Uhr bis 15.00 Uhr.
Freitags bleibt das Studentenwerk leider
geschlossen.
Marko So ein Pech! Was mache ich denn jetzt? Kannst
Tredup du mir eine Frage beantworten?
Leon Ja, klar.
Arndt
Marko Ab dem kommenden Semester werde ich hier an
Tredup der Universitt Jura studieren. Bekommen alle
Studenten einen Platz in einem
Studentenwohnheim?
Leon Nein, nicht alle. Die Wohnungssituation in
Arndt Dresden ist uerst schwierig - besonders fr
Studierende. Wegen der langen Wartezeiten
bekommen Studienanfnger in der Regel kein
Zimmer in einem Wohnheim. Du musst
zumindest fr das Wintersemester eine
Unterkunft auf dem privaten Wohnungsmarkt
oder bei Freunden finden.
Marko Aber ich habe keine Freunde oder Bekannte in
Tredup Dresden!
Leon Das schwarze Brett befindet sich ganz in der
Arndt Nhe der Mensa. Vielleicht wirst du da etwas
finden.
Marko Das schwarze Brett? Was ist denn das?
Tredup
Leon Das ist eine riesige Tafel mit bunten Anzeigen.
Arndt Sie ist ber und ber mit Mietangeboten und
Mietgesuchen beklebt.
Marko Danke fr den Tipp! Ich kenne mich hier nicht
Tredup aus! Welches Fach studierst du an der Uni?
Leon Ich studiere Germanistik. brigens: Ich suche
Arndt auch eine Unterkunft. Whrend meines
Sommerkurses habe ich ein Zimmer in einem
Studentenwohnheim, aber fr die Zeit danach
suche ich eine mblierte Wohnung.
 Conversation 1: At the student administration
Marko Oh, excuse me, where can I find the student
Tredup administration?
Leon The student administration is just round the
Arndt corner in the main building.
Marko And when is the student administration open?
Tredup
Leon Ah, you're unlucky there! The consulting hours
Arndt during the university vacation are from 09:00 to
12:00 on Mondays and Wednesdays and
between 09:00 and 15:00 on Tuesdays and
Thursdays. On Fridays the student
administration is unfortunately closed.
Marko That's just my luck! What am I going to do now?
Tredup Can you answer a question for me?
Leon Yes, of course.
Arndt
Marko From the coming term onwards I'm going to be
Tredup studying law here at the university. Do all
students get a place in halls of residence?
Leon No, not all of them. The accommodation
Arndt situation in Dresden is extremely difficult -
particularly for students. Due to the long waiting
periods first year students don't normally get a
room in halls of residence. For the winter term
at least you have to find a place to stay on the
private accommodation market or with friends.
Marko But I don't have any friends or acquaintances in
Tredup Dresden!
Leon The notice board is very near the refectory.
Arndt Perhaps you'll be able to find something there.
Marko The notice board? What's that then?
Tredup
Leon It's a massive board with colourful adverts. It's
Arndt completely covered in offers of accommodation
and requests for accommodation.
Marko Thanks for the tip! I don't know my way around
Tredup here! What subject are you studying at the
university?
Leon I'm studying German. I'm also looking for a
Arndt place to stay, by the way. I've got a room in
halls of residence during my summer course but
I'm looking for a furnished flat for the period
after that.

Glossary
ach, Entschuldigung Oh, excuse me!
das Studentenwerk (- student administration
e)
gleich just
um die Ecke (a)round the corner
das Hauptgebude (- main building
)
hat ... geffnet This means "is open" and is an
alternative to "ist offen". The word
"geffnet" is the past participle of
"ffnen", the verb meaning "to open".
das Pech bad luck
Pech gehabt! you're unlucky there!
die Sprechzeit (-en) consulting time
whrend This preposition means "during" and
takes the genitive case.
das Semester (-) semester; term
die Semesterferien university vacation
(pl.)
montags on Mondays
mittwochs on Wednesdays
dienstags on Tuesdays
donnerstags on Thursdays
freitags on Fridays
geschlossen This means "closed" and is the past
participle of "schlieen", the verb
meaning "to close".
so ein Pech! that's just my luck!
jetzt now
kannst du... Marko uses the "du" form as he is
speaking to a fellow student.
beantworten This means "to answer". The thing that
you are answering (here "die Frage") is
in the accusative case. The person
whose question etc. you are answering
(here: "mir") is in the dative case.
ab (+ Dat.) from... onwards
kommend coming; forthcoming
die Universitt (-en) university
an der Universitt at university
Jura This means "law" when you are referring
to it as a university subject
studieren to study
ich werde studieren This means "I will study" and is the
future tense of the verb.
bekommen (insep.) to get; to receive
der Platz (pl. - This means "a place" in this context.
Pltze)
das (student) halls of residence
Studentenwohnheim
(-e)
die Situation (-en) situation
die accommodation situation
Wohnungssituation
schwierig difficult
besonders particularly
der/die Studierende This is an adjectival noun and is another
word for "a student". Thus a male
student would be "der Studierende" and
a female student would be "die
Studierende". For the endings on
adjectival nouns, see the previous
chapter.
wegen This is another preposition that takes
the genitive case. It means "because
of".
die Wartezeit (-en) wait; waiting period
der Studienanfnger first year student; fresher
(-)
in der Regel usually; as a rule
das Wohnheim (-e) halls of residence
zumindest at least
das Wintersemester winter term
(-)
die Unterkunft (pl. - place to stay
knfte)
privat private
der Wohnungsmarkt housing market
(pl. -mrkte)
bei (+ Dat.) In this context, "bei" means lodging
"with" someone when they are the
owners of the accommodation (such as
your parents). If you are sharing
 accommodation with someone as equal
partners, you should use "mit".
das schwarze Brett (- This means "notice board" and despite
er) the literal translation, most of them
aren't black!
in der Nhe (+ Gen.) This means "near" and is another phrase
that takes the genitive case.
ganz in der Nhe very near
die Mensa (pl. - refectory; canteen
Mensen)
du wirst finden you will find
riesig This means "huge" or "massive" ans is
used more in conversational German
than written German.
die Tafel (-n) This means "board" in this context. As
we have seen, it can also mean a "bar"
of chocolate!
bunt colourful
die Anzeige (-n) advertisement
ber und ber completely
das Mietangebot (-e) accommodation offer
das Mietgesuch (-e) request for accommodation
beklebt This means "covered over" and comes
from the verb "bekleben" meaning "to
stick something on something".
der Tipp (-s) tip
sich auskennen This is a separable and reflexive verb
meaning "to know one's way around".
das Fach (pl. - subject
Fcher)
die Uni (-s) This is the shortened form of the
German word for "university" and is
used mainly in spoken German.
an der Uni at the university
die Germanistik This means "German" as a university
subject. In schools and colleges, the
subject is called "Deutsch".
brigens moreover
der Kurs (-e) course
der Sommerkurs (-e) summer course
danach afterwards
mbliert furnished
die Wohnung (-en) flat; apartment
12.2 Das schwarze Brett (1)
When Marko Tredup finds the university notice board by the refectory, the only thing
that he can see at first are advertisements left by other students looking for
accommodation!

Text 1: Zimmer dringend gesucht!

Nachmieter gesucht?
Suche gnstige 2-Zimmer-Wohnung in Dresden. Am
besten sofort! Komme am Sonntagabend nach Dresden
und wrde mir gerne Montag, Dienstag und Mittwoch ein
paar nette ruhige Neubauwohnungen ansehen.

Wenn mglich ohne Ofenheizung, ohne Kaution und bis

300 warm. Lage egal - Loschwitz / Wachwitz jedoch
optimal. Ich freue mich auf eine schnelle Nachricht von
euch, also bis dahin...

Bei Interesse ruft mich an: 0 36 43/52 63 39

Suche preiswertes Zimmer!

Hallo, ich bin Anglistikstudent aus Nrnberg und suche
dringend fr sechs Monate vom 01.10.02 bis zum
01.4.03 ein helles mbliertes Zimmer zur Untermiete
(WG, Wohnheim oder privat) oder ein Einzelappartement.
- nur Zentralheizung oder Etagenheizung!
- kein EG.
- zwischen 250-350 Euro Warmmiete.

Ich bin WG-erprobt, nett und umgnglich. Ich brauche

wenig Platz, bringe viel gute Laune mit und freue mich
ber eine E-mail oder einen Anruf!
Kontaktperson:
Gert Wahnschaffe
Telefon: 0911/457667
E-Mail-Adresse: gert_wahnschaffe@hotmail.com

Suche nette und gemtliche Wohngemeinschaft!

Auf Grund meines Umzugs nach Dresden
(Hochschulwechsel) suche ich zum 01.03.2003 ein helles
Zimmer, mindestens 19 Quadratmeter / Altbau. Nach
Mglichkeit ruhige Lage, mglichst zentral und gute
Verkehrsanbindung!

Ich bin 20 Jahre alt, studiere seit einem halben Jahr

Medizin und vermisse total das WG-Leben. Ich mchte
nicht mehr alleine wohnen und mchte raus aus meiner
eigenen Studentenwohnung!

Ich denke mal, ich bin recht gesellig und kein allzu
schwieriger Charakter. Ich kann monatlich maximal 200
Euro (kalt) ausgeben.

Hoffe auf baldige Antwort! MfG, Markus.

Meldet euch schnell unter: (03804) 561900

Text 1: Desperately looking for a room

Looking for a follow-on tenant?

I'm looking for a reasonably priced 2 room flat in
Dresden. Preferably immediately! I'm coming to Dresden
on Sunday evening and would like to look at a few nice
and quiet newly-built flats on Monday, Tuesday and
Wednesday.

If possible without stove heating, without deposit and up

to 300 including heating. I don't mind about the
location, but Loschwitz / Wachwitz would be perfect. I
look forward to getting your prompt replies, so until
then...

If you're interested, call me: 0 36 43/52 63 39

I'm looking for a reasonably priced room!

Hallo, I'm an English student from Nuremberg and I'm
urgently looking for a bright furnished room where I can
be a tenant (shared flat, hall of residence, private) or a
one-person apartment for six months from 01.10.02 to
01.04.03.
- only central heating or whole-floor heating!
- not on the ground floor.
- between 250-350 euros rent including heating.

I have experience of living in a shared flat, and I'm

friendly and easy to get on with. I won't take up much
space, I'm very cheerful and I look forward to receiving
an e-mail or a phone call from you!
Contact:
Gert Wahnschaffe
Telephone: 0911/457667
E-Mail address: gert_wahnschaffe@hotmail.com

I'm looking for nice and friendly shared

accommodation!
As a result of my moving to Dresden (change of
university), I'm looking for a bright room for March 1,
2003: at least 19 square metres / old building. A quite
location if possible, as central as possible and good traffic
connections!

I'm 20 years old, have been studying medicine for half a

year and really miss life in a shared flat. I don't want to
live alone any more and want to get out of my own
student flat!

I think I'm pretty sociable and not too much of a difficult

character. I can pay a maximum of 200 euros per month
(without heating).

I hope for a prompt response! Best wishes, Markus.

Contact me soon on the number: (03804) 561900

Glossary
First advert
der Nachmieter (-) This can be translated approximately as
"next tenant". More accurately, it means
the person who takes over a flat or room
from someone else.
Nachmieter This would translate as "Looking for a new
gesucht? tenant?" or more literally "Is a follow-on
tenant being looked for?" as it is the
passive that is implied here - i.e.
"Nachmieter wird gesucht". The word
"gesucht" is the past participle of the verb
"suchen".
suche... "I'm looking for..." The pronoun "ich" is
omitted here for the sake of brevity.
gnstig reasonably priced
die 2-Zimmer- This means a "two-room flat". It could
Wohnung (-en) also be written in full as "die
Zweizimmerwohnung".
am besten ideally; if possible
sofort immediately
komme... "I'm coming...". See "suche...".
am Sonntagabend on Sunday evening
sich etwas ansehen In this context it means "to look at
something". We have already used it to
describe "watching TV programmes". In
both cases the thing that you are looking
at is in the accusative case and the dative
pronoun refers back to the person doing
the "looking".
ich wrde mir gerne This means "I would like to look at". Note
... ansehen that the infinitive comes at the end of the
sentence.
nett nice
ruhig quiet
die Neubauwohnung newly-built flat
(-en)
wenn mglich if possible
der Ofen (pl. - oven; heater
fen)
die Ofenheizung This means "stove heating". This is the
(unpopular!) way in which a number of
flats in old buildings are still heated.
die Kaution (-en) This means the "deposit" that you put
down on a flat. It does NOT mean
"caution"!
300 warm In this context, this means "300
including heating". You would use "kalt"
when heating costs are not included in the
rent.
die Lage (-n) location
Lage egal I don't care about the location
jedoch however
optimal optimal; perfect
sich freuen auf (+ This means "to look forward to". The
Acc.) reflexive pronoun is always in the
accusative case. Note that if you use "sich
freuen" with a different preposition it
means something different.
die Nachricht (-en) message; piece of news
also so
bis dahin until then
das Interesse (-n) interest
bei Interesse if you are interested
anrufen (sep.) This means "to ring somebody up". The
person whom you are calling is in the
accusative case.
ruft mich an! "Ring me up!" This is the second person
plural "ihr" form of the imperative. The
polite "Sie" form is not used here as the
advertiser is aiming his appeal at people
of his own age group.
Second advert
preiswert reasonable; good value
die Anglistik This means "English" as a university
subject.
die English student (female)
Anglistikstudentin
suche... "I'm looking for..." The pronoun "ich" is
omitted here for the sake of brevity.
dringend urgently
hell bright
die Untermiete subtenancy
ein Zimmer zur a room where I could be a tenant
Untermiete
die WG (-s) This means a shared flat. It is short for
"die Wohngemeinschaft".
das Appartement (- apartment
s)
das one-person apartment
Einzelappartement
(-s)
die Zentralheizung central heating
die Etagenheizung heating system that covers one floor of a
building
EG This is short for "das Erdgeschoss",
meaning ground floor.
die Warmmiete (-n) rent including heating
erprobt experienced
WG-erprobt experienced in living in shared flats
umgnglich friendly; sociable
der Platz In this context it means "space" or
"room".
die Laune (-n) mood
sich freuen ber (+ If you use "sich freuen" with the
Acc.) preposition "ber (+ Acc.)", this means
"to be happy about".
die E-Mail (-s) e-mail
der Anruf (-e) telephone call
die Kontaktperson (person to) contact
(-en)
die E-Mail-Adresse e-mail address
(-n)
Third advert
gemtlich comfortable; friendly
die This means "shared flat". It usually gets
Wohngemeinschaft abbreviated to "die WG".
(-en)
auf Grund (+ Gen.) This preposition means "because of" and
takes the genitive case. It can also be
written as one word - "aufgrund".
der Umzug (pl. - This means "a move" as in "moving
Umzge) house".
die Hochschule (-n) This is another word for "university", and
can also mean "college".
der Wechsel (-) change
der change of university
Hochschulwechsel (-
)
zum 01.03.2003 for March 1, 2003
mindestens at least
das Quadratmeter This means "square metre". German
(-) accommodation adverts tend to deal in
room sizes more than the number of
rooms. In spoken German
"Quadratmeter" may be masculine.
der Altbau (pl. - old building
Altbauten)
die Mglichkeit (- possibility
en)
nach Mglichkeit if possible
zentral central
mglichst zentral as central as possible
die transport connection
Verkehrsanbindung
(-en)
ein halbes Jahr half a year
studiere ... seit I have been studying for half a year.
einem halben Jahr
die Medizin medicine
vermissen (insep.) to miss
total This adverb means "totally" and should be
used in conversational German only
das WG-Leben (-) life in a shared flat
nicht mehr no longer; no more
ich mchte nicht I don't want to ... any more
mehr...
alleine This adverb means "alone" and can be
written with or without an "-e" at the end
of the word.
ich mchte raus... "I want to get out". The verb of motion
itself can be omitted in this construction.
eigen own
die student flat
Studentenwohnung
(-en)
denken to think
ich denke mal I think
recht quite; fairly
gesellig sociable
allzu too; all too
schwierig difficult
der Charakter (-) character
monatlich per month
maximal 200 Euro a maximum of 200 euros
kalt In this context this means "without
heating"
ausgeben (sep.) This is a separable verb meaning "to
spend". The money that you spend is in
the accusative case.
hoffen auf (+ Acc.) This means "to hope for". Once again the
pronoun "ich" has been omitted here.
baldig quick; early
die Antwort (-en) answer
mfg This is an informal abbreviation of "mit
freundlichen Gren" (with best wishes).
Don't use it in business letters!
sich melden This is a reflexive verb meaning "to get in
touch". The reflexive pronoun is always in
the accusative case.
meldet euch unter.. "Contact me on the number..." The
imperative is once again being used in the
familiar "ihr" form of the second person
plural, as Bettina's advert is aimed at her
 fellow students.

12.3 Das schwarze Brett (2)

Marko wonders at first if he should just place his own advertisement (die Anzeige)
and leave it at that. He then however spots a number of advertisements for flats in
the Dresden area. Are any of the adverts that he finds (listed below) for one person
flats, or is he going to try and find some fellow students to group up with?

Text 2: Wohnung zu vermieten

Wir suchen eine/n Nachmieter/in!

Wir werden ausziehen und unsere Maisonettewohnung in
einem ruhigen Dresdner Vorort (bigau) wird bald frei.

Neubau, 81m. Kochecke, Diele, Wohnzimmer,

Badezimmer mit WC & Bidet, 2 Balkone, Parkett,
Tiefgaragenstellplatz inklusive, Nachtspeicherheizung.
Komplett renoviert, schne Aussicht. Sehr hohe Decke.
WG-geeignet, gute Verkehrsanbindung.

Die Kaltmiete betrgt 490 + 210 Heiz- und

Nebenkosten also insgesamt 700 warm.

Besichtigung am 28. September. Ab 30.09.02 zu

beziehen.
Weitere Informationen unter:
Festnetz: (0371) 467856
Handy: 0160/576835
E-Mail: A.Prill@gmx.de

Altbauwohnung zu vermieten!
Wer mchte fr die Zeit meiner Abwesenheit (20.10. bis
30.12.2002) in meiner sonnigen Dreizimmerwohnung im
Hochparterre wohnen? Zentrale Wohnanlage (Dresdner
Neustadt), an der Elbe gelegen, 68 qm.

Wohnkche, Bad mit Duschkabine, Fubodenheizung,

modern mbliert, hochwertige Ausstattung, Kabel-TV,
Holzboden, Aufzug im Haus, 295 inklusive.

Ich freue mich auf Eure Anrufe!

Kontaktperson:
Jessica Dbritz
Bro: 0351/2576835
Privat: 0351/345736 (Anrufbeantworter!)

Eigentumswohnung zu vermieten!
Ab Anfang Oktober zu beziehen: Neubauwohnung in
Dresden-Cotta.

Erdgeschoss, ca. 84 m Wohnflche bestehend aus: 1

Wohnzimmer, 1 Schlafzimmer, 1 Kochnische, 1
Arbeitszimmer, 1 Bad, 1 WC, 1 Abstellraum in Wohnung
+ kleine Loggia/Terrasse + Keller.

Kche, Bad und Vorzimmer eingerichtet, Schlafzimmer

mit Kleiderschrank vorhanden, Wohnung wird renoviert,
Heizung und Warmwasser mit Fernwrme (geringe
Heizkosten im Winter).

Parkplatz vor dem Haus vorhanden, Grnstreifen vor dem

Balkon. Sehr verkehrsgnstig, gute
Einkaufsmglichkeiten.

Monatliche Miete: EUR 375,-- (kalt), Nebenkosten 121

Euro bei 2 Personen.

Besichtigung nach Vereinbarung.

Rckfragen:
Andreas Fricke: 0351/431824
E-Mail: Fricke3@yahoo.com

Text 2: Flat to let

We're looking for a follow-on tenant!

We will be moving out and our maisonette flat in a quiet
Dresden suburb (bigau) will soon become free.

New building, 81 square metres. Kitchen/cooking area,

hall, living room, bathroom with toilet & bidet, 2
balconies, parquet flooring, space in an underground car
park, night storage heating. Completely renovated,
pleasant view. Very high ceiling. Suitable for a shared
flat, good transport connections.

The rent excluding heating costs amounts to 490 + 210

for heating and additional costs which makes a total of
700 including heating.

Viewing on 28th September. Can be occupied from

30.09.02.
For further details, contact:
Landline: (0371) 467856
Mobile phone: 0160/576835
E-Mail: A.Prill@gmx.de

Flat in an old building to let!

Who would like to live in my sunny three-room flat on the
upper ground floor for the time of my absence (20.10. to
30.12.2002)? Central location (Dresdner Neustadt),
situated by the River Elbe, 68 square metres.

Combined kitchen and living room, bathroom with shower

cubicle, underfloor heating, high-quality modern
furnishings, cable TV, wooden floor, lift in building, 295
inclusive.

I look forward to your phone calls!

Contact:
Jessica Dbritz
Office: 0351/2576835
Private: 0351/345736 (Answer phone!)

Owner-occupied flat to let!

Ready to be occupied from the start of October: Newly-
built flat in Dresden-Cotta.

Ground floor, approximately 84 square metres living

space consisting of: 1 living room, 1 bedroom, 1
kitchenette, 1 study, 1 bathroom, 1 WC, 1 store room in
flat + small balcony/terrace + cellar.

Kitchen, bath and anteroom furnished, bedroom with

wardrobe, flat is being renovated, heating and warm
water via district heating (low heating costs in the
winter).

Parking space available in front of the building, grass

verge in front of the balcony. Very conveniently situated,
good shopping facilities.

Monthly rent: 375 EUR (excluding heating costs),

additional costs for 2 people 121 euros.

Viewing by arrangement.
Queries:
Andreas Fricke: 0351/431824
E-Mail: Fricke3@yahoo.com

Glossary
First advert
eine/n Nachmieter/in Note the different endings to show
that the offer is open to both male
and female applicants!
ausziehen This means "to move out". We have
encountered this verb before in the
reflexive form.
die Maisonettewohnung maisonette flat
(-en)
Dresdner This is the adjective that comes from
"Dresden". It is invariable, i.e. it
never changes its endings no matter
which case it is in or what kind of
determiner it follows.
der Vorort (-e) suburb
der Neubau (pl. - new building
Neubauten)
81m The total size of the flat in square
metres.
die Kochecke (-n) kitchen / cooking area
die Diele (-n) hall
das Wohnzimmer (-) living room
das Badezimmer (-) bathroom
das Bidet (-s) bidet
das Parkett (-e) parquet flooring
der Tiefgaragenstellplatz space in an underground car park
(pl. -pltze)
inklusive included
die night storage heating
Nachtspeicherheizung
komplett completely
renovieren to renovate
renoviert renovated
die Aussicht (-en) view
hoch This means "high". When "hoch" adds
adjective endings, the "-c-" is
omitted. Hence "die hohe Decke".
die Decke (-n) ceiling
WG-geeignet suitable for a shared flat
die Kaltmiete (-n) rent excluding heating costs
betragen (insep.) This means "to come to" or "to
amount to". It declines in the same
way as the irregular verb "tragen"
(see verb tables).
die Heizkosten (pl.) heating costs
die Nebenkosten (-) additional costs
insgesamt in total
die Besichtigung (-en) viewing
beziehen (insep.) to occupy
ab ... zu beziehen can be occupied from...
weitere Informationen further information
(pl.)
das Festnetz landline
das Handy (-s) mobile phone
Second advert
die Altbauwohnung (- flat in an old building
en)
vermieten (insep.) to rent out
Wohnung zu vermieten flat to let; flat for rent
wer mchte ... "Who would like to live...?"
wohnen?
fr die Zeit (+ Gen.) This means "for the time of" and is a
construction that takes the genitive
case.
sonnig sunny
die Dreizimmerwohnung three-room flat
(-en)
das Hochparterre (-s) upper ground floor
im Hochparterre on the upper ground floor
die Wohnanlage (-n) location
die Neustadt (pl. - new (part of) town
stdte)
an der Elbe gelegen situated by the River Elbe
68 qm Short for "68 Quadratmeter" (= 68
square metres)
die Wohnkche (-n) combined kitchen and living room
das Bad This can sometimes mean "bath" as
well as "bathroom".
die Duschkabine (-n) shower cubicle
der Fuboden (pl. - floor
bden)
die Fubodenheizung underfloor heating
modern modern
hochwertig high-quality
die Ausstattung In this context, this means
"furnishings".
der Holzboden (pl. - wooden floor
bden)
der Aufzug (pl. -zge) This is another word for a "lift"
das Haus (pl. - Huser) Although this normally means
"house", it can also be a generally
word for a "building" in which
individual flats are located.
der Anrufbeantworter (- answer phone
)
Third advert
die Eigentumswohnung owner-occupied flat
(-en)
der Anfang (pl. - start; beginning
Anfnge)
Anfang Oktober This means "at the beginning of
October". Note the absence of articles
and prepositions in the German
phrase!
ca. This is short for "circa", meaning
"approximately".
die Wohnflche (-n) living space
84m Wohnflche This means "84 square metres of
living space". In practice this
comprises the space taken up by lving
room, dining room and bedroom.
bestehend aus This means "consisting of". It is the
present participle of the verb
"bestehen".
das Schlafzimmer (-) bedroom
die Kochnische (-n) kitchenette
das Arbeitszimmer (-) study
der Abstellraum (pl. - storeroom
rume)
die Loggia (pl. - balcony
 Loggien)
die Terrasse (-n) terrace
der Keller (-) cellar
das Vorzimmer (-) anteroom; hall
eingerichtet furnished
der Kleiderschrank (pl. - wardrobe
schrnke)
vorhanden present; there
renovieren to renovate
wird renoviert This means "is being renovated". It is
an example of the passive which we
met in the previous chapter.
die Heizung heating
das Warmwasser warm water
die Fernwrme district heating
gering (adj.) low
der Grnstreifen (-) grass verge
verkehrsgnstig convenient for transport
die shopping facilities
Einkaufsmglichkeiten
(pl.)
bei 2 Personen if there are two people
die Vereinbarung (-en) arrangement; agreement
nach Vereinbarung by arrangement
die Rckfrage (-n) query; question

12.4 Das schwarze Brett (3)

Having dug around amongst the mound of adverts cluttering up the notice board,
Marko finally locates two advertisements offering rooms in a "Wohngemeinschaft" (or
"WG" for short). This literally translates as "living community" and means "a shared
house or apartment". This is much more practical for a student arriving in a new city
- and much better for the bank balance too!

He also finds an advertisement for a one room flat which would also suit his needs.

Text 3: Zimmer zu vermieten!

Zimmer in Studenten-WG frei!

Mitbewohner/in dringend gesucht! Einzelzimmer in
Dreier-WG im 2. OG. Uni-Nhe (Johannstadt). Circa 1
Minute zur Bushaltestelle. Wohnungsgre gesamt 85m.

Das Zimmer ist ca. 24 m gro mit Doppelbett, Schrank

und Sessel - Sdseite, Altbau mit Stuck.

Wir benutzen gemeinschaftlich eine groe Wohnkche

mit Backofen und Herd. Sofort Warmwasser durch
Wasserboiler. Eine Waschmaschine ist da, der
Khlschrank zieht leider aus. Weiterhin: groes
Badezimmer mit Badewanne, gratis Parkplatz, Garten.

Miete: ca. 170 + 34 Strom/Gas.

Die Kaution betrgt 160.

Sofort beziehbar! Bitte meldet euch bei mir ab 18 Uhr!

Anna (0351) 3 53 24 26

Angebot: Vermietung auf Zeit

Biete ein freies unmbliertes Zimmer in einer 3-Raum-
Wohnung in einem Wohnblock am Rathaus Blasewitz ab
frhestens 01.11.02 bis mindestens 04/2003.

Bestens renoviert, groer Sdbalkon, Kche,

Elektroheizung, neu gefliestes Bad, Kellerabteil.
Internetanschluss vorhanden. Grillplatz im Hof.
Kaltmiete: 200 Euro.

Das Zimmer ist wegen meines Auslandsaufenthalts an

eine Frau zu vermieten. Auslndische Studentinnen
willkommen.

Anfragen bitte per E-mail (F.Copado@t-online.de) oder

telefonisch. Ich bin unter 0351/269889 zu erreichen.

Einzimmerwohnung in Striesen (Wormser Str.)

Suche Nachmieter fr helle 35qm-Wohnung zum
01.10.02. Gefliestes Wannenbad, Kinderzimmer mit
eingebautem Kleiderschrank, Einbaukche, Mansarde.
Nahe Universitt. WBS erforderlich.

Preis: 195,10 Euro / Monat

Einmalige Zahlung: 300,00 Euro (fr Kaution)

Thomas Adler (thom_adler@bbv.de)

Telefonnummer: 0371/2 45 94 60
 Text 3: Room to let

Zimmer in Studenten-WG frei!

Desperately seeking flatmate! Single room in three-
person shared flat on the second floor. Near the
university (Johannstadt). Approximately 1 minute from
the bus stop. Flat size in total 85 square metres.

The room is approximately 24 square metres in size with

a double bed, wardrobe and armchair - south side, old
building with stucco.

We have communal usage of a large combined kitchen

and living room with oven and cooker. Warm water
immediately thanks to a hot-water tank. A washing
machine is there, the fridge is unfortunately moving out.
Furthermore: large bathroom with a bath tub, free
parking space, garden.

Rent: approx. 170 + 34 electricity / gas.

The deposit amounts to 160.

Can be moved into immediately! Please get in touch with

me from 6 o'clock onwards!
Anna (0351) 3 53 24 26

Offer: Fixed period lease

I'm offering an available unfurnished room in a three-
room flat in a block of flats near the Blasewitz town hall
from 01.11.02 at the earliest until at least April 2003.

Excellently renovated, large south-facing balcony,

kitchen, electric heating, recently tiled bath, cellar
compartment. Internet connection available. Barbecue
area in the courtyard. Rent excluding heating costs: 200
euros.

The room is available due to a stay abroad and is to be

rented to a woman. Overseas students are welcome.

Inquiries by e-mail (F.Copado@t-online.de) or telephone

please. I can be reached on 0351/269889.

One-room flat in Striesen (Wormser Strae)

I'm looking for a follow-on tenant for a bright 35 sq.
metre flat for 01.10.02. Tiled bath, children's bedroom
with built-in wardrobe, fitted kitchen, attic room. Near
the university. Permit for subsidised housing required.

Price: 195.10 euros per month

One-off payment: 300.00 euros (for deposit)

Thomas Adler (thom_adler@bbv.de)

Telephone number: 0371/2 45 94 60

Glossary
First advert
die Studenten-WG shared student flat
(-s)
der Mitbewohner (- housemate (male)
)
die Mitbewohnerin (- This means "a female housemate". Note
innen) again how difficult it can be in German to
show that an offer applies to both
genders!
dringend gesucht This translates as "desperately looking for
a housemate" or literally "housemate is
desperately looked for". This is another
passive construction where the word
"wird" is omitted for reasons of space - it
should be "Mitbewohner/in wird dringend
gesucht".
das Einzelzimmer (- single room
)
die Dreier-WG (-s) three-person shared flat
im 2. OG. This is an abbreviation of "im zweiten
Obergeschoss" meaning "on the second
floor".
das Obergeschoss upper floor; top floor
Uni-Nhe near the university
die Bushaltestelle (- bus stop
n)
die Wohnungsgre size of flat
(-n)
das Doppelbett (- double bed
en)
der Schrank (pl. - cupboard
Schrnke)
der Sessel (-) armchair
die Sdseite south side
der Stuck This means "stucco" and must not be
confused with "das Stck", which is the
German word for "piece".
benutzen (insep.) to use
gemeinschaftlich communally
der Backofen (- oven
fen)
der Herd (-e) cooker
der Wasserboiler (- hot-water tank
)
die Waschmaschine washing machine
(-n)
der Khlschrank (pl. fridge; refrigerator
-schrnke)
ausziehen This means "to move out". We assume
that the housemate who is leaving is
taking the fridge with them.
weiterhin furthermore
die Badewanne (-n) bathtub
gratis This adverb means "free of charge". It
cannot add adjectival endings.
der Garten (pl. - garden
Grten)
der Strom electricity
das Gas (-e) gas
beziehbar ready to move to
meldet euch bei mir get in touch with me
Second advert
das Angebot (-e) offer
die Vermietung (- renting out; letting out
en)
auf Zeit for a fixed period
bieten to offer
Biete... I'm offering...
unmbliert unfurnished
die 3-Raum- This is another word for a "three-room
Wohnung (-en) flat".
der Wohnblock (-s) block of flats
das Rathaus (pl. - town hall
huser)
frhestens at the earliest
mindestens at least
bestens excellently; very well
der Sdbalkon (-s or south-facing balcony
-e)
die Elektroheizung electric heating
neu gefliest recently tiled
das Kellerabteil (-e) cellar compartment
das Internet internet
der internet connection
Internetanschluss
(pl. -schlsse)
der Grillplatz (pl. - barbecue area
pltze)
der Hof (pl. Hfe) courtyard
wegen (+ Gen.) because of
der Aufenthalt (-e) stay
der stay abroad
Auslandsaufenthalt
(-e)
an eine Frau zu The room "is to be let to a woman".
vermieten
auslndisch overseas; foreign
die Anfrage (-n) inquiry; question
per E-Mail by e-mail
telefonisch by telephone
erreichen to reach
ich bin ... zu I can be reached ...
erreichen
Third advert
die one-room flat
Einzimmerwohnung
(-en)
Wormser Str. "Wormser" is the adjective for the
German city of Worms in Rheinland-Pfalz.
"Str." is short for "die Strae".
35qm This is an abbreviation for "35
Quadratmeter", meaning "35 square
metres".
zum 01.10.02 for October 1, 2002
gefliest tiled
das Wannenbad (pl. bath
-bder)
das Kinderzimmer (- children's bedroom
 )
eingebaut built-in
der Schrank (pl. - cupboard; wardrobe
Schrnke)
die Einbaukche (- fitted kitchen
n)
die Mansarde (-n) attic room
WBS This is short for "der
Wohnberechtigungsschein" which is a
"permit for subsidised housing".
erforderlich necessary; required
einmalig one-off
die Zahlung (-en) payment

12.5 Die Mitwohnzentrale

Unfortunately most of the advertisements on the university notice board in Dresden
turn out to be out of date. Feeling desperate, Marko decides to go to eine
Mitwohnzentrale, a professional accommodation agency that provides him with
contact addresses for a commission. One of the addresses he is given is that of Silke
Kitschler and Andreas Hilfiker who are offering a room in their shared flat in the
Wilsdruffer Strae in the old part of Dresden. Marko rings up Silke and Andreas to
see if the room is still available.

Conversation 2: Die Mitwohnzentrale

Silke Silke Kitschler am Apparat. Guten Tag.

Kitschler
Marko Guten Tag. Ich heie Marko Tredup. Ich rufe
Tredup wegen des Zimmers an. Ist das Zimmer schon
vergeben?
Silke Nein, es ist noch nicht vergeben.
Kitschler
Marko Wie gro ist das Zimmer bitte?
Tredup
Silke Es ist circa 25 Quadratmeter gro.
Kitschler
Marko Und wie ist das Zimmer?
Tredup
Silke Es ist hell und gemtlich.
Kitschler
Marko Und was fr ein Haus ist das - ein
Tredup Einfamilienhaus? Ein Reihenhaus?
Silke Hier muss ein Irrtum vorliegen. Wir wohnen in
Kitschler einer sanierten Altbauwohnung!
Marko Wie viele Zimmer hat die Wohnung?
Tredup
Silke Sie hat eine Wohnkche, ein Wohnzimmer, ein
Kitschler Badezimmer und zwei Schlafzimmer. Die
Wohnung hat eine Wohnflche von 82 qm.
Marko Wie liegt die Wohnung?
Tredup
Silke Sie liegt sehr ruhig im Seitenflgel eines
Kitschler Altbaus in der Altstadt. Im dritten Stock. Die
Nachbarn sind alle sehr leise. Wir haben nie
Probleme mit ihnen.
Marko Ist es eine Mietwohnung oder eine
Tredup Eigentumswohnung?
Silke Eine Mietwohnung.
Kitschler
Marko Und wo liegt die Wohnung genau?
Tredup
Silke In der Wilsdruffer Strae. Sdlich der Elbe und
Kitschler nordstlich des Rathauses. Von unserem
Fenster aus kann man das Rathaus sehen.
Marko Wie viele Leute wohnen in Ihrer
Tredup Wohngemeinschaft?
Silke Drei. Ich, mein Freund Andreas, und unsere
Kitschler Mitbewohnerin Marlene. Aber sie wird nicht
mehr hier sein.
Marko Wann kann man einziehen?
Tredup
Silke Marlene wird Mitte Oktober ausziehen. Sie
Kitschler wird heiraten und mit ihrem Verlobten in ein
Zweifamilienhaus umziehen.
Marko Wie hoch ist die Monatsmiete?
Tredup
Silke 180 Euro kalt.
Kitschler
Marko 180 Euro kalt? Was bedeutet das?
Tredup
Silke Das heit, die Miete fr die Wohnung ist 180
Kitschler Euro im Monat, aber ohne die Kosten fr
Elektrizitt. Du musst also etwa 65 Euro
dazurechnen.
Marko Also, insgesamt 245 Euro im Monat? Das ist
Tredup ziemlich viel. Kann ich mir das Zimmer
 ansehen?
Silke Ja, natrlich. Morgen oder bermorgen, nach
Kitschler 18 Uhr. Ich zeige dir die Wohnung und wir
trinken einen Kaffee zusammen.

Conversation 2: The accommodation agency

Silke Hello, Silke Kitschler speaking.

Kitschler
Marko Hello, my name is Marko Tredup. I'm ringing
Tredup up about the room. Has the room already
been taken?
Silke No, it's not yet been taken.
Kitschler
Marko How big is the room please?
Tredup
Silke It's about 25 square metres in size.
Kitschler
Marko And can you describe the room?
Tredup
Silke It's bright and comfortable.
Kitschler
Marko Und what sort of house is it - a detached
Tredup house? A terraced house?
Silke There must be some kind of mistake here. We
Kitschler live in a flat in an old renovated building!
Marko How many rooms does the flat have?
Tredup
Silke It has a combined kitchen / living room, a
Kitschler living room, a bathroom and two bedrooms.
The flat has a living area of 82 square metres.
Marko How is the flat situated?
Tredup
Silke It has a very quiet location in the side wing of
Kitschler an old building in the old part city of the city.
On the third floor. The neighbours are all very
quiet. We never have any problems with them.
Marko Is it a rented flat or an owner-occupied flat?
Tredup
Silke A rented flat.
Kitschler
Marko And where is the flat located exactly?
Tredup
Silke In the Wilsdruffer Strae. South of the River
Kitschler Elbe and north-east of the town hall. You can
see the town-hall from our window.
Marko How many people live in your shared flat?
Tredup
Silke Three. Myself, my boyfriend Andreas, and our
Kitschler flatmate Marlene. But she won't be here any
more.
Marko When would it possible to move in?
Tredup
Silke Martine will be moving out in the middle of
Kitschler October. She's going to get married and will
be moving to a semi-detached house with her
fianc.
Marko How high is the rent each month?
Tredup
Silke 180 Euro without heating costs.
Kitschler
Marko 180 Euro without heating costs? What does
Tredup that mean?
Silke That means that the rent for the flat is 180
Kitschler euros per month without electricity costs. So
you'll have to add on about 65 euros.
Marko So that makes 245 euros per month in total?
Tredup That's quite a lot. Can I have a look at the
room?
Silke Yes, of course. Tomorrow or the day after,
Kitschler after 6 o'clock in the evening. I'll show you the
flat and we'll have a cup of coffee together.

Glossary
vergeben This means "taken" or "let" when it
refers to accommodation.
was fr ein Haus...? what sort of house...?
das Einfamilienhaus detached house
(pl. -huser)
das Reihenhaus (pl. - terraced house
huser)
der Irrtum (pl. - error
Irrtmer)
vorliegen (sep.) This separable verb means "to exist" or
 "to be present". The meaning of this
sentence thus equates to "There must
be some kind of mistake".
saniert (adj.) This adjective means "renovated". It is
the past participle of the verb "sanieren"
(= to renovate).
wie liegt die how is the flat situated?
Wohnung?
der Seitenflgel (-) side wing
der Nachbar (-n) This means "neighbour". It is another
weak masculine noun (see previous
chapter).
leise (adj.) quiet
die Mietwohnung (- rented flat
en)
die owner-occupied flat
Eigentumswohnung (-
en)
sdlich (+ Gen.) This preposition means "south of". All
such prepositions of direction take the
genitive case.
nordstlich (+ Gen.) north-east of
das Fenster (-) window
von unserem Fenster from our window
aus
die Leute (pl.) This noun means "people" and is only
used in the plural form.
mein Freund In this context this means "my
boyfriend".
die Mitbewohnerin (- flatmate (female)
innen)
einziehen (sep.) to move in
Mitte Oktober This means "in the middle of October".
Note the absence of articles and
prepositions in the German version.
ausziehen (sep.) This means "to move out". Remember
that when this verb is reflexive (sich
ausziehen), it means "to get
undressed".
heiraten This means "to get married".
der Verlobte (adj. This means "fianc". It is an adjectival
noun) noun (see previous chapter).
das Zweifamilienhaus This means "semi-detached house".
(pl. -huser) Another word for this is "das
Doppelhaus".
umziehen (sep.) This separable verb means "to move
 house". Remember that when this verb
is reflexive (sich umziehen), it means
"to get changed".
hoch This means "high". We have already
seen in this chapter that this adjective
loses its "-c-" when it adds adjective
endings - e.g. "die hohe Decke" (= the
high ceiling).
die Monatsmiete (-n) monthly rent
bedeuten This means "to mean"! Like all German
verbs beginning with the prefix "be-", it
is inseparable.
im Monat per month
die Kosten (pl.) costs
die Elektrizitt electricity
dazurechnen (sep.) This is a separable verb meaning "to add
on".
morgen In this context this means "tomorrow".
bermorgen the day after tomorrow

12.6 Die Besichtigung

Marko jots down the details of a room in a shared flat in the Wilsdruffer Strae in the
old part of Dresden. He then rushes over there to see whether the room is still
available. Fortunately it is, and Silke Kitschler shows him around and answers his
questions.

Conversation 3: Die Besichtigung

Marko (Er klingelt.)
Tredup
Silke Moment. Ich mache die Tr auf!
Kitschler
Marko Hallo, ich bin der Marko. Ich komme wegen der
Tredup Anzeige. Ist das Zimmer noch frei?
Silke Ja, komm herein! Herzlich willkommen bei uns!
Kitschler Ich zeige dir mal die Wohnung. So, hier ist
zuerst der Flur. Leg deinen Mantel an der
Garderobe ab!
Marko (Er kommt herein und legt seinen Mantel ab.)
Tredup
Silke Hier rechts vom Flur findest du das
Kitschler Badezimmer. Es gibt eine Duschkabine, ein
neu gefliestes Bad, einen WC, ein
 Waschbecken und einen groen runden
Spiegel.
Marko Gibt es gengend Warmwasser?
Tredup
Silke Ja, dank dem Wasserboiler ist gengend
Kitschler Warmwasser immer vorhanden. Hier vorne am
Ende des Flurs ist die Wohnkche, siehst du,
dort rechts? Es ist ein kombiniertes Zimmer -
wir haben kein Esszimmer. Aber der Esstisch
ist ziemlich lang.
Marko Ist die Kche gut ausgestattet?
Tredup
Silke Ja, sie ist sehr modern ausgestattet. Wir haben
Kitschler einen Elektroherd, einen Mikrowellenherd,
einen Khlschrank, einen Gefrierschrank, einen
Geschirrspler, eine Waschmaschine, eine
Kaffeemaschine und einen Toaster... Nein, das
stimmt nicht, das ist Marlenes Toaster. Sie
wird ihn mitnehmen.
Marko Sehr praktisch! Und das Zimmer vorne links
Tredup mit dem Doppelbett?
Silke Das ist mein Schlafzimmer. Ich teile das
Kitschler Zimmer mit meinem Freund Andreas. Er ist
momentan nicht hier. Das ist Andreas'
Stereoanlage in der Ecke. Und hier links neben
der Wohnungstr ist das Wohnzimmer. Das
Sofa, die Schrankwand und der Couchtisch sind
altmodisch aber elegant. Wir benutzen den
Farbfernseher und den Videorecorder
gemeinschaftlich.
Marko Das Wohnzimmer ist wirklich hbsch!
Tredup
Silke So, und links nebenan ist Marlenes Zimmer ...
Kitschler h ... das Gstezimmer. Es ist im Moment ein
bisschen unordentlich.
Marko Das macht nichts! Was fr Mbel gibt es im
Tredup Zimmer?
Silke Es gibt zwei weiche Einzelbetten, einen
Kitschler gerumigen Kleiderschrank, ein kompaktes
Bcherregal und eine hohe Stehlampe. Ein
bequemer Sessel steht im rechten Winkel
neben dem Nachttisch und das Zimmer hat
auch zwei gepolsterte Sthle. In der anderen
Ecke steht ein viereckiger Schreibtisch mit
einer Lampe darauf. Natrlich wird Marlene
den Wecker und den Computer mitnehmen.
Marko Das Zimmer ist ein bisschen dunkel, findest du
Tredup nicht?
Silke Trotz der dunklen Wnde ist es eigentlich ganz
Kitschler hell. (Sie zieht die Vorhnge auf.) Wollen wir
eine Tasse Kaffee trinken? Setz dich! Ich gehe
in die Kche und mache Kaffee.

Conversation 3: Die Besichtigung

Marko (He rings the bell.)

Tredup
Silke Just a moment. I'm opening the door!
Kitschler
Marko Hallo, I'm Marko. I've come about the
Tredup advertisement. Is the room still free?
Silke Yes, come in! A very warm welcome to our
Kitschler flat! I'll just show you the flat. So, first of all
this is the hall. Take your coat off and hang it
on the coat-rack!
Marko (He comes in and takes off his coat.)
Tredup
Silke Over here on the right of the hall you'll find the
Kitschler bathroom. There's a shower cubicle, a re-tiled
bath, a toilet, a wash-basin and a large round
mirror.
Marko Is there enough warm water?
Tredup
Silke Yes, there's always enough warm water
Kitschler available thanks to the hot-water tank. Here in
front of us at the end of the hall is the
combined kitchen and living room, do you see,
there on the right? It's a combined room - we
don't have a dining room. But the dining table
is fairly long.
Marko Is the kitchen well-equipped?
Tredup
Silke Yes, it has very up-to-date equipment. We
Kitschler have an electric cooker, a microwave oven, a
fridge, a freezer, a dishwasher, a washing
machine, a coffee machine and a toaster... No,
that's not true, it's Marlene's toaster. She'll be
taking it with her.
Marko Very practical! And the room at the front on
Tredup the left with the double bed?
Silke That's my bedroom. I share the room with my
Kitschler boyfriend Andreas. He's not hier at the
moment. That's Andreas' stereo system in the
corner. And here on the left by the front door
is the living room. The sofa, the wall unit and
the coffee table are old-fashioned but elegant.
We use the colour TV and the video recorder
communally.
Marko The living room is really pretty!
Tredup
Silke Right, and next to it on the left is Marlene's
Kitschler Zimmer ... erm ... the guest room. It's a bit
untidy at the moment.
Marko That doesn't matter! What kind of furniture
Tredup does the room have?
Silke There are two soft single beds, a spacious
Kitschler wardrobe, a compact bookshelf and a tall
standard lamp. There's a comfortable armchair
in the right-hand corner by the bedside table
and the room also has two upholstered chairs.
In the other corner there's an oblong desk with
a lamp on it. Marlene will of course take the
alarm-clock and the computer with her.
Marko The room's a bit dark, don't you think?
Tredup
Silke Despite the dark walls it's actually quite bright.
Kitschler (She opens the curtains.) Shall we have a cup
of coffee? Sit down! I'll go into the kitchen and
make some coffee.

Glossary
klingeln to ring the doorbell
aufmachen (sep.) This is a separable verb meaning "to
open".
die Tr (-en) door
hereinkommen This is a separable verb meaning "to
(sep.) come in". "Komm herein!" is the
imperative form when speaking to a "du"
(see earlier chapter).
komm herein! Although Marko and Silke used "Sie"
when speaking to each other on the
telephone, they use "du" when they meet
and recognise that they are both of
student age.
zuerst first of all
der Flur (-e) hall; corridor
ablegen (sep.) This is a separable verb meaning "to take
off an item of item clothing". "Leg ab" is
the imperative form when speaking to a
"du" (see earlier chapter).
die Garderobe (-n) coat-rack
rechts vom Flur on the right-hand side of the hall
die Duschkabine (- shower cabinet
n)
das Waschbecken (- wash-basin
)
rund (adj.) round
der Spiegel (-) mirror
gengend sufficient
dank (+ Dat.) This is a preposition meaning "thanks to".
It always takes the dative case.
der Wasserboiler (- hot-water tank
)
das Ende (-n) end
am Ende (+ Gen.) at the end of
siehst du? do you see?
kombiniert combined
das Esszimmer (-) dining room
der Esstisch (-e) dining table
lang long
gut ausgestattet well-equipped
der Elektroherd (- electric cooker
e)
der Mikrowellenherd microwave oven
(-e)
der Khlschrank (pl. fridge
-schrnke)
der Gefrierschrank freezer
(pl. -schrnke)
der Geschirrspler dishwasher
(-)
die Kaffeemaschine coffee machine
(-n)
der Toaster (-) toaster
das stimmt (nicht) that's (not) true
mitnehmen (sep.) This is a separable verb meaning "to take
something with you". There is no need to
express "with you (etc.)" in the German
 construction.
praktisch practical
das Doppelbett (- double bed
en)
teilen to share
momentan at the moment
die Stereoanlage (- stereo system
n)
die Wohnungstr (- front door of the flat
en)
das Sofa (-s) sofa
die Schrankwand wall unit
(pl. -wnde)
der Couchtisch (-e) coffee table
altmodisch old-fashioned
elegant elegant
der Videorecorder (- video recorder; VCR
)
gemeinschaftlich communally
hbsch pretty
nebenan next to it
links nebenan next to it on the left
das Gstezimmer (- guest room
)
unordentlich untidy
das macht nichts that doesn't matter
das Mbel (-) piece of furniture
weich soft
das Einzelbett (-en) single bed
gerumig spacious
der Kleiderschrank wardrobe
(pl. -schrnke)
kompakt compact
das Bcherregal (- bookshelf
e)
die Stehlampe (-n) standard lamp
bequem comfortable
der Sessel (-) armchair
der Winkel (-) corner
der Nachttisch (-e) This means "bedside table". Be careful
not to misspell this as "der Nachtisch"
 which means "dessert"!
gepolstert upholstered
der Stuhl (pl. - chair
Sthle)
viereckig This adjective can either mean "square"
or "rectangular". It literally means
"having four corners".
der Schreibtisch (- desk
e)
die Lampe (-n) lamp
darauf on it
der Wecker (-) alarm clock
der Computer (-) computer
trotz (+ Gen.) This preposition means "despite" and
takes the genitive case.
die Wand (pl. - wall
Wnde)
aufziehen (sep.) to open (curtains)
der Vorhang (pl. - carpet
hnge)
sich setzen (ref.) This is a reflexive verb meaning "to sit
down". "Setz dich" is the imperative form
when speaking to a "du" (see earlier
chapter).

12.7 The future tense

Formation of the future tense
The German future tense is formed by using the present tense of the auxiliary verb
"werden" followed by the infinitive of the verb in question:

Grammar 1: Future tense of "kaufen" (= to buy)

Singular
ich werde kaufen I will buy
du wirst kaufen You will buy
Sie werden kaufen (informal/formal)
er/sie/es wird kaufen He/she/it will buy
Plural
wir werden kaufen We will buy
ihr werdet kaufen You will buy
Sie werden kaufen (informal/formal)
 sie werden kaufen They will buy

Notes on word order

1. The infinitive of the main verb in the future tense should always be placed at the
end of a clause or sentence.

Aber sie wird nicht mehr hier sein.

(But she won't be here any more.)
Marlene wird Mitte Oktober ausziehen.
(Marlene will be moving out in the middle of October.)

2. When a clause is "inverted" - i.e. in a question or when an adverb is the first

element -, the auxiliary verb "werden" precedes the subject and the infinitive is
again placed at the end of the clause.

Wann wirst du einziehen?

(When will you move in?)
Natrlich wird Marlene den Wecker und den Computer mitnehmen.
(Of course Marlene will take the alarm clock and the computer with her.)
Ab dem kommenden Semester werde ich hier Jura studieren.
(From this term onwards I shall be studying law here.)

3. It is not necessary to repeat the auxiliary verb "werden" when the same noun is
the subject of two or more future verbs in the same sentence.

Sie wird heiraten und dann in ein Zweifamilienhaus umziehen.

(She will get married and will then move into a semi-detached house.)

The future tense and the present tense

In practice, the future tense is used much less frequently in German than it is in
English. As we have seen in previous chapters, the present tense is often used
indicate a future action, especially when an adverb already shows that the event
takes place in the future:

Wir kommen morgen.

(We will be coming tomorrow.)
bermorgen fhrt er nach Hause.
(He'll be going home the day after tomorrow.)
Ich bin gleich fertig.
(I'll be ready in a moment.)
Ich gehe in die Kche und mache Kaffee.
(I'll just go into the kitchen and make some coffee.)
Heute Abend schreibe ich den Brief.
(I'll write the letter this evening.)

The future tense is mainly used to refer to the future if the present tense could be
misunderstood.

Ich werde keine Antwort bekommen.

("I won't get an answer". The present tense might imply that you "aren't getting an
answer".)
 Kai wird wieder bei der Post arbeiten.
("Kai will be working for the post office". Using the present tense would imply that Kai
"is working for the post office again".)

The future tense can also indicate probability:

Ich bekomme keine Antwort. Sie wird wohl nicht da sein.

(I'm not getting a reply. She's probably not in.)

Modal verbs and the future tense

Take care to distinguish between "werden" and "wollen" when expressing the future
tense - English "will" is not the same as German "will"! Whereas the auxiliary verb
"werden" should be used to translate a future action, "wollen" should only be used to
translate what a person "plans" or "intends" to do.

Wir werden jetzt nach Italien fahren.

(We are going to go to Italy now.)
Wir wollen jetzt nach Italien fahren.
(We intend to go to Italy now.)
Wir mchten jetzt nach Italien fahren.
(We would like to go to Italy now.)

In first person plural questions "wollen" has the sense of English "Shall we...?":

Wollen wir eine Tasse Kaffee trinken?

(Shall we have a cup of coffee?)
Was wollen wir heute machen?
(What shall we do today?)

Distinguishing between different forms of "werden"

As we have seen in the previous chapter, the auxiliary verb "werden" can be used to
indicate a number of different tenses and moods in German. You should take care to
distinguish between the future (= werden + Infinitive) and the passive (werden +
Past Participle).

Wird Lutz die Wohnung sanieren?

(Will Lutz renovate the flat?)
Die Wohnung wird schon saniert!
(The flat is already being renovated.)

Note too that when "werden" is used with an adjective it means "to become":

Wir werden ausziehen und unsere Wohnung wird bald frei.

(We will move out and our flat will soon become free.)

12.8 Formation of the genitive case

Formation of the genitive case
The genitive is the fourth and final German case that we shall encounter. It is used
primarily to denote possession and also after certain prepositions. The genitive
endings of nouns in the singular and plural are listed below along with the genitive
endings of the definite article:

Grammar 2: Genitive case of nouns and definite articles

Singular Plural
Masculine des Mannes der Mnner
(of the man) (of the men)
Feminine der Frau der Frauen
(of the woman) (of the women)
Neuter des Mdchens der Mdchen
(of the girl) (of the girls)

The basic rules for genitive endings

1. No endings are added to feminine singular nouns or to any plural nouns in the
genitive case. The definite article in both of these cases is "der".

2. Masculine and neuter nouns in the singular add either "-s" or "-es". The definite
article in both of these cases is "des".

Genitive singular endings: "-s" or "-es"?

How do you decide whether you should add "-s" or "-es" to the genitive singular of
masculine and neuter singular nouns?

"-es" should be added:

with nouns ending in "-s", "-ss/-", "-x" or "-z"

(usually) with nouns ending in "-sch", "-st" or "-zt"
with neuter nouns ending in "-nis": the ending then becomes "-nisses"

Grammar 3: Genitive endings involving "-es"

Nominative Genitive
"-s" das Haus des Hauses
(the house) (of the house)
"-ss/-" das Erdgeschoss des Erdgeschosses
(the ground floor) (of the ground floor)
das Ma des Maes
(the measure) (of the measure)
"-x" der Reflex des Reflexes
(the reflex) (of the reflex)
"-z" der Platz des Platzes
(the square) (of the square)
"-nis" das Ereignis des Ereignisses
(the event) (of the event)
N.B. Foreign nouns ending in "-s" or "-x" usually have no ending in the genitive -
e.g. "des Organismus" (= of the organism), "des Rhythmus" (= of the rhythm), "des
Index" (= of the index).

However some key foreign words such as "der Bus" and "der Kongress" are now
deemed to have been assimilated into the German language and thus add "-es" in
the genitive - "des Busses" (= of the bus), "des Kongresses" (= of the congress).

"-s" should be added:

with nouns ending in a vowel

(but not adjectival nouns and weak masculine nouns)
with nouns ending in a vowel + "-h"
with proper names
with foreign names that do not end in "-s", "-x" or "-z"
with nouns of more than one syllable ("polysyllabic nouns") where the stress is not on
the final syllable

Grammar 4: Genitive endings involving "-s"

Nominative Genitive
Vowel der Schnee des Schnees
(the snow) (of the snow)
Vowel + -h der Schuh des Schuhs
(the shoe) (of the shoe)
Names Goethe Goethes
(Goethe) (of Goethe)
Klinsmann Klinsmanns
(Klinsmann) (of Klinsmann)
Foreign das Hotel des Hotels
nouns (the hotel) (of the hotels)
der Klub des Klubs
(the club) (of the club)
Unstressed der Abend des Abends
polysyllabic (the evening) (of the evening)
nouns

Other nouns
There are no clearcut rules for the large number of nouns that do not fall into the
groupings listed above. The choice between "-s" and "-es" is governed by such
unclassifiable factors as style, rhythm and ease of pronunciation. It is thus highly
likely that you will find both endings used for certain masculine and neuter nouns
when they are in the genitive case.

As a very rough guideline, "-es" is more likely to be found:

 in monosyllabic words
in words where the stress falls on the final syllable
in words ending with two consonants
in formal written German

Using the dictionary

As the choice of genitive endings for masculine and neuter nouns can prove difficult
for beginners, try looking up the correct ending in a dictionary. A good English-
German dictionary will normally list the genitive ending after the gender and before
the nominative plural ending for a noun. For example:

der Biss m "-es" -e

(m = masculine) (genitive = des Bisses) (plural = Bisse)
das Mdchen nt "-s" -
(nt = neuter) (genitive = des Mdchens) (plural = Mdchen)
das Kind nt "-(e)s" -er
(n = neuter) (genitive = des Kinds or des Kindes) (plural = Kinder)

12.9 The genitive case - possession

Usage of the genitive case
The main usage of the genitive case is to link nouns or noun phrases where English
would normally use "of". It often indicates possession or ownership:

Grammar 5: The genitive case indicating possession

die Wohnung des Arztes

("the (male) doctor's flat")
die Wohnung der rztin
("the (female) doctor's flat")
der Keller des Hauses
("the cellar of the house")
das Zimmer der Kinder
("the children's room")

The genitive can also be used in German to link nouns or noun phrases where
English would normally use "of":

Grammar 6: The genitive case meaning "of"

die Abfahrt des Zuges

("the departure of the train")
die Farbe des Fernsehers
("the colour of the TV set")
die Sanierung des Hauses
("the renovation of the house")
 ein Strahl der Hoffnung
("a ray of hope")

Genitive: before or after?

As you will see from the above examples, the German genitive usually follows the
noun on which it depends - e.g. "die Wohnung des Arztes" (= the doctor's flat).

The only exception to this is that proper names and personal names in the
genitive case usually come first. Unlike in English, there is no apostrophe before the
genitive "-s" on personal names. Names ending in "-s", "-x" and "-z" usually add an
apostrophe after the final letter of the name in the genitive case:

Grammar 7: The genitive of proper names

No apostrophes
das ist Marlenes Toaster
("that's Marlene's toaster")
links nebenan ist Marlenes Zimmer
("Marlene's room is next to it on the left")
Goethes Bcher
("Goethe's books")
Deutschlands Grenzen
("Germany's borders")
das ist Andreas Stereoanlage
("this is Andrea's stereo system")

BUT:
das ist Andreas' Stereoanlage
("this is Andreas's stereo system")
das ist Fritz' Schwester
("this is Fritz's sister")

12.10 The genitive case - prepositions

Prepositions taking the genitive case
The following prepositions are normally written with the genitive case in formal
written German:

Grammar 8: Prepositions taking the genitive case

Preposition Example
(an-)statt statt der Diele
(instead of) (instead of the hall)
 auf Grund auf Grund des Regens
(as a result of) (as a result of the rain)
inklusive inklusive der Kosten
(including) (including the costs)
trotz trotz der Wnde
(despite) (despite the walls)
whrend whrend der Ferien
(during) (during the holidays)
wegen wegen des Zimmers
(because of) (because of the room)

Notes
1. The preposition meaning "instead of" can either be written as "statt" or "anstatt".

2. You may also find the preposition "auf Grund" written as one word "aufgrund".

3. All of the above prepositions take the genitive in formal written German, but in
conversational German you will often hear them used with the dative case. In
Switzerland and Austria, "trotz" takes the dative case in formal written German as
well as in conversational German.

4. The genitive of the personal pronoun is now deemed to be archaic, and the dative
form of these pronouns is used after genitive prepositions in both spoken and written
German - e.g. "trotz ihnen" (= despite them), "wegen ihm" (= because of him),
"statt ihr" (= instead of her).

Prepositions of direction
The following prepositions indicating compass direction can also be followed by the
genitive case:

Grammar 9: Prepositions of compass direction

nrdlich nordstlich
(north of) (north-east of)
stlich sdstlich
(east of) (south-east of)
sdlich sdwestlich
(south of) (south-west of)
westlich nordwestlich
(west of) (north-west of)

Examples

Die Wohnung befindet sich sdlich der Elbe und nordstlich des Rathauses.
(The flat is south of the River Elbe and north-east of the town hall.)
 Das Hotel liegt stlich der Stadt.
(The hotel is situated to the east of the city.)
Wir wohnen westlich des Stadtzentrums.
(We live to the west of the city centre.)

The genitive is also used after "in der Nhe" (= near) and "am Ende" (= at the end
of):

Das schwarze Brett befindet sich in der Nhe der Mensa.

(The notice board is situated near the refectory.)
In der Nhe des Ladens gibt es eine Bushaltestelle.
(There is a bus stop near the shop.)
Hier vorne am Ende des Flurs ist die Wohnkche.
(Up here at the end of the hall is the combined kitchen and living room.)

Genitive or "von"?
The use of the genitive to link nouns is more common in written and formal German.
In everyday speech however, a phrase with "von" followed by the dative is often
used rather than a genitive. The use of "von" should nevertheless be avoided where
possible in formal and written German.

Grammar 10: Genitive or "von"?

das Haus meines Vaters (= written)

das Haus von meinem Vater (= spoken)
("my father's house")
die Wohnung meiner Eltern (= written)
die Wohnung von meinen Eltern (= spoken)
("my parents' flat")
in der Nhe des Bahnhofs (= written)
in der Nhe vom Bahnhof (= spoken)
("near the station")
sdlich der Stadt (= written)
sdlich von der Stadt (= spoken)
("south of the city")

Notes
1. A construction with "von" is not possible after the genitive prepositions auf Grund,
inklusive, statt, trotz, whrend and wegen.

2. The genitive cannot be used however to translate "of" followed by the personal
pronoun - i.e. "of him", "of her" etc. For these instances "von" followed by the dative
case must be used:

jeder von uns

(each of us)
ein Freund von mir
(a friend of mine)
3. "Von" (+ Dative) should also be used if a noun stands by itself, without an article
or any other word with an ending to show the case:

nordwestlich von Dresden

(north-west of Dresden)
sdstlich von Luzern
(south-east of Lucerne)
der Preis von zwlf Eiern
(the price of twelve eggs)
die Sanierung von Altbauten
(the renovation of old buildings)

12.11 The genitive case - articles and determiners

Genitive endings on the definite article
We can now construct the full case endings tables for the articles and determiners
that we have encountered so far. Below are the case endings for the definite article
for the three genders - masculine (masc.), feminine (fem.), neuter (neut.) - and for
the plural:

Grammar 11: Case endings of the definite article

Masc. Fem. Neut. Plural

Nominative der die das die
Accusative den die das die
Genitive des der des der
Dative dem der dem den

Case endings for the indefinite article

The genitive endings for the indefinite article "ein" are the same as those for the
definite article. There is of course no plural form.

Grammar 12: Case endings of the indefinite article

Masculine Feminine Neuter

Nominative ein eine ein
Accusative einen eine ein
Genitive eines einer eines
Dative einem einer einem

Remember that "kein" (= not a) declines in the same way as "ein":

Grammar 13: Case endings of "kein"

 Masc. Fem. Neut. Plural
Nominative kein keine kein keine
Accusative keinen keine kein keine
Genitive keines keiner keines keiner
Dative keinem keiner keinem keinen

Examples
Note the endings on the indefinite articles in the following sentences:

Wir wohnen im Seitenflgel eines Altbaus.

(We live in the side wing of an old building.)
Statt einer neuen Strae gibt es hundert neue Bahnhfe.
(Instead of one new street there are a hundred new train stations.)
Sport ist die Lsung keines Problems.
(Sport is not the solution to any problem.)

The endings of possessive determiners

When used as determiners, the possessives ("mein", "dein", "sein", "ihr", "Ihr" etc.)
have the same endings as the indefinite article. The table below gives the endings for
"ihr" (= her; their):

Grammar 14: Case endings of "mein"

Masc. Fem. Neut. Plural

Nominative ihr ihre ihr ihre
Accusative ihren ihre ihr ihre
Genitive ihres ihrer ihres ihrer
Dative ihrem ihrer ihrem ihren

Examples
Note the endings on the possessives in the following sentences:

Whrend meines Sommerkurses habe ich ein Zimmer im Wohnheim.

(During my summer course I have a room in the halls of residence.)
Das Zimmer ist wegen ihres Auslandaufenthalts zu vermieten.
(The room is available due to her stay abroad.)
Hier ist der Couchtisch seiner Freundin.
(This is his girlfriend's coffee table.)

The "-er" of "unser" (= our) and "euer" (= your) is part of the stem and not an
ending. The endings are attached to this stem as in the table below:

Grammar 15: Case endings of "unser" (= our)

Masc. Fem. Neut. Plural

 Nominative unser unsere unser unsere
Accusative unseren unsere unser unsere
Genitive unseres unserer unseres unserer
Dative unserem unserer unserem unseren

When "euer", the informal version of the second person plural "you", has endings,
the "-e-" of the stem is usually dropped in both spoken and written German.

Grammar 16: Case endings of "unser" (= our)

Masc. Fem. Neut. Plural

Nominative euer eure euer eure
Accusative euren eure euer eure
Genitive eures eurer eures eurer
Dative eurem eurer eurem euren

Examples
Note the endings on the possessives in the following sentences:

Statt unserer Wohnung hat er ein Atelier gekauft.

(He bought a studio instead of our flat.)
Das ist das Schlafzimmer unseres Sohnes.
(This is our son's bedroom.)
Trotz eures unordentlichen Zimmers drft ihr Fuball spielen.
(You can play football despite your untidy room.)
In eurer Garage gibt es im Moment kein Auto.
(There isn't a car in your garage at the moment.)

"dieser" and other determiners

The "-er" of "dieser" (= this) is an ending and not part of the stem and not an
ending. It thus declines as in the table below:

Grammar 17: Case endings of "dieser" (= this)

Masc. Fem. Neut. Plural
Nominative dieser diese dieses diese
Accusative diesen diese dieses diese
Genitive dieses dieser dieses dieser
Dative diesem dieser diesem diesen

Other determiners that form endings in a similar way are jener (= that), welcher (=
which?), jeder (= each) and the plural determiners alle (= all) and viele (= many):
 Wegen dieser langen Wartezeiten werde ich langsam verrckt.
(I'm gradually going mad due to these long waiting times.)
Trotz dieses Wetters fahren wir in den Urlaub.
(We're going on holiday despite this weather.)
Trotz aller Probleme freuen sie sich auf die Zukunft.
(Despite all their problems they are looking forward to the future.)
Wegen vieler Schwierigkeiten ist das nicht mehr mglich.
(Due to a number of difficulties that is no longer possible.)

12.12 The imperative of reflexive verbs

Prepositions taking the genitive case
In Chapter 7, we examined how to form the imperative for normal German verbs.
Reflexive verbs form the imperative in a similar way, but also require the inclusion of
a reflexive pronoun:

Grammar 18: Imperative of reflexive verbs

Person Imperative Imperative

du setz(e) dich! melde dich!
(sit down!) (get in touch!)
ihr setzt euch! meldet euch!
(sit down!) (get in touch!)
Sie setzen Sie sich! melden Sie sich!
(polite) (sit down!) (get in touch!)
wir setzen wir uns! melden wir uns!
(let's sit down!) (let's get in touch!)

Notes
1. The pronoun is included in the polite "Sie" and "wir" forms of the imperative, but
not in the informal "du" and "ihr" forms.

2. As the stem of the verb "melden" ends in "-d-" it retains the "-e" ending in the
"du" form of the imperative. This "-e" ending is optional with the "du" imperative of
the verb "setzen".

Imperative of reflexive verbs with a dative object

Both "sich setzen" and "sich melden" are reflexive verbs where the reflexive pronoun
is in the accusative case (see Chapter 10.8). The table below shows the imperative
for reflexive verbs that take a dative reflexive pronoun using the separable verb "sich
vorstellen" (see Chapter 10.10).

Grammar 19: Imperative with dative reflexive pronouns

Person Imperative
du stell(e) dir vor!
 (imagine!)
ihr stellt euch vor!
(imagine!)
Sie stellen Sie sich vor!
(polite) (imagine!)
wir stellen wir uns vor!
(let's imagine!)

As the table above indicates, the prefix of an separable verb goes to the end of a
clause in the imperative. This is true for non-reflexive verbs as well as reflexive
verbs:

Grammar 20: Imperative with a separable verb

Person Imperative
du leg(e) deinen Mantel ab!
(take your coat off!)
ihr legt euren Mantel ab
(take your coat off!)
Sie legen Sie sich Ihren Mantel ab!
(polite) (take your coat off!)

(Note that in the above examples "der Mantel" remains singular even when the
imperative refers to more than one person. This is because in German each person is
deemed to only have one coat each.)

Imperative of reflexive verbs with a dative and accusative object

In Chapter 10.10 we looked at reflexive verbs where the reflexive pronoun is in the
dative case whilst another object is in the accusative case. The imperative of such
verbs is indicated in the following table.

Grammar 21: Imperative of "to listen to a CD"

Person Imperative
du hr(e) dir die CD an!
(listen to the CD!)
ihr hrt euch die CD an!
(listen to the CD!)
Sie hren Sie sich die CD an!
(polite) (listen to the CD!)
wir hren wir uns die CD an!
(let's listen to the CD!)
12.13 Unusual German adjectives
Adjectives formed from towns and cities
Adjectives expressing the names of German towns and cities are formed by adding "-
er" to the name of the place. In some instances such as Dresden and Mnchen, the
final vowel in the name of the city disappears in the adjectival form. Other city
adjectives such as those derived from the Eastern German cities of Halle and Jena
need to be learned separately.

Grammar 22: City adjectives

City Adjective City Adjective

Berlin Berliner Kln Klner
Frankfurt Frankfurter Leipzig Leipziger
Hamburg Hamburger Wien Wiener

BUT:
Dresden Dresdner Bremen Bremer
Mnchen Mnch(e)ner Halle Hallenser
Zrich Zrcher Jena Jenenser

Notes
1. All adjectives formed from towns and cities start with a capital letter.

2. Only one country also forms an adjective in this way: the adjective "Schweizer" (=
Swiss) comes from adding "-er" to "die Schweiz". A second Swiss adjective
"schweizerisch" also exists - this word does not start with a capital letter (see
below). The full list of adjectives of nationality can be found in Chapter 7.8.

No adjective endings on city adjectives

Adjectives formed from the names of cities and towns do not add adjectival endings
- i.e. they always end in "-er" regardless of the gender of the noun to which it refers
and the case that this noun is in.

Wir wohnen in einem ruhigen Dresdner Vorort.

(We live in a quiet Dresden suburb.)
Ihr werdet euch am Klner Hauptbahnhof treffen.
(You will meet each other at Cologne central station.)
Die Stuttgarter Kneipen sind immer voll.
(The pubs in Stuttgart are always full.)
Du redest mit einem Berliner Studenten.
(You are speaking to a student from Berlin.)

Care must therefore be taken when translating the adjective "Swiss" into German.
Whilst the adjective "Schweizer" does not "decline" i.e. take adjective endings, the
normal adjective "schweizerisch" does.
 Essen Sie gerne Schweizer Kse?
Essen Sie gerne schweizerischen Kse?
(Do you like eating Swiss cheese?)
Die Schweizer Fuballmannschaft spielt heute.
Die schweizerische Fuballmannschaft spielt heute.
(The Swiss football team is playing today.)
Was trgt ein Schweizer Arbeiter zur Arbeit?
Was trgt ein schweizerischer Arbeiter zur Arbeit?
(What does a Swiss worker wear to work?)

Adjectives that ending in "-el"

Adjectives that end in "-el" drop this final "-e" when they "inflect" i.e. when they add
adjective endings. We have seen this with the adjective "dunkel" at the end of the
conversation in Chapter 12.6 but it also affects adjectives such as eitel (= vain), bel
(= bad; evil), miserabel (= miserable), sensibel (= sensitive) or flexibel (= flexible).

Das Zimmer ist ein bisschen dunkel, findest du nicht?

(The room is a little dark, don't you think?)
Trotz der dunklen Wnde ist es eigentlich ganz hell.
(Despite the dark walls it's actually quite bright.)
Ist das Angebot akzeptabel?
(Is the offer acceptable?)
Ja, das ist ein akzeptables Angebot.
(Yes, that is an acceptable offer.)
Ist Herr Schfer ein eitler Mensch?
(Is Mister Schfer a vain man?)
Nein, er ist berhaupt nicht eitel!
(No, he's not vain at all!)

Similarly the adjective "hoch" drops its "-c-" when it has adjectival endings:

Ist die Decke hoch?

(Is the ceiling high?)
Ja, das ist eine sehr hohe Decke.
(Yes, the ceiling is very high.)
Wie hoch sind die Mieten in Mnchen?
(How high are the rents in Munich?)
In Mnchen gibt es sehr hohe Mieten.
(There are very high rents in Munich.)

12.14 New German adverbs

Adverbial superlatives ending in "-stens"
In the accommodation advertisements in this chapter you will have noted a number
of adverbs ending in "-stens". These were originally "superlatives" (i.e. they implied
that something was "the most..."), but now they mainly have an idiomatic function.
The most commonly used adverbs of this type are listed below.

Grammar 23: Adverbs ending in "-stens"

bestens meistens sptestens

 (very well) (mostly) (at the latest)
frhestens mindestens strengstens
(at the earliest) (at least) (strictly)
hchstens nchstens wrmstens
(at the most) (shortly) (most warmly)
lngstens schnellstens wenigstens
(at the longest) (as quickly (at least)
as possible)

Examples

Ich suche ein helles Zimmer, mindestens 19 Quadratmeter.

(I'm looking for a bright room, at least 19 square metres.)
ab frhestens Dezember 2002 bis mindestens Juni 2003.
(from December 2002 at the earliest until at least June 2003.)
Bitte meldet euch bis sptestens 30. November 2002
(Please get in touch by 30th November 2002 at the latest.)
Der Kurs wird hchstens / lngstens zwanzig Tage dauern.
(The course will last twenty days at the most.)
Ein Student muss wenigstens achtzehn Jahre alt sein.
(A student must be at least eighteen years old.)
Katja steht meistens frh auf.
(Katja usually gets up early.)
Elektroherde sind wrmstens zu empfehlen.
(Electric cookers are most warmly recommended.)
Rauchen ist strengstens verboten.
(Smoking is strictly forbidden.)
Schnellstens zu verkaufen!
(Must be sold very quickly!)

Other adverbial superlatives

We have already met some other adverbial superlatives ending in "-st":

Die Wohnungssituation in Dresden ist uerst wichtig.

(The accommodation situation in Dresden is extremely difficult.)
Suche Zimmer in Dresden. Mglichst zentral gelegen.
(I'm looking for a room in Dresden. Situated as centrally as possible.)
Diese Frage ist hchst kompliziert.
(This question is extremely complicated.)

"Not yet" and "no longer"

In German, "not yet" is translated by "noch nicht" and "no more" by "nicht mehr". As
the negative "nicht" is contained in both of these adverbial phrases, there is no need
to make the verb in such sentences negative - unlike in English.

Das Frhstck ist noch nicht fertig.

(Breakfast isn't ready yet.)
Diese Altbauten sind noch nicht saniert.
(These old buildings have not been renovated yet.)
Marlene wird nicht mehr hier sein.
(Marlene won't be here any more.)
 Ich kann diese Zeitung nicht mehr lesen!
(I can't read this newspaper any more!)

12.15 Miscellaneous grammar points

"zu" + infinitive
In a number of the accommodation advertisements in this chapter you will have
noted the use of "zu" followed by the infinitive to indicate the passive. In other
sentences "zu" and the infinitive are used in combination with the verb "sein" to
translate "can be". These are constructions commonly found in advertisements and
commercial German.

Grammar 24: "Zu" + infinitive

3-Zimmer-Wohnung an eine Frau zu

vermieten!
("three room flat to let to a woman")
Einfamilienhaus zu verkaufen!
("detached house for sale")
die Wohnung ist sofort zu beziehen
("the flat can be occupied immediately")
ich bin unter 65 44 23 zu erreichen
("I can be reached at telephone number 65 44
23")

Prepositions with "sich freuen"

The meaning of the verb "sich freuen" depends upon the preposition with which it is
used. If the verb is followed by "auf" and the accusative case, it means "to look
forward to". But if "sich freuen" is followed by "ber" and the accusative case, then it
means "to be happy about":

Grammar 25: Prepositions after "sich freuen"

"auf" + Accusative
Meine Kinder freuen sich schon auf das
Wochenende.
("My children are already looking forward to
the weekend.")
Ich freue mich auf eine schnelle Nachricht von
euch.
("I look forward to a prompt response from
you.")
"ber" + Accusative
Ich freue mich ber eine E-Mail oder einen
Anruf!
("I'll be pleased to receive any e-mails or
 phone-calls.")
Jutta freut sich ber das Geschenk.
("Jutta is pleased about the present.")

Note that "hoffen" the German verb meaning "to hope for something" also takes
"auf" and the accusative case as this verb too implies "looking forward to
something":

Ich hoffe auf baldige Antwort von Ihnen.

(I look forward to receiving a prompt response from you.)
Sie hoffen auf eine schne Zukunft.
(We hope for a good future.)

The usage and omission of prepositions

Note the German prepositions used to the following key phrases:

Grammar 26: Prepositions in key phrases

Meldet euch unter 2 14 65 39

("Call me on the number 2 14 65 39.")
Bitte meldet euch bei mir!
("Please get in contact with me!")
Nebenkosten 121 Euro bei 2 Personen.
("Additional costs: 121 euros if there are two
people.")
Das Studentenwerk ist gleich um die Ecke.
("The student administration is just round the
corner.")
Besichtigung nach Vereinbarung.
("Viewing by arrangement.")
Die Wohnflche besteht aus...
("The living area consists of...")
Anfragen bitte per E-Mail.
("Enquiries please by e-mail.")
Was studierst du an der Uni?
("What are you studying at university?")
dank dem Wasserboiler
("thanks to the water boiler")

In the following time-phrases however, note how German omits both the
prepositions and the articles that are present in the English version.

Grammar 27: Beginning, middle and end

Anfang Januar
("At the beginning of January")
 Mitte September
("In the middle of September")
Ende Februar
("At the end of February")

12.16 Accommodation vocabulary (1)

Listed below for you to add to your "Vokabelheft" (= vocabulary book) is a two-page
guide to words and phrases to describe the house and home. On this page you will
find vocabulary for types of housing, words you might need when renting or buying a
flat as well as general accommodation phrases. On the next page you will find
vocabulary for parts of the house, rooms, types of heating systems as well as
furniture and decorations. As ever, plurals of nouns are given in brackets.

Vocabulary 1: Types of housing

der Altbau (pl. - Altbauten) old building
die Altbauwohnung (-en) flat in an old building
das Appartement (-s) apartment
das Atelier (-s) studio
das Doppelhaus (pl. -huser) semi-detached house
die Dreizimmerwohnung (-en) three-room flat
der Dreiraumwohnung (-en)
die Eigentumswohnung (-en) owner-occupied flat
das Einfamilienhaus (pl. -huser) detached house
das Einzelappartement (-s) one-person apartment
die Einzimmerwohnung (-en) one-room flat
die Einraumwohnung (-en)
das Grundstck (-e) plot of land
das Haus (pl. - Huser) house
die Maisonette (-n or -s) maisonette
die Maisonettewohnung (-en) maisonette flat
die Mietwohnung (-en) rented flat
der Neubau (pl. - Neubauten) new building
die Neubauwohnung (-en) newly-built flat
das Reihenhaus (pl. -huser) terraced house
das Studentenwohnheim (-e) student halls of
residence
die Studentenwohnung (-en) student flat
die WG (-s) shared flat / house
 der Wohnblock (-s) block of flats
die Wohngemeinschaft (-en) shared flat / house
das Wohnheim (-e) halls of residence
die Wohnung (-en) flat
das Zweifamilienhaus (pl. - semi-detached house
huser)
die Zweizimmerwohnung (-en) two-room flat
die Zweiraumwohnung (-en)

Vocabulary 2: Renting vocabulary

auf Zeit for a fixed period
bei 2 Personen if there are two people
die Betriebskosten (pl.) service costs
betragen to come to; to amount
die Bleibe (-n) somewhere to stay
circa approximately
dazurechnen (sep.) to add on
die Elektrizitt electricity
frhestens at the earliest
das Gas (-e) gas
gratis free of charge
die Heizkosten (pl.) heating costs
die Hypothek (-en) mortgage
inklusive (+ Gen.) inclusive
insgesamt in total
kalt excluding heating costs
die Kaltmiete (-n) rent excluding heating
costs
die Kaution (-en) deposit
die Kosten (pl.) costs
maximal 200 Euro a maximum of 200
Euros
die Miete (-n) rent
der Mietvertrag (pl. -vertrge) lease; contract
die Mietvorauszahlung (-en) rent to be paid in
advance
mindestens at least
der Mitbewohner (-) housemate (male)
die Mitbewohnerin (-innen) housemate (female)
der Mitwohnzentrale (-n) accommodation
agency
monatlich / im Monat per month
die Monatsmiete (-n) month's rent; monthly
rent
der Nachmieter (-) follow-on tenant
die Nebenkosten (pl.) additional costs
die Provision (-en) commission
das Quadratmeter (-) square metre
der Strom electricity
die Untermiete subtenancy
- ein Zimmer zur Untermiete - a room to be sublet
der Untermieter (-) subtenant (male)
die Untermieterin (-innen) subtenant (female)
vermieten (insep.) to rent out
- Wohnung zu vermieten - flat to rent
- an eine Frau zu vermieten - to be let to a woman
die Vermietung renting out; letting out
warm including heating costs
die Warmmiete (-n) rent including heating
costs
der Wohnberechtigungsschein (-e) permit for subsidised
der WBS housing
die Zahlung (-en) payment
- die einmalige Zahlung - one-off payment
zuzglich plus

Vocabulary 3: Accommodation phrases

ich freue mich auf eine schnelle Nachricht von euch
I look forward to hearing from you soon
bei Interesse ruft mich an
Give me a call if you are interested!
am besten sofort
if possible immediately
ich bin WG-erprobt
I have experience of living in a shared flat
ich brauche wenig Platz
I don't require a great deal of space
ich freue mich ber eine E-Mail
I am pleased to receive an E-mail
die Kaltmiete betrgt 490
rent excluding heating costs amounts to 490 euros
ab 30.09.2002 zu beziehen
can be occupied from 30.09.2002
an der Elbe gelegen
situated on the River Elbe
Wohnung zu vermieten!
flat for let
Besichtigung nach Vereinbarung
viewing by arrangement
Mitbewohner/in dringend gesucht!
we're desperately looking for a flatmate
wir benutzen gemeinschaftlich...
we have communal usage of...
bitte meldet euch bei mir
please contact me...
ich bin unter 298889 zu erreichen
I can be reached on the telephone number 298889
wo liegt die Wohnung?
where is the flat?
wie liegt die Wohnung?
how is the flat situated?
ist das Zimmer noch frei?
ist das Zimmer schon vergeben?
is the room still available?
ich zeige Ihnen die Wohnung
I'll show you round the flat
die Kche ist gut ausgestattet
the kitchen is well-equipped
wie ist das Zimmer?
What's the room like?
ich rufe wegen des Zimmers an
I'm ringing up about the room
wie gro ist das Zimmer?
how big is the room?
das Zimmer verfgt ber (+ Acc.)
the room has...
was fr ein Haus ist das?
what sort of house is it?
hier muss ein Irrtum vorliegen
there must be some kind of mistake
wie viele Zimmer hat die Wohnung?
how many rooms does the flat have?
von unserem Fenster aus kann man X sehen
you can see X from our window
wann kann ich einziehen?
when can I move in?
wie viele Leute wohnen hier?
how many people live here?
ich ziehe in eine Wohnung um
I'm moving into a flat
wie hoch ist die Monatsmiete?
how high is the rent each month?
Sie mssen 65 Euro dazurechnen
you have to add on another 65 euros
kann ich mir die Wohnung ansehen?
may I have a look round the flat?

12.17 Accommodation vocabulary (2)

On the second page of your "Vokabelheft" on housing vocabulary, you will find
vocabulary for parts of the house, rooms, types of heating systems as well as
furniture and decorations. Go back to the previous page to find vocabulary for types
of housing, words you might need when renting or buying a flat as well as general
accommodation phrases.

Vocabulary 4: Parts of the house

der Abstellraum (pl. - storeroom
rume)
das Arbeitszimmer (-) study
das Bad (pl. - Bder) bathroom
das Badezimmer (-)
der Balkon (-s or -e) balcony
das Dachgeschoss (-e) attic
die Decke (-n) ceiling
die Diele (-n) hall
die Einbaukche (-n) fitted kitchen
das Erdgeschoss (-e) ground floor
das Esszimmer (-) dining room
der Fahrstuhl (pl. -sthle) lift
das Fenster (-) window
der Flur (-e) hall
der Fuboden (pl. -bden) floor
die Garage (-n) garage
der Garten (pl. - Grten) garden
das Gstezimmer (-) guest room
der Grillplatz (pl. -pltze) barbecue area
das Hinterhaus (pl. - building behind the courtyard
huser)
der Hof (-e) courtyard
der Holzboden (pl. -bden) wooden floor
der Kamin (-e) fireplace; hearth
der Keller (-) cellar
das Kellerabteil (-e) cellar compartment
das Kinderzimmer (-) child's bedroom
die Kochecke (-n) kitchen / cooking area
die Kochnische (-n) kitchenette
die Kche (-n) kitchen
die Loggia (pl. - Loggien) balcony
die Mansarde (-n) attic room
das Obergeschoss (-e) floor (above ground level)
das Parkett (-e) parquet flooring
der Parkettboden (pl. - parquet flooring
bden)
der Raum (pl. - Rume) room; space
das Schlafzimmer (-) bedroom
der Seitenflgel (-) side wing
das Souterrain (-s) basement
die Terrasse (-n) terrace
die Tiefgarage (-n) underground car park
die Tr (-en) door
 das Vorderhaus (pl. - front-facing house
huser)
das Vorzimmer (-) anteroom / hall
die Wand (pl. - Wnde) wall
die Wohnkche (-n) combined kitchen and living
room
die Wohnungstr (-en) door to the flat
das Wohnzimmer (-) living room
das Zimmer (-) room

Vocabulary 5: Types of heating

die Elektroheizung
die Etagenheizung
die Fernwrme
die Fubodenheizung
die Heizung
die Nachtspeicherheizung
die Ofenheizung
das Warmwasser
der Wasserboiler (-)
die Zentralheizung
electric heating
heating system for one floor
district heating
underfloor heating
heating
night-storage heating
coal oven heating
warm water
hot water tank
central heating

Vocabulary 6: Furniture and equipment

die Ausstattung furnishings
der Backofen (pl. -fen) oven
das Bad (pl. - Bder) bath
die Badewanne (-n) bath tub
das Bett (-en) bed
das Bidet (-s) bidet
das Bcherregal (-e) bookshelf
der Couchtisch (-e) coffee table
das Doppelbett (-en) double bed
die Dusche (-n) shower
die Duschkabine (-n) shower cubicle
das Einzelbett (-en) single bed
der Elektroherd (-e) electric cooker
der Esstisch (-e) dining table
die Garderobe (-n) coat-rack; hall-stand
die Gardine (-n) curtain
der Gefrierschrank (pl. -schrnke) freezer
der Geschirrspler (-) dishwasher
der Herd (-e) cooker
die Kaffeemaschine (-n) coffee machine
der Kleiderschrank (pl. -schrnke) wardrobe
der Khlschrank (pl. -schrnke) fridge
die Lampe (-n) lamp
der Mikrowellenherd (-e) microwave oven
das Mbel (-) (piece of) furniture
mbliert furnished
der Nachttisch (-e) bedside table
der Radiowecker (-) radio alarm clock
der Rollladen (pl. -lden) shutters
der Schrank (pl. Schrnke) cupboard; wardrobe
die Schrankwand (pl. -wnde) wall unit
der Schreibtisch (-e) desk
der Sessel (-) armchair
das Sofa (-s) sofa
der Spiegel (-) mirror
die Stehlampe (-n) standard lamp
die Stereoanlage (-n) stereo system
der Stuhl (pl. - Sthle) chair
teilmbliert partially furnished
der Teppich (-e) carpet
der Teppichboden wall-to-wall carpeting
der Toaster (-) toaster
unmbliert unfurnished
der Videorecorder (-) video recorder
der Vorhang (pl. -hnge) curtain
das Wannenbad (pl. -bder) bath
das Waschbecken (-) wash-basin
die Waschmaschine (-n) washing machine
die Wasserboiler (-) hot-water tank
der WC (-s) toilet
der Wecker (-) alarm clock

12.18 Housing in Germany

Inside and outside
German houses and flats show a number of differences from English dwellings. For
one thing, many (particularly old) German flats are located in courtyards (der Hof)
(see picture left) that lie back from the main road. When reading accommodation
adverts for such buildings, you must note whether the flat is located in the building
that faces the road (das Vorderhaus), the building behind the courtyard (das
Hinterhaus) or in one of the side wings of the building (der Seitenflgel). A large
number of residences also have roll-down shutters (der Rollladen) (note the three l's
in the middle of the word!) outside the windows which provide added security and
also serve to insulate the property.

The British fixation with wall-to-wall carpeting is not replicated in Germany. Instead
parquet flooring (das Parkett; der Parkettboden) is much more common, as are
wooden floors. In keeping with the Germans' pronounced environmental awareness,
energy-saving measures are widely-used. Thus a number of residences employ
under-floor heating and have a high standard of insulation. You may well see
buildings (and even bus-stops!) with solar panels on their roof in an attempt to
harness solar energy (die Solarenergie).

And a major difference that you cannot "see" but definitely need to be aware of is
the difference in voltage between Britain and Germany. All electrical power points in
Germany are designed for 220 volts, 50 Hz. AC and two-point plugs. Any adapters
you may need can be bought in electrical shops either in Britain or in Germany.

To rent or to own?
It is still largely the case that an Englishman's home is his castle: 60% of British
people live in their own house or flat, which is only a slightly lower percentage than
in the United States (64%). In Germany however, the majority of people live in
rented accommodation, with only 39% living in their own house or flat. There are a
number of reasons for this. With house prices remaining high, renting is often a
cheaper option and one that offers greater flexibility. It can also be quite complicated
to obtain a mortgage (die Hypothek) in Germany.

Furnished flats are as a rule not as common as they are in Britain, and remember
that unfurnished in Germany really does mean unfurnished. You'll invariably have to
supply your own lights, lighting fixtures, tables, chairs, cooker etc. And furnished
flats are much more expensive than unfurnished accommodation.

The German housing market is also different in that a much higher percentage of
Germans live in flats (die Wohnung) and appartments (das Appartement) than their
British counterparts. These can either be flats that they own (die
Eigentumswohnung) or more commonly rented flats (die Mietwohnung).

The housing market is changing quite quickly however. Both in the countryside and
in towns and cities, Germans are buying plots of land (das Grundstck) and have
their own house built on it. This explains why a single German street may have
detached houses (das Einfamilienhaus) with a wide diversity of designs. Semi-
detached houses (das Doppelhaus; das Zweifamilienhaus) are less common in
German-speaking countries than in Britain but there has recently been an increase in
the number of terraced houses (das Reihenhaus).

Shared accommodation
Many young people choose to live in shared flats or houses - "die WG" which is short
for "eine Wohngemeinschaft" (literally: "a living community"). This means that two
or more flatmates share an apartment including a communal kitchen and bathroom.
It is standard practice for the existing flatmates to choose the new inhabitant
themselves, so a lot of vacancies are filled by word of mouth. "WGs" (note the
plural!) are particularly popular with students as they provide a relatively cheap
option to halls of residence where space is in any case strictly limited.

Der Wohnberechtigungsschein (WBS)

The "Wohnberechtigungsschein (WBS)" is a permit for subsidised housing issued by
a town, city or community to any single person earning less than 12,000 euros per
year or a couple earning less than 18,000 euros per year. The WBS permit is valid
for one year and entitles the recipient to rent subsidised housing at a rent well below
average for the free housing market. You can apply for a WBS permit at the local
housing authority (Amt fr Wohnungswesen).

12.19 Student accommodation

Halls of residence (der Studentenwohnheim)
All students in Germany soon become familiar with one piece of vocabulary - "die
Wohnungsnot" or "the shortage of accommodation". For the absence of suitable
student accommodation in German university towns and cities is becoming more
acute each year. Places in halls of residence are strictly limited and in some places
waiting lists of several semesters mean that new students (der Studienanfnger)
have little or no chance of getting a room in them on their arrival. In the summer of
2002 there were only 9,700 rooms available in Munich's halls of residence for the
city's 65,000 students. Of the 14,000 new students arriving for the winter term, only
700 would receive a place in a Studentenwohnheim and the waiting list was as long
as four university semesters (das Semester).

The problem is particularly difficult for students with children, as student residences
offer only a restricted number of places for families. On the whole they offer single
and double rooms with several students sharing a kitchen and possibly bathroom
facilities, too. Other universities also offer short-term accommodation in university
guest-houses, but this is hardly a long-term solution to the problem.

In the past few years universities such as Dresden have even had to resort to placing
mattresses in gyms and setting up "cities of tents" (die Zeltstadt) to accommodate
students in the first few weeks of a new term (normally in September and February).
In Munich, authorities were forced to set up Big Brother-style living containers (der
Wohncontainer) and even so-called living cubes (der Wohnwrfel) to house students,
with women sleeping on top and men at the bottom!

The private accommodation market (der private Wohnungsmarkt)

Looking for accommodation on the private accommodation market is much harder is
some locations than in others. Accommodation is particularly scarce in large cities in
what used to be West Germany, with Munich, Stuttgart and Hamburg being severe
accommodation black spots. Yet in smaller university towns (die Universittsstadt)
with large student populations such as Marburg, Gttingen and Wrzburg, lack of
rooms mean that students may be forced to live as far away as thirty of forty
kilometres from the university itself. This is particularly true in Tbingen in Baden-
Wrttemberg where 25,000 of the town's population of 85,000 are students. As a
consequence rents are soaring, with unscrupulous landlords charging up to 250
euros a month for unfurnished and often ramshackle rooms and one-room flats (die
Einzimmerwohnung).

At first glance the situation may appear less drastic in the former GDR. Students in
Erfurt and Leipzig have a better chance of getting a room in a hall of residence than
many students in Western Germany. Yet in other cities university accommodation is
strictly limited, with halls of residence is urgent need of renovation (die Sanierung).
Private rooms in old buildings (der Altbau) are relatively cheap but there are not
many private landlords in Eastern Germany. In Berlin, Potsdam, Leipzig, Dresden,
and Magdeburg blocks of apartments have now been built but they are not subject to
rent control and are severely over-priced.

Student administration organisations have noted that foreign students are at a

particular disadvantage. Not only is Germany a comparatively expensive place to
stay for many overseas students, but they can receive prejudicial treatment from
landlords on racial grounds. And so whilst Germany is investing millions of euros in
promoting an international exchange programmes for students, many students are
forced to cancel their exchange and leave Germany without having found a room.

Finding solutions
In 2001, the Deutsches Studentenwerk (DSW), the organisation for German student
affairs, demanded the creation of an additional 21,000 rooms in student halls of
residence across the country - but to little effect. Protest measures including setting
up student living containers in front of key public buildings may have highlighted the
students' plight, but concrete improvements are thin on the ground.

Local student organisations have come up with imaginative campaigns to mobilise

the local population. In Freiburg, the project "Wohnen fr Hilfe" (= accommodation
for help) has been launched aims to encourage senior citizens to offer rooms to
students in (partial) exchange for help and support. In Heidelberg, another university
city in the south-west of Germany, posters have been printed bearing the legend
"Student sucht Zimmer" (= student looking for a room) and depicting a student
desperately clutching a house (see graphic left). Students were allowed to paste over
general election posters in Heidelberg once voting had been concluded in September
2002 and the campaign logo also appears on postcards and beer mats.
Accommodation agencies for students
At a number of further education institutions, student services have produced
brochures with useful advice for students who are "auf der Wohnungssuche" (=
looking for somewhere to stay). Some of these services have also founded student
accommodation agencies. Here you will be required to put down a financial deposit
and then be given three contact addresses offering accommodation. The deposit will
be returned when the student returns to the agency the next day to report on the
progress that has been made.

Quite a few private accommodation agencies (die Mitwohnzentrale) have also sprung
up in recent years. For a commission which can be quite high, they will put you in
contact with individuals or companies offering accommodation. These private
agencies may prove your last resort in areas where houses, flats and rooms are
particularly scarce.

There are a number of organisations that can assist overeas students in the search
for "eine Bleibe" (= somewhere to stay). Most universities will have a Foreign
Student Office that can inform overseas students about vacancies in student
accommodation and advise on application procedures. Some Foreign Student Offices
are able to put you in contact with private landlords if students have passed on the
name and address at the end of their research period.

In addition the Deutsches Studentenwerk (DSW) has put together a service package
for overseas students to ensure that students from abroad are able to manage the
essential items of their cost of living during their stay at economical prices. It also
aims to help them come to terms and find their way around their host country.

Advice for accommodation-seekers

Should you wish to study at a German university yourself and need to find
accommodation, don't despair but do allow yourself plenty of time and plan in
advance! Contact the aforementioned organisations well in advance and if you do
need to travel to the place itself to find somwhere to stay, time your visit wisely.

A good time is at the end of the semester (i.e. in February and July) when those who
have completed their studies leave town. This might mean that you might have to
pay rent a couple of months in advance, but you run the risk otherwise that the
accommodation market will become ever more saturated the closer it gets to the
start of the following term.

As we have seen in this chapter, advertisements on student notice boards (das

schwarze Brett) are a common way of finding somewhere to stay. Many university
web-sites also have online notice boards for accommodation. Local newspapers and
listings magazines also carry useful adverts.

12.20 Advertisements for accommodation

Deciphering advertisements
German accommodation advertisements do not refer to the number of bedrooms in
flats and houses, but to square metres of floor space (das Quadratmeter; m). Floor
space is also the means by which most rents for rooms in "Wohngemeinschaften" are
usually calculated. You might for example see a phrase such as "65m Wohnflche",
which means "65 square metres of living space". This living space normally
comprises living room, dining room and bedroom(s).

Adverts may also refer to the total number of rooms in a residence - excluding the
bathroom, hall and kitchen. So if you want a flat with a living room, a dining room
and two bedrooms, then look for adverts with (4 Zimmer), or as the abbreviation in
advertisements would have it (4Zi).

Note too the distinction between between "kalt" and "warm" when referring to rent.
This has nothing to do with how warm or cold the building is, but instead whether
the rent includes heating bills (warm) or excludes them (kalt). Make sure that you
are aware of how much rent you are patying and what your rights and
responsibilities are before you sign the lease (der Mietvertrag).

Advertisement abbreviations
The abbreviations used in accommodation advertisements are often as confusing to
Germans as they are to non-native speakers. Below is a table of the most common
abbreviations:

Vocabulary 7: Advertisement abbreviations

AB Altbau
(old building)
Abstand Abstand
(money paid for renovation done by previous
tenant)
Ap. Appartement
(apartment)
At. Atelier
(studio)
B. Bad
(bathroom)
Balk. Balkon
(balcony)
BK Betriebskosten
(service costs)
ca. circa
(approximately)
DG Dachgeschoss
(attic)
DI Diele
(hall)
3er-WG Dreier-Wohngemeinschaft
(three-person shared flat)
Du. Dusche
(shower)
EBK Einbaukche
 (fitted kitchen)
EFH Einfamilienhaus
(detached house)
EG Erdgeschoss
(ground floor)
erford. erforderlich
(required)
F Fahrstuhl
(lift)
FbH Fubodenheizung
(underfloor heating)
Ga. Garten
(garden)
Gar. Garage
(garage)
gemtl. gemtlich
(comfortable)
gepfl. gepflegt
(well looked after)
gfl. gefliest
(tiled)
HH Hinterhaus
(building behind courtyard)
Hk. Heizkosten
(heating costs)
Ka. Kamin
(fireplace)
Kab. Kabel-TV
(cable television)
kalt Kaltmiete
(excluding heating costs)
KDB Kche, Dusche, Bad
(kitchen, shower, bath)
kft. komfortabel
(comfortable)
Kl. Keller
(cellar)
KM Kaltmiete
(rent excluding heating costs)
KN Kochnische
(kitchenette)
Kt. Kaution
(deposit)
K. Kche
(kitchen)
m Quadratmeter
(square metre)
max. maximal
(a maximum of)
mind. mindestens
(at least)
MM Monatsmiete
(month's rent)
Mn. Maisonette
(maisonette)
mbl. mbliert
(furnished)
mtl. monatlich
(monthly)
MVZ Mietvorauszahlung
(rent to be paid in advance)
NB Neubau
(new building)
NK Nebenkosten
(additional costs)
NR Nichtraucher
(non-smoker)
od. oder
(or)
(2.) OG. (zweites) Obergeschoss
(second) floor
OH Ofenheizung
(coal oven heating)
l. lheizung
(oil heating)
Pk. Parkettboden
(parquet flooring)
Prov. Provision
(commission)
qm. Quadratmeter
(square metre)
ren. renoviert
(renovated)
RH Reihenhaus
(terrace house)
Rm. Raum
(room)
ruh. ruhig
(quiet)
SFL Seitenflgel
(side wing of building with courtyard)
son. sonnig
(sunny)
Sou. Souterrain
(basement)
Tel. Telefon
(telephone)
Tep. Teppichboden
(wall-to-wall carpet)
Terr. Terrasse
(terrace)
TG Tiefgarage
(underground car park)
t-mb. teilmbliert
(partially furnished)
verm. vermieten
(to let)
vg. verkehrsgnstig
(close to public transport)
VH Vorderhaus
(building with street frontage)
v-mb. voll mbliert
(fulliy furnished)
vorh. vorhanden
(present; available)
warm Warmmiete
(including heating costs)
W-B Wannenbad
(bath tub)
WBS Wohnberichtigungsschein
(permit for subsidised housing)
Wfl. Wohnflche
(living space)
WG Wohngemeinschaft
(shared flat / house)
Whg. Wohnung
(flat)
WM Warmmiete
(rent including heating costs)
Wm. Waschmaschine
(washing machine)
ZH Zentralheizung
(central heating)
Zi. Zimmer
(room)
2 Zi.- Zweizimmerwohnung
Whg. (two-room flat)
 2 ZKDB Zwei Zimmer, Kche, Diele, Bad
(two rooms, kitchen, hall, bathroom)
2er-WG Zweier-Wohngemeinschaft
(two-person shared flat)
zzgl. zuzglich
(plus)

Other advertisement vocabulary

Here is a list of further words and phrases that you may encounter in reader German
advertisements. Whether the accommodation itself lives up to the description is a
separate matter!

Vocabulary 8: General advertisement vocabulary

das Angebot (-e) offer
ausziehen (sep.) to move out
baldig quick; early
bequem comfortable
die Besichtigung (-en) viewing
bestens excellently; very well
beziehen (insep.) to occupy
biete... I'm offering...
dringend urgently
eingerichtet furnished
einziehen (sep.) to move in
gefliest tiled
gelegen situated
gemeinschaftlich communal
gemtlich comfortable; friendly
gepflegt well looked after
gerumig spacious
gesellig sociable
gratis free of charge
gnstig reasonably priced
hell bright
das Hochparterre upper ground floor
- im Hochparterre - on the upper ground floor
hochwertig high-quality
komfortabel comfortable
die Kontaktperson (-en) person to contact
die Lage (-n) location
- Lage egal - location unimportant
sich melden to get in touch
mbliert furnished
modern modern
nach Mglichkeit if possible
nett nice
der Nichtraucher (-) non-smoker
optimal optimal; perfect
preiswert reasonably-priced
renovieren to renovate
renoviert renovated
ruhig quiet
sanieren to renovate
saniert renovated
sonnig sunny
die Studentenwohnung (- student flat
en)
suche... I'm looking for...
teilen to share
teilmbliert partially furnished
umgnglich friendly; sociable
Uni-Nhe near the university
umziehen (sep.) to move (house)
unmbliert unfurnished
die Verkehrsanbindung (- transport connection
en)
verkehrsgnstig convenient for transport
vorhanden present; available
WG-erprobt experienced in living in a shared
flat
WG-geeignet suitable for a shared flat
die Wohnanlage (-n) location
die Wohnflche (-n) living space
der Wohnungsmarkt housing market
zentral central
- mglichst zentral - as central as possible