LESSON NOTES

Newbie #3
Düsseldorf Arc - How it all began

CONTENTS
2 German
2 English
3 Informal German
4 Informal English
4 Vocabulary
5 Sample Sentences
6 Grammar
6 Cultural Insight

# 3
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 GERMAN

1. #2: Ist hier noch frei?

2. #1: Ja.

3. #2: Danke. Ich heiße Michael Schmidt.

4. #1: Angenehm. Ich heiße Lena Wagner.

5. #2: Angenehm. Kommen Sie oft hierhin?

6. #1: Ja, das Café ist sehr gut.

7. #2: Ich wohne in Bremen, aber ich komme oft nach Düsseldorf.
Wohnen Sie hier in Düsseldorf?

8. #1: Nein, ich wohne nicht in Düsseldorf. Ich wohne in Köln. Duzen wir
uns doch.

9. #2: Okay, gut.

ENGLISH

1. #2: Is [this seat] here still free?

2. #1: Yes.

3. #2: Thanks. I am called Michael Schmidt.

4. #1: It’s a pleasure [to meet you]. I am called Lena Wagner.

CONT'D OVER

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5. #2: It’s a pleasure [to meet you]. Do you often come here?

6. #1: Yes, the café (the ice-cream parlour) is very good.

7. #2: I actually live in Bremen, but I often come to Dusseldorf. Do you live
here in Dusseldorf?

8. #1: No, I don’t live in Dusseldorf. I live in Cologne. Let’s call each other
“du” (= switch to informal language).

9. #2: Okay, good.

INFORMAL GERMAN

1. #2: Ist hier noch frei?

2. #1: Ja.

3. #2: Danke. Ich heiße Michael Schmidt.

4. #1: Freut mich. Ich heiße Lena Wagner.

5. #2: Freut mich. Kommst du oft hierhin?

6. #1: Ja, das Café ist sehr gut.

7. #2: Ich wohne in Bremen, aber ich komme oft nach Düsseldorf. Wohnst
du hier in Düsseldorf?

8. #1: Nein, ich wohne nicht in Düsseldorf. Ich wohne in Köln. Duzen wir
uns doch.

CONT'D OVER

GERMANPOD101.COM NEWBIE #3 - DüSSELDORF ARC - HOW IT ALL BEGAN 3

9. #2: Okay, gut.

INFORMAL ENGLISH

1. #2: Is [this seat] here still free?

2. #1: Yes.

3. #2: Thanks. I am called Michael Schmidt.

4. #1: I’m pleased [to meet you]. I am called Lena Wagner.

5. #2: I’m pleased [to meet you]. Do you often come here?

6. #1: Yes, the café (the ice-cream parlour) is very good.

7. #2: I actually live in Bremen, but I often come to Dusseldorf. Do you live
here in Dusseldorf?

8. #1: No, I don’t live in Dusseldorf. I live in Cologne. Let’s call each other
“du” (= switch to informal language).

9. #2: Okay, good.

VOCABULARY

Ge r man English C lass Ge nde r

noch still; yet; another adverb

frei free

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angenehm
Sie
oft
hierhin
sehr
nach
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Es i st n o ch Wi n te r.
It's still winter.
Ich h a be h e u te fre i .
I have off (from work) today.
D e r Wi n d i st h e u te a n g e n e h m .
The wind is pleasant today.
GERMANPOD101.COM
Can be used to
mean the entire
phrase „Es ist
pleasant angenehm, Sie
kennenzulernen" (It's
pleasant to meet
you).
personal pronoun;
Spelled with a Spelled with a
capital letter in order capital letter in order
you (formal)
to express politeness to express politeness
also in writing. also in writing.
Do pronounce every
often adverb letter, unlike in
English!
adverb; Compare to Compare to “hier”.
“hier”. “hier” denotes “hier” denotes a
here a place, whereas place, whereas
“hierhin” is the “hierhin” is the
direction. direction.
very adverb
Used with a place,
to, after adverb not used with people
D e r Ei n tri tt i st fre i /ko ste n l o s.
Admission is free/free of charge.
An g e n e h m , S i e ke n n e n zu l e rn e n .
Nice to meet you. (get to know you)
S i e si n d n e tt.
You are nice.
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Ich ko m m e o ft h i e rh i n . Ko m m so fo rt h i e rh i n !

I often come here. Come here immediately!

D a s i st se h r g u t. N a ch d e m Esse n m ö ch te i ch so fo rt
n a ch H a u se fa h re n .
That is very good.
After the meal I immediately want to drive
home.

D e r g e fü rch te te Kri e g sve rbre ch e r Am S a m sta g ko m m e i ch n a ch

fl o h n a ch Arg e n ti n i e n . H a m bu rg .

The feared war criminal fled to Argentina. On Saturday I am coming to Hamburg.

GRAMMAR

When asking somebody a question in German, you need to pay attention to two things:
1. for the “Sie” form, the verb keeps its –en ending
2. put the verb at the beginning of a phrase in order to turn that phrase into a question
For example:
arbeiten

CULTURAL INSIGHT

As explained in the first lesson, you are not normally supposed to use informal language with
people. Instead, wait till you both formally agree to use informal language – as in the
dialogue, somebody could suggest “Duzen wir uns doch”, which roughly translates to “let’s
say ‘du’ to each other”. “duzen” is a special German verb that describes this notion, whereas
“siezen” is the opposite: using the formal word “Sie”. Mind you, there is no way you can go
back from “du” to “Sie”, even if you haven’t seen somebody in a long time. The only occasion
you’d switch back from “du” to “Sie” would be something like first knowing a person as a
friend but later having to deal with him in an official capacity, such as in the city
administration. There, all contact is professional, that is to say formal.

Just like it’s up to the higher-ranking or older person to invite you to use informal language,
older people also enjoy respect in other situations. For example, if the bus is full and an
elderly person comes in, you are supposed to offer them your seat. When eating together,
some families still observe the tradition that guests and older people get their food first, and

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good restaurants train their waitresses to hand out menus to older people and then women
first.

When meeting somebody new, only young people hug or exchange kisses on the cheek like
the French, most Germans will shake hands. Here again it is the older or higher-ranking
person that will offer his hand first. If you offer your hand to somebody ranking higher than
you, a few will even snub it, but fortunately they are the minority. Even though not all
Germans are known to observe the rules (in particular the uneducated may not), please try to
observe etiquette when here, as that will definitely help your career in Germany.

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