This is unit one of Pimsleur’s speak and read essential German two

Hören Sie diese am gespräch zu

Listen to this conversation:

The American Mr. Jameson is speaking with his German acquaintance Mrs. Benza

Der Amerikaner Herr Jameson sprichts mit eine Deutschen bekannten frau Benza

Hören Sie diese am gespräch zu:

Guten tag frau Benza, wie geht es Ihnen?

Sehr gut Herr Jameson und Ihnen?

Auch gut, danke

Herr Jameson, wann sind Sie in Deutschland angekommen?

Gestern abend

Ah, gestern! Und wie lange bleiben Sie?

Eine woche

Nur ein woche? Haben Sie schon etwas für München gesehen?

Noch nicht viel

In this conversation, you heard the woman ask:

Haben Sie schon etwas für München gesehen?

Which means: have you already seen something of Munich?

Hören Sie diese am gespräch noch einmal zu:

Guten tag frau Benza, wie geht es Ihnen?

Sehr gut Herr Jameson und Ihnen?

Auch gut, danke

Herr Jameson, wann sind Sie in Deutschland angekommen?

Gestern abend

Ah, gestern! Und wie lange bleiben Sie?

Eine woche

Nur ein woche? Haben Sie schon etwas für München gesehen?

Noch nicht viel

Now suppose you’re speaking with a German acquaintance, ask her how she is

Wie geht es Ihnen?

Wie antwortet Sie: (how does she answer)

Not bad

Nicht schlecht

Nicht schlecht

How would she ask you how you are?

Wie geht es Ihnen?

Tell her that you’re very well

Es geht mir sehr gut

Es geht mir sehr gut

How would she ask you when did you arrive?

Wann sind Sie angekommen?

Wann sind Sie angekommen?

Did you arrive this morning?

Sind Sie heute morgen angekommen?

Sind Sie heute morgen angekommen?

Antworten Sie, no, yesterday

Nein, gestern

I arrived yesterday

Ich bin gestern angekommen

Ich bin gestern angekommen

Yesterday evening

Gestern abend

Wie fragt Ihre bekannte? (how does your friend ask) Would you like to drink something?

Möchten Sie etwas trinken?

Möchten Sie etwas trinken?

Sagen Sie: yes, gladly

Ja gerne

Ihre bekannte fragt, do you like wine?

Mögen Sie wein?

Mögen Sie wein?

Now say the two together

Would you like/do you like

Möchten Sie/ Mögen Sie

Möchten Sie/ Mögen Sie

How does she ask you if you like wine

Mögen Sie wein?

Mögen Sie wein?

Answer, yes, I like wine

Ja, ich mach wein

Ich mach wein

I would like to drink wine. Add gerne for politeness

Möchte gerne

Ich möchte gerne wein trinken

Ich möchte gerne wein trinken

Here’s how she asks you what you did today

Wiederholen Sie

Was haben Sie heute gemacht?

Gemacht

Sie haben gemacht

Was haben Sie heute gemacht?

Wie fragt ihre bekannte (how asks you acquaintance):

what did you do today?

Was haben Sie heute gemacht?

Was haben Sie heute gemacht?

Tell her that you bought something

Ich habe etwas gekauft

Ich habe gekauft

Ich habe etwas gekauft

And I visited a couple of friends

Und ich habe ein paar freunde besucht

Ich habe besucht

Und ich habe ein paar freunde besucht

We ate together

Wir haben zusammen gegessen

Wir haben gegessen

Wir haben zusammen gegessen

And I spoke a lot of German

Und ich habe viel Deutsch gesprochen

ich habe gesprochen

und ich habe viel Deutsch gesprochen

How does she ask you if you like it in Munich?

Gefällt das Ihnen in München?

Gefällt das Ihnen in München?

Tell her, yes, I arrived yesterday

Ja, ich bin gestern angekommen

Ja,Ich bin gestern angekommen

And today

Und heute

I did a lot today. Be careful of the word order

Ich habe heute viel gemacht

Ich habe heute viel gemacht

You want to say: but I saw nothing of Munich

Here’s how to say I saw. Wiederholen Sie bitte:

Ich habe gesehen

Gesehen

Ich habe gesehen

Versuchen Sie zu sagen:

You saw

Sie haben gesehen

Sie haben gesehen

Sagen Sie: I saw nothing

Ich habe nichts gesehen

Ich habe nichts gesehen

Of Munich. Wiederholen sie:

Von München

Von

Von

Von München

How do you say: of

Von

Wie fragt ihre bekannte: you saw nothing of Munich?

Sie haben nichts von München gesehen?

Nichts von München

Sie haben nichts von München gesehen?

Sagen Sie: No, I saw nothing of Munich

Nein, ich habe nichts von München gesehen

Nein, ich habe nichts von München gesehen

So sagt Man: nothing yet or not anything yet. Wiederholen Sie bitte:

Noch nichts

Noch

Noch

Noch nichts

Wie sagt man: yet

Noch

Sagen Sie: I haven’t seen anything yet

Ich habe noch nichts gesehen

Noch nichts

Ich habe noch nichts gesehen

How does she asks you if you like it in Munich?

Gefällt das Ihnen in München?

Gefällt das Ihnen in München?

Tell her, yes, I like it in Munich

Ja, es gefällt mir in München

But I don’t have enough time

Aber ich habe nicht genug zeit

Aber ich habe nicht genug zeit

Munich is very large

München ist sehr groβ

München ist sehr groβ

You tell your acquaintance that you’re going to Salzburg next

She wants to know if you’re familiar with Salzburg. Wiederholen Sie bitte:

Kennen Sie Salzburg schon?

Kennen

Kennen

Kennen Sie

Schon

Kennen Sie Salzburg schon?

She’s asking: are you already acquainted with Salzburg?

The expression kennen Sie is commonly used to ask if someone is familiar with a person, a place, a
book, a film and so on.

Jetzt fragen Sie: Are you acquainted with Salzburg?

Kennen Sie Salzburg?

Wie sagt man: already

Schon

Schon

Wie fragen Sie: are you already acquainted with Salzburg?

Kennen Sie Salzburg schon?

Schon is the same word as in the expression I believe so.

Try this: ich glaube schon

Fragen Sie noch einmal: are you already acquainted with Salzburg?
Kennen Sie Salzburg schon?

Kennen Sie Salzburg schon?

Versuchen Sie zu sagen: No, not yet

Nein, noch nicht

Noch nicht

Noch nicht

But I have seen already a little bit of Munich

Aber ich habe schon ein bischen von München gesehen

Aber ich habe schon ein bischen von München gesehen

Only a little bit

Nur ein bisschen

Sagen Sie: I like it in Munich

Es geffält mir in München

Es geffält mir in München

Your acquaintance asks, would you like to go to town tomorrow? Hören Sie zu:

Möchten Sie morgen in die stadt gehen?

Möchten Sie morgen in die stadt gehen?

So sagt man

The city or the town. Wiederholen Sie:

Die stadt.

stadt

Die stadt
Und wie sagt man: Into town?

In die stadt

In die stadt

Would you like to go into town?

Möchten Sie in die stadt gehen?

Möchten Sie in die stadt gehen?

Fragen Sie: when?

Wann?

Tomorrow morning, wiederholen Sie:

Morgen früh

Morgen früh

Morgen früh means tomorrow early. Germans say it to avoid saying morgen morgen

As morgen means both tomorrow and morning

Sagen Sie noch einmal: tomorrow morning

Morgen früh

früh

Morgen früh

Und wie sagt man: this morning

Heute morgen

Heute morgen

Say tomorrow morning

Morgen früh

Which word means. Welches wort bedeutet: early

Früh

Sagen Sie: I have no time tomorrow morning

Ich habe morgen früh keine zeit

Ich habe morgen früh keine zeit

I can’t go into town

Ich kann nicht in die stadt gehen

In die stadt

Ich kann nicht in die stadt gehen

I’m working tomorrow

Ich arbeite morgen

I have a lot of work tomorrow. Wiederholen Sie: work

Arbeit

Arbeit

Die arbeit

A lot of work

Viel arbeit

I have a lot of work tomorrow

Ich habe morgen viel arbeit

Ich habe morgen viel arbeit

Would you like to go into town tomorrow evening?

Möchten Sie morgen abend in die stadt gehen?

Möchten Sie morgen abend in die stadt gehen?

Yes, tomorrow evening

Ja, morgen abend

Not tomorrow morning

Nicht morgen früh

Nicht morgen früh

Wie fragt man: stores (businesses)

geschäfte

die geschäfte

Sie sagt: but the stores are closed tomorrow evening

Aber die geschäfte sind morgen abend geschlossen

Aber die geschäfte sind morgen abend geschlossen

Wie sagt man: nothing or not anything

Nichts

Sagen Sie: I wouldn’t like to buy anything

Ich möchte nichts kaufen

Ich möchte nichts kaufen

Ok, until tomorrow

Gut, bis morgen

Now you would like to buy some wine and beer

Jetzt möchten Sie wein und bier kaufen

You would like to buy some wine and beer

Wie grüßen Sie die frau in geshäft?

How do you greet the woman in the shop?

Guten tag

Wie fragt die frau: what would you like please?

Was möchten sie bitte?

Was möchten Sie bitte?

Sagen sie das sie wein und bier möchten

Ich möchte wein und bier

Sie möchten wissen wie viel das bier kostet. Wie fragen sie?

Wie viel kostet das bier?

Wie viel kostet das bier?

Und fragen Sie: wie viel der wein kostet

Und Wie viel kostet der wein?

Und Wie viel kostet der wein?

Sagen Sie ihr dass Sie das bier und den wein nehmen (tell her that you are taking the beer and
the wine/tell her to have the beer and the wine(literally))
Ich nehme das bier und den wein (I’m taking the beer and the wine/I have the beer and the
wine(literally)

Ich nehme das bier und den wein

The shop keeper asks you a question. Listen and the answer affirmatively, both male and female

24’17”

Sind Sie Amerikaner?

Ja, ich bin Amerikaner

Ja, ich bin Amerikanerin

Sie verstehen sehr gut Deutsch

Tell her you understand a little

Ich verstehe ein bisschen

Ask her if she speaks English

Sprechen Sie Englisch?

Nein, ich spreche kein Englisch, ich spreche nur Deutsch

25’05”

Die frau stellt noch eine frage

The woman asks another question

Hören Sie zu:

Wann sind Sie in München angekommen?

Tell her you arrived last night

Ich bin gestern abend angekommen

Ich bin gestern abend angekommen

Kennen Sie München schon? (do you already know Munich?)

Sagen Sie: No, not yet

Nein noch nicht

Haben Sie schon etwas von München gesehen?

25’46”

Sagen Sie: not much

Nicht viel

I have a lot of work

Ich habe viel Arbeit

And only a little bit of time

Und nur ein bisschen zeit

Sagen Sie: but I’m going into town tomorrow evening

Aber ich gehe morgen abend in die stadt

Aber ich gehe morgen abend in die stadt

Jetzt sagen Sie: goodbye

Auf wiedersehen!

Auf wiedersehen. Sie verstehen mehr als nur ein bisschen Deutsch
And that’s true, you do understand more than just a little German

Don’t be concerned if you’ve not made every response correctly

All that you have learned here and in speak and read essential German one will be reviewed in
future units

If you’ve mastered about eighty percent of the material in this lesson, you are ready to move on to
the next. Otherwise, you should invest some time and review.

This is the end of unit one.

This is the end of today’s lesson, when you continue with the next unit tomorrow, please begin
with track number two.
German Consonants
Most of the consonants in the German alphabet are very much like their English
counterparts. A few, though, have striking differences. Others have only very subtle
differences, and these are the ones you will want to pay the closest attention to, since the
proper pronunciation of these consonants will determine whether or not you have a strong
accent.

For the sake of your time, only the German consonants that are pronounced in a different
way than in English are listed here. For all of the consonants you cannot find below, the
German pronunciation does not differ from the English way of saying them.
The German consonant “c” is pronounced in two different ways after vowels:

(1) “c” – before “a”, “o”, and “u”: Pronounced like an English “k,” yet in the front of your
mouth, not the back. You may not be able to tell the difference, but native speakers of
English usually pronounce the “k” sound in the back of the mouth, closer to the throat. (Say
“call” and pay close attention to where you form the “k”!). In German, a “k” and a hard “c”
are pronounced in the front, so they sound a little brighter. Try saying a short “e” sound
right after the “k,” as in “kindergarten,” and raising your tongue until the middle of it
touches your upper palate while its tip pushes against your lower teeth. Compare the
position of your tongue to the position it is in when you say “call” (unvoiced sound).

An example of a German word with a hard “c” is “curry.”

(2) “c” – before “i”, “e”, “ö”, “ä”, and “ü”: Sounds like a “ts:” a short “t” followed by a
hard “s” (as in “snow”). Think of the sound a drop of water makes when it hits a hot
surface.

An example of a German word with a soft “c” is “Celsius.”

The German “c” is also used in three consonant combinations:

(1) “ck” – Pronounced just like the German “k” or hard “c” (see above).

An example of a German word with “ck” is “Glück” [Luck].

(2) “ch” – after “i”, “e”, “ö”, “ä”, and “ü”: To imagine the sound, try thinking of a mixture
between a very audible “h” and an “sh” sound. In order to produce it, close your mouth as if
pronouncing a German “e” or “i.” Your lips are open and smiling. The teeth almost touch
each other. The tip of the tongue pushes against the lower teeth and the rest of it blocks the
air that you release, being raised to your upper palate. Since there is no English sound like
this, pay close attention to the recordings and try to imitate them (unvoiced sound).

An example of a German word with a soft “ch” is “China.”

“ch” – after “a”, “o”, and “u”: To imagine the sound, think of a person who is snoring.
Form it in the back of your throat with your uvula. The lips are open and the tongue again
blocks the air that is released, its tip resting at the lower teeth. The difference to the soft
“ch” is the position of the tongue’s middle part; it is lowered, not raised, and only the back
of the tongue touches the upper palate (unvoiced sound).

An example of a German word with a hard “ch” is “machen” [to make].

(3) “sch” – Pronounced just like the English sound “sh,” as in “shower” (unvoiced sound).

An example of a German word with “sch” is “dusche” [shower].

The German consonant “g” is usually pronounced just as in English. However, there are
slight variations when used in the following combinations:

“ng” – Pronounced as “ŋ” in the back of your mouth, with the back of the tongue touching
the upper palate, just like in English (e.g., in the word “spring”). The “g” is silent when
making the “ng” sound.

An example of a German word with “ng” is “frühling” [spring].

“ig” – At the end of a word, it is pronounced as the German soft “ch” sound. The
combination “ig” thus becomes “ich” when pronounced.

An example of a German word with “ig” is “ruhig” [quiet].

The German consonant “h” at the beginning of a word is pronounced just like the English
“h” in “hear” (unvoiced sound).

An example of a German word beginning with “h” is “heilig” [holy].

After a vowel, the German “h” is not pronounced. It just lengthens the vowel.

An example of a German word with an “h” after a vowel is “mehl” [flour].

For pronunciation of “h” in combination with “c” (ch) or with “sc” (sch), see the entry for
the consonant “c.”

The German consonant “j” is the equivalent of the English “y” as in “yes.” Be careful! It
is a glide (voiced sound).

An example of a German word with “j” is “ja” [yes].

The German consonant “k” is pronounced like an English “k,” yet in the front of your
mouth, not the back. You may not be able to tell the difference, but native speakers of
English usually pronounce “k” in the back of the mouth, closer to the throat (say “call” and
pay close attention to where you form the “k”). The German “k” is pronounced in the front
of the mouth and sounds a little brighter. Try saying a short “e” sound right after the “k,” as
in “kindergarten,” and raise your tongue until the middle of it touches your upper palate
while its tip pushes against your lower teeth. Compare the position of your tongue to the
position it is in when you say “call” (unvoiced sound).

An example of a German word with “k” is “koch” [cook].

The German consonant “l” is pronounced with a very subtle difference from the English
“l.” In order to say it the “German way,” the whole front part of your tongue presses
slightly against the upper palate, its tip is either right behind the upper teeth or even
showing between the upper and lower teeth. The mouth is closed, as when saying a German
“e” or “i,” and the sound is made in the front of the mouth. Compare this to the way an “l”
is formed in English: the tongue curves back, it is lowered with only its tip touching the
upper palate, the mouth is open, and the sound is made in the back of the mouth (voiced
sound).

An example of a German word with “l” is “liebe” [love].

The German consonant P is pronounced just like in English. It occurs in three

combinations:

“ph” – Pronounced like “f,” just like in English.

An example of a German word with “ph” is “philosophie” [philosophy].

“pf” – Should be pronounced “p-f.”

An example of a German word with “pf” is “pferd” [horse].

“sp” – Pronounced “sh-p” (“sh” as in “shower,” followed by “p” as in “pot”).

An example of a German word with “sp” is “spaß” [fun].

The German consonant “r” is entirely different from the English “r.” This is REALLY
IMPORTANT!! The German “r” is formed in the back of the throat, almost like the hard
“ch,” just with less air, and voiced. To imagine the sound, think of a growling dog. Form it
in the back of your throat with your uvula. The lips are open, and the tongue again blocks
the air that is released, its tip resting at the lower teeth. It is NOT an English “r,” and it is
NOT a Russian or Spanish rolled “r”!

The German “r” is pronounced only at the beginning of words or after a consonant. If it
follows a vowel, it is pronounced like a very short “u” as in “but” and it is not stressed.

An example of a German word beginning with “r” is “ruhe” [silence].

An example for a German word with an “r” following a consonant is “groß” [big].

An example of a German word with an “r” following a vowel is “schwester” [sister].

The German consonant “s,” in front of a vowel, is pronounced like an English “z” (as in
“zipper”). It is voiced and soft. Following a vowel, the “s” is pronounced like an English
“s” (as in “snow”), unvoiced and hard.

An example of a German word with a soft “s” is “sehr” [very].

An example of a German word with a hard “s” is “haus” [house].

The German “s” also occurs in three combinations:

“sch” – Pronounced just like the English sound “sh” as in “shower.”

An example of a German word with “sch” is “dusche” [shower].

“sp” – Pronounced “sh-p” (“sh” as in “shower,” followed by “p” as in “pot”).

An example of a German word with “sp” is “spaß” [fun].

“st” – Pronounced “sh-t” (“sh” as in “shower,” followed by “t” as in “tea”).

An example of a German word with “st” is “stehen” [to stand].

The German consonant “v” is either pronounced like an English “v” (voiced) or like an
English “f”(unvoiced). Unfortunately, there’s no rule as to when it is pronounced in which
way; just listen to the lessons, and it shouldn’t be a problem!

An example of a German word with a voiced “v” is “vase” [vase].

An example of a German word with an unvoiced “v” is “vogel” [bird].

The German consonant “w” is pronounced like an English “v” (voiced sound).

An example of a German word with “w” is “wort” [word].

The German consonant “z” is pronounced like a “ts:” a short “t” followed by a hard “s”
(as in “snow”). Think of the sound a drop of water makes when it hits a hot surface
(unvoiced sound).

An example of a German word with “z” is “zirkus” [circus].

The German consonant ß (that’s not a “b”!!) doesn’t exist in the English alphabet. “ß” can
be substituted by “ss” and is pronounced like an English ”s” (as in “snow”) (unvoiced
sound).

An example of a German word with “ß” is “spaß” [fun].