Phrasebook

186 entries

• [Hallo]HelloWeek 1 · Works in almost any situation.
• [Guten Morgen]Good morningWeek 1
• [Guten Tag]Good dayWeek 1 · The safe, all-purpose daytime greeting. In Bavaria you will hear Grüß Gott instead.
• [Guten Abend]Good eveningWeek 1
• [Auf Wiedersehen]GoodbyeWeek 1 · Tschüss is the casual version, and far more common in daily life.
• [Bitte]Please — and also you're welcomeWeek 1 · One word, three jobs. It also means here you are when handing something over.
• [Danke schön]Thank you very muchWeek 1
• [Ja]YesWeek 1
• [Nein]NoWeek 1
• [Entschuldigung]Excuse me / sorryWeek 1
• [Wie geht's?]How are you?Week 1
• [Gut, danke]Fine, thank youWeek 1
• [Und Ihnen?]And you? (formal)Week 1
• der Mannthe manWeek 1 · Masculine — bold.
• die Frauthe womanWeek 1 · Feminine — slanted. Also the word for Mrs.
• das Kindthe childWeek 1 · Neuter — bold and slanted together. A child has no grammatical gender in German, which surprises everyone.
• [Hallo,] ich heiße name.Hello, my name is ___.Week 1 · Literally I am called ___.
• Ich komme aus place.I come from ___.Week 1
• Einen Kaffee, [bitte].A coffee, please.Week 1 · Einen rather than ein — see Week 2. For now, learn it as a chunk.
• Ich heiße…My name is…Week 2
• Ich komme aus…I come from…Week 2
• Ich wohne in…I live in…Week 2
• Ich bin … Jahre altI am … years oldWeek 2 · German says I am sixty years old, like English — not I have sixty years, like the other three.
• der Sohnthe sonWeek 2 · Der becomes einen when he is the object. The gender has not changed.
• die Tochterthe daughterWeek 2
• der Mannthe husbandWeek 2 · The same word as man. Mein Mann is my husband.
• die Frauthe wifeWeek 2 · The same word as woman. Meine Frau is my wife.
• der Enkelthe grandsonWeek 2
• die Enkelinthe granddaughterWeek 2 · The -in ending makes a feminine version of many nouns: Freund and Freundin, Lehrer and Lehrerin.
• die Familiethe familyWeek 2
• der Freund / die Freundinthe friend (m / f)Week 2
• die ArbeitworkWeek 2
• [im Ruhestand]retiredWeek 2 · A fixed chunk. Rentner or Rentnerin is the noun — I am a pensioner.
• Ich heiße name und wohne in place.I'm ___ and I live in ___.Week 2
• Ich bin number Jahre alt und ich bin [im Ruhestand].I'm ___ and I'm retired.Week 2
• Ich habe einen Sohn / zwei Töchter und number Enkelkinder.I have ___ and ___ grandchildren.Week 2
• das Hausthe houseWeek 3
• die Küchethe kitchenWeek 3
• das Wohnzimmerthe living roomWeek 3
• das Schlafzimmerthe bedroomWeek 3 · Zimmer means room, and it is always neuter — so every room compound is das.
• die Türthe doorWeek 3
• das Fensterthe windowWeek 3
• der Tischthe tableWeek 3
• der Stuhlthe chairWeek 3
• die Toilettethe toiletWeek 3 · The word to ask for in a café or a station.
• das BrotbreadWeek 3
• der KaffeecoffeeWeek 3
• der TeeteaWeek 3
• das WasserwaterWeek 3 · Ask for stilles Wasser if you do not want it fizzy — sparkling is the default in Germany.
• der WeinwineWeek 3
• das BierbeerWeek 3
• der KäsecheeseWeek 3
• die Speisekartethe menuWeek 3
• die Rechnungthe billWeek 3 · The -ung ending is always feminine. One of the few rules you can trust.
• Wo ist die Küche / die Toilette?Where is ___?Week 3
• Ich möchte einen Kaffee.I would like ___.Week 3 · Möchte is the everyday polite would like. Ich hätte gern is equally polite and arrives next week.
• Die Rechnung, [bitte].The bill, please.Week 3
• ich habeto have — ichWeek 4
• ich möchtewould like — ichWeek 4 · The everyday polite want. Ich möchte einen Kaffee is what you actually say in a café.
• ich hätte gernwould like (even softer) — ichWeek 4 · Interchangeable with möchte. Both are polite; neither is fussy.
• [Ich habe Hunger]I'm hungryWeek 4 · Literally: I have hunger. Same as French and Italian.
• [Ich habe Durst]I'm thirstyWeek 4
• [Mir ist kalt]I'm coldWeek 4 · But not I have cold. Literally: to me it is cold. German uses a different structure for temperature than for hunger.
• [Mir ist warm]I'm warmWeek 4
• Ich möchte reservierenI would like to bookWeek 4 · A table or a room. Two verbs in a row — and the second one goes to the very end of the sentence.
• Ich habe noun.I have ___.Week 4
• Ich möchte noun.I would like ___.Week 4
• Ich hätte gern noun, [bitte].I would like ___, please.Week 4
• ich macheto do or make — ichWeek 5
• ich wohneto live, to reside — ichWeek 5
• ich arbeiteto work — ichWeek 5 · An extra -e- creeps in after t or d, purely so the word is sayable.
• ich binto be — ichWeek 5 · The most irregular verb in the language, and the most used.
• ich habeto have — ichWeek 5
• ich geheto go (on foot) — ichWeek 5
• ich fahreto go (by vehicle) — ichWeek 5 · German distinguishes walking from riding. Ich fahre nach Berlin means by train or car.
• ich kanncan, to be able — ichWeek 5
• ich willto want — ichWeek 5 · Ich will is I want, not I will. A permanent trap for English speakers.
• ich nehmeto take — ichWeek 5
• [ich bin]I amWeek 5
• [ich habe]I haveWeek 5
• [ich gehe]I'm goingWeek 5
• [können Sie]can you (formal)Week 5
• [das ist]that isWeek 5
• [es gibt]there is / there areWeek 5 · Literally it gives. One phrase for both singular and plural, and the noun after it takes the object form: es gibt einen Bahnhof.
• Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch.I speak a little German.Week 5 · The single most useful sentence you will learn all year.
• Können Sie das wiederholen, [bitte]?Can you repeat that, please?Week 5 · Two verbs, so wiederholen goes to the end.
• Wir gehen ins Café.We're going to the café.Week 5 · Ins is in + das — German contracts its prepositions too.
• Wo?Where?Week 6
• Wann?When?Week 6
• Wie?How?Week 6
• Warum?Why?Week 6
• Wer?Who?Week 6 · Wer is who, and wo is where — the opposite of what an English speaker expects.
• Wie viel?How much?Week 6
• Welcher / Welche / WelchesWhich?Week 6 · The only question word that carries gender — it agrees with the noun that follows.
• [Wo ist… ?]Where is…?Week 6
• [links]on the leftWeek 6
• [rechts]on the rightWeek 6
• [geradeaus]straight onWeek 6
• [neben]next toWeek 6
• [gegenüber]oppositeWeek 6
• [in der Nähe von]near toWeek 6
• [weit von]far fromWeek 6
• [ich suche…]I'm looking for…Week 6
• Wie viel kostet das?How much does that cost?Week 6
• [Was kostet das?]What does that cost?Week 6 · Interchangeable, and slightly more common.
• [Das ist zu teuer]That's too expensiveWeek 6
• Wie spät ist es?What time is it?Week 6 · Literally how late is it.
• Um wie viel Uhr?At what time?Week 6
• geöffnet / offenopenWeek 6
• geschlossenclosedWeek 6
• Ich suche den Bahnhof.I'm looking for the station.Week 6 · Den, not der — the station is the object of suche.
• Wo ist die Apotheke?Where is the pharmacy?Week 6
• Was kostet das?What does that cost?Week 6
• Ich habe gesprochenI spokeWeek 7 · sprechen → gesprochen
• Ich habe gemachtI did / I madeWeek 7 · machen → gemacht
• Ich habe gesehenI sawWeek 7 · sehen → gesehen
• Ich habe genommenI tookWeek 7 · nehmen → genommen
• Ich habe gegessenI ateWeek 7 · essen → gegessen
• Ich habe getrunkenI drankWeek 7 · trinken → getrunken
• Ich habe gekauftI boughtWeek 7 · kaufen → gekauft
• [gestern]yesterdayWeek 7
• [heute Morgen]this morningWeek 7
• [gestern Abend]last nightWeek 7 · Literally yesterday evening.
• [letzte Woche]last weekWeek 7
• [Gestern] habe ich im Café gegessen.Yesterday I ate at the café.Week 7 · Start with gestern and the verb still takes second place, so ich moves behind it.
• Ich bin nach place gefahren.I travelled to ___.Week 7
• Was haben Sie [gestern] gemacht?What did you do yesterday?Week 7 · Worth learning whole. It is the question you will be asked most often — and notice gemacht waiting at the end.
• undandWeek 8
• aberbutWeek 8
• oderorWeek 8
• dennbecause, forWeek 8 · Leaves the word order alone, which makes it the safe one to start with.
• weilbecauseWeek 8 · Sends the verb to the end. See the note below — this is the important one.
• alsoso, thereforeWeek 8 · Not the English also. It means so. Auch means also.
• zuerstfirstWeek 8
• dannthenWeek 8
• danachafterwardsWeek 8
• schließlichfinallyWeek 8
• Morgen verb ich noun.Tomorrow I'm going to ___.Week 8
• clause, aber / denn / also, clause…, but / because / so, …Week 8 · These three leave the word order alone.
• Zuerst … dann … danach … schließlich …First … then … afterwards … finally …Week 8 · The story spine. Every one of them moves the verb into second place.
• der SportsportWeek 9 · No article after mag here — German drops it for things in general.
• die MusikmusicWeek 9
• lesento readWeek 9
• die GartenarbeitgardeningWeek 9
• kochento cookWeek 9
• reisento travelWeek 9
• die FotografiephotographyWeek 9
• das Kinothe cinemaWeek 9
• das FernsehentelevisionWeek 9 · Fernsehen splits in a sentence: ich sehe fern. A separable verb — the front half goes to the end.
• spazieren gehento go for a walkWeek 9
• ich magto like (a thing) — ichWeek 9 · Ich mag Musik. For a thing, not an activity.
• ich … gernto like (doing something) — ichWeek 9 · Goes after the verb: ich lese gern, ich koche gern.
• ich liebeto love — ichWeek 9 · Stronger than English love. Germans reserve it — sehr gern is usually what you want.
• ich bevorzugeto prefer — ichWeek 9 · Formal. In speech you would more often say ich mag X lieber — I like X more.
• [Mir geht es gut]I'm wellWeek 9 · Literally to me it goes well. A fixed chunk — do not dissect it.
• [Mir geht es schlecht]I'm unwellWeek 9
• Ich habe KopfschmerzenI have a headacheWeek 9 · Schmerzen means pains, and it attaches to the body part: Kopfschmerzen, Rückenschmerzen, Zahnschmerzen.
• der Arzt / die Ärztinthe doctorWeek 9
• krankillWeek 9 · No ending after sein, as in Week 6.
• müdetiredWeek 9
• [ich ruhe mich aus]I'm restingWeek 9 · Another separable verb — sich ausruhen. Take it whole for now.
• der Kopfthe headWeek 9
• die Handthe handWeek 9
• das Beinthe legWeek 9
• der Bauchthe stomachWeek 9
• der Rückenthe backWeek 9
• der Armthe armWeek 9
• die Zähnethe teethWeek 9 · Der Zahn in the singular, die Zähne in the plural — every plural takes die, whatever the gender.
• [ich denke, dass…]I think that…Week 9 · Dass behaves like weil — it sends the verb to the end.
• [ich finde, dass…]I find that…Week 9
• [meiner Meinung nach]in my opinionWeek 9 · Starts the sentence, so the verb comes straight after.
• das Problemthe problemWeek 9
• Ich lese / koche / reise gern.I like reading / cooking / travelling.Week 9
• Ich habe Kopfschmerzen.I have a headache.Week 9
• [Meiner Meinung nach] ist es interessant.In my opinion, it's interesting.Week 9
• [Ich verstehe nicht]I don't understandWeek 10
• [Langsamer, bitte]More slowly, pleaseWeek 10
• [Können Sie das wiederholen?]Can you repeat that?Week 10
• Was bedeutet das?What does that mean?Week 10
• Wie sagt man…?How do you say…?Week 10 · Point at the thing and say this. It works every time.
• alsoso, wellWeek 11 · The single most common opener in spoken German. Start any sentence with it.
• [na ja]well, sort ofWeek 11 · A gentle hedge. Buys you a whole second and sounds thoroughly native.
• dannthenWeek 11 · To sequence ideas.
• [kurz gesagt]in shortWeek 11 · To wrap up when you have run out of road.
• eigentlichactuallyWeek 11 · To correct yourself gently, without stopping.
• [ich meine]I meanWeek 11 · To clarify, or to buy another second.