Archive for the year 2012
German vocabulary: das Auto – car Posted by Sandra Rösner on Jul 4, 2012
When you are on a visit in Germany you may want to take a trip around the countryside. The best way to do so is to rent a car. The following phrases are useful. Ich möchte ein Auto mieten. iH möH-tuh ayn ou-toh mee-tuhn I would like to rent a car. Wieviel kostet…
German vocabulary: Family Posted by Sandra Rösner on Jul 2, 2012
The German Kernfamilie (nuclear family) consists of Eltern (parents) and their Kinder (children). But there are also a variety of other people in a family, both young and old, who affect family life to some degree, namely the extended family. Let’s have a look at the German vocabulary that describe typical family members. First, we’ll…
Giving directions in German Posted by Sandra Rösner on Jun 28, 2012
If you have read my two last post you know that how to ask for directions. Now it’s time to learn how to give directions or understand these instructions. Very useful words you need to know are the following: geradeaus gehen – to keep straight on geradeaus weitergehen – to go straight on nach…
Asking for Directions in German: Street names and places/squares Posted by Sandra Rösner on Jun 26, 2012
In my post from yesterday, I told you how to ask for directions to particular buildings (e.g. a church or museum) or cultural gathering places (e.g. cinema and theatre). Today, I would like to teach you how to ask for addresses in German, that is, street names and places. In German culture the main part…
Nach dem Weg fragen – Asking for directions in German Posted by Sandra Rösner on Jun 25, 2012
You are on a visit to Germany and got lost. The best thing you can do now is to ask someone how to get to the place you want to go to. The most common question to ask for directions is: Wie komme ich zu (zum;zur)/nach … ? – How do I get to…
German adjectives, part 2 – The weak declension Posted by Sandra Rösner on Jun 22, 2012
In my last post I began to talk about forming simple sentences with adjectives in German. You learned that there is no need to decline adjectives in so-called “to be” sentences or, in other words, when you put the adjective after the noun. Unfortunately, things are getting more complicated when you want to put the…
What’s he/she/it like? – German adjectives, part 1 Posted by Sandra Rösner on Jun 21, 2012
Adjectives are those words that describe nouns. With them, your statements become more meaningful. So, do not hesitate and start to incorporate them in your sentences. In German, you can place an adjective on two positions in a sentences, either before a noun or after it. When you put an adjective after a noun, you…