Germany is a civilized country, and therefore a lot of Germans not only understand, but can freely communicate in English. If you know at least a little bit of English, you should have no problems in German hotels, restaurants and shops. But, by the way, there is an exception to any rule, therefore, even in well-known beer houses and guesthouses in the center of Munich, we repeatedly came across waitresses who spoke only their native language. In these and other situations, knowing a few German words and phrases can come in handy. In this article I will try to outline the most basic expressions that can actually help a tourist in communicating with Germans in various situations. This article does not pull on a textbook, manual or something like that - it's just a list of the most necessary phrases, selected based on our own travel experience.

I will also try to indicate the transcription in Russian letters for each German phrase, so that it is easier to read and pronounce.

First of all, it is worth saying that Germans are not as emotional as Italians or Russians. Therefore, an attempt by a tourist to say something in German is perceived by them as nothing more than an attempt at a communicative act. And if an Italian is sincerely happy when ragazzo russo speaks to him, and even tells something about himself, then for an ordinary German your speech is just a transfer of information.

The most frequently used words in a tourist trip are "thank you" and "please".

Danke ("Danke") - Thank you
bitte ("bitte") - please, and, as in Russian, this word is used both as a request and as a response to words of gratitude.

The Germans are very polite, so they just say "Bitte" in cases, for example, when they give money to a cashier in a store. In the vast majority of other cases, it's better to say something like this:

Danke schon ("Danke Shen") - Thanks a lot
Bitte schön ("bitte shen") - meaning big please.

Moreover, the word schön literally means "beautiful", that is, "beautiful thank you" and "beautiful please." Also popular is the shorter expression Danke sehr, where sehr (zer) means "very much" and the whole phrase is literally "thank you very much".


Greetings and goodbyes

The Germans greet each other quite succinctly. For example, in every textbook you can find official expressions:

Guten Tag ("Guten Tag") - Good afternoon
Guten Morgen ("good morning") - Good morning
Guren Abend ("guten abend") - Good evening

But in practice, they greet simply: Morgan(meaning "good morning") Tag(meaning "good afternoon" or "hello") or Abend. That is, they tell you Morgan in the morning, you answer Morgan. Nothing complicated. ;)
Moreover, there is a kind of "informal" greeting hallo("halo", almost in English) - hello. It is believed that it is not used with strangers. No matter how! Regardless of the degree of acquaintance or age in Germany, "hallo" can be heard in a store, on a train, in a museum or even in a philharmonic society.

For farewell, the most commonly used phrase is:

Auf Wiedersehen ("aufwiederseen") - goodbye, which and in literally completely similar to the Russian phrase.
You can also often hear this word:
tschus ("chus") - Bye. As with Hallo, this informal phrase is actually very common.
Bisbald ("bis bald") - see you later.


Pronunciation. Basic Rules

A few words about pronunciation. Generally german words It's easy enough to read, but there are a few caveats.

"ch"- after vowels i , e and consonants are pronounced as a cross between " sch" And " X". For example, the word Ich (I). The German language is rich in dialects, and even the pronunciation of the Germans themselves varies greatly, but still this sound is closer to " sch".
"ch"- after vowels a , o, u is pronounced like " X". Words machen, Buch
"ei" - pronounced like " ah"(eins - "ains", zwei - "zwei")
"sch" - pronounced like " sh"
"st ", "st", if it is at the beginning of a word, it also reads as " sh". For example, "sprechen".

Also in German there are so-called umlauts such as " ä ", "ö " or " ü ". This is actually the same as the Russian "ё". If the letter "u" sounds like "u", then "ü" is pronounced like "iu" or "yu", but not "yu".

"r"- this is a separate song. The Germans burr. Learning to pronounce the German "r" is quite difficult for a Russian person, but it is possible. If you train long and hard, it will take about a month. The German "r" is not pronounced with the tip of the tongue, as in Russian, but rather the root of the tongue, the larynx.On YouTube and on the Internet you can find a lot of lessons showing exactly how to pronounce this sound. Yes, if "r" is at the end of the word, then it is almost not pronounced. Beginners are usually advised not to bathe, and pronounce the usual Slavic "r". Firstly, this allows you to concentrate not on pronunciation, but on the very process of communication, which is more important, and, secondly, the Germans perfectly understand the Russian "r". The thing is that, for example, in southern Germany, in Bavarian dialects, "r" often sounds exactly the same as ours. And I personally heard the speech of the Germans more than once, who did not even think to burr, but spoke "p" quite in our way.


The most necessary phrases

Entschuldigung ("entschuldigung") - Sorry! It sounds, of course, intimidating, but the interlocutor will definitely understand that you are apologizing.
Ja ("I") - Yes
Nein ("nein") - No
Ich verstehe nicht ("Looking for the best of nothing") - I don't understand
Noch ein Bier!("noh ain bia") - More beer!
Well, traditionally the most important question of a tourist
Wie viel? ("Wee Fil") - How many?

And now, in order to correctly understand the answer, you should remember how the numbers sound in German


German numbers

eins ("ains") - one
zwei ("zwei") - two
drei ("dry") - three
vier ("fia") - four. It is difficult to give an exact transcription to pronunciation. If you remember, "r" at the end is almost not pronounced, but gives the vowel a subtle shade. In extreme cases, you can say "fir".
funf ("funf") - five
sechs ("zex", not sex!) - six
sieben ("sieben") - seven
acht ("aht") - eight
neun ("noyn") - nine
Zehn("zein") - ten

But, as you understand, prices in shops and markets are rarely limited to ten euros, so you should know how numbers over 10 euros are formed.
By the way, " Euro"in German it sounds like this" oiro".
So here it is
elf ("elf") - eleven
zwolf ("zwölf") - twelve
The remaining numbers "thirteen", "fourteen" and others are formed by the ending " Zehn" ("Zein"), that is " dreizehn" ("dryzein" - thirteen), " vierzehn" ("fiacein" -fourteen)...
The same with dozens, where the ending is added " zig" ("cisch").
zwanzig ("tsvantsishch") - twenty
dreissig ("draisish") - thirty
vierzig ("fiascis") - fourty
funzig ("funfcisch") - fifty
"g"at the end is pronounced as a cross between Russian sounds" sch" And " and"

Curiously, numbers like 25, 37, etc. are formed in German. First, the second digit is pronounced, and then the first, denoting ten.
25 - funfundzwanzig ("funfundzvantsishch") - literally five and twenty
36 - sechsundreissig ("zeksunddraisish")

Germans generally like to make huge words out of several small ones. Such words have a huge number of letters and from the outside it may seem that it is impossible to pronounce it, but as soon as you understand that these are just a few words put together without a space, it becomes much easier.

With hundreds (and I hope your bill at the restaurant does not reach such values) is also easy. Adding at the end hundert "hundert").
einhundert ("einhundert") - one hundred
zweihundert ("zweihundert") - two hundred


In the shop

Well, since we went shopping, I’ll immediately give a few more useful phrases:

Kann Ich mit kreditkarte zahlen? ("Kan ish mit credit card tsalen") - Can I pay credit card?
zahlen ("tsalen") - to pay
Ich ("seek") - I
Kann ("kan") - I can, remember how in English "can"

Ich mochte zahlen ("Ischte tsalen") - I would like to pay. Here " mochte"-" I would like to. " That is, a polite, subjunctive mood.
Sometimes Germans do not say zahlen, but bezahlen ("bezalen"). The meaning is the same and the difference is about the same as ours between "pay" and "pay".

So to the question "can I pay with a credit card" you can get the answer either "Ja" - yes, or ...
Nein, nur Bargeld ("Nine, nua bargeld") - cash only. Bargeld- cash. It's easy to remember, because Geld means money.

Kleingeld ("kleingeld") is a trifle. Literally "little money".
Haben Sie Kleingeld? ("haben zi kleingeld?") - do you have change?

Ich brown... ("looking for brauche..") - I'm looking for, I need ..


Pronouns

Here it is worth giving a few more basic words. First, personal pronouns
Ich ("search") - I
du ("du") - You. Yes, unlike English, German has a distinction between "you" and "you".
Sie ("zi") - You. As in Italian, the polite form of the personal pronoun is the same as "she"
sie ("zi") - she
er ("ea") - He. Again I want to make a note that "r" is not readable, although "ea" is heard - not quite the correct transcription, but it is much closer to reality than "er"
es ("it") - surprise! German has a neuter gender. For example, Das Madchen"madschen" - girl, girl. Middle word...
wir ("via") - We


Just a little bit of grammar

Now some important verbs.
haben ("haven") - have
sein ("be") - be

As in many European languages, these are fundamental verbs that are very important in the language.
Verbs are conjugated, that is, they change their form depending on the pronoun. For the traveler, the main thing to remember is how these or those verbs with the pronouns "I, we, and you" sound.
haben- have
Ich habe ("isch habe") - I have, I have
wir haben ("via haben") - you have
Sie haben ("zee haben") - it helps a lot that often the verbs in the infinitive and when used with the pronouns "we" and "you" have the same form.
Haben Sie Tee? ("haben zee tee") - do you have tea?

sein- be
Ich bin ("Search Bean") - I am
wir sind ("via zind") - we are
Wir sind aus Russland ("Via Zind Aus Russland") - we are from Russia. Pay attention, not "Russland", but "Russland".


At the restaurant

Well, now, since we met with the verb "to have", remember very useful phrase. Comes in handy on trips to evening restaurants.
Haben Sie einen freien Tisch? ("haben zi ainen frian tysch?") - do you have a free table?
frei ("fry") - free
Tisch ("tish") - table
Wir mochten essen ("via möchten essen") - we would like to eat
Kann Ich dort drüben sitzen ("kahn isch dort druben sitzen") - can I network over there?
Ich mochte eine Bestellung aufgeben ("search for the place aine Beshtellung aufgeben") - I'd like to place an order
Etwas zu trinken? ("etwas zu trinken") - Something to drink? This is the first question a waiter usually asks in German restaurants.
Ich hätte gerne etwas zu trinken ("look for hatte gerne etwas zu trinken") - I would like a drink.


Question words

Well, let's go further on the list of the most necessary and necessary phrases?
Wo ist das nächste Hotel/Restaurant/Supermarkt/Bank ("vo ist das nehste wanted/restoron/supermarkt/bank") - Where is the nearest hotel/restaurant/supermarket/bank?
Generally the word nachste" ("nakhste") means "next" but is used as "nearest" in such matters.
Question words
Wo ("in") - Where?
Wo ist die Toilette? ("in east di Toilette") - where is the toilet
Wer ("vea") - Who?
was ("you") - What?
wie ("in and") - How?
Warum ("varum"- not Angelica) - why?
Wann ("bath") - When?


simple dialogue

Wie geht's ("wee gates") or Wie geht's Ihnen ("wee gates inan") - How are you? Literally "how is it going?" In general, the Germans are not very emotional and sociable people, especially with strangers, so you are unlikely to hear this question in a store or restaurant. But know - the answer is usually simple:
Gut! Und Ihnen ("gut! und inen") - Fine. And your?

Wie heissen sie? ("wee heisen zee") - what is your name?
Wie ist Ihre Name? ("vi ist ire name") - What is your name?
Ich heisse... ("look haise...") - My name is...
Woher kommen Sie? ("wohea common zee") - where are you from?
Ich bin aus Russland ("isch bin aus Russland") - I'm from Russia.
Ich bin im Urlaub ("isch bin im urlyaub") - I'm on vacation

Könnten Sie mir helfen ("kenten zi mia helfen") - could you help me?


Other useful words and expressions

Schade! ("shade") - What a pity!
Natürlich ("nature") - of course!
Was für eine Überraschung ("you fur eine Überrashung") - what a surprise!

ARTICLE IN DEVELOPMENT... TO BE CONTINUED!

The German alphabet is based on the Latin alphabet with diacritics for vowels ( ä , ö , ü ) and a letter ß , not used in other languages. There are alternative spellings for these letters: ae, oe, ue, ss, but their use loses its uniqueness.

2. Transliteration

Some of the German letters are translated into Russian unambiguously:

b → b n → n t → T
d → d p → P w → V
f → f q → To x → ks
g → G r → R y → And
m → m ß → With z → c

3. J

Combinations j + vowel transferred like this:

At the beginning of a word and after vowels ja → I, ja (je) → e, jo → yo, jo → yo, ju → Yu, ju → yuu: Jahns → Jens, Jul → july;

After consonants ja → ya, ja (je) → ye, jo → yo, jo → yo, ju (ju)→ ew: Lilje → Lilje.

Before a consonant and at the end of a word j → th.

4. Vowels and their combinations

German diphthongs are transmitted in transcription according to the following rules: eu → Ouch, ei → ah, ie → And. A common tradition to pass eu (ei) → Hey (to her) is considered obsolete today, although many names and surnames are transmitted according to these rules: Reuters → Reuters, Geiger → Geiger.

After vowels e (ä ) → uh, i → th. At the beginning of a word e (ä , ö ) → uh, ü → And.

In other cases, vowels are transmitted by transliteration: a → A, e (ä ) → e, i → And, o → O, ö → yo, u → at, ü → Yu, y → And.

5. S, C, H

letter combinations sch, chh, ch, ph, rh, th in transcription are transmitted, respectively: sch → sh, chh → hg, ch → X, ph → f, rh → R, th → T.

Combinations tsch, zsch And chs wholly belonging to one syllable are transmitted according to the rules tsch (zsch) → h, chs → ks: Achslach → Axlakh, Zschopau → chopau. Sometimes the components of these letter combinations refer to different syllables, in which case they are transmitted independently: Altschul → Altshul.

Before front vowels ( i, e, in borrowings also y) With → c: Cilli → cilly. In other contexts c → To: Carl → Charles.

Before letters p And t at the beginning of a word or part of a compound word s → sh: Spray → spree. Before vowels single s → h, otherwise s → With.

In a position between a vowel and a consonant (or between a vowel and e) h omitted in transcription. In other provisions h → X.

The tradition of transmitting everywhere h → G Today it is considered obsolete, but many names and surnames are transmitted precisely according to this rule: Tannhauser → Tannhäuser, Heisenberg → Heisenberg.

The "transcriptor" does not know how to divide German words into syllables and compound words into parts.

6. Consonants

letter combinations gk And tz passed according to the rules gk → G, tz → c.

doubled ll It is conveyed in different ways, depending on the position in the word:

between vowels ll → ll: Ellerbach → Ellerbach;

At the end of a word and between consonants ll → ll: Tellkoppe → Tellkoppe;

In other positions ll → l or eh.

Before vowels l → l, before consonants and at the end of words l → eh.

In German names and titles v → f: Volkmar → Volkmar. But in names of foreign origin v can be transmitted through V: Crivitz → Krivits.

"Transcriptor" always transmits v How f.

7. Double letters

Doubled (long) German vowels are always transmitted as one: Klopeinersee → Klopeinersee.

Doubled German consonants are transmitted as doubled and in transcription if they are in a position between vowels or at the end of a word. In other positions, doubled German consonants correspond to one consonant letter of transcription: Blatt → Blatt, Schaffran → Saffron.

letter combination ck corresponds kk in a position between vowels, otherwise ck → To: Becker → becker, Dick → Dick.

German is spoken by millions of people, not only in Germany, but also in Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and other places around the world. Of course, in order to speak German fluently, you will have to study for a long time, but the simplest phrases can be mastered very quickly. Whether you're traveling to a German-speaking country, want to impress someone, or just get a little familiar with a new language, the tips in this article will come in handy. We will teach you how to greet people, introduce yourself, say goodbye, thank you, ask basic questions or ask for help.

Steps

Part 1

Greeting and farewell

    Use standard greetings. Each German-speaking country has its own special greetings. However, the following standard forms will be appropriate in any of them.

    • "Guten Tag" (guten so) - "good afternoon" (used as the most common greeting during the day)
    • "Guten Morgen" (guten morgen) - "good morning"
    • "Guten Abend" (Guten Abent) - "Good evening"
    • "Gute Nacht" (gute nacht) - " Good night» (said before going to bed, usually only between close people)
    • "Hallo" (halo) - "hello" (used anywhere and anytime)

  1. Remember the difference between formal and informal German. In German, as in Russian, it is customary to address unfamiliar and unfamiliar people in different ways (formally, to “you”) and to close acquaintances (informally, to “you”). However, unlike Russian, in German the polite "you" in singular and "you" in the plural are two different words. For example, to ask someone's name, you would say:

    • "Wie heissen Sie?" (vi haisen zi) - "what is your name?" (formally)
    • "Wie heisst du?" (wee heist du) - "what's your name?" (informally)

  2. Say goodbye. The forms of farewell, like greetings, may differ depending on where you are and who you are talking to. However, in general, you can't go wrong if you use one of the following:

    • "Auf Wiedersehen" (auf viderzeen) - "goodbye"
    • "Tschüss" (chyuc) - "bye"
    • "Ciao" (chao) - "bye" (this word is Italian, but often used by Germans)

Part 2

Starting a conversation

  1. Ask the person how he is doing. You will not only show courtesy, but also demonstrate your knowledge of German!

    Tell me how you are. If you are asked the question "wie geht es Ihnen?" or "wie geht" s?, you can answer in different ways.

    Ask the person where he is from. good start conversation will ask the interlocutor what city or country he is from. To do this, there are the following phrases (both formal and informal).

    • "Woher kommen Sie?" (woher komen zi) / "woher kommst du?" (voher comst du) - “where are you from?” / "Where are you from?"
    • "Ich komme aus ..." (ih komme aus ...) - "I'm from ...". For example, "ich komme aus Russland" (ih kome aus rusland) - "I'm from Russia."
    • "Wo wohnen Sie?" (wo wohnst du) / "wo wohnst du?" (wonst doo) - "where do you live?" / "where do you live?". The verb "wohnen" is used with the name of the city, street, exact address; for a country or continent (but often for a city too), "leben" is used - "wo leben Sie?" (wo leben zee) / "wo lebst du?" (in lebst du).
    • “Ich wohne in ...” (ich wohne in ...) or “ich lebe in ...” (ich lebe in ...) - “I live in ...”. For example, "ich wohne / lebe in Moskau" (ih vone / lebe in moskau) - "I live in Moscow."

Part 3

Further communication

  1. Learn a few more simple useful phrases."Ja" (I) means "yes", "nein" (nein) means "no".

    • "Wie bitte?" (vi bite) - "I'm sorry?" (if you need to ask again)
    • "Es tut mir leid!" (es here world - "I'm sorry!"
    • "Entschuldigung!" (entschuldigung) - "I'm sorry!"

  2. Learn to say "please" and "thank you." In principle, there is a formal and informal way of expressing gratitude, but the usual "danke" (danke) - "thank you" - can be used in any situation.

  3. Learn to formulate simple requests and questions about objects. To find out if something is available in a store, restaurant, and similar places, you can ask "haben Sie ...?" (haben zi ...) - "do you have ...?" For example, "haben Sie Kaffee?" (haben zi cafe) - "do you have coffee?"

    • If you want to ask about the price of something, ask the question "wie viel kostet das?" (vi fil costat das) - "how much does it cost?"

  4. Learn to ask for directions. If you are lost or want to find a place, the following phrases will come in handy.

    • To ask for help, say "Können Sie mir helfen, bitte?" (kyonen zi world helfeng, bitae) - "Could you help me please?"
    • To ask for a location, say "Wo ist...?" (in ist ...) - “where is ...?”. For example, "wo ist die Toilette, bitte?" (wo ist di toilette, - “where is the toilet?” or “wo ist der Bahnhof?” (wo ist der bahnhof) - “where is the station?”
    • To make your question sound more polite, start it with an apology: "Entschuldigen Sie bitte, wo ist der Bahnhof?" (entshuldigen zi bite, vo ist der bahnhof) - "Excuse me, please, where is the station?"
    • To find out if a person speaks another language, ask: “Sprechen Sie englisch (russisch, französisch…)?” (shprechen zi English (Russian, French ...)), that is: “Do you speak English (Russian, French ...)?”

  5. Learn to count in German. In general, German numerals follow the same logic as Russian or English ones. The main difference is that in numbers from 21 to 100, units are placed before tens. For example, 21 is "einundzwanzig" (aynuntzvantsikh), literally "one and twenty"; 34 is "vierunddreißig" (firuntdraisikh), literally "four and thirty"; 67 is "siebenundsechzig" (zibenuntzekhtsikh), literally "seven and sixty" and so on.

    • 1 - "eins" (ains)
    • 2 - "zwei" (zwei)
    • 3 - "drei" (dry)
    • 4 - "vier" (fir)
    • 5 - "unf" (funf)
    • 6 - "sechs" (zeks)
    • 7 - "sieben" (ziben)
    • 8 - "acht" (aht)
    • 9 - "neun" (noyn)
    • 10 - "zehn" (zein)
    • 11 - "elf" (elf)
    • 12 - "zwölf" (zwölf)
    • 13 - "dreizehn" (dreizen)
    • 14 - "vierzehn" (firzein)
    • 15 - "ünfzehn" (fünfzein)
    • 16 - "sechzehn" (zekhzein)
    • 17 - "siebzehn" (zip chain)
    • 18 - "achtzehn" (akhtzeyn)
    • 19 - "neunzehn" (neunzein)
    • 20 - "zwanzig" (zwanzig)
    • 21 - "einundzwanzig" (aynuntzwanzig)
    • 22 - "zweiundzwanzig" (zweiuntzwanzig)
    • 30 - "dreißig" (dreißig)
    • 40 - "vierzig" (firtsikh)
    • 50 - "ünfzig" (funzich)
    • 60 - "sechzig" (zekhtsikh)
    • 70 - "siebzig" (ziptsikh)
    • 80 - "achtzig" (ahtsikh)
    • 90 - "neunzig" (neunzig)
    • 100 - "hundert" (hundert)

October 16, 2014

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Tourists who are going to visit Germany and Austria on a package tour or on their own should know at least a few words and expressions that they may need in Everyday life. In this article, I will show you how to read German, as well as a list of expressions for tourists.

small digression

My first country I visited was Austria: I went to a Russian-speaking seminar, we were met by Russian-speaking owners of the guest house, all my colleagues also spoke Russian, so at that time I was not afraid and went. But I decided to improve my English by studying topics: tourism, airport, hotel, illness, help, travel in transport and some other topics. Of course, I took German and English dictionaries with me just in case.

In 2014, I was twice in, also on my own, but I didn’t choose any Russian-speaking hotels. And living last time in Cologne, I went to Paris, Strasbourg (), Brussels () and Amsterdam () and was able to answer myself the question why I go to Germany (my friends asked me: why do you go to Germany, because there are more attractive countries like France or). And I realized: in Germany, everything is clear to me. Of course, at that time I already knew a little German at the level A 1.1 (that is, I could read and tell a few words about myself, I knew some of the most popular words), but what is good for a tourist in Germany:

  • there are inscriptions not only in German, but also in English
  • announcements on trains are also at least in German and English, on international trains - also in other languages
  • at stations and crossings, in the subway there are terminals with German and English language, with a convenient and understandable interface for our people. See.
  • there are many Russian-speaking residents in Germany: both “our” Germans and natives.

Inscriptions in German and English at Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles

In France, in crowded tourist places, I had problems buying tea in a cafe and a cocktail in MaDonalds! And all the devices different colors and formats, they sell tickets, as I understand it, only for local destinations, and for long-distance ones you need to buy tickets at the box office.

So, I will share some phrases of a simple Russian tourist in Germany that may come in handy.

How to read German

Poster in four languages ​​with images of castles

Before talking about phrases, let's see how to read German. If you know English, then this is great, because many words are spelled the same or similar, but pronounced a little differently. Just listen and try to understand.

For example,

  • tea: tea - in English, Tee - in German,
  • house: house-Haus,
  • egg: egg - Ei
  • hi: hello - hallo
  • colors: red - rot, green - gr?n, etc.
  • fresh: fresh - frische
  • and many more words.

Also in Russian there are many borrowings from German and other languages ​​​​- use this too: for example, Wagen on a train - a carriage, Teater, Museum, Cafe, Restaurant, Lift, Luft (air, Luftgansa, Luftwaffe), Etage (floor), Garage ( garage) - these words will not cause you problems. Just be careful: in German, many words are joined to form a new word, so don't let Hochgarage scare you - it's just a high (multi-storey) garage, Hauptbahnhof is the main railway station.

The words should also be clear: hoch - high (H?nde hoch), haupt - chief (guardhouse - chief guard (and “watch” there too).

Well, “krank” (crank) - sick, Dr?cken (drucken) - violence, pressure, push (twist, I apologize for the expression), kaputt (kaput) - spoiled, broken, Gluck (glitch) - happiness, etc. .

German Reading Rules

The basic rule of reading in German for a tourist is how it is written, so it is read. What letters you see are what you read:

  • Musik - not "music", but "music"
  • Garage - not "garage", but "garage"
  • Museum - not "museum", but "museum"
  • etc. Don't make German words English, read it as it is.

But there are letter combinations and letters that are not read like in English:

  • ch - "x", for example, i ch("ih") - I
  • sch - "sh", Sch warzkopf - schwarzkopf
  • ie - "and"
  • ei - "ai", Rammst ei n - "Ramstein", "Raiff ei senbank" - "Raiffeisen Bank"
  • The letter v - reads like "f", remember V olkswagen - Volkswagen (Das Auto - here is also an example of reading "auto", not "auto"), people's car ( V olk - people, remember: folklore - folk art and immediately V oklsteater in Vienna - folk theater)
  • The letter s - "h", remember S iemens, but this is not Siemens, but Siemens
  • The letter z is "c", for example, Z winger
  • ja, jo - "I", "yo, yo"

Language features

In German, compared to English, there are some features:

  • all nouns are capitalized
  • words have genders that affect the endings of adjectives
  • there are cases that also “give” new endings to other words
  • words have definite and indefinite articles that change by gender and case (:-))

Basic words and expressions of the German language for the tourist. Phrasebook for tourist

  • Yes - Ja (ya)
  • No - Nein (nein)
  • No (in the sense: I don’t have) - Kein (kain). Example: Ich habe keine Kinder (I have no / no children - i.e.: I have no children)
  • Thank you - Danke (Danke)
  • Thank you very much - Vielen Dank
  • Please - Bitte (bitte)
  • I understand - Ich verstehe (Ich verstehe)
  • I don’t understand - Ich verstehe Sie nicht
  • Nothing - Nichts (nichts). For example, a store clerk comes up and asks how he can help.
  • OK - OK (okay)
  • I'm lost - Ich habe mich verlaufen (ich habe mich verlaufen)
  • Excuse me (as Excuse me) - Entschuldigung (entschulding)
  • Wait a minute - Einen Moment, bitte (ainen bitte moment)
  • Why not (Why not) - Warum nicht? (Varum niht?)

Greeting and farewell

  • Hello, hello - Hallo (hallo)
  • Hello (in Austria and Southern Germany) - Gruss Gott
  • Goodbye - Auf Wiedersehen (aufiderzein)
  • See you soon - Bis bald (bis balt) or Bis sp?ter (bis spate).
  • Tschuss (shu (u) s) - Bye
  • Good morning - Guten Morgen (guten morgen)
  • Good afternoon - Guten Tag (guten tag)
  • Good evening - Guten Abend (Guten Abend)
  • Good night - Gute Nacht (gute nacht)
  • All the best - Alles gute (Ales gute)

Help

  • Write here, please - Schreiben Sie das hier, bitte (schreiben zi das hier bitte)
  • Repeat, please - Wiederholen Sie es, bitte (fideolen zi es bitte)
  • What is this? - Was ist das? (you ist das?)
  • Where is the toilet? - Wo ist die Toilette? (Vo ist di toilette?)
  • Where... ? Woist...? (In ist...?)
  • Help me please - Helfen Sie mir bitte (helfen zi world bitte)
  • I need a doctor (dentist) - Ich brauche einen Arzt (Zahnarzt)

In the shop

  • Euro (currency) - Euro (oiro)
  • What is the price...? - Was the kostet...?
  • You have...? - Haben Sie...?
  • I'm looking for... (I need) - Ich brauche... (Ich brauche...)
  • I'm looking for... - Ich suche (ih zuhe)
  • I want, I would like ... - Ich m?chte ... (ich mehte ...). For example, in a cafe: Ich m?chte ein Hamburger fur zwei euro - I want (one) hamburger for two euros)
  • Give me... - Geben Sie mir...
  • Expensive - teuer (toye(p))
  • Cheap - billig (billih)
  • Size (clothes, shoes) - Gr??e (grese); Nummer (number)
  • More - gr??er (gröse)
  • Less - kleiner (klein)
  • Fitting room - Anprobekabine (aprobekabine)
  • It's too expensive - Das ist zu teuer (das ist zu toye)
  • Do you have this in another size/color? - Gibt es das in einer anderen GruBe (Farbe)? (Gibt es das in aine anderen grube (farbe))?
  • I take (buy) this - Ich nehme es (Ich nehme es)
  • Kreditkarte – credit card, card
  • Account, check - Rechnung (rechnung)
  • Do you have batteries? - Haben Sie Batterien? (Haben ze Butterien)?

In the city, on the street

  • City - Stadt
  • City map - Stadtplan (stadtplan)
  • Castle (fortress) - Schlo? (schloss)
  • Mountain - Berg (berg)
  • Handsome - sch?n (shön), h?bsch (hubsh)
  • Where... - Wo ist...?

In transport

  • Next stop - n?chster halt (nehste halt)
  • Do you have a ticket / travel pass? - Haben Sie ein Ticket / Karte / Fahrkarte? (haben zi ain ticket / map / farkarte)
  • Credit card, card - Kreditkarte (if you bought a ticket with a card, then, in addition to the ticket, you may be asked to present a card and a passport so that the card holder and the ticket bearer match)
  • Place (for sitting) - Sitzplatz (sitzplatz)
  • Bus - Autobus (bus), Bus (bus)
  • Tourist bus (long distance) - Reisebus (reisebus)
  • Train - Zug
  • Elevator - Aufzug (auftzug), Lift (elevator)
  • Aircraft - Flugzeug (flugzeug)
  • Airport - Flughafen
  • Schedule - Fahrplan (farplan)
  • Platform - Gleis
  • By the window - am Fenster (am fenster)
  • How much is the ticket to ? - Was kostet eine Fahrkarte nach Mönchen? (Aine farkarte nach munich koset you?)
  • In ... (some city, country) - nach ... (nah)
  • I need a ticket to Nuremberg - Ich brauche eine Fahrkarte nach N?rnberg
  • Do I need to do a transplant? - Soll ich umsteigen? (Soll their umsteigen?)
  • Where can I get a transplant? - Wo soll ich umsteigen? (Where should I change?)

These are the main words and expressions that a tourist in Germany may need and. German is also spoken in Switzerland, but as far as I know, there is such a strong dialect: different pronunciation and other words, that I can’t say if it’s possible to communicate with German German there, or if you need to make a Swiss German phrasebook.

In order to travel to a country, it is not necessary to be fluent in the language. But to know the main phrases that allow you to make contact, non-verbal communication(communication without words) is a must. In the German phrasebook for tourists, we put the most necessary (in our opinion) words and phrases for such communication.

Of course, it is worth taking a paper phrasebook with you. But we must remember that the phrasebook is not a universal tool. He can fail. In the dark, for example, it is useless.

I remember how one morning in Paris I went to the suburbs, took a walk, looked, enjoyed and ... got lost. I’m walking on an unfamiliar road, it got dark somehow abruptly, there were no people. Found a supermarket. I walked along it, but I have to go home, - I began to look for a bright place to ask a question from a phrasebook. In such cases, it is better to ask a question on the street so that the answerer can show with his hand where to go. In deserted places I choose a woman so that a man does not think that I am pestering.

I found a nice girl, opened a phrase book and asked where the station is? I tried to pronounce it so that she a) understood b) was not afraid of my pronunciation. And, oh, joy, I did it.

The girl smiled and began to explain in detail how to get to the station. Worst of all, she turned out to be well-mannered and did not wave her hands. She answered in detail, did not turn her head, did not turn anywhere. I neither thought nor guessed that I would be so nervous because of someone's upbringing.

We figured it out for a long time. And certainly not with words. I just showed the direction and asked in Russian: there? She shook her head (finally!) and pointed in the other direction.

Friends, now we are in Telegram: our channel about Europe, our channel about Asia. Welcome)

When looking for simple information, body movements, gestures help much more than a phrase book.

Now imagine, I found out where to go, turned around and silently walked. Kind of dumb. Where is thanks?

These are the words that help to establish contact, thank, end communication, you need to know. Words and phrases that do not require long verbal explanations.

2 ways to learn German

Now let's go back to Germany and before continuing I will say that there are two ways to learn German:

1. Instead of learning a language, which in principle is impossible to do quickly, you can master the language within 30 days. We advise you to watch the video course of I.I. Poloneichik - a polyglot and teacher " Fast entry to German". Ivan Ivanovich teaches to communicate in German using different methods. The course is paid, but you can feel confident and enjoy communication

2. The way is to learn the simplest words for communication.

If for any reason you do not want to use the I.I. Poloneichik, I propose to study the necessary German words:

Greetings are important. The Germans are a pedantic, thorough, unhurried people. If you have neighbors, then you must say hello.

Hello Hallo! hello
Good morning Guten Morgen Guten Morgen
Good afternoon Guten Tag Guten Tag
Good evening Guten Abend Guten Abend
Good night Gute Nacht Goute Nacht

With the hostess of the hotel, a neighbor on a table in a cafe, you can talk in words that do not require an exact answer. By the expression on the face, you can understand what feelings the person is talking about. In response, just nod or shake your head contritely:

I think it's not worth asking Warum? - they can begin to explain, but Germany is a country of philosophy. Kant, Hegel, Marx, Spengler, Schopenhauer... Suddenly, in response, you will have to listen to the entire Critique pure mind"? The question "why" is not asked.

Another obvious question

What is the price? Was a costume? Are you wearing a costume?
I take it Ich nehme es Ikh neme es
Goodbye Auf Wiedersehen Auf vider zeen
Yes Ja Ya
No Nein nein

German spoken hits:

Danke's words! and Bitte! Gotta talk Always And everywhere! In any order. That is, if you were told “Danke”, you answer “Bitte”, if you hear the word “Bitte”, then, without hesitation, blurt out “Danke”. AND smile. Within two days you will feel lightness and good mood. Still "thank you" and "please" magical words. Yes?

To maintain a relationship, it is worth learning:

If you do not experience difficulties with tongue twisters, then you should learn the phrase:

For this phrase, you need to carry a notebook and a pen with you.

When you want to talk to a person. On the street, for example:

Then the question - how much does it cost ..., where is ...

To get oriented:

Useful additions to the German phrasebook can be found.

In the video lesson "The first phrases of the German language" you will hear the words and phrases that we have included in the German phrasebook for tourists.

See you on our blog.