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Coffee Break German Lesson 37 ! Study Notes
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Coffee Break German: Lesson 37 - Notes
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LESSON NOTES ! GIBT ES EINEN SUPERMARKT, DER AM SONNTAG GEÖFFNET IST? In this lesson Mark is asking for some information at the hotel reception. In addition to providing an opportunity for practising various areas of vocabulary, the dialogue introduces a new grammatical concept, the relative pronoun.
INTRODUCTION The opening sequence of the lesson uses some interesting expressions: Thomas:
Willkommen zurück in Innsbruck mit einer neuen Folge Coffee Break German.
Mark:
Ich bin Mark.
Thomas:
Mein Name ist Thomas.
Mark:
Und wir sind sehr froh hier zu sein.
Thomas:
Stimmt genau.
die Folge instalment
wir sind sehr froh hier zu sein we’re very happy to be here
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Coffee Break German: Lesson 37 - Notes
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Later in the introduction the following phrases are used:
... mit meinem Lehrer und meinem Freund, Thomas with my teacher and my friend, Thomas
du bist ein sehr guter Schüler you are a very good student
HOTEL RECEPTION: ASKING FOR INFORMATION Mark (A) is in the hotel reception, asking for some information about a supermarket which happens to be open on a Sunday. The receptionist (B) gives him the information he needs.
! A
Guten Morgen.
B
Wie geht es Ihnen heute Morgen? Haben Sie gut geschlafen?
A
Ja, vielen Dank. Alles ist super. Ich genieße meinen Aufenthalt in Innsbruck und es gefällt mir sehr gut. Kann ich Sie etwas fragen?
B
Ja, natürlich. Wie kann ich Ihnen helfen?
A
Gibt es einen Supermarkt, der am Sonntag geöffnet ist?
B
Ja, aber nur einen, und zwar der Supermarkt am Bahnhof.
! ! wie geht es Ihnen heute Morgen? how are you this morning?
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Coffee Break German: Lesson 37 - Notes
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haben Sie gut geschlafen? have you slept well? The word geschlafen comes from schlafen, meaning “to sleep”. The ge- prefix normally suggests that the verb is in the past. We’ll find out more about this in future lessons.
alles ist super everything is great
genießen to enjoy
ich genieße meinen Aufenthalt I’m enjoying my stay
es gefällt mir sehr gut I really like it
kann ich Sie etwas fragen? can I ask you something?
wie kann ich Ihnen helfen? how can I help you?
gibt es einen Supermarkt, der am Sonntag geöffnet ist? is there a supermarket which is open on a Sunday? Note the construction of this question: in English we use “which” as the relative pronoun connecting the two parts of the sentence, but in German you repeat the definite article. Consider the examples given by Thomas:
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Coffee Break German: Lesson 37 - Notes
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der Supermarkt, der am Sonntag geöffnet ist the supermarket which is open on a Sunday
die Kirche, die bis 6 Uhr geöffnet ist the church which is open until 6 o’clock Notice that in each case the definite article agrees with the subject of the sentence: Supermarkt is masculine, so the “relative pronoun” the translation of “which” - is der. In the case of die Kirche, which is feminine, “which” is translated by die. It’s also important to note the comma in both examples, and the fact that the verb goes to the end of the sentence.
ja, aber nur einen, und zwar der Supermarkt am Bahnhof yes, but only one, (and to be more exact) the supermarket at the station The indefinite article einen must be in the accusative case as it is the object of the sentence. This may be clearer if you think of the full sentence as es gibt einen Supermarkt... since the accusative case always follows es gibt. Read the next part of the dialogue and study the notes which follow:
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A
Am Hauptbahnhof oder am Westbahnhof?
B
Am Hauptbahnhof. Es ist nur zehn Minuten zu Fuß.
A
Wie komme ich zum Hauptbahnhof? Vielleicht können Sie mir den Weg auf der Karte zeigen?
A
Ja, sehr gerne. Das Hotel ist hier. Sie verlassen das Hotel, gehen nach links, und dann 250m geradeaus über diese Brücke. Danach die erste Straße auf der rechten Seite. Von dort sehen Sie schon den Hauptbahnhof.
Coffee Break German: Lesson 37 - Notes
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! ! am Hauptbahnhof oder am Westbahnhof? at the main station or the western (main) station? This question refers to the fact that there are two main stations in Innsbruck.
es ist nur zehn Minuten zu Fuß it’s only ten minutes by foot
wie komme ich zum Hauptbahnhof? how do I get to the main station? Literally this question can be translated as “how do I come to the main station?”
vielleicht können Sie mir den Weg auf der Karte zeigen? perhaps you can show me the way on the map? Again, note the accusative form of den Weg.
sehr gerne happily, with pleasure
sie verlassen das hotel you leave the hotel
sie gehen nach links you go to the left
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Coffee Break German: Lesson 37 - Notes
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250m geradeaus über diese Brücke 250m straight ahead over this bridge
danach after that, afterwards
die erste Straße auf der rechten Seite the first street on the right hand side
von dort sehen Sie schon den Hauptbahnhof from there you can already see the main station The dialogue continues:
! A
Also, ich verlasse das Hotel. Ich gehe nach links, und dann 250m geradeaus über die Brücke. Dann die erste Straße links...
B
Nee, nee. Die erste Straße rechts.
A
Ah, stimmt. Also die erste Straße rechts und dort sehe ich schon den Hauptbahnhof.
B
Wunderbar! Aber es gibt auch eine Straßenbahn, die direkt zum Hauptbahnhof fährt.
! ! Mark repeats the directions to make sure that he has understood.
ich verlasse das Hotel I go out of the hotel
die erste Straße links the first street on the left
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Coffee Break German: Lesson 37 - Notes
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At this point Mark gets mixed up and suggests he should go left, but the receptionist corrects him:
Nee, nee. Die erste Straße rechts. No, no. The first street on the right. The word nee is very commonly used as “no” in some Germanspeaking areas.
ah, stimmt ah, ok
es gibt auch eine Straßenbahn, die direkt zum Hauptbahnhof fährt there is also a tram which goes straight to the main station Note again the use of the relative pronoun here. In this case it’s a feminine pronoun because die Straßenbahn is feminine. In the final part of the conversation, the receptionist provides details of how often the trams leave for the station.
! A
Wann fährt die nächste Straßenbahn ab?
B
Sie fahren alle 15 Minuten am Sonntag. Die nächste in vier Minuten und die Haltestelle ist direkt gegenüber von dem Hotel.
A
Ausgezeichnet. Vielen Dank.
B
Bitte sehr. Schönen Tag noch.
! ! wann fährt die nächste Straßenbahn ab? when does the next tram leave?
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Coffee Break German: Lesson 37 - Notes
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Remember that the verb “to leave” when talking about transport is abfahren and it is a separable verb. In the sentence above it becomes wann fährt ... ab?
sie fahren alle 15 Minuten they go every 15 minutes
die nächste in vier Minuten the next one is in four minutes
die Haltestelle ist direkt gegenüber von dem Hotel the stop is directly opposite the hotel Note that gegenüber von dem Hotel, gegenüber vom Hotel and also gegenüber dem Hotel are all correct, since both gegenüber and von take the dative case.
schönen Tag noch enjoy the rest of your day.
CULTURAL CORRESPONDENT In the Cultural Correspondent segment for this lesson, Julia continues in the same vein as last lesson, this time looking at New Year traditions in the German-speaking world.
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Hallo Mark, hallo Thomas und guten Tag liebe Zuhörer. Willkommen zu einem neuen Kulturreport von mir, Julia, eurer Kulturreporterin. Since we covered Christmas in the last episode, I felt we had to include New Year too in our
Coffee Break German: Lesson 37 - Notes
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cultural journey around the German-speaking world. So... let’s talk about the fun of New Year’s Eve, or Silvester, as we call it in German. For those of you who have already spent Silvester in Germany, I’m sure that there’s something you’ll never forget about this celebration: the fireworks. As in other countries every city has its big and impressive fireworks at midnight but many people also have their private fireworks parties as well. This is a very important thing for many people every year, and I am always amazed how much money is spend on firecrackers and fireworks. German law prevents us from using fireworks at any other time of the year, so we’re only allowed them on Silvester and Neujahr which is the 1st of January. While the big and expensive fireworks are really beautiful, I have to admit that the private ones can be rather annoying, very loud and also dangerous and you really have to be careful where you spend the time around midnight. I always enjoy being on a roof or terrace far above the street somewhere and looking over the city with all its lights and wishing the friends around me ein frohes Neues! Another New Year tradition may seem a bit strange, indeed a bit, well, “English”! Every year an 18-minute TV program called “Dinner for One” can be found on different channels. It is absolute cult viewing and people love watching it although they already known it by heart. It shows the 90th birthday party of a Miss Sophie whose butler has to impersonate all her friends for her because they have already died. This black and white sketch comedy was originally written in the 1920s and was a big success in London. In the sixties it was first shown on German television and became a huge success leading to its annual broadcast on TV. The actor refused to speak German and the sketch has become one of the only foreign programs on German TV that hasn’t been dubbed.
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One tradition I really like about New Year is Bleigießen. I’ll explain: you buy a kit with a spoon, several small pieces of lead and a leaflet. A piece of lead is placed in the spoon and then the spoon is held over a candle. As soon as the lead has become liquid,
Coffee Break German: Lesson 37 - Notes
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you have to pour it very quickly into a bowl of cold water where it becomes solid again. You take out the new formed metal and think about what it resembles (for example a shooting star or a fish) and then you read in the included leaflet what each of the possible forms represents and what it means for the new year. It is a lot of fun for the whole family! And before we finish our discussion of Silvester, there’s perhaps one thing we also need to mention - the morning after! If you’ve perhaps overindulged on the Sekt - a sparkling German wine - the night before, maybe you’ll have a “cat” the next morning! And if you’re not sure what I mean by that I should explain that having a hangover, or being hungover - in German is einen Kater haben, literally meaning “having a cat” although originally it had nothing to do with the animal. Hopefully this won’t be the case! Well if you do get the chance to experience Silvester and Neujahr in a German-speaking country don’t forget to wish everyone ein frohes Neues - a happy new year - or indeed einen guten Rutsch - a good slide into the new year. With that it’s back to Mark and Thomas in the studio.
! DAS REICHT FÜR HEUTE Ready for more? Turn the page to continue with the bonus materials for this lesson.
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Coffee Break German: Lesson 37 - Notes
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BONUS TRANSLATION CHALLENGES This lesson’s bonus episode included the following translation challenges: 1. How are you this evening? Wie geht es Ihnen heute Abend? 2. I’m enjoying my stay in Marburg and I really like it. Ich genieße meinen Aufenthalt in Marburg und es gefällt mir sehr gut. 3. Perhaps you can show the way on the map? Vielleicht können Sie mir den Weg auf der Karte zeigen? 4. Is there also a bus which goes straight to the main station? Gibt es auch einen Bus, der dirket zum Hauptbahnhof fährt? 5. The church which is next to the museum is open until six. Die Kirche, die neben dem Museum ist, ist bis sechs Uhr geöffnet. 6. They go every 20 minutes on a Saturday. Sie fahren alle 20 Minuten am Samstag.
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Coffee Break German: Lesson 37 - Notes
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