GERMAN Basic Course

UNITS 1 - 12

GERMAN Basic Course: UNITS 1 - 12

Table of Contents
Preface .............................................................................................................. ii
Introduction ..................................................................................................... iii
1. Unit 1 ........................................................................................................... 8
Basic sentences: Wir sind in Deutschland ............................................... 8
Notes on pronunciation .......................................................................... 12
Notes on grammar .................................................................................. 14
Substitution drill. .................................................................................... 17
Variation drill .......................................................................................... 19
Translation drill ...................................................................................... 24
Response drill ......................................................................................... 24
Conversation practice ............................................................................. 26
Situations ................................................................................................ 27
Finder list ............................................................................................... 28
2. ..................................................................................................................... 31

iii

Preface
This Basic Course in German has been designed to assist United States Government representatives who require a command of spoken German. The general
concept of this text has grown out of the plan of Spoken Language courses prepared under the auspices of the American Council of Learned Societies during
World War II. But pattern drills and other exercises have been developed extensively at the Foreign Service Institute to provide a much fuller manipulation of
forms and patterns, and a conscious attempt has been made to adapt situations
and vocabulary to specific needs of the Foreign Service. And the course is intended to lay a solid foundation for comprehensive language skills, providing
systematically for the development of reading proficiency based on oral- aural
skills.
This text is the end-product of several years of work and has benefited from the
labors of many members and former members of the FSI staff. In its present
form it was prepared under the supervision of Or. Samuel A. Brown, who has
had overall responsibility for the arrangement of situational material and for the
organization and presentation of structural features. Particular credit for the dialogs and much of the drill material goes to Mrs. Use Christoph. Mrs. Christoph
has been assisted by Mrs. Maria-Luise Bissonnette, Mr Friedrich Lehmann, Mr.
Gerhard Matzel, Mrs. Margarete Plischke and Mrs. Erika Quaid. A most valuable
contribution was also made by Mrs. Quaid in preparing the major part of the
typescript, assisted by Miss Genevive Ducastel. The project has been a cooperative venture, however, and all members of the German staff have contributed
freely the fruit of their classroom experience and the gifts of their imagination

and insight.
H. E. Sollenberger Dean, School of Languages Foreign Service Institute

ii

Introduction
AIM
It is the aim of the course to provide the student with a useful control of the
structure of the spoken language and of a basic vocabulary which meets at least
some of the specialized needs of the Foreign Service. After completion of the
basic course the Foreign Service Officer should be able to make limited practical
use of the language in his official duties and social obligations. He will furthermore have the means, given the proper surroundings and personal motivation,
for continued rapid and efficient development of proficiency.
MATERIALS
The materials in this first volume of the text are organized into twelve lessons
or units. Each unit contains a set of basic sentences for memorization. These
are in the form of a dialog based on one or sometimes two specific situations
in which a person might find himself in Germany. Notes to the basic sentences
are provided as necessary to clarify occasional difficulties in vocabulary and idiom and to provide additional background on some cultural features unfamiliar
to Americans. Notes on pronunciation are included in each of the first eight
units. Phonological features which have been found to be particularly difficult
for American students are here presented with explanations and pronunciation
practice drills. The notes on grammar in each unit single out those structural
features illustrated in the basic sentences which are appropriate for systematic consideration at that stage in the course. Substitution drills provide for the
manipulation of forms by substituting specific items in fixed sentence frames.
They are intended to build habits of association, so that in a given syntactic environment the appropriate grammatical form automatically comes to mind. As
the German vocabulary is all familiar, no English equivalents are given in these
drills. Variation drills provide for the manipulation of larger syntactic patterns.
In each group a model sentence, underscored, serves as a guide. Associated with
it are additional sentences incorporating the same syntactic pattern but in which
most of the individual word items have been replaced. English equivalents are
given to serve as cues for recall of the German variant sentences. Vocabulary
drills provide both practice in the use of new vocabulary items and also allow
for manipulation of sentence elements whose particular form and arrangement
depends upon their association with that vocabulary item. The manipulation of
both variation and vocabulary drills depends on the use of English equivalents.
Specific translation drills are also provided, however. In most cases they present
the material of the basic dialog in the form of a narrative. They thus provide content review of the basic sentences and practice in the transformation from active dialog to descriptive narration. The response drills are question and answer
drills on the situations of the basic dialogs. Conversation practice and additional situations in outline bridge the gap to free conversation with small pieces of
supplementary dialog for acting out and situations providing for a freer play of
the student's imagination. The finder list in each unit notes all new vocabulary
which has been presented.
METHOD AND PROCEDURE
This is a course in Spoken German; the forms and patterns of the language are
intentionally colloquial. The emphasis in instruction is everywhere on speech,
and an indispensable component of the learning process is the voice of a tutor, or
instructor, whose native language is German. On no account should the student
attempt to use these materials without either a native instructor or recordings
of a native instructor's voice. The method of instruction incorporates guided
imitation. repetition, memorization, pattern practice. and conversation.
iii

Introduction
Working under the supervision of a linguist the tutor's role is to serve as a model
for speech and to guide the student to accurate imitation by constant repetition
and correction. The student's Job is to watch and listen to the tutor carefully and
to imitate as exactly as he can the sounds which he hears. He must be prepared
for constant correction and repetition. Each time however the instructor will
give him a model to follow by repeating the item first. The student should never
attempt to read from his text but should always wait until he hears the word or
utterance as the tutor speaks it for him. As far as possible he should leave his
book closed during the presentation of new dialog material and keep his eyes on
the tutor, students will be asked to repeat in chorus and individually and will be
expected to repeat many, many times, even when their imitation has been good
and accurate. Only by constant repetition after an authentic model for speech
can habitual fluent and accurate reproduction of the sounds and forms of the
foreign language be achieved.
The basic sentences are preceded by "build-ups" giving the component parts of
the utterance separately. Each new item which is introduced appears first as
a build-up. The tutor will ask the students to repeat the build-ups separately
first, then combined into larger units and finally the complete new sentence or
utterance. The basic sentences are sub-divided into numbered sections, each
to be treated as a unit, repeated in chorus and individually, with and without
build-ups, until the students' imitation is satisfactory. Then a new section may
be begun. The time required to cover each section in this way will differ widely
depending on the size and ability of the class. After acceptable imitation and
accurate pronunciation has been achieved in one or more sections they are assigned for memorization outside of class or repeated in class until memorized.
The student should be able to give either the German sentence or its English
equivalent on request or switch from one to the other and back again. The tutor
will drill by repeating each sentence for each student in the class, then by giving
each student a different sentence, repeating it for him first, and finally asking
the students to recite the sentences in order, the first student the first sentence,
the second student the second sentence, etc., without receiving a cue from the
instructor. Repetition outside of class, preferably using recorded materials as
a guide, should be continued to the point of over-learning. The student should
not only be able to give the correct German sentence immediately upon hearing
an English equivalent, at random selection, he should also be able to give the
correct German sentence with equal ease and speed of response upon hearing
its German cue. As a final step the students are expected to act out the basic
dialog in entirety from memory, with the tutor or with other students. Only when
the basic sentences have been mastered to this extent can they be considered
to provide an adequate basis for control of the spoken language. It should be
noted at this point that the English text accompanying the basic sentences is
not primarily a translation but rather a set of conversational equivalents. Many
apparent discrepancies will be found if the student, or the tutor, looks for wordfor-word correspondence between the English and German text. It does not exist. Rather, in such and such a situation this is what is said in German and this
is what is said in English.
The pronunciation practice drills are to be taken up after the presentation of
the basic sentences has been completed and memorization has been started.
Items are arranged in groups according to the particular phonological feature
concerned. Words in vertical columns present the same phonological feature
in different environments. Several columns in a practice group contain related
phonological features or related phonological environments in which the same
feature recurs. Words are to be repeated first in chorus and then individually
by each student after the tutor, at first following the vertical columns and later,
for variation and comparison, horizontally across the page. Particular attention
should be paid to items in contrast. These are minimum meaningfully distinctive
iv

Introduction
sound patterns, accurate control of which is important for communication and
comprehension. Contrasting word pairs are linked by a dash, and after separate
practice for accuracy the items should be repeated by pairs to bring out the
exact distinctions between them.
The notes on grammar are earmarked for home study. After each unit has been
started and the first hour or more has been spent in class on repetition of the
basic sentences the student should read through the grammar notes to acquaint
himself with the grammatical points presented in that unit. During the whole
time a particular unit is being worked on in class the student should continue
to study the grammar section. Many questions which he may feel tempted to
raise in class will be found to be answered in the notes on grammar. The tutor
is specifically requested not to discuss the language with his students, and the
students are asked not to ply him with questions. Time in class is to be spent
using and manipulating the language and not in talking about it. In each unit one
or more grammatical features are presented, and the basic sentences have been
designed, as far as is possible consistent with natural expression, to incorporate
and illustrate those features. Each point of grammar discussed is illustrated by
sentences which are natural utterances in the language. They are taken in nearly
every case from the basic sentences of the current or preceding units. Thus
the examples are already familiar to the student, and the patterns they contain,
which will be drilled and practiced in the sections to follow, are patterns which
the student has already begun to assimilate by memorizing the sentences of the
dialog.
After the basic sentences of a unit have all been repeated several times and
memorization has been well begun, work can be started on the drills. The material is designed to provide a maximum of additional experience in using the forms
and patterns of the language learned in the basic sentences. It is not assumed,
however, that the learner is automatically able to transfer the experience gained
in the basic sentences to error-free manipulation of these forms and patterns.
The drills are by no means a test of what the student can do with the elements
given him. It is a matter of no great importance whether he can or cannot "figure
them out" by himself. The goal is to learn to speak the language accurately and
fluently, and this aim can only be achieved by correct repetition of the forms and
patterns involved. Therefore all the sentences in each drill group are first to be
repeated after the tutor in their correct form. The tutor then cues each student
in turn for repetition of one of the drill sentences until all students have given
all sentences correctly.
In the substitution drills the model sentence and all its variants are first repeated in chorus after the tutor. He then gives the model sentence again, the class
repeats it in chorus, after which each student is cued individually with an item
to be substituted and repeats the sentence with the substitution called for. in
some cases the cue is the exact form which fits into the sentence. In some cases
a cue is given which requires the student to choose the proper form to fit the
syntactic environment of the model. Regardless of which type of cue is given or
how simple or complex the exercise may appear to be, the student's task is to
make the substitution without hesitation and to repeat the sentence accurately
at normal conversational speed. Although no English equivalents are given in the
substitution drills and the first task is rapid, fluent and accurate manipulation of
the material in German. the tutor may ask for spot translations into English here
and there, and on the second or third repetition of the drill he may give English
equivalents as word or sentence cues in place of the German cues provided.
In most of the variation drills and in all of the vocabulary drills the cues take
the form of equivalent English sentences. Basic procedure remains the same as
in the substitution drills. All sentences in a given variation or vocabulary group
are first repeated after the tutor in their correct form. The tutor then gives the
v

Introduction
pattern sentence again, and the students repeat it in chorus, after which they
are required individually to recall and repeat the correct German sentences for
which an English equivalent is given. Students may work with their books open
here, covering up the right-hand side of the page on Which the German sentences are printed and taking their cues from the English sentences on the lefthand side of the page.
Conversion drills require the conversion of one or more elements in a sentence
from one form to another - singular to plural, present tense to past tense, etc. No
English is provided for these sentences as a rule. However, as in the substitution
drills the tutor may ask for a random spot translation into English, and he may go
through the drill a second or third time giving English sentence cues for which
the student gives the German equivalent.
Translation and response drills, as noted above, are in most cases directly related to the basic sentences. In translation drills the procedure is similar to that
followed in variation and vocabulary drills. Students may work with their books
open, covering the German text and reading the English sentences themselves,
or if preferred, books may be left closed while the tutor gives the English equivalents. In the response drills it is often appropriate for the tutor to address two
or three questions to the same student and then two or three more to the next, so
that the drill takes on a more natural character of conversational interchange.
Both drills should be repeated in entirety several times, however, or until all
students have had a chance to respond to all items.
It will be noted that all drill material is provided with both a cue and a correct
response, so that all may be prepared by the student outside of class and repeated and practiced by him as often as necessary to achieve complete accuracy and
fluency. In many cases there is more than one possible response to a given cue,
and instructors are encouraged to accept all responses which are truly equivalent. If a correct response has been given, however, instructors are not to suggest variant forms which may occur to them, as this only introduces unnecessary
complexity of choice to an exercise which is difficult enough as it is.
In the conversation practice brief conversations, usually on the same theme as
the basic dialog, are read through by the tutor three or four times while students listen. Then the tutor takes one role while one student takes the other, and
they repeat the conversation together. The student's aim here is not primarily to
memorize and repeat exactly, but to give as accurate an equivalent as possible
in his own words. After acting out the conversation with the tutor the student
goes through it again with another student, he in turn with the next student, and
so on until all have taken both parts in the dialog.
The situations are brief descriptions, in English in the earlier units, later in German, of occurrences similar to those on which the basic dialogs are based. Two
or more students then act out what has been described in their own way and using their ov.i words. They are free to use their imagination and fill in any supplementary details that occur to them. The whole conversation should not be prolonged however more than four or five minutes maximum duration. Then other
students may try their hand at the same situation.
The narratives, beginning with the fifth unit, are designed for reading purposes.
In the early units they introduce a minimum of additional vocabulary and unfamiliar forms, and they may be used in the class for oral narration, the student retelling in his own words what he has read. In later units some features of expository prose - matters of both form and style - which differ from normal spoken
usage are introduced through the narratives in order to bridge the gap between
conversational German and those reading skills of a specialized nature which
require particular study and attention.
vi

Introduction
The ultimate goal of the course, as has been stated above, is to speak accurately, fluently and easily. The text provides for the assimilation of all basic forms
and patterns of the language by the guided imitation, memorization, and manipulation of a large number of sentences and by practice in confronting several
widely occurring everyday situations. Actual living use of the language in free
conversation is a necessary and essential adjunct. The tutor should therefore
encourage his students from the start to use the language in every way possible,
above and beyond what is provided for in the text. After the first few days of
work both students and tutors should avoid the use of English in the classroom
for any purpose at all, and they are encouraged to speak German outside the
classroom as well. Only by constant use of the skill he is learning can the student
hope to master it and retain it as a useful tool of his profession.

vii

Unit 1
Basic sentences: Wir sind in Deutschland
I
good morning

guten Morgen

Good morning.

Guten Morgen.

Mr.

Herr

Becker

Becker

Mr. Becker

Herr Becker

Good morning, Mr. Becker.

Guten Morgen, Herr Becker.

day

Tag

Hello (Good day).

Guten Tag.

Mrs.

Frau

Kunze

Kunze

Mrs. Kunze

Frau Kunze

Hello , Mrs. Kunze.

Guten Tag, Frau Kunze.

evening

Abend

Good evening.

Guten Abend.

Miss

Frulein

Schneider

Schneider

Miss Schneider

Frulein Schneider

Good evening, Miss Schneider.

Guten Abend, Frulein Schneider.

II

Hello, Miss Schneider.

Guten Tag, Frulein Schneider.

Hello, Mr. Becker.

Guten Tag, Herr Becker.

how

wie

goes

geht

it

es

to you, with you

Ihnen

How are you? (how goes it with you?)

Wie geht es Ihnen?

thanks

danke

very

sehr

good, well

gut

Fine, Thanks.

Danke, sehr gut.

and

und

And how are you, Mr. Becker?

Und wie geht es Ihnen, Herr Becker?

also, too

auch

Thank you, Im fine too.

Danke, auch gut.

8

Unit 1
III
understand

verstehen

you

Sie

Do you understand Mrs. Kunze?

Verstehen Sie Frau Kunze?

no

nein

ich

I understand

ich verstehe

not

nicht

No, I don't understand Mrs. Kunze.

Nein, ich verstehe Frau Kunze nicht.

me

mich

Do you understand me?

Verstehen Sie mich?

yes

ja

Yes, I understand you well.

Ja, ich verstehe Sie gut.

IV

where

wo

is

ist

the airport

der Flughafen

Where's the airport?

Wo ist der Flughafen?

there

dort

over there

drben

The airport is over there.

Der Flughafen ist dort drben.

please

bitte

I beg your pardon. What did you say?

Wie bitte?

speak

sprechen

slow, slowly

langsam

Please speak slowly.

Sprechen Sie bitte langsam.

The airport is over there.

Der Flughafen ist dort drben.

Do you understand?

Verstehen Sie?

thank you

danke schn

Yes, I understand. Thank you.

Ja, ich verstehe. Danke schn.

you're welcome

bitte schn

You're welc ome.

Bitte schn.
V

that

das

the railroad station

der Bahnhof

Is that the railroad station?

Ist das der Bahnhof?

No, that' not the station.

Nein, das ist nicht der Bahnhof.

he, it

er

to the left

links

It's there to the left.

Er ist dort links.

the restaurant

das Restaurant

Is the restaurant there too?

Ist das Restaurant auch dort?

9

Unit 1
it

es

Yes, it's there too.

Ja, es ist auch dort.

VI

what

was

there

da

What's that there?

Was ist das da?

the hotel

das Hotel

That's the hotel.

Das ist das Hotel.

here

hier

to the right

rechts

the embassy

die Botschaft

Is the embassy here to the right?

Ist die Botschaft hier rechts?

she, it

sie

Yes, it's here to the right.

Ja, sie ist hier rechts.

VII

excuse me the cafe

Verzeihung das Cafe

Excuse me, where is the cafe?

Verzeihung, wo ist das Cafe?

straight ahead

geradeaus

There, straight ahead.

Dort, geradeaus.

the bank isn't it? (not true?)

die Bank nicht wahr

The bank is there too, isn't it?

Die Bank ist auch da, nicht wahr?

Yes, it's there too.

Ja, sie ist auch da.

thanks

danke

Thanks.

Danke.

you're welcome

bitte

You're welcome.

Bitte.
VIII

Good morning.

Guten Morgen.

I would like

ich mchte

with pleasure

gern

I'd like very much

ich mchte gern

some cigars

Zigarren

to have

haben

I'd like to have some cigars.

Ich mchte gern Zigarren haben.

how many

wie viele

All right. How many?

Gern. Wie viele?

five

fnf

and

und

some matches

Streichhlzer

Five, and some matches too, please.

Fnf, und bitte auch Streichhlzer.

Here you are.

Hier, bitte.

how much

wie viel
10

Unit 1
costs

kostet

How much does that cost?

Wie viel kostet das?

the cigars

die Zigarren

cost

kosten

two

zwei

Mark

Mark

The cigars cost two Marks.

Die Zigarren kosten zwei Mark.

the matches

die Streichhlzer

ten

zehn

penny, pennies

Pfennig

The matches cost ten pennies.

Die Streichhlzer kosten zehn Pfennig.

would like

mchten

would you like

mchten Sie

some cigarettes

Zigaretten

Would you like to have some cigarettes too?

Mchten Sie auch Zigaretten haben?

they

sie

they cost

sie kosten

Yes, how much do they cost?

Ja, wie viel kosten sie?

one

eine

One Mark.

Eine Mark.

Here you are.

Bitte schn

Thank you.

Danke schn.
IX

Good evening.

Guten Abend.

to eat

essen

Would you like to eat?

Mchten Sie essen?

sausage and sauerkraut

Bratwurst mit Sauerkraut

Yes, sausage and sauerkraut please.

Ja, Bratwurst mit Sauerkraut, bitte.

some, a little

etwas

bread

Brot

And a little bread.

Und etwas Brot.

X

the wine

der Wein

How's the wine, and how's the beer?

Wie ist der Wein und wie ist das Bier?

are

sind

The wine and the beer are good.

Der Wein und das Bier sind gut.

but

aber

the coffee

der Kaffee

But the coffee's not good.

Aber der Kaffee ist nicht gut.

the tea

der Tee

not ... either

auch nicht
11

Unit 1
And the tea isn't good either.

Und der Tee ist auch nicht gut.

the milk

die Milch

Is the milk good?

Ist die Milch gut?

Yes, the milk is very good.

Ja, die Milch ist sehr gut.

the water

das Wasser

How's the water here?

Wie ist hier das Wasser?

The water is good.

Das Wasser ist gut.

XI

zero - one - two - three - four

null - eins - zwei - drei - vier

five - six - seven - eight

fnf - sechs - sieben - acht

nine - ten - eleven - twelve

neun - zehn - elf - zwlf

How much is three and five?

Wie viel ist drei und fnf?

Three and five is eight.

Drei und fnf ist acht.

How much is seven and four?

Wie viel ist sieben und vier?

Seven and four is eleven.

Sieben und vier ist elf.

How much is two and ten?

Wie viel ist zwei und zehn?

Two and ten is twelve.

Zwei und zehn ist zwlf.

again

nochmal

Say it again/ please.

Nochmal, bitte.

Two and ten is twelve.

Zwei und zehn ist zwlf.

XII

one, you

man

says

sagt

does one say

sagt man

in German

auf deutsch

How do you say 'good bye' in German? Wie sagt man 'good bye' auf deutsch?
good bye

Auf Wiedersehen

You say 'Auf Wiedersehen'.

Man sagt 'Auf Wiedersehen'.

Notes on pronunciation
The spelling of a language only symbolizes to the native speaker the sounds
Which he already knows. You will learn these sounds directly from your instructor; the spelling will serve as an aid to listening. No spelling system adequately
represents the sounds of the spoken language, and no attempt will be made at
this point to outline exactly what sounds are represented by what symbols of the
German spelling system. We will however present for particular drill and attention in each unit certain sounds which have shown themselves to be difficult for
speakers of American English. In the meantime we ask you to remember two
cardinal points:
1.

The German of your text is printed in the standard German written style.

2.

The letter-symbols used, although in most cases the same symbols we use in
written English, in most cases do not represent exactly the same sounds we
12

Unit 1
use in English. Therefore, DO NOT EXPECT GERMAN WRITTEN SYMBOLS
TO REPRESENT SOUND VALUES YOU KNOW IN ENGLISH.
Pronunciation Practices. To be drilled in class.
A. Short Vowels

The German short vowels i,e,a and u are not dissimilar from
English sounds. The o, however, is probably different from
any sound that you have in English. Do not try to replace it
by a sound from English, but rather reproduce the pronunciation of your instructor. The German front rounded vowels
and do not occur in English. To produce the , put your
tongue in the position for the German e and round your lips;
for , put your tongue in the position for the German i and
round your lips. You will then produce a sound similar to the
German sound. Experiment until your instructor is satisfied
with your pronunciation. Do not worry about the meaning
of the words in these practices. Concentrate instead on the
sounds.
Practice l(a)
Short i

Short e

Short a

Short o

Short u

bitte

denn

das

kostet

muss

ist

essen

Mann

Sonne

Mutter

in

etwas

an

Doktor

und

Short

Short

knnen

Mtter

bitte

genug

mchte

fnf

danke

gesehen

fter

Htte

Sonne

bekommen

- e (unstressed)

Practice 1(b)

B. Long Vowels

mit - Mtter

kennen - knnen

missen - mssen

stecke - Stcke

There are no sounds in English exactly like the German long

vowels. If you will pronounce English gate and then ask your
instructor to pronounce German geht, you will notice that
the English vowel sound seems to change during its pronunciation, but the German sound seems tense and stable
throughout its duration. Your tongue actually moves during
the production of the English vowel sound, but during the
production of the German sound the tongue remains in the
same position. The long and are formed approximately
like short and . Pronounce German long e and round your
lips to form , and pronounce German long i and round your
lips to form
Practice 2(a)
Long

wie

geht

Tag

Sohn

gut

Knig

fr

ihnen

Tee

Abend

oder

du

schn

Tr

viel

den

Bahn

wo

Flug

de

ber

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Unit 1
Practice 2(b)
vier - fr

lesen - lsen

Tier - Tr

Sehne - Shne

Distinguishing Long and Short Vowels

C.

It is NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE to distinguish long and short

vowels in written German, as the German spelling system
does not consistently mark them as such. Your best guide to
the pronunciation of any given word is the way your native
instructor pronounces it. However, a few hints can be given
which will help you to recognize them most of the time. If
you look back at the practice lists above you will see that
the short vowels in most cases are followed by two or more
consonants and they are always written with a single letter
symbol. Then note that the long vowels are not always written with a single letter symbol and usually are followed by
only one consonant. The following combinations of letters
always designate long vowels: ie, ih - eh, ee - ah, aa - oh, oo
- uh - h - h
Diphthongs

D.

These combinations of two vowel sounds in German are very

similar, though not identical to certain vowel combinations
in English.
Practice 3
ei

au

eu (u)

nein

auch

deutsch

eins

Tau

neun

Wein

Laut

lute

Notes on grammar
(For home study)
A.

The German Noun-Classification ('Gender') System.

I.

The three classes of nouns.

Der Wein ist nicht gut. The wine isn't good.
Das Bier ist gut. The beer is good.
Die Milch ist auch gut. The milk is good too.
1.

German has three words for 'the': der, das and die; and German
nouns can be divided into three classes according to which of the
three words for 'the* they go with. Wein goes only with der, never
with das, never with die. Bier goes only with das, and so on.

14

Unit 1
2.

We will refer to these three classes of nouns, for obvious reasons,

as der-nouns, das-nouns and die-nouns. (1 Wein is der-noun-'
'Hotel is a das-noun.1)

3.

The traditional statement about this phenomenon is: 'German

nouns have three gendersmasculine, feminine, and neuter.' we
will not use this terminology because it tends to mislead English-speaking students by suggesting that the German noun classification has something to do with sex differentiation. It doesn't.
See paragraph III.

4.

Insofar as the basic stock of German nouns is concerned (nouns

like house, grass, sky, wine, beer, milk), there is absolutely no
sense or rationale to the classification system; there is no way
at all of anticipating which class any given noun belongs to. You
must simply learn the word for 'the' as a part of the noun: the German word for 'wine1 is der Wein. And you must practice saying
der Wein often enough so that das Wein or die Wein sounds as
wrong to you as 'The father of his country Henry Washington.'

5.

Now, Henry Washington is a perfectly good name; but it's wrong,

and every^ American knows it's wrong. By the same token, das
Wein is a perfectly good form; but it's wrong, and every German
knows it's wrong.

6.

With derivative nouns (that is, nouns made from other words, like
our happyness, brother-hood) your problem is easier. The classification of German derivative nouns is fairly orderly and consistent. Nouns ending in -ung, for example, are always die-nouns:
die Verzeihung 'the forgiveness, the pardon. And nouns ending
with the diminutive suffixes -lein and -chen are always das-nouns:
das Frulein 'the miss, waitress,'
das Mdchen 'the little girl.' We will deal with the formation of
the various kinds of derivative nouns as we go along through the
units.

7.

II.

But if the classification of derivative nouns is orderly and consistent, the classification of the basic stock of German nouns remains virtually chaotic. There really is no system at all for guessing Which class a noun belongs to; it's not something you can
reason out or get the knack of. It is not the same as our he-sheit system, as we'll see in. a minute. There is absolutely nothing
in English like it. Your only solution is to use the nouns until you
know them as well as you know 'George Washington.'

Pronouns Corresponding to the Three Classes of Nouns.

Wo ist der Bah- Er ist dort.
nof?

Where is the sta- It's there.

tion?

Wo ist das Ho- Es ist dort.

tel?

Where is the ho- It's there.

tel?

Wo ist die Bot- Sie ist dort.

shaft?

Where is the am- It's there.

bassy?

15

Unit 1
As these examples show, there is a special pronoun for each of the
three classes of nouns. Notice the correspondence in the final sounds
of the pairs der-er, das-es, and die-sie. This is no coincidence.
III. Contrast between German and English Pronoun Usage.
Wo ist der Bahn- Er ist dort.
hof?
Wo
ist
Mann?

der Er ist dort.

Where is
station?

the It's there.

Where's
man?

the He's here.

Wo ist das Ho- Es ist dort.

tel?

Where is the ho- It's there.

tel?

Wo ist das Kind? Es ist dort.

Where
child?

Wo
ist
Botschaft?

die Sie ist dort.

Wo ist die Frau? Sie ist dort.

is

the He's here.

She's here

Where is
embassy?

the It's there.

Where's
woman?

the She's here.

These examples show that the German pronouns er, sie, and es do not
match up with the English pronouns 'he', 'she', and 'it'. The English heshe-it system has an entirely different foundation from the German
noun-classification ('gender') system. In the English system, the choice
of pronoun depends upon the sex (male, female, or sexless) of some
non-linguistic entitya man ('he'), a woman ('she'), or a table ('it'). In
the German system, on the other hand, the choice of pronoun depends
upon the linguistic classification of the noun you are replacing, except
in reference to human beings.
IV.

Pronouns Referring to People.

Wo
ist
Fralein?
Sie ist dort.

das Where is
waitress?

the

She's there.

Since all German nouns referring to men are der-nouns and virtually
all German nouns referring to women are die-nouns. er and sie correspond to 'he' and 'she' when they refer to human beings. Consequently, one says sie when referring to das Frulein. Who is, after
all, die lunge Dame 'the young lady', die Tochter 'the daughter', die
Schwester 'the sister', and so on, as well as das Frulein.
V.

No classification in the Plural.

Wo sind die
Bahnhfe?

Sie sind hier.

Where are the

stations?

They're here.

Wo sind die Ho- Sie sind hier.

tels?

Where are the

hotels?

They're here.

Wo sind die
Frauen?

Where are the

women?

They're here.

Sie sind hier.

16

Unit 1
As these examples show, the three-fold classification we've been discussing applies only to nouns in the singular. In the plural, there is
only one word for 'the', and only one pronoun.
B.

The pointing-Word das.

Das ist der Bahnhof, nicht wahr?

This is the station, isn't it?

Ja, das ist er.

Yes, that's it.

Ist das die Milch?

Is that the milk?

Das ist Wasser.

This is water.

Sind das die Streichhlzer?

Are these the matches?

Das sind die Zigarren.

Those are the ciaars.

I.

The pointing-word das (often accompanied by a pointing gesture) is

used to call any object or group of objects to the hearer's attention,
without any reference to noun classification or t the number of objects.

II.

The pointing-word das is an entirely different entity from the das of

das Hotel. The English equivalents of the pointing-word das are 'this',
'that', 'these', and 'those'.

Substitution drill.
This section is made up of a number of model sentences. One or two words
in each sentence are underscored. Below each group will be found a series of
isolated words. The drill consists in substituting these words, one by one, for the
one that is underscored in the model sentence, and making necessary changes
in the rest of the sentence.
The instructor says the model sentence out loud, and the class repeats after him.
The first student makes the first substitution, the next student the second, and
so on. Repeat until all students have had a chance to make each substitution at
least once, then proceed to the next model sentence.
This drill may be done with books closed. The instructor then gives the students
the item to be substituted. Keep things moving along. Maintain a lively pace. If
one student gets stuck, the next one takes over after three or four seconds.
1.

Der Flughafen ist dort.

Bahnhof - Kaffee - Tee - Wein

der Bahnhof - der Kaffee - der Tee der Wein

Restaurant - Bier - Wasser - Hotel - das Restaurant - das Bier - das WassCafe
er - das Hotel - das Cafe
Bank - Milch - Botschaft

die Bank - die Milch - die Botschaft

Streichhlzer - Zigarren

die Streichhlzer - die Zigarren

Bahnhof - Hotel - Tee - Milch - Kaffee - Restaurant - Streichhlzer Botschaft - Flughafen - Bier - Wein Wasser - Zigarren - Cafe

der Bahnhof - das Hotel - der Tee - die

Milch - der Kaffee - das Restaurant
- die Streichhlzer - die Botschaft der Flughafen - das Bier - der Wein das Wasser - die Zigarren - das Caf

17

Unit 1
2.

Wo ist der Bahnhof?

Flughafen - Kaffee - Tee - Wein

der Flughafen - der Kaffe - der Tee der Wein

Restaurant - Bier - Wasser - Cafe - das Restaurant - das Bier - das WassHotel
er - das Cafe - das Hotel

3.

Bank - Milch - Botschaft

die Bank - die Milch - die Botschaft

Streichhlzer - Zigarren

die Streichhlzer - die Zigarren

Restaurant - Flughafen - Bank - Kaffee - Wasser - Milch - Streichhlzer Bahnhof - Tee - Hotel - Wein - Bier Botschaft - Zigarren - Cafe

das Restaurant - der Flughafen - die

Bank - der Kaffee - das Wasser - die
Milch - die Streichhlzer - der Bahnhof - der Tee - das Hotel - der Wein
- das Bier - die Botschaft - die Zigarren - das Cafe

Wieviel kostet der Kaffee?

Wein - Tee

der Wein - der Tee

Bier

das Bier

Zigarren - Streichhlzer

die Zigarren - die Streichhlzer

Wtein - Zigarren - Tee - Streichhlzer der Wein - die Zigarren - der Tee - die
- Bier
Streichhlzer - das Bier
4.

Wie ist das Bier?

Wasser - Hotel - Restaurant - Cafe

das Wasser - das Hotel - das Restaurant - das Caf

Kaffee - Tee - Wein

der Kaffee - der Tee - der Wein

Bank - Milch

die Bank - die Milch

Zigarren - Streichhlzer

die Zigarren - die Streichhlzer

Bier - Tee - Hotel - Wein - Wasser - das Bier - der Tee - das Hotel - der
Kaffee - Milch -Zigarren - Caf - Bank Wein - das Wasser - der Kaffee - die
- Streichhlzer
Milch - die Zigarren - das Cafe - die
Bank - die Streichhlzer
5.

Das Hotel ist gut.

Bier - Restaurant - Wasser - Cafe

das Bier - das Restaurant - das Wasser - das Cafe

Wein - Kaffee - Tee

der Wein - der Kaffee - der Tee

Milch - Bank

die Milch - die Bank

Zigarren - Streichhlzer

die Zigarren - die Streichhlzer

Bier - Wein - Restaurant - Kaffee - das Bier - der Wein - das Restaurant
Bank - Tee - Hotel - Streichhlzer - - der Kaffee - die Bank - der Tee - das
Wasser - Zigarren - Cafe - Milch
Hotel - die Streichhlzer - das Wasser - die Zigarren - das Cafe - die Milch
6.

Das Hotel ist da drben.

Restaurant - Bier - Wasser - Cafe
18

das Restaurant - das Bier - das Wasser - das Caf

Unit 1
Flughafen - Bahnhof - Kaffee - Tee - der Flughafen - der Bahnhof - der
Wein
Kaffee - der Tee - der Wein
Botschaft - Milch - Bank

die Botschaft - die Milch - die Bank

Streichhlzer - Zigarren

die Streichhlzer - die Zigarren

Hotel - Restaurant - Tee - Milch - Bier das Hotel - das Restaurant - der Tee
- Kaffee - Botschaft - Wein - Zigarren - die Milch - das Bier - der Kaffee - Streichhlzer - Cafe - Bank
die Botschaft - der Wein - die Zigarren - die Streichhlzer - das Caf die Bank
7.

Das ist der Flughafen.

Bahnhof - Wein - Tee - Kaffee

der Bahnhof - der Wein - der Tee - der

Kaffee

Hotel - Restaurant - Bier - Caf

das Hotel - das Restaurant - das Bier

- das Caf

Bank - Botschaft - Milch

die Bank - die Botschaft - die Milch

Streichhlzer - Zigarren

die Streichhlzer - die Zigarren

Botschaft - Flughafen - Hotel - Milch die Botschaft - der Flughafen - das

- Restaurant - Bahnhof - Bier - Wein - Hotel - die Milch - das Restaurant Tee - Zigarren - Caf - Bank
der Bahnhof - das Bier - der Wein der Tee - die Zigarren - das Cafe - die
Bank
8.

Hier ist Herr Becker. Hier ist er.

Flughafen - Bahnhof - Wein - Tee - der Flughafen.er - der Bahnhof.er
Kaffee - Herr Keller
- der Wein.er - der Tee.er - der
Kaffee.er - Herr Keller.er
Frau Kunze - Milch - Botschaft - Bank Frau Kunze.sie - die Milch.sie - die
- Frau Schneider
Botschaft.sie - die Bank.sie - Frau
Schneider.sie
Restaurant - Bier - Wasser - Caf - das Restaurant.es - das Bier.es - das
Hotel
Wasser.es - das Caf.es - das Hotel.es
Streichhlzer - Zigarren - Herr und die
Streichhlzer.sie
Frau Becker
Zigarren.sie - Herr und
Becker.sie
Bier - Milch - Wasser - Wein - Streichhlzer - Bahnhof - Restaurant - Zigarren - Hotel - Herr und Frau Becker Botschaft - Tee - Cafe - Frau Schneider - Flughafen - Herr Keller - Bank
- Kaffee

die
Frau

das Bier.es - die Milch.sie - das

Wasser.es - der Wein.er - die
Streichhlzer.sie - der Bahnhof.er das Restaurant.es - die Zigarren.sie
- das Hotel.es - Herr und Frau Becker. sie - die Botschaft.sie - der Tee.er
- das Cafe.es - Frau Schneider.sie der Flughafen.er - Herr Keller.er - die
Bank.sie - der Kaffee.er

Variation drill
This section is made up of several groups of sentences. Each group is headed by
a model sentence which is underscored. The instructor reads the model sentence

19

Unit 1
out loud, and the class repeats after him. The first student then gives the German
version of the first English variation sentence under the model sentence. The
next student takes the second sentence, and so on.
While doing this drill, STUDENTS MUST COVER THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF
THE PAGE
English versions must be read silently, and the German version must be given
without stopping, with the proper pronunciation, including intonation. If you
have to 'translate* word by word you need more practice with the basic sentences.
The instructor must insist on COMPLETE SENTENCES.
1.

Ich verstehe Sie.

I understand you.

a.

I understand you well.

Ich verstehe Sie gut.

b.

I understand you very well.

Ich verstehe Sie sehr gut.

c.

I understand you well, too.

Ich verstehe Sie auch gut.

d.

I don't understand you.

Ich verstehe Sie nicht.

e.

I don't understand you either.

Ich verstehe Sie auch nicht.

2.

Verstehen Sie mich?

Do you understand me?

a.

Do you understand me well?

Verstehen Sie mich gut?

b.

Do you understand me well to?

Verstehen Sie mich auch gut?

c.

Don't you understand me?

Verstehen Sie mich nicht?

d.

Don't you understand me either? Verstehen Sie mich auch nicht?

e.

Don't you understand me well ei- Verstehen Sie mich auch nicht
ther?
gut?

3.

Wo ist der Flughafen?

Where is the airport?

a.

There is the airport.

Da ist der Flughafen.

b.

Is that the airport?

Ist das der Flughafen?

c.

Yes, that's the airport.

Ja, das ist der Flughafen.

d.

No, that's not the airport.

Nein, das ist nicht der Flughafen.

e.

Is the airport over there?

Ist der Flughafen da drben?

f.

Yes, it's over there.

Ja, er ist da drben.

g.

No, it's not over there.

Nein, er ist nicht da drben.

Repeat the same drill and for airport substitute: hotel - embassy - restaurant
- station.
4.

Wo sind die Streichhlzer?

Where are the matches?

a.

Where are they?

Wo sind sie?

b.

There are the matches.

Da sind die Streichhlzer.

c.

There they are.

Da sind sie.

d.

Are the matches over them?

Sind
die
drben?

e.

Yes, the matches are over there. Ja, die Streichhlzer sind da
drben.

f.

They're over there.

Streichhlzer

Sie sind da drben.

20

da

Unit 1
Repeat the same drill and for potatoes substitute: cigars - Mr. and Mrs.
Kunze.
5.

Wie ist die Milch?

How's the milk?

a.

It's good.

Sie ist gut.

b.

It's very good.

Sie ist sehr gut.

c.

The water is good too.

Das Wasser ist auch gut.

d.

It's very good too.

Es ist auch sehr gut.

6.

Wie ist das Bier?

How's the beer?

a.

It's good.

Es ist gut.

b.

It's very good.

Es ist sehr gut.

c.

The cigars are good too.

Die Zigarren sind auch gut.

d.

They're very good too.

Sie sind auch sehr gut.

7.

Wie ist der Tee?

How's the tea?

a.

It's not good.

Er ist nicht gut.

b.

It's very good.

Er ist sehr gut.

c.

The milk isn't good either.

Die Milch ist auch nicht gut.

d.

It's not very good either.

Sie ist auch nicht sehr gut.

e.

Yes. they are very good.

Ja, sie sind sehr gut.

8.

Wie sind die Streichhlzer?

How are the matches?

a.

They're not good.

Sie sind nicht gut.

b.

They're not very good.

Sie sind nicht sehr gut.

c.

The wine is not good either.

Der Wein ist auch nicht gut. Er

ist auch nicht sehr gut.

d.

It's not very good either.

Er ist auch nicht sehr gut.

9.

Das kostet viel.

That costs a lot.

a.

How much does that cost?

Wie viel kostet das?

b.

Does that cost much?

Kostet das viel?

c.

That doesn't cost much.

Das kostet nicht viel.

d.

That doesn't cost much either.

Das kostet auch nicht viel.

e.

That costs three marks.

Das kostet drei Mark.

f.

That costs three marks, too.

Das kostet auch drei Mark.

10.

Das Bier ist out.

The beer is good.

a.

The wine is not good.

Der Wein ist nicht gut.

b.

The coffee is good, too.

Der Kaffee ist auch gut.

c.

The restaurant is very good.

Das Restaurant ist sehr gut.

d.

Is the tea good?

Ist der Tee gut?

e.

Ho, the tea isn't very good.

Nein, der Tee ist nicht sehr gut.

f.

Is the caf good?

Ist das Caf gut?

21

Unit 1
11.

Die Streichhlzer
sind nicht sehr gut.
a.

The beer and the wine are good. Das Bier und der Wein sind gut.

b.

The cigars are good, too.

c.

Are the coffee and the tea good? Sind der Kaffee und der Tee gut?

d.

Yes. they are very good.

12.

Wo ist der Flughafen?

Er ist dort rechts.

Die Zigarren sind auch gut.

Ja, sie sind sehr gut.
Where is the airport?
It's there to the right.

a.

Where Is the caf? It's there to Wo ist das Caf? Es ist dort links.
the left.

b.

Where Is the restaurant? It's Wo ist das Restaurant? Es ist

there, too.
auch dort.

c.

Where is the bank? It's there Wo ist die Bank? Sie ist dort gerstraight ahead.
adeaus.

d.

Where is Mr. Schneider? He is Wo ist Herr Schneider? Er ist hihere.

er.

e.

Where is Mrs. Schneider? She's Wo ist Frau Schneider? Sie ist

here, too.
auch hier.

f.

Where is the station? It's over Wo ist der Bahnhof? Er ist da

there, to the right
drben, rechts.

13.

14.

The matches are

not very good.

Wie ist der Kaffee? Er 1st out.

How is the coffee? It is good.

a.

How is the milk? It's very good.

b.

How is the water? It's good, too. Wie ist das Wasser? Es ist auch
gut.

c.

How is the hotel? it's not very Wie ist das Hotel? Es ist nicht
good.
sehr gut.

d.

How is the beer? It's very good Wie ist das Bier? Es ist hier sehr
here.
gut

e.

How is the tea? It's not good.

f.

How is the wine? It's very good, Wie ist der Wein? Er ist auch sehr
too.
gut.

Ich mchte gern Zigaretten haben.

Wie ist die Milch? Sie ist sehr

gut.

Wie ist der Tee? Er ist nicht gut.

I'd like to have some

cigarettes. please.

a.

Would you like to have some cig- Mchten

ars, too?
haben?

b.

I'd like to have some matches.

c.

Would you like to have some Mchten Sie etwas Brot haben?
bread?

d.

I'd like to have some milk.

e.

I'd like to have some sausage and Ich mchte gern Bratwurst mit
sauerkraut.
Sauerkraut haben.

15.

Ich mchte gerne essen.

a.

What would you like to eat?

22

Sie

auch

Zigarren

Ich mchte gern Streichhlzer

haben.

Ich mchte gern Milch haben.

I'd like to eat.

Was mchten Sie essen?

Unit 1
Ich mchte gerne essen.

I'd like to eat.

b.

I'd like to eat some sausage and Ich mchte Bratwurst mit Sauersauerkraut.
kraut essen.

c.

Would you also like to eat some Mchten Sie auch Brot essen? Ja,
bread? Yes, I'd like to eat some ich mchte gern etwas Brot esbread.
sen.

16.

Das ist der Bahnhof.

That's the railroad station.

a.

Is that the embassy?

Ist das die Botschaft?

b.

No, that's not the embassy.

Nein, das ist nicht die Botschaft.

c.

That's the hotel. Is that Mr. Kun- Das ist das Hotel. Ist das Herr
ze?
Kunze?

d.

No, that's not Mr. Kunze.

Nein, das ist nicht Herr Kunze.

e.

That's Mr. Schneider.

Das ist Herr Schneider.

17.

Hier ist das Hotel.

Here is the hotel.

a.

There's the restaurant.

Dort ist das Restaurant.

b.

Over there is the airport.

Da drben ist der Flughafen.

c.

There to the right is the embassy. Dort rechts ist die Botschaft.

d.

Here on the left is the station.

e.

Over there, to the right is the Da drben, rechts, ist das Cafe.
cafe.

18.

Die Zigarren kosten fnf Mark.

Hier links ist der Bahnhof.

The cigars cost five marks.

a.

The beer costs one mark.

Das Bier kostet eine Mark.

b.

The wine costs two marks ten.

Der Wein kostet zwei Mark zehn.

c.

The matches cost ten pennies.

Die Streichhlzer kosten zehn

Pfennig.

d.

The coffee costs three marks Der Kaffee kostet drei Mark acht.
eight.

e.

The tea costs two marks four.

Der Tee kostet zwei Mark vier.

f.

The milk costs twelve pennies.

Die Milch kostet zwlf Pfennig.

Bratwurst and sauerkraut costs Bratwurst mit Sauerkraut kostet

two marks five.
zwei Mark fnf.

19.

Drei und vier ist sieben.

Three and four is seven.

a.

Five and three is eight.

Fnf und drei ist acht.

b.

How much is two and six?

Wie viel ist zwei und sechs?

c.

Seven and five is twelve.

Sieben und fnf ist zwlf.

d.

Three and three is six.

Drei und drei ist sechs.

e.

How much is seven and four?

Wie viel ist sieben und vier?

f.

Is nine and one eleven?

Ist neun und eins elf?

g.

No, nine and one is ten.

Nein, neun und eins ist zehn.

23

Unit 1

Translation drill
Students cover right-hand side of page and take turns giving the German version
of the sentences in English column. The instructor must insist that each student
give his version without hesitation. Go over the drill several times, until each
student has had an opportunity to give all sentences.
Unless students can do this drill confidently, they need more preparation.
1.

Is that the embassy?

Ist das die Botschaft?

2.

No, that's not the embassy, that is Nein, das ist nicht die Botschaft,
the hotel.
das ist das Hotel.

3.

The embassy is over there, to the

left.

Die Botschaft ist da drben, links.

4.

How is the beer, is it good?

Wie ist das Bier, ist es gut?

5.

No, it's not very good.

Nein, es ist nicht sehr gut.

6.

What is that there, the airport?

Was ist das dort, der Flughafen?

7.

Yes, that's the airport.

Ja, das ist der Flughafen.

8.

Is Mr. Becker here?

Ist Herr Becker hier?

9.

No, he isn't (here).

Nein, er ist nicht hier.

10.

Is the wine good here?

Ist hier der Wein gut?

11.

Yes, it is (good here).

Ja, er ist gut hier.

12.

Where is Miss Schneider?

Wo ist Frulein Schneider?

13.

Isn't she here?

Ist sie nicht hier?

14.

No, she isn't (here).

Nein, sie ist nicht hier.

15.

How much does sausage and

sauerkraut cost?

Wie viel kostet Bratwurst mit

Sauerkraut?

16.

It doesn't cost much.

Es kostet nicht viel.

17.

Where are the cigars?

Wo sind die Zigarren?

18.

Aren't they here?

Sind sie nicht hier?

19.

No, they aren't (here).

Nein, sie sind nicht hier.

20.

They cost four marks.

Sie kosten vier Mark.

21.

Do you understand me?

Verstehen Sie mich?

22.

What did you say?

Wie bitte?

23.

Yes, I understand you very well.

Ja, ich verstehe Sie sehr gut.

24.

Would you like to eat?

Mchten Sie gern essen?

25

Yes, I would.

Ja, gerne.

Response drill
Students are to prepare this drill at home. The questions are generally directed
toward the situation or situations presented in the Basic Sentences. The answers
suggested are obviously not the only possible answers to these questions, and the
student should feel free to vary them or to replace them by his own formulations
ad libitum, within the limitations of structure and vocabulary covered.
1.

Wo ist Herr Becker?

Er ist dort drben.

24

Unit 1
2.

Ist das Frau Kunze?

Nein, das ist nicht Frau Kunze.

3.

Wo sind Herr und Frau Schneider? Herr und Frau Schneider sind hier.

4.

Wie geht es Ihnen?

Danke gut. Und Ihnen?

5.

Verstehen Sie mich?

Ja, ich verstehe Sie gut.

6.

Verstehen Sie mich auch gut?

Nein, ich verstehe Sie nicht.

7.

Wo ist der Bahnhof?

Der Bahnhof ist dort rechts.

8.

Ist das der Bahnhof?

Nein, das ist nicht der Bahnhof. Er

ist dort, geradeaus.

9.

Wo ist der Flughafen?

Er ist dort drben.

10.

Ist das Hotel dort links?

Nein, es ist dort rechts.

11.

Das Restaurant ist dort drben,

nicht wahr?

Ja, es ist dort drben, geradeaus.

12.

Was ist das dort?

Das ist die Botschaft.

13.

Wo ist hier die Bank?

Die Bank ist hier links.

14.

1st das die Botschaft da drben?

Ja, das ist die Botschaft.

15.

Wie ist das Cafe?

Das Cafe ist sehr gut.

16.

Ist das Restaurant auch gut?

Nein, das Restaurant ist nicht

sehr gut.

17.

Wie sagt man "good bye" auf

deutsch?

Man sagt "Auf Wiedersehen".

18.

Wie sagt man "thank you" auf

deutsch?

Man sagt "Danke schn".

19.

Was mchten Sie haben?

Ich mchte zehn Zigaretten

haben.

20.

Mchten Sie auch Zigarren

haben?

Ja, ich mchte auch Zigarren

haben.

21.

Wie viele mchten Sie haben?

Vier, bitte.

22.

Mchten Sie auch Streichhlzer

haben?

Ja, ich mchte auch Streichhlzer

haben.

23.

Wie viel kosten die Zigarren?

Die Zigarren kosten eine Mark.

24.

Kostet das Bier eine Mark?

Nein, es kostet eine Mark zehn.

25.

Wie viel kostet der Wein?

Er kostet sechs Mark fnf.

26.

Wie viel kosten der Kaffee und der Der Kaffee und der Tee kosten
Tee?
fnf Mark zwlf.

27.

Mchten Sie gern etwas essen?

Ja, ich mchte gern etwas essen.

28.

Was mchten Sie essen?

Ich mchte Bratwurst mit Sauerkraut essen.

29.

Mchten Sie auch Brot essen?

Ja, ich mchte auch etwas Brot essen.

30.

Wie ist hier das Bier?

Das Bier ist hier sehr gut.

31.

Ist der Wein auch gut?

Ja, der Wein ist auch sehr gut.

32.

Wie ist der Kaffee?

Der Kaffee ist nicht gut.

33.

Ist der Tee auch nicht gut?

Nein, er ist auch nicht gut.

34.

Ist die Milch gut?

ja, die Milch ist sehr gut.

35.

Wie viel ist zwei und zwei?

Zwei und zwei ist vier.

25

Unit 1
36.

Ist drei und vier acht?

Nein, drei und vier ist sieben.

37.

Wie viel ist fnf und vier?

Fnf und vier ist neun.

38.

Ist sechs und fnf zwlf?

Nein, sechs und fnf ist nicht

zwlf. Sechs und fnf ist elf.

Conversation practice
Students keep books closed. Preparation before class is recommended.
The instructor reads one conversational bout three or four times, out loud, at
normal speed. Class listens and students memorize.
The instructor and one student now 'play back' the conversation. Repeat each
bout until each student has taken each part once. Then proceed to the next bout.
Keep the ball rolling. If students are hesitant, abandon this drill for the day.
Students will prepare themselves at home for the next repetition of the drill.
The instructor will POSTPONE CORRECTING OF MISTAKES during a bout until
after it is concluded so as not to discourage the student. After the bout, the
instructor simply says the mistaken or mispronounced item to the student and
has him repeat it after him.
1
A:

Wo ist die Botschaft hier in Bonn?

B:

Die Botschaft ist dort, geradeaus.

A:

Wie bitte?

B:

Sie ist dort, geradeaus. Verstehen Sie mich?

A:

Ja, danke. Und wo ist der Flughafen?

B:

Der Flughafen ist da links.

A:

Danke schn.
2

S:

Guten Tag, Herr Becker.

K:

Guten Tag, Herr Kunze. Wie geht es Ihnen?

S:

Danke, gut. Und Ihnen?

K:

Auch gut, danke.

S:

Wie ist das Bier hier?

K:

Es ist sehr gut und der Wein ist auch gut.

S:

Wie viel kostet das Bier?

K:

Es kostet eine Mark zehn.

S:

Mchten Sie auch etwas essen?

K:

Nein, danke.
3

C:

Guten Morgen. Ich mchte gern zehn Zigarren haben.

D:

Bitte. Mchten Sie auch Zigaretten haben?

C:

Nein, danke. Aber ich mchte Streichhlzer haben.

D:

Hier bitte.

C:

Wie viel kosten die Zigarren?

26

Unit 1
D:

Sie ksten fnf Mark sieben.

4

E:

Verzeihung, wo ist das Restaurant?

F:

Das Restaurant ist dort, rechts.

E:

Ist das der Flughafen dort drben?

F:

Nein, das ist nicht der Flughafen, das ist der Bahnhof. Der Flughafen
ist dort, links.

E:

Wie bitte? Ich verstehe Sie nicht. Sprechen Sie bitte langsam.

F:

Das ist nicht der Flughafen, das ist der Bahnhof. Der Flughafen ist
dort, links. Verstehen Sie mich?

E:

Ja, ich verstehe Sie. Auf Wiedersehen.

Situations
You are now ready for free conversation. Act out the following situations, Which
are slight variations on the basic sentences, as freely and fluently as you can,
making use of all the patterns you have learned.
Finding the Way
An American has just arrived in Germany and doesn't understand too well yet.
He asks a German on the street where the hotel is. The German tells him it's
over there to the left. The American doesn't understand him and asks him to say
it again please.
He still does not understand and asks the German to speak slowly. The latter
repeats much slower and asks the American if he understands. The American
says he does, thanks him and says good-bye.
Go through this conversation again with the American asking for the embassy,
cafe, airport, etc., and the German giving different directions: straight ahead,
over there, to the right, etc.
Question Practice
Each student asks the next student a question in addition (numbers one to
twelve). He answers it and asks the next student, etc.
At the Cigar Store
Mr. Becker is the proprietor of a cigar store. Mr. Schneider stops in for some
cigarettes. They exchange greetings, and Mr. Becker asks what Mr. Schneider
would like. After getting him the cigarettes he asks if Mr. Schneider would like
some cigars, too. He says no thanks, but he would like some matches. Figuring
up his own bill he says that costs one mark ten, doesn't it, but Mr. Becker says
no, it costs two marks. Mr. Schneider gives him the money, and they say goodbye to each other.
At the Restaurant
Miss Schneider is the waitress in a restaurant. Mr. Kunze greets her as he comes
in and asks how she is. She returns his greeting and asks if he is well, too. He
says yes, thanks, and asks if they have sausage and sauerkraut, and how the beer
and the wine are, etc. Finally he says he'd like to have sausage and sauerkraut,
beer and some bread. After the meal he pays her - it costs three marks - and
says good-bye.
27

Unit 1

Finder list
FINDER LIST
Abend

evening

aber

but

acht

eight

auch

also, too

auch nicht

not ... either

auf deutsch

in German

Auf Wiedersehen'.

good-bye

der Bahnhof

station

die Bank

bank

das Bier

beer

bitte

please

bitte schn

here you are

die Botschaft

embassy

Bratwurst mit Sauerkraut

sausage and sauerkraut

Brot

bread

das Caf

cafe

da

there

danke

thanks

danke schn

many thanks

das

that

dort

there

drei

three

drben

over there

eins

one

elf

eleven

er

he, it

es

it

essen

eat

etwas Brot

some bread

der Flughafen

airport

Frau

Mrs.

Frau Kunze

Mrs. Kunze

Frulein

Miss

Frulein Schneider

Miss Schneider

fnf

five

geht

goes

geradeaus

straight ahead

gern(e)

with pleasure

gut

good, well
28

Unit 1
guten Abend

good evening

guten Morgen

good morning

guten Tag

hello (good by)

haben

have

Herr

Mr.

Herr Becker

Mr. Becker

hier

here

das Hotel

hotel

ich

Ihnen

to you, with you

ist

is

Ja

yes

der Kaffee

coffee

kosten

cost

kostet

costs

langsam

slow, slowly

links

left, to the left

man

one, you

Mark

Mark, Marks

eine Mark

one Mark

zwei Mark

two Marks

mich

me (acc)

die Milch

milk

mchten

would like

mchten Sie

would you like

ich mchte

I would like

ich mchte gern

I'd like very much

Morgen

morning

nein

no

neun

nine

nicht

not

nicht wahr?

isn1t it (not true)?

nochmal

again

null

zero

Pfennig

penny, pennies

rechts

to the right

das Restaurant

restaurant

sagt

says

sagt man

does one say

sechs

six

sehr

very

sie

she, it

Sie

you

29

Unit 1
sieben

seven

sind

are

sprechen

speak

die Streichhlzer

matches

Tag

day

der Tee

tea

und

and

verstehen

understand

verstehen Sie

do you understand

ich verstehe

I understand

Verzeihung

excuse me

vier

four

was

What

das Wasser

water

der Wein

wine

wie

how

wie bitte?

I beg your pardon. What did you say?

wie viel

now much

wie viele

how many

wo

Where

zehn

ten

Zigaretten

cigarettes

die Zigarren

cigars

zwei

two

zwlf

twelve

30

31