Spoken German dialogues with voice-overs. Russian-German phrasebook for tourists (travelers) with pronunciation. Other useful words and expressions

It is not uncommon for a person to spend, say, more than three years intensively studying German with a tutor, frantically trying to master the contents of a grammar textbook, and even trying to read Schelling in the original (a real masochist, yes).

At school or even at the university, he was given a strong A for his knowledge of the language, and his relatives, teachers, friends and acquaintances admired him - after all, he was growing up to be a real polyglot.

But everything changed dramatically after such a little man went on vacation to Germany. During breakfast at the hotel, friends asked him to translate the names of some dishes on the menu and place an order.

And then a real failure happened: he coped with the translation easily, but communication with the waiter did not work out at all: the latter simply did not understand our excellent student.

It seems that he addressed him in “human literary German,” but in response he received only a shake of his head and a timid request from the waiter in broken English: “Could you please clarify?”

And since the German switched to the language of international communication in communicating with our “polyglot,” it means that the exemplary student spoke in phrases completely divorced from German everyday life.

It is not at all a fact that such a story will certainly happen to every person who studies Goethe’s language. But certainly people who approach the educational process too formally can most likely feel themselves in the role of such a would-be student.

Tell me, what should a person who takes up learning German first of all learn? That's right, the ability to carry on a conversation. Do not write business letters, filling them with medieval bureaucracy, do not scan the composition on the packages of German pharmaceuticals, and especially do not read Mr. Schelling in the original.

All these things, of course, can be very useful to a narrow circle of people, in particular, linguists writing a dissertation on the topic “Features of the medieval German business language,” writers and pharmacists working in Germany.

You and I, who are not yet so experienced in the knowledge of the German language, must first of all learn to speak with the Germans. On the simplest everyday topics, from retelling the weather forecast to inviting your loved one on a date to your home for sushi.

This is the simplest layer of the language, mastering which requires relatively little time and effort. But we, nevertheless, are frantically struggling to study the intricacies of German grammar and are carried away by cramming words, completely ignoring live communication on topics that are relevant to ordinary Germans.

How can you properly make efforts so that learning spoken German is associated not only with a waste of time and money, but is comprehensive and beneficial? We will briefly talk about this in this article.

1. Burn your German textbooks

We're kidding. Don’t do this, because books are very good and useful. But by definition, you won’t find live communication on the pages of textbooks.

The maximum that you can do after studying another conversational German lesson from a book is to blurt out to a German that your name is Boris, you are 29 years old, you live in Biryulyovo and go to work by bus.

Here you will be taught cliched phrases, the use of which in real life is very limited, will look forced and completely devoid of the “juice” of communication. A normal person is not interested in a robot interlocutor - everyone prefers a lively, healthy and emotional conversation.

But communication will have to be learned elsewhere for one simple reason: books don’t talk. Find yourself another suitable simulator for this purpose. Even more so if you come across an old textbook, in the dialogues of which the people in the pictures still pay in stores with Deutschmarks.

The spoken German language changes from year to year. New phrases quickly come into fashion, and old ones quickly go out of circulation. Moreover, this language is transforming more and more quickly over time - processes such as world globalization and the increase in the speed of life one way or another affect us.

So if you learn colloquial phrases from a textbook, then choose recent editions for this purpose. According to the old standards, it is only possible to train German-speaking grandparents for Russian intelligence. And if you are preparing to study in Germany or work, don’t skimp on buying a brand new book.

One important point - learn to speak in synonyms. When communicating, you should be able to “work around” words, phrases or phrases that you don’t know. To do this, after reading a text or watching a movie, try to briefly retell its content without resorting to a dictionary.

German is a very flexible language and, knowing only 2.5-3 thousand words, you can easily carry on a conversation on almost any topic.

2. Listen and ask your German teacher

This is the first and, up to a certain stage, the main source of assimilation of live spoken language. Listen to him carefully and remember what, when and how he says. Also, communicate with him more often. Ask him questions - the teacher will always correct if something was said incorrectly.

Up to 70% of errors in oral speech can be eliminated this way. It's great if your mentor has lived in Germany for many years or is a native German speaker. Then he will give you the living German language, which the burghers themselves speak.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes during a conversation. Moreover, an adequate teacher will never make harsh comments to you on this matter.

Sometimes people are so busy worrying about the correctness of their grammatical constructions that they have no space left in their minds to carry on an easy and relaxed conversation.

Speak as best you can - you are just learning. And the skill of using the correct tense and the appropriate word order in a German sentence will come with time.

3. Watch films in German and listen to German radio

Let's say you live in Russia and do not have access to living native German speakers. Only to the dead - the works of Hegel, Kant and Schopenhauer are gathering dust on the shelves of the local library and are eagerly waiting for you to finally begin to load your poor head with them.

Leave the old philosophers alone. You need to listen and watch the conversations of ordinary people, and not read the treatises of the best minds of humanity, burdened with complex terms and archaisms. Youth series, talk radio programs or talk shows are excellent for this purpose.

Moreover, if you are already watching a video, then immediately accustom yourself to do it without subtitles. The interlinear language completely kills thinking, and a person very quickly stops perceiving and remembering words and phrases spoken in German, completely switching to the text displayed at the bottom of the image.

Almost every state in Germany has its own dialect. Sometimes it is very different from what is considered to be literary German. While you are not yet very experienced in spoken German, concentrate on just one of them.

Otherwise, a “porridge” will form in your head, and in the understanding of a German, you will sound approximately the same as a ninety-year-old resident of a village located, say, on the border of Russia and Belarus, to the average resident of Moscow.

At the same time, for the aforementioned grandfather to speak such a language would not be at all shameful and very correct. After all, this is a real dialect in which several generations of his ancestors communicated.

But in our case, things are completely different. A mixture of regional dialects will be nothing more than a surzhik that a person “earned” due to an incorrectly organized process of learning the German language.

As your knowledge of German improves, you will learn to distinguish between these dialects, and then perhaps even speak each of them. But this process must be natural. You shouldn’t forcefully push two or three German dialects into yourself at once.

4. Travel around Germany

The best way to learn to speak like a German is to start living like one. To do this you need to spend as much time as possible in Germany. You can just relax there, go to study or go to work. One way or another, you will constantly interact with native speakers, read signs, newspapers, magazines, listen, and soon even think in German.

At the same time, while in Germany, do not limit yourself to communicating only with Russian-speaking people. Yes, our people abroad behave in much the same way as residents of the Far Eastern countries.

The Chinese, for example, almost always settle nearby in the same area, establishing their own “corner of culture” in the new country. In this case, you don’t need to be like them.

After all, by communicating only with Russians and surrounding yourself with our cultural egregor, you will not learn German. At best, you will only think that you are studying it. We have met many Germans who, after a year or even two years of living in Germany, have not made much progress in mastering German.

Once upon a time there lived a Russian husband and wife in Germany. The head of the family in this country worked, and the wife did household chores and took care of the child. A year and a half after returning home, it turned out that she had made very little progress in learning German, unlike her husband.

After all, the spouse, on duty, had to “fight” with the local society and interact with it in every possible way. While the wife’s social circle was mainly limited to her husband, son, and store clerks.

At home, she also surfed the Russian Internet and watched domestic TV. When asked what prevented her from getting out of the “cocoon” of her home and making German friends, she answered: shyness.

Yes, this is a very strong barrier that can stand in your way of learning German. If you want to learn to speak German well, first you may need to “pump up” your communication skills in real life, even in your native Russian. You simply have no other choice. If you don’t try to speak, then you will never learn.

To master the skills of writing, reading, listening, and communicating in German, you need to write, read, listen, and speak as much as possible. This is the most important secret, and all the other tips stated above are only its derivatives.

After all, think about it, even with a small child, so that he can speak as quickly as possible, they try to socialize more and more often. The same thing happens with adults.

The skill of speaking German is created by developing new neural connections in our brain. This requires constant training and, of course, a certain amount of time.

For some, it will take a year and a half to start communicating with a German on equal terms, while for others, perhaps a few months will be enough. It all depends on how sociable a person is and how open he is to people, as well as to the reality around him.

Although in our society excessive talkativeness is usually considered a vice, in this case it will only be a plus. At the Elena Reicherd German Language Center, the development of oral communication skills is given due attention.

Learning German with us is easy, relaxed and interesting, and you can seriously improve your communication skills quite quickly. Try it yourself - all you need to do is sign up for

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, to speak fluent German, you will have to study for a long time, but you can master the simplest phrases very quickly. Whether you're traveling to a German-speaking country, want to impress someone, or just want to learn a little about a new language, you'll benefit from the tips in this article. We will teach you how to greet people, introduce yourself, say goodbye, thank them, ask basic questions or ask for help.

Steps

Part 1

Greetings and farewells

Use standard greeting forms. Each German-speaking country has its own special greetings. However, the standard forms below 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 bed, usually only between close people)
“Hallo” (halo) - “hello” (used anywhere and anytime)

Remember the difference between formal and informal address in German. In German, as in Russian, it is customary to address unfamiliar people differently (formally, with “you”) and close acquaintances (informally, with “you”). However, unlike Russian, in German the polite “you” in the 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?” (vi haist do) - “what is your name?” (informal)
Say goodbye. 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" - "goodbye"
- “Tschüss” (chyus) - “for now”
- “Ciao” (ciao) - “for now” (this word is Italian, but is often used by Germans)
Part 2
Starting a conversation
1. Ask the person how he is doing. Not only will you be polite, but you will also demonstrate your knowledge of German!
  
  Tell me how you are doing. If you are asked the question “wie geht es Ihnen?” or “wie geht"s?”, you can answer in different ways.
  
  Ask the person where they are from. A good start to a conversation would be to ask your interlocutor what city or country he is from. There are the following phrases for this (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...” (ikh kome aus...) - “I am from...”. For example, “ich komme aus Russland” (ich kome aus Russland) - “I am from Russia.”
  - “Wo wohnen Sie?” (wo wonen zi) / “wo wohnst du?” (vonst doo) - “where do you live?” / "where do you live?". The verb “wohnen” is used with the name of a city, street, exact address; for a country or continent (but often for a city too) “leben” is used - “wo leben Sie?” (wo leben zi) / “wo lebst du?” (in lebst do).
  - “Ich wohne in...” (ikh vone in...) or “ich lebe in...” (ikh lebe in...) - “I live in...”. For example, “ich wohne/lebe in Moskau” (ich wohne/lebe in Moscow) - “I live in Moscow.”
Part 3
Further communication
1. Learn a few more simple useful phrases."Ja" means "yes", "nein" means "no".
  - "Wie bitte?" (vi bite) - “I beg your pardon?” (if you need to ask again)
  - “Es tut mir leid!” (es here is peace - “I’m sorry!”
  - "Entschuldigung!" (entschuldigung) - “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” - “thank you” - can be used in any situation.
3. Learn to formulate simple requests and questions about items. To find out if something is available in a store, restaurant or similar place, 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 helfen, bite) - “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 train station?”
  - To make your question sound more polite, start it with an apology: “Entschuldigen Sie bitte, wo ist der Bahnhof?” (entschuldigen si 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, francösisch...)?” (sprechen si english (russish, 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”, literally “one and twenty”; 34 is “vierunddreißig” (firundreisikh), literally “four and thirty”; 67 is “siebenundsechzig” (zibenuntzekhtsikh), literally “seven and sixty” and so on.
  - 1 - “eins” (ains)
  - 2 - “zwei” (tswei)
  - 3 - “drei” (dri)
  - 4 - “vier” (fir)
  - 5 - “ünf” (fuenf)
  - 6 - “sechs” (zeks)
  - 7 - “sieben” (ziben)
  - 8 - “acht” (aht)
  - 9 - “neun” (noyn)
  - 10 - “zehn” (tseyn)
  - 11 - “elf” (elf)
  - 12 - “zwölf” (zwölf)
  - 13 - “dreizehn” (draizen)
  - 14 - “vierzehn” (firzein)
  - 15 - “ünfzehn”
  - 16 - “sechzehn”
  - 17 - “siebzehn” (ziptsehn)
  - 18 - “achtzehn” (achtzeyn)
  - 19 - "neunzehn"
  - 20 - “zwanzig” (tsvantsikh)
  - 21 - “einundzwanzig”
  - 22 - “zweiundzwanzig” (tsvayuntzvantsikh)
  - 30 - “dreißig” (dreisikh)
  - 40 - “vierzig” (firtsikh)
  - 50 - “ünfzig”
  - 60 - “sechzig” (zekhtsikh)
  - 70 - “siebzig” (ziptsikh)
  - 80 - “achtzig” (ahtsikh)
  - 90 - "neunzig"
  - 100 - “hundert” (hundert)

Meine Ehre heißt Treue!
Loyalty is my honor!

Gott mit uns.
God is with us.

Jedem das Seine.
To each his own.

Wer sich tief weiß, bemüht sich um Klarheit; wer der Menge tief scheinen möchte,
bemüht sich um Dunkelheit.
He who knows a lot strives for clarity; the one who wants to show
who knows a lot, strives into the darkness.
Friedrich Nietzsche

Überzeugungen sind gefährlichere Feinde der Wahrheit als Lügen.
Translation is a more dangerous enemy of truth than lies.
Friedrich Nietzsche

German phrases for tattoos

Nicht dass du mich belogst sondern, dass ich dir nicht mehr glaube, hat mich erschüttert.
What shocked me was not that you were deceiving me, but that I no longer believed you.
Friedrich Nietzsche

Wer von seinem Tag nicht zwei Drittel für sich selbst hat, ist ein Sklave.
Anyone who does not have two-thirds of time for himself is a slave.
Friedrich Nietzsche

Wenn man ein Wozu des Lebens hat, erträgt man jedes Wie.
Anyone who has a “Why” to live will endure any “How”.
Friedrich Nietzsche

Was aus Liebe getan wird, geschieht immer jenseits von Gut und Böse.
What is done out of love is always on the other side of good and evil.
Friedrich Nietzsche

Dem wird befohlen, der sich nicht selber gehorchen kann.
They order someone who does not know how to obey himself.
Friedrich Nietzsche

Die Hoffnung ist der Regenbogen über den herabstürzenden Bach des Lebens.
Hope is a rainbow over the falling stream of life.
Friedrich Nietzsche

Weltkind (German) – a person absorbed in earthly interests

Ohne Musik wäre das Leben ein Irrtum.
Without music, life would be stupid.
Friedrich Nietzsche

Phantasie haben heißt nicht, sich etwas ausdenken; es heißt, sich aus den Dingen etwas machen.
Having imagination does not mean inventing something; it means making something new out of things.
Paul Thomas Mann

Religion ist Ehrfurcht – die Ehrfurcht zuerst vor dem Geheimnis, das der Mensch ist.
Religion is reverence - first of all, for the mystery that man represents.
Paul Thomas Mann

Wenn man jemandem alles verziehen hat, ist man mit ihm fertig.
If you have forgiven a person everything, then you are done with him.
Sigmund Freud

German phrases for tattoos

In dem Augenblick, in dem ein Mensch den Sinn und den Wert des Lebens bezweifelt, ist er krank.
The moment a person doubts the meaning and value of life, he is sick.
Sigmund Freud

Wir streben mehr danach, Schmerz zu vermeiden als Freude zu gewinnen.
We strive more to avoid pain than to experience joy.
Sigmund Freud

Der Mann ist leicht zu erforschen, die Frau verrät ihr Geheimnis nicht.
A man is easy to recognize, but a woman does not give away her secret.
Immanuel Kant

Schön ist dasjenige, was ohne Interesse gefällt.
What is beautiful is what you like, even without arousing interest.
Immanuel Kant

Habe Mut, dich deines eigenen Verstandes zu bedienen.
Have the courage to use your own mind.
Immanuel Kant

Man muß denken, wie die wenigsten und reden wie die meisten.
You need to think like the few and speak like the majority.
Arthur Schopenhauer

German phrases for tattoos

Der Wechsel allein ist das Beständige.
Only change is constant.
Arthur Schopenhauer

Die Freunde nennen sich aufrichtig. Die Feinde sind es.
They call themselves friends. They are enemies.
Arthur Schopenhauer

Vergeben und vergessen heißt kostbare Erfahrungen zum Fenster hinauswerfen.
Forgiving and forgetting means throwing valuable experience out the window.
Arthur Schopenhauer

Wir denken selten an das, was wir haben, aber immer an das, was uns fehlt.
We rarely think about what we have, but always about what we lack.
Arthur Schopenhauer

All unser Übel kommt daher, dass wir nicht allein sein können.
All our troubles come from the fact that we cannot be alone.
Arthur Schopenhauer

Die Grenzen der Sprache sind die Grenzen der Welt.
The boundaries of language are the boundaries of the world.
Ludwig Wittgenstein

Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muß man schweigen.
What cannot be spoken about must be kept silent.
Ludwig Wittgenstein

Es ist selten, daß ein Mensch weiß, was er eigentlich glaubt.
It is rare when a person knows what he really believes.
Oswald Spengler

If you are going to visit Germany on a friendly visit, you need to prepare in advance. You can start learning German on your own, buy a phrase book, memorize basic phrases, or ask a teacher for help. If you have a lot of time left, then you should take the matter seriously; it’s not easy in a foreign country without knowing the language.

Where should you start learning?

So, it’s wise to start with the following points:

Introduction to the German alphabet and the rules of pronunciation of sounds and words;
Learning basic verbs and commonly used words;
Familiarity with grammar and rules for constructing sentences;
Pronunciation training, getting used to the sound of German speech using music, films and programs;
Reading books, magazines and adapted material from translations;
Communication with native speakers and other students to consolidate the results obtained.

Begin! The first successes can be made after 2-3 weeks of training, and you can start talking to a German and exchange a few phrases by the end of the first month. The main thing is to start studying so that before the trip you have time to systematize the information received in your head!

With intensive and regular training, you can begin to speak and understand your interlocutor within a couple of months. Of course, at first there will be banal everyday simple phrases: greetings, questions, requests, words to keep the conversation going. Then the vocabulary will expand to 1000-1500 concepts, you will even be able to discuss some events. In everyday life, excluding highly specialized terms at work, the average German resident uses about 2000-2500 different words.

To travel to a country to see the sights and relax, the following basic groups of words are enough:

Greetings and farewells;

Phrases for finding a road: directions, street names;

Necessary phrases for airports, railway stations and public transport;

Necessary phrases for cafes or shopping in stores;

Phrases for emergency situations;

Words to express regret and gratitude;

Expressions for keeping a conversation going.

For a comfortable stay, 100 phrases are enough – that’s about 300-500 words. It’s not enough to learn them, practice pronouncing them correctly so that your interlocutor understands you. You also need to prepare for the expected answers - asking for directions and not understanding the answer will be a very unpleasant discovery. To be on the safe side, you can take a phrasebook to find the right phrase, but you shouldn’t rely on it, it’s difficult to maintain a conversation and look for information in a book.

Phrases for greetings and farewells

Germans are kind and polite people, slightly reserved, and they need good reasons for close communication or invitations to visit. On the street or in a public place, they will gladly come to the aid of someone in need. First, you should learn greeting and conversation starter phrases.

It is customary to say “Hello” and “Bye” to people you know closely and peers. In German the phrases would look like this: “Hallo!” and “Tschüs!”, but they sound “Halo!” and “Chus!” When talking with a stranger or an interlocutor who is clearly older than you, you should use a standard politeness phrase:

Grüss Gott!(Grus Goth) - Hello!
Guten Morgen/Tag/Abend!(guten morgen/tak/abent!), which translated means Good morning/afternoon/evening!
Auf Wiedersehen!- the most common phrase when saying goodbye, an analogue of our “Goodbye!” and it reads “auf wiedersein”.
Bis bald/morgen/später!(bis balt/morgen/spate) – “See you soon/tomorrow/meeting!”

Phrases are appropriate in any situation, whether you know the interlocutor or not, they will be a manifestation of politeness.

Gute Nacht!(gute nakht!) literally translates as “Good night!”, sometimes used by familiar people when saying goodbye.
Alles Gute!(ales gute!) The meaning of the phrase is “Good luck!” or “All the best!”, and its meaning does not change depending on the intonation, as in the Russian language.

Understand! Germans speak very emotionally, in contrast to their coldness and stiffness. Sometimes they seem to express indignation or anger, but in most cases it turns out that this is how the words sound in German. You need to understand that Germans are quite cultured and will not be rude to a stranger without reason.

There is one more phrase, it can also be used when ending a conversation, it is hardly suitable for communicating with strangers - “Viel Glück!” Literally translated as a wish of good luck, or “Happy!”

What you need to keep a conversation going

The Germans are polite and cultured; after greeting you, they will most likely ask you how you are doing or inquire about your health. The phrase goes something like this:

Wie geht es Ihnen? (vi gate es inen?), they thank you in response and ask counter questions. Like that:
Danke, gut Und Ihnen? (danke, gut und inen?), which means “Thank you, everything is fine! And you?"

In German there are 2 forms of the word “Sorry”. To attract the attention of the interlocutor, they say “Entschuldigung”, it looks complicated, but it sounds “entschuldigung”. And if you want to apologize for the inconvenience, then the phrase will sound slightly different - Entschuldigen Sie “entschuldigen zi”.

Remember! The complexity of the German language is word formation; sometimes a word can consist of several parts. Remembering this approach is quite difficult, it will take time.

If you still find it difficult to express yourself in German, you can tell your interlocutor that you do not understand him well and ask if he speaks another language. “Spreche ich deutsch nicht” translates to “I don’t speak German.” You can find out about other languages using the phrase:

Sprechen Sie Russisch/Englisch? (sprechen zi russish/English?), if the interlocutor answers “I” (Ja), you can safely switch to a language more familiar to you.

Essential words at the airport and train station

Arrival in Germany involves passing through customs control at the border or at the airport. As in any other country, here it is better to clearly answer the questions left and try not to say too much. Customs officers may not understand Russian humor, and it will be quite difficult to overcome the language barrier if there is a misunderstanding with government officials.

For your information! At every airport in Germany, as well as at large railway stations, you have the opportunity to ask for help if the problem has gotten out of control and you and the employee no longer understand each other. “Ich brauche einen übersetzer” phrase means that you need a translator.

You may be asked about the purpose of the visit, whether you have all the necessary documents, whether you have filled out a declaration, whether you have permission to import items of luggage, and so on. If you memorize the phrases from the sign, it will not be difficult for you to pass customs control.

At the railway station, questions may arise regarding the location of luggage, orientation in the room, calling a taxi, etc. Even without knowing the correct wording of the desired phrase, there is no need to panic and get upset. Template expressions will come to your aid; using them you can easily explain the problem to station representatives. At the information desk you can find out the information you need: about train schedules, required documents, ticket prices, location of luggage storage, taxi ranks and exits to the city.

By the way, the Germans are friendly people, when they understand that you are a foreigner and you need help, they will be happy to help, and with the presence of translators in smartphones and tablets, you can even start a conversation that is understandable to both.

If you need to order something or buy something in a store

In a cafe or restaurant where you need to place an order, you will need a few basic phrases to ask for the menu and the bill, as well as find out the cost of the dishes:

Wir hätten gern die Karte– we would like to receive a menu.
Können Sie mir etwas empfehlen?– Can you recommend something to me?
Das habe ich nicht bestellt!– this is not my order/I did not order this dish.
Wir möchten bitte bezahlen!/Die Rechnung bitte!- We would like to pay!/Bring the bill, please!
Stimmt so!- No change needed!

By the way, recently it has become common to call waiters simply “Entschuldigung!” (Sorry!), but most often they come up on their own and address visitors with the phrase:

Was kann ich Ihnen anbieten?- What can I offer you?
Or, Was nehmen Sie?– What will you order?

When buying something in a store, you will need to know the cost, expiration date, change amount and other little things. Trying on clothes will require you to know the sizes translated into German or European.

On the street - phrases in German for finding your way

If you move around a German city by taxi or public transport, you will sometimes have to ask for directions or correct the driver's direction. You need to learn phrases to address people on the street and the police. The basis of all expressions of this kind:

Wo befindet sich…/Ich suche…(in befindet zikh.../ikh zuhe...) – where is.../I’m looking for...
die Apotheke(di apoteke) - ... pharmacy;
die Kaufhalle(di kauf-halle) - ... store;
polizeirevier(policeman Revere) - ... police station;
eine Bank(aine bank) - ... bank;
mein Hotel(mein hotel) - ... hotel;
das Postamt(yes postmark) - ... mail.

All the necessary phrases for communicating with public transport and taxi drivers will be enough for you:

For tourists in large cities in Germany, there are many explanatory and guiding signs; on them you can read the information you need, for example, where the toilet is located, or in which direction the square is located. Warning signs in public places are duplicated in English. It is more familiar to our eyes, but you also need to know the German symbols well.

Phrases for hotel or hotel

Upon arrival in the country, you will need to stay somewhere, most likely you will need a hotel or a hotel. Large and famous establishments have a translator, but medium and cheap establishments will meet you with German staff. And you will have to explain your wishes in their native language or with gestures. It's unlikely that everyone will get what they want.

For productive communication with staff, 15-20 phrases will be enough for you:

German phrases for emergencies

On good trips and successful trips, such phrases do not need to be used. But situations are different and you need to know them. At a minimum, so as not to look in the phrasebook for how to call a doctor if someone urgently needs help. It is enough to learn a few things to be able to call the police or doctors at the right time.

Important! Every country has intelligence service phone numbers that you can call even if you don’t have access to a mobile network. You can find them at the hotel reception, at customs or at the information desk.

Situations with money at an exchange office or bank also require understanding, so that an incident does not result from a misunderstanding with employees.

What do you need to visit a foreign country?

In addition to a camera, money and personal belongings, you will definitely need:

Detailed map of the city;
Russian Embassy telephone numbers;
Numbers of special services and codes for calling them from a cell phone;
Russian-German phrasebook in case of an unforeseen situation;
Positive attitude and good spirits;
“Reinforced concrete” knowledge of basic politeness words and the ability to use them.

Nice retreat! Declaring love in German is quite simple, the phrase is simple - “Ich liebe dich”, sounds like “ich liebe dich”.

To summarize, let us recall the main words for communication in any country and in any language:

"Thank you!" in German it sounds like “Danke” or “Danke schön!”
"Please!" will be "Bitte" or "Bitte schön!"
"I'm really sorry!” can be expressed in the words “Es tut mir leid!”
"Nice to meet you!" in German it sounds important and weighty - “Schön, Sie kennenzulernen!”
"Be healthy!"- “Gesundheit!”, regardless of nationality and traditions, a wish for health from the heart will always be accepted by the interlocutor with pleasure.

It is these little things that often help tourists out on the streets of a foreign city, and when combined with common sense, a well-developed route and learned basic phrases, they will allow you to get maximum pleasure from your trip.

Germany is a civilized country, and therefore many Germans not only understand, but can freely communicate in English. If you know at least a little English, you should not have problems in German hotels, restaurants and shops. But, however, there is an exception to every rule, so even in famous 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 words and phrases in German can come in handy. In this article I will try to outline the most basic expressions that can actually help a tourist communicate with Germans in various situations. This article does not in any way resemble a textbook, manual or anything like that - it is simply a list of the most necessary phrases, selected on the basis of our own tourist experience.

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

First of all, it is worth saying that Germans are not as emotional as Italians or Russians. Therefore, a tourist’s attempt to say something in German is perceived by them as no more than an attempt at a communicative act. And if an Italian is sincerely happy when ragazzo russo speaks to him, and even tells him something about himself, then for an ordinary German your speech is simply a transfer of information.

The most commonly used words on a tourist trip are “thank you” and “please”.

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

The Germans are very polite, so they simply say “Bitte” in cases, for example, when handing money to the cashier in a store. In the vast majority of other cases it is better to say this:

Danke schön ("danke schoen") - Thanks a lot
Bitte schön ("bitte schön") - meaning big please.

Moreover, the word schön literally means “beautiful,” that is, “beautiful thank you” and “beautiful please.” The shorter expression is also popular Danke sehr, where sehr (zer) means “very”, and the entire phrase is literally “thank you very much.”

Greetings and farewells

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

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

But in practice they say hello simply: Morgan(in the sense of "good morning"), Tag(in the sense of "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 it is! Regardless of familiarity or age, in Germany "hallo" can be heard in a store, on a train, in a museum or even in a philharmonic hall.

The most commonly used saying when saying goodbye is:

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

Pronunciation. Basic Rules

A few words about pronunciation. In general, German words are quite easy to read, but there are a few nuances.

"ch" - after vowels i , e and consonants are pronounced as something 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 " w"
"st ", "st", if it is at the beginning of a word, it is also read as " w". 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. It is quite difficult for a Russian person to learn to pronounce the German “r”, 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 root of the tongue, larynx.On YouTube and on the Internet you can find a lot of lessons showing exactly how to pronounce this sound. Yes, if the “r” is at the end of a word, then it is almost unpronounced. Beginners are usually advised not to worry and pronounce the usual Slavic “r”. Firstly, this allows you to concentrate not on pronunciation, but on the process of communication itself, which is more important, and, secondly, the Germans understand the Russian “r” very well. The thing is that, for example, in southern Germany, in the Bavarian dialects, “r” often sounds exactly the same as in ours. And I personally have more than once heard the speech of Germans who did not even think of burring, but said “r” quite in our own 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 top of poverty") - I don't understand
Noch ein Bier!("noh ain bia") - More beer!
Well, traditionally the most important question for a tourist
Wie viel? ("Vie fil") - How many?

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

German numbers

eins ("ains") - one
zwei ("zwei") - two
drei ("dray") - three
vier ("fia") - four. It is difficult to give an exact transcription for pronunciation. If you remember, the "r" at the end is almost unpronounceable, but gives the vowel a subtle tint. As a last resort, you can say "fir".
fünf ("fuenf") - five
sechs ("zex", not sex!) - six
sieben ("sieben") - seven
acht ("aht") - eight
neun ("noyn") - nine
zehn("tseyn") - ten

But, as you understand, prices in stores and markets are quite 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,
elf ("elf") - eleven
zwölf ("zwölf") - twelve
The remaining numbers "thirteen", "fourteen" and others are formed by the ending " zehn" ("tseyn"), that is " dreizehn" ("dreizein" - thirteen), " vierzehn" ("fiacein" -fourteen)...
Same thing with tens, where the ending " is added" zig" ("cisch").
zwanzig ("tsvantsisch") - twenty
dreißig ("draisisch") - thirty
vierzig ("fiatsishch") - fourty
funfzig ("funfcisch") - fifty
"g"at the end it is pronounced like a cross between Russian sounds" sch" And " and"

It’s interesting that numbers like 25, 37, etc. are formed in the German language. First, the second digit is pronounced, and then the first, indicating ten.
25 - funfundzwanzig ("fyunfundzvantsisch") - literally five and twenty
36 - sechsunddreißig ("zeksundraysisch")

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

With hundreds (and I hope your bill at the restaurant will not reach such values) it’s also easy. Add 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 you a few more useful phrases:

Kann Ich mit kreditkarte zahlen? ("Kan isch mit credit card tsalen") - Can I pay by credit card?
zahlen ("tsalen") - to pay
Ich ("looking for") - I
Kann ("kan") - I can, remember, as in English "can"

Ich möchte zahlen ("Looking for a place to stay") - I would like to pay. Here " möchte" - “would like to.” That is, a polite, subjunctive mood.
Sometimes Germans do not say zahlen, but bezahlen (“betzalen”). 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") - a trifle. Literally "little money".
Haben Sie Kleingeld? ("Haben si Kleingeld?") - do you have change?

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

Pronouns

Here it is worth giving a few more basic words. First, personal pronouns
Ich ("searching") - I
du ("du") - You. Yes, unlike English, German has a distinction between "you" and "you".
Sie ("zi") - You. Just like 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 “p” is not readable, although “ea” is heard - not an entirely correct transcription, but it is much closer to reality than “er”
es ("it") - surprise! The German language has a neuter gender. For example, Das madchen"medschen" - girl, girl. Neuter word...
wir ("via") - We

Just a little bit of grammar

Now some important verbs.
haben ("haben") - 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 a traveler, you mainly need to remember how certain verbs with the pronouns “I, we, and you” sound.
haben- have
Ich habe ("search hub") - I have, I have
wir haben ("via haben") - you have
Sie haben ("zi haben") - it helps a lot that often verbs in the infinitive and when used with the pronouns “we” and “you” have the same form.
Haben Sie Tee? ("haben zi tee") - do you have tea?

sein- be
Ich bin ("Looking for Bean") - I am
wir sind ("via zind") - we are
Wir sind aus Russia ("via sind aus russland") - we are from Russia. Please note, not “Russland”, but “Russland”.

At the restaurant

Well, now that we have become acquainted with the verb “to have,” remember a very useful phrase. It will come in handy when going to evening restaurants.
Haben Sie einen freien Tisch? ("Haben zi einen fryen Tisch?") - do you have a free table?
frei ("fry") - free
Tisch ("tishch") - table
Wir mochten essen ("via Möchten Essen") - we would like to eat
Kann Ich dort drüben sitzen ("kan isch dort drueben sitzen") - can I network over there?
Ich möchte eine Bestellung aufgeben ("isch meshte eine Beschtellung aufgeben") - I'd like to place an order
Etwas zu trinken? ("etwas zu trinken") - Anything to drink? This is the first question that the waiter usually asks in German restaurants.
Ich hätte gerne etwas zu trinken ("isch hatte gerne etwas zu trinken") - I would like a drink.

Question words

Well, let's move on through the list of the most necessary and necessary phrases?
Wo ist das nächste Hotel/Restaurant/Supermarkt/Bank ("vo ist das nehste wanted/restoron/supermarket/bank") - Where is the nearest hotel/restaurant/supermarket/bank?
In general the word " nächste" ("nahste") means "next" but is used as "nearest" in such questions.
Question words
Wo ("in") - Where?
Wo ist die Toilette? ("in ist di Toilette") - where is the toilet
Wer ("vea") - Who?
Was ("you") - What?
Wie ("in and") - How?
Warum ("varum"- not Angelica) - why?
Wann ("vann") - When?

Simple dialogue

Wie geht's ("Wee Gates") or Wie geht"s Ihnen ("Wee Gates Inan") - How are you? Literally "how's it going?" In general, 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 that the answer is usually simple:
Gut! Und Ihnen ("gut! und inen") - Fine. And your?

Wie heißen sie? ("wi haisen zi") - what is your name?
Wie ist Ihre Name? ("vi ist ire name") - What is your name?
Ich heiße... ("looking for Haise...") - My name is...
Woher commen Sie? ("vohea commen zi") - where are you from?
Ich bin aus Russia ("Isch bin aus Russland") - I'm from Russia.
Ich bin im Urlaub ("isch bin im urlaub") - I'm on vacation