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 Beginners Lessons Lesson 1 Conversation

Lesson 1 - Conversation

Small Talk

In this lesson, Mrs Schmidt and Mrs Williams meet and have a small talk.

To listen to a word or sentence, click on the button of the audio player in front of the respective word or sentence. In order to make the pronunciation easier for you to understand, every sentence is additionally written in phonetic script. Besides, every sentence is translated into English language. However, if the German sentence structure differs from the English one, the sentence is translated literally.

  German text         English translation
Frau Schmidt: Guten Tag, sprechen Sie Deutsch?     Good afternoon, do you speak German?
  ['gu:tən ta:k] ['ʃprɛçən] [zi:] [dɔytʃ]     Literally: Good day, speak you German?
               
 
 
 
 
Frau Williams: Ich verstehe ein bisschen Deutsch.   I understand a little German.
  [ɪç] [fɛɐ'ʃte:ə] [ain] ['bɪsçən] [dɔytʃ]    
               
 
 
 
 
Frau Schmidt: Sind Sie Amerikanerin?       Are you (polite form) American (female form)?
  [zɪnt] [zi:] [ameri'ka:nərɪn]        
               
 
 
 
 
Frau Williams: Nein, ich bin Engländerin.     No, I am English (female form).
  [nain] [ɪç] [bɪn] ['ɛŋlɛndərɪn]      
               
 
 
 
  Und woher kommen Sie?     And where do you come from?
  [ʊnt] [vo'he:ɐ] ['kɔmən] [zi:]     Literally: And where from come you?
               
 
 
 
 
Frau Schmidt: Ich komme aus Hamburg.     I come from Hamburg.
  [ɪç] ['kɔmə] [aus] ['hambʊək]      
               
 
 
 
  Kennen Sie Hamburg?       Do you know Hamburg?
  ['kɛnən] [zi:] ['hambʊək]       Literally: Know you (polite form) Hamburg?
               
 
 
 
 
Frau Williams: Ja, ich mag Hamburg sehr.   Yes, I like Hamburg very much.
  [ja:] [ɪç] [ma:k] ['hambʊək] [ze:ɐ]   Literally: Yes, I like Hamburg very.
               
 
 
 
  Hamburg ist eine schöne Stadt.   Hamburg is a nice city.
  ['hambʊək] [ɪst] ['ainə] ['ʃø:nə] [ʃtat]    
               
 
 

Now you have listened to your first conversation in German. In order to learn about new words and grammar, click on the respective buttons above. After learning, you have the opportunity to do some tests if you click on the buttons "Word Practice", "Grammar Practice" or "Sentence Practice". To learn more about German pronunciation, click on "Pronunciation", and you will find special sites about the alphabet and the phonetic script which is used here. You will also find pronunciation videos which help you to learn special sounds if you roll over "Videos" in the menu bar.