short essay in german language

50 Useful German Essay Words and Phrases

by  fredo21  

January 9, 2019

2  Comments

Essay-writing is in itself already a difficult endeavor. Now writing an essay in a foreign language like German ---that’s on a different plane of difficulty.  

To make it easier for you, here in this article, we’ve compiled the most useful German essay phrases. Feel free to use these to add a dash of pizzazz into your essays. It will add just the right amount of flourish into your writing---enough to impress whoever comes across your work!

You can also download these phrases in PDF format by clicking the button below.

Now here’s your list!

What other German vocabulary list would you like to see featured here? Please feel free to leave a message in the comment section and we’ll try our best to accommodate your requests soon!

Once again, you can download your copy of the PDF by subscribing using the button below!

For an easier way to learn German vocabulary, check out German short stories for beginners!

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• Practice reading and listening with 90+ minutes of audio 
• Learn 1,000+ new German vocabulary effortlessly!

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Useful German Essay Words and Phrases

Essay writing in German is in itself already a difficult endeavor. Now writing an essay in a foreign language like German —that’s on a different plane of difficulty.

To make it easier for you, here in this article, we’ve compiled the most useful German essay phrases. Feel free to use these to add a dash of pizzazz into your essays. It will add just the right amount of flourish into your writing—enough to impress whoever comes across your work!

German essay words

These words are very useful to start writing essays in German in academic way.

Tips for writing an essay in German

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German Texts for Beginners

German texts for beginners to practice reading and comprehension in German language. Understanding written German is both demanding and critical. Here is one simple and enjoyable way to see how you are doing.

Experienced German teachers prepared easy articles and simple conversations in German for beginners (level A1 and A2) and intermediates (level B1 and B2) to evaluate your comprehension and leave you feeling challenged and satisfied. Just click, read, and then answer the multiple-choice questions of the associated test. Your answers get evaluated immediately, and you are ready to move on to the next exercise. It's easy, enjoyable and free.

As an added convenience, you can download and print a pdf version of all texts and exercises.

[email protected] 91 99716 47289

Essential German Essay Phrases to Elevate Your Writing

Writing an essay in German can be a daunting task, especially if you’re not familiar with the language’s unique expressions and structures. To help you navigate the intricacies of German essay writing and add sophistication to your compositions, we have compiled a list of 24 essential phrases. These phrases will not only enhance the clarity and coherence of your writing but also showcase your command over the German language .

Einleitende Sätze (Introductory Phrases):

a. Zunächst einmal… – Firstly…

b. Es ist allgemein bekannt, dass… – It is generally known that…

c. In der heutigen Gesellschaft… – In today’s society…

d. Es lässt sich nicht leugnen, dass… – It cannot be denied that…

Beispielgebende Phrasen (Exemplifying Phrases):

a. Ein gutes Beispiel hierfür ist… – A good example of this is…

b. Zum Beispiel… – For example…

c. Dies wird deutlich, wenn man… – This becomes clear when one…

d. Als Veranschaulichung kann man… – As an illustration, one can…

Verbindende Wörter (Connecting Words):

a. Darüber hinaus… – Furthermore…

b. In Bezug auf… – With regard to…

c. Im Vergleich zu… – In comparison to…

d. Einerseits… andererseits… – On the one hand… on the other hand…

Zusammenfassende Phrasen (Summarizing Phrases):

a. Abschließend lässt sich sagen… – In conclusion, it can be said…

b. Alles in allem… – All in all…

c. Zusammenfassend kann man feststellen… – In summary, one can determine…

d. Im Großen und Ganzen… – By and large…

Hervorhebende Phrasen (Emphasizing Phrases):

a. Es ist besonders wichtig zu betonen… – It is particularly important to emphasize…

b. Es steht außer Frage, dass… – There is no question that…

c. Es lässt sich nicht bestreiten… – It cannot be denied…

d. Es ist unerlässlich, dass… – It is essential that…

Kontrastierende Phrasen (Contrasting Phrases):

a. Im Gegensatz dazu… – In contrast to that…

b. Trotzdem… – Nevertheless…

c. Während… – While…

d. Allerdings… – However…

Abschließende Sätze (Concluding Sentences):

a. Zusammenfassend lässt sich festhalten… – To summarize, it can be stated…

b. Abschließend kann man sagen… – In conclusion, one can say…

c. Letztendlich… – Ultimately…

d. Abschließend bleibt zu sagen… – In conclusion, it remains to be said…

Conclusion : By incorporating these 24 essential phrases into your German essays, you will elevate your writing and demonstrate a strong command of the language. Remember to practice using these phrases in context to ensure a natural flow in your compositions. With time and practice, your German essay writing skills will flourish, allowing you to express your ideas with clarity, coherence, and sophistication. Viel Erfolg! (Good luck!)

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• LearnOutLive

25+ Easy German Short Stories To Boost Your Reading Skills

• Fairytales in simplified german

German Prankster Stories, Folk Tales & Fables

• An Interactive Messenger Story
• René Goscinny in German(re-narration)
• Mark Twain in German (re-narration)
• The Greedy Dog and other German fables
• Post-WWII German short stories

Short Stories, Novels & More From The Goethe Institute

Learning German with stories is one of the most effective ways to increase your vocabulary and rapidly make sense of grammar in action. It has many benefits and there’s even some interesting brain research on how languages affect our cerebral pathways.

But finding easy German short stories to practice your reading skills can be daunting, especially when combing through websites that are all in German. What are good sources? Do they actually use good German? Are they error-free? Fear not! I’ve done the work for you.

In a previous post about reading simple German short stories for beginners  I’ve showcased a handful of literary short stories, mostly from post-war times which are interesting  enough but not  too difficult for beginners. However, even these required a certain level of German to make sense of.

In today’s post, I want to recommend some stories that are easy to understand and accessible, specifically for those who are just beginning to read German. With these stories, even if you are a novice learner, you can start reading without any delay.

12 Fairytales in Easy German Language

Who doesn’t remember the classic fairy-tales by the Grimm brothers like Hänsel und Gretel, Rotkäppchen (Little Red Riding Hood) or Rapunzel? But if you’ve ever tried reading the original in German, you’ll know that most versions of these stories (especially those found on free websites) are told in a very archaic and baroque German, which is not just hard but almost impossible to fathom for novice learners.

Luckily the simplified German portal of national broadcaster NDR has a number of German fairy-tales rewritten in Einfache Sprache (simple language), so even absolute beginners can enjoy these classic tales. Bonus: They all come with slow professional audio narration, so you don’t have to puzzle over pronunciation.

Start reading (or listening) at  ndr.de or select one of the following fairy-tales:

• Rotkäppchen (Little Red Riding Hood)

(Sidenote: I recently wrote an interactive version of this particular fairytale with a modern twist: Rotkäppchen Reloaded )

• Schneewittchen und die sieben Zwerge (Snow White and the 7 dwarfs)
• Dornröschen (Sleeping Beauty)
• Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten (The Bremen Town-Musicians)
• Der Wolf und die sieben Geißlein (The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids)
• Der Hase und der Igel (The Hare and the Hedgehog)
• Rumpelstilzchen (Rumpelstiltskin)
• Hänsel und Gretel
• Die 3 Federn (The Three Feathers)
• Des Teufels rußiger Bruder (The Devil’s Sooty Brother)

The strange and droll antics of the Schildbürger (“citizens of Schilda”) are similar to the Yiddish Chelm stories or the Wise Men of Gotham in the English speaking world and can make for enjoyable reading practice in German.

I’ve selected the tale of how they built a strange triangular town hall, added in-line translation and found a great narration on Youtube, all of which, including my own re-narration of the introduction to the Schildbürger, you can enjoy right here on the blog .

If you enjoy this format I also prepared the famous “ Belling the Cat ” fable by Aesop in a similar style. Fables can be a great literary genre for language learners, because they are often short and have a clear central message. If you’re looking for more fables like these, medienwerkstatt has a bunch.

German Chat Stories

If you’re looking for something a bit more interactive, also check out our Chat Stories where you can enjoy German storytelling in bite-sized bits. Pick up vocabulary as you go through the stories, listen to pronunciation of phrases, do little quizzes, collect words, build up your vocabulary and more. Dive right in or read my little “behind-the-scenes” post about this project.

This is available as an in-browser experience, or just simply add it to your home-screen as a progressive web app. No need to download or install anything.

Nick, His Friends And A Photographer, by René Goscinny (And 2 Other Stories)

This story is told after a chapter from “Le petit Nicolas” by the popular French author Goscinny, world-renown for the Asterix stories. The authors of  deutschalsfremdsprache.ch went to great lengths to retell the story using very simple but grammatically perfect German. This story even comes with a few basic text comprehension questions.

If you like this story, there are also two other chapters:

• Nick und seine Freunde spielen Fußball
• Der kleine Nick am Strand .

Tom Sawyer And The Garden Fence, by Mark Twain (And 7 Other Stories)

In this retelling of a chapter from Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, deutschalsfremdsprache.ch did a similar feat like with the above French story: keeping the original narrative and restructuring grammar and vocabulary to make for easy German reading. Just like the above story, this PDF comes with some exercises.

Other chapters in this series include:

• Tom Sawyer kommt zu spät
• Tom Sawyer auf dem Friedhof
• Tom Sawyer auf der Insel
• Tom Sawyer und die Gerichtsverhandlung
• Tom Sawyer auf Schatzsuche
• Tom Sawyer in der Höhle
• Tom Sawyer findet einen Schatz

Note: all of these stories come with some exercises, but without  an answer key. If you’d like to get the correct answers to all the exercises the owners of this website sell a USB stick containing all their worksheets plus answers.

The Greedy Dog, by Erasmus Alberus (And Tons Of Other Stories)

The Carl-Kehr-Schule in Halberstadt offers a content-rich website with tons of easy German short stories in a wide range of categories. You’ll find stories about animals, seasons, quizzes, fables, legends, ballads and much more.

While these texts are originally intended to help deaf children boost their vocabulary and reading skills (see my post on Leichte Sprache ), they are actually really helpful for German learners as well, since the stories are very short and to the point.

The presentation of the website may look a bit outdated, but don’t be discouraged. This is a treasure trove of easy German short stories, all available in convenient PDF format, many of them even with illustrations. The stories are organized according to categories: Märchen (fairy-tales), Sagen (legends), Fabeln (fables), Schwänke (droll stories), animals , and much more.

For example, here’s a very short fable entitled “The Greedy Dog”, originally by Erasmus Alberus, retold in easy German:

And since we’re talking about Leichte Sprache , I’d also like to mention Bremen Lebenshilfe, a registered association that is dedicated to helping the mentally handicapped, and their website in simplified German with easy German short stories.

The stories cost a few euros each, but they also provide a free sample which showcases the barrier-free layout and fitting illustrations. While originally designed for people with handicap, I think these short stories can be an excellent way for beginner German learners to start reading.

5 German Post-WWII Short Stories

Trümmerliteratur (“rubble literature”) was a German literary movement that began somewhere after World War II, dealing with both the literal and metaphorical rubble. Taking the American short story as a model, authors of this movement employed very simple and direct language as a way of coming to terms with the new post-destruction reality. They focused on clear and concise descriptions, and cut out a lot of the embellishments of prior literary movements.

It is precisely this simplified language which can serve as a stepping stone for German learners to make their first forays into literary German without getting bogged down in endlessly meandering sentences.

As mentioned in the intro, I’ve selected and summarized five of these stories for you.

The Goethe Institute offers more than 35,000 German language media, including novels, magazines, audiobooks and of course short stories in their eLibrary titled “Onleihe” (a wordplay on ‘online’ and ‘ausleihen’, i.e. to borrow). After registering a free account you can borrow desired titles for up to 2, 4 or 7 days.

Before signing up you can browse their library and check out free reading samples. Tip: Enter “Kurzgeschichte” into the search form to filter for “short stories”. As of the time of this writing, Onleihe offers more than 82 entries for this keyword, some even with audio. For beginners, I’d recommend checking out the graded readers by “Hueber” ( example ).

The only restriction for using Onleihe is that you need to have a permanent residence outside of Germany. If you’re currently located in Germany, you can still use the Onleihe, but will have to access its contents via the digital portal of your local library .

Talking about Goethe, the Goethe Institute Spain has used to have a nice collection of German short stories and excerpts from novels (sorted by levels from A2 to C1) by contemporary authors. Most of these come came with interactive exercises, text comprehension questions, quizzes and some even have integrated audio. Unfortunately these resources have since been removed but you can still access some of the archived versions on the WayBackMachine .

Learn German With Stories: Dino lernt Deutsch

Last but not least, I’d like to point you to my ongoing story series for German learners titled Dino lernt Deutsch, designed for language learners (from absolute beginners and upwards) who are tired of the same old practice sentences and want to build up their confidence without getting overwhelmed.

In essence, it’s a comedy/travel-series about a young man from Sicily who tries to pave his path in the German speaking world, in each episode exploring one city in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and beyond, chock-full of cultural misunderstandings and other bewildering discoveries. The first book Café in Berlin was released in 2013, and ever since I’ve been continuously working on the series which now has more than 10 volumes.

These books start out at around the A1/2* level, gently sloping up towards B1/2 over the course of the series. For more detailed information about difficulty levels see the quick start guide . Or you can just dive right in and browse through the excerpts for each book to get a feel for the difficulty level.

All the books are available on paperback ,  Kindle , Apple Books , etc., or as DRM-free MOBI/EPUB/PDF downloads directly from our site , alongside audio editions, flashcards, bonus materials and much more:

Get Dino lernt Deutsch

*If you’re interested in delving into the technicalities of CEFR and a bit of my general writing philosophy behind these books, also check out this post on my personal blog.

About the Author

André Klein has been teaching languages for more than 15 years and is the author of various short stories for German learners such as Dino lernt Deutsch and Baumgartner & Momen , grammar guides, children's books and more.

Curious about learning German with stories?

Find out why it works, where to start and how to master this time-tested method, with our free 5-day email course . You can unsubscribe anytime.

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Explore dungeons, fight monsters, and learn German one sword-fight at a time with this interactive fantasy story for intermediate German learners.

Essays on “hobbies” in German

• by Deutsch mit Leo
• 13 minute read

How to write an essay “My hobbies” in German or just talk about different hobbies in German, what words you may need and what basic rules you should keep in mind – in our today’s article, which will be useful not only for schoolchildren and students, but also for those who learn German as an adult .

Four things to keep in mind!

1.  Since we are writing about what has already happened, we will use the past tense or the perfect past ( Präteritum or Perfekt  – when to use what  ).  Präteritum , and this is the second form of the verb, is correct in writing and emphasizes the descriptive character.  Perfect , on the other hand , is used more in colloquial speech, and in writing it conveys the shade of a story or conversation.

2.  There is also an important grammatical feature worth remembering:  wenn and als temporary conjunctions  – “ when “.  Wenn  tells us about “when” that happens regularly, several times, every time.  Als  tells about a one-time event in the past.

3.  The essay format involves writing a related text, expressing opinions and wishes, as well as a touch of sincerity, so when you start writing, stock up on a set of cliché expressions and introductory words, a la “  Ich hoffe, dass…  “, “  Ich denke, …  “,”  Hoffentlich “, etc.

4.  It is also necessary to remember the grammatical difference between the questions “  where?  ” and “  Where?  “. “Where?” – WO?  – requires after itself strictly Dativ, and  “Where?” – WOHIN?  – supplemented in  Akkusativ .

Having discussed the main points of writing an essay, let’s move on to the necessary vocabulary.

The most basic:

• aufführen  —  to perform
• sammeln  —  to collect
• schreiben  —  to write
• konkurrieren  —  to compete
• spielen  — to play
• singen   — to sing
• Ski laufen  — to ski
• bowlen   — to bowl
• tanzen   — to dance
• fischen  — to fish
• zeichnen  — to draw
• mahlen   — to paint
• reisen  — to travel
• kochen  — to cook
• einkaufen  — to shop
• nähen  — to sew
• zocken   — to gamble
• campen gehen  — to camp
• fotografieren  — to photograph

Popular German hobbies

There are many popular German hobbies that people enjoy. Some of these hobbies include playing sports, hiking, biking, and spending time outdoors. Germany is a country with a rich culture and history, so it is no surprise that its citizens enjoy spending time doing things that are both fun and educational.

Playing sports is a popular German hobby. Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in the country, followed by basketball, handball, and volleyball. Germans love to watch and play sports, and many of them are very good at it.

Hiking is another popular German hobby. The country has a large number of forests and mountains, so there are plenty of places to explore. Germans often hike with friends or family, and it is a great way to get some exercise and fresh air.

Biking is also a popular German hobby. Germany has a large network of bike paths, and many people use bikes as their primary form of transportation. Biking is a great way to see the country and get some exercise.

Spending time outdoors is a popular German hobby. Germany has a temperate climate, so there are many opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. Germans often spend time in parks, forests, and mountains.

They also enjoy activities such as swimming, fishing, and camping. Germany is a country with a rich culture and history, so it is no surprise that its citizens enjoy spending time doing things that are both fun and educational. Playing sports, hiking, biking, and spending time outdoors are all popular German hobbies.

Example essays:

• Wandern – hiking.
• Tennis spielen – playing tennis.
• Gärtnerei – Gardening.
• Reisen – travelling

1. Wandern – hiking.

Mein Hobby ist das Wandern. Ich liebe die Natur und die frische Luft. Wandern ist eine großartige Möglichkeit, sich zu bewegen und die schöne Umgebung zu genießen.

Ich wandere normalerweise am Wochenende. Meistens treffe ich mich mit Freunden oder meiner Familie und wir gehen gemeinsam wandern. Manchmal mache ich aber auch alleine eine Wanderung. Das ist besonders dann schön, wenn ich in der Natur Ruhe finden möchte.

Für das Wandern braucht man nicht viel. Bequeme Schuhe und Kleidung sind natürlich wichtig, aber ansonsten benötigt man keine besonderen Ausrüstungsgegenstände.

Ich finde das Wandern ist ein sehr schönes Hobby, weil man dabei die Natur genießen und sich gleichzeitig gut bewegen kann. Es ist auch ein sehr geselliges Hobby, da man es gemeinsam mit anderen Leuten machen kann.

Translation

My hobby is hiking. I love nature and the fresh air. Hiking is a great way to get exercise and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

I usually go hiking at the weekend. I usually meet up with friends or family and we go hiking together. But sometimes I also go on a hike by myself. This is especially nice when I want to find peace in nature.

You don’t need much for hiking. Comfortable shoes and clothes are important, of course, but apart from that you don’t need any special equipment.

I think hiking is a very nice hobby because you can enjoy nature and get good exercise at the same time. It is also a very sociable hobby because you can do it together with other people.

2. Tennis spielen – playing tennis.

Mein Hobby ist Tennis. Ich spiele Tennis, weil ich es gerne mache und weil ich gesund bleiben möchte. Tennis ist ein guter Sport für die Gesundheit. Man muss sich nicht nur körperlich, sondern auch mental anstrengen.

Ich spiele Tennis, seit ich ein kleines Kind bin. Meine Eltern haben mich zum Tennisspielen mitgenommen. Sie sind sehr stolz auf mich, weil ich Tennis so gut spiele.

Ich spiele Tennis jeden Tag. Ich stehe um sechs Uhr auf und gehe zum Tennisplatz. Dort treffe ich meine Freunde und wir spielen zusammen.

Wir spielen immer bis zum Mittag. Dann gehen wir nach Hause und essen zusammen.

Tennis ist ein sehr teurer Sport. Man braucht einen Tennisplatz, einen Ball und einen Schläger. Manchmal muss man auch einen Trainer bezahlen.

Tennis ist ein sehr sozialer Sport. Man trifft viele Menschen und lernt sie kennen. Man kann auch mit anderen Menschen Freundschaften schließen.

Translation:

My hobby is tennis. I play tennis because I like doing it and because I want to stay healthy. Tennis is a good sport for your health. You have to make an effort not only physically but also mentally.

I’ve been playing tennis since I was a little kid. My parents took me to play tennis. They are very proud of me because I play tennis so well.

I play tennis every day. I get up at six o’clock and go to the tennis court. There I meet my friends and we play together. We always play until noon. Then we go home and have dinner together.

Tennis is a very expensive sport. You need a tennis court, a ball and a racket. Sometimes you also have to pay a coach.

Tennis is a very social sport. You meet a lot of people and get to know them. You can also make friends with other people.

3. Gärtnerei – Gardening

Der kleine Garten vor meinem Haus ist das Ergebnis meines Lieblingshobbys, der Gärtnerei. Gartenarbeit ist mein Lieblingshobby. Ich denke, es ist das beste aller Hobbys, dem man mit viel Vergnügen und Nutzen für die Gesundheit nachgehen kann. Ich habe einen kleineren Garten angelegt, der Spaß macht und der Gesundheit zugute kommt. Ich habe einen kleinen Garten vor meinem Haus angelegt. Wenn ich in meinem kleinen Garten sitze, ist das eine große Freude. Süße duftende Blumen in verschiedenen Farben versüßen mir das Gemüt. Er hilft mir in vieler Hinsicht. Bei der Arbeit im Garten verbringe ich nicht nur meine Zeit sinnvoller, sondern verbessere auch meine Gesundheit, denn ich treibe unwillkürlich Sport. Es bringt mich der Natur näher und ich fühle mich verloren in der Schönheit der Blüten und Blumen um mich herum.

Der Garten vor meinem Haus ist wahrlich klein, aber trotzdem bin ich stolz auf das Ergebnis meiner eigenen harten Arbeit. Es gibt kleinere Blumenbeete, in denen ich saisonale Blumen anpflanze. Wenn die Pflanzen blühen, fühle ich einen Schauer der Freude und bin stolz auf meine kreative Arbeit. Wann immer einer meiner Freunde mich etwas über die Aussaat und Pflege von Pflanzen fragt, gebe ich ihm mit Freude Informationen. Ich gebe ihm mit freudigen Gefühlen Auskunft.

Umgeben von den Blumenbeeten gibt es eine kleinere Rasenfläche mit weichem, samtgrünem Gras. Ich mag diesen Rasen sehr und bin stolz darauf, dass er gepflegt, ordentlich und sauber ist. Abends sitzen wir auf dieser Wiese und plaudern und diskutieren über verschiedene Dinge. Am Rande der Wiese habe ich Obstbäume gepflanzt. Einige der Obstbäume tragen Früchte, aber die meisten sind noch jung. Wenn einer meiner Freunde kommt, biete ich ihm voller Stolz die Früchte aus meinem eigenen Garten an. Die Trauben, Guaven und Granatäpfel aus meinem Garten sind sehr süß und saftig. Letztes Jahr habe ich einen Mangobaum gepflanzt, der zur Überraschung meiner Freunde, Verwandten und sogar meiner selbst dieses Jahr Früchte getragen hat. Wenn heutzutage ein Besucher in mein Haus kommt, zeige ich ihm voller Stolz den kaum zwei Meter hohen Baum, der die Früchte trägt. Dieser kleine Garten ist ein Ort, an dem ich Frieden und Glück finde.

The small garden in front of my house is the result of my favourite hobby, gardening. Gardening is my favourite hobby. I think it is the best of all hobbies to pursue with a lot of pleasure and health benefits. I have started a smaller garden which is fun and beneficial to health. I have created a small garden in front of my house. When I sit in my small garden, it is a great joy. Sweet smelling flowers in different colours sweeten my mind. It helps me in many ways. When I work in the garden, I not only spend my time more wisely, but also improve my health because I involuntarily exercise. It brings me closer to nature and I feel lost in the beauty of the blossoms and flowers around me.

The garden in front of my house is truly small, but nevertheless I am proud of the result of my own hard work. There are smaller flower beds where I plant seasonal flowers. When the plants bloom, I feel a shiver of joy and am proud of my creative work. Whenever one of my friends asks me something about sowing and caring for plants, I give him information with joy. I give him information with joyful feelings.

Surrounded by the flower beds, there is a smaller lawn with soft, velvety green grass. I like this lawn very much and am proud that it is well-kept, neat and clean. In the evenings we sit on this lawn and chat and discuss various things. At the edge of the meadow I have planted fruit trees. Some of the fruit trees bear fruit, but most of them are still young. When one of my friends comes, I proudly offer him the fruits from my own garden. The grapes, guavas and pomegranates from my garden are very sweet and juicy. Last year I planted a mango tree which has borne fruit this year to the surprise of my friends, relatives and even myself. These days, when a visitor comes to my house, I proudly show him the tree that is barely two metres high and bears the fruit. This little garden is a place where I find peace and happiness.

4. Reisen – travelling

Reisen ist eine der wenigen Aktivitäten, die eine Art Reset-Knopf in unserem Leben darstellen. Man geht für ein paar Tage oder Wochen weg und kommt frisch und bereit zurück, sich den Anforderungen des Lebens zu stellen. Für viele Menschen ist das Reisen eher eine Frage der Bequemlichkeit als eine Freizeitbeschäftigung. Sie reisen nur dann, wenn sie ein Geschäft haben, um das sie sich kümmern müssen. Reisen ist auch nichts für Eskapisten, wie viele Menschen zu glauben pflegen. Ich verwende das Wort “Eskapisten” nicht im literarischen Sinne des Wortes, sondern im Sinne von Menschen, die vor ihren Problemen davonlaufen. Reisen ist ein Hobby wie jedes andere.

Die meisten Menschen verstehen nicht, dass das Fortbewegen von einem Ort zum anderen mit unterhaltsamen Aktivitäten wie Filme schauen, Schwimmen, Tanzen oder Zeichnen gleichzusetzen ist. Obwohl es mehr Herausforderungen als andere Hobbys mit sich bringt, ist es abenteuerlicher und bringt denjenigen, die es lieben, das gleiche Maß an Zufriedenheit oder mehr.

Reisen war schon immer Teil unserer Familientradition. Meine Eltern haben uns von klein auf beigebracht, wie wichtig es ist, mindestens einmal im Jahr in den Urlaub zu fahren. Obwohl sie sich wünschten, wir könnten jedes Jahr viele Reisen machen, waren wir finanziell nicht gut gestellt, und meine Eltern mussten mit dem Wenigen, das sie hatten, kreativ umgehen und manchmal das ganze Jahr für eine einzige Reise sparen. Wir hätten Kreditkarten benutzen können, aber das hätte uns nur noch mehr in finanzielle Nöte gestürzt. Mein Vater war sehr streng, wenn es um Finanzen ging, und er warnte uns davor, Schulden zu machen, um Luxusgüter zu kaufen. Wenn wir etwas wollten, mussten wir kreative und legale Wege finden, um das Geld dafür zu verdienen.

Obwohl wir nicht viel hatten, war Geld für ihn nie eine Ausrede. Meine Eltern fanden kreative Wege, um mit dem Budget auszukommen. So fuhren wir zum Beispiel mit dem Auto zu unserem Zielort, anstatt zu fliegen, und wir nahmen die hausgemachten Mahlzeiten meiner Mutter mit. Wir haben nur selten Kreditkarten benutzt, und wenn, dann ging es um Leben und Tod. Die meisten unserer Urlaube fanden daher in den Dezemberferien statt. Das waren die schönsten Tage in meinem Leben. Es waren auch die Tage, an denen unsere Familienbande gestärkt wurden. Wir stritten und zankten uns, aber am Ende kamen wir immer wieder zusammen und fanden eine Lösung.

Auf diesen Reisen lernten wir mehr über das Leben als in den Jahren, die wir zu Hause verbrachten. Was ich gerade gesagt habe, mag für jemanden, der nicht viel reist, weit hergeholt erscheinen, wenn man die Kürze der Ferien bedenkt, aber die Realität ist, dass Ferien nie wie geplant verlaufen. Der Urlaub ist weit entfernt von der normalen Lebensroutine, die darin besteht, morgens aufzuwachen, zur Arbeit/Schule zu gehen und abends wieder nach Hause zu kommen. Ein Urlaub ist mit vielen Risiken verbunden. Man ist in einem fremden Land mit neuen Menschen und einer neuen Kultur. Sie müssen mit den wenigen Mitteln, die Ihnen zur Verfügung stehen, arbeiten, um die Reise so unterhaltsam wie möglich zu gestalten, aber mit einem gewissen Maß an Einschränkungen, damit Ihre Familie nicht gestrandet ist.

Das Schöne am Reisen ist, dass man nie ganz aus ihm herauswachsen kann. Ich fahre auch als Erwachsener noch in den Urlaub, auch wenn meine Gründe vielleicht etwas anders sind als die meiner Eltern. Abgesehen von dem offensichtlichen Grund, dass ich mich amüsieren und vom Alltagsstress ablenken will, setzt der Urlaub in mir die “kreativen Säfte” frei. Als Schriftstellerin neige ich dazu, mich ausgebrannt zu fühlen, wenn ich zu lange in der gleichen Umgebung lebe. Manchmal brauche ich einen Tapetenwechsel, damit meine künstlerische Arbeit das Licht der Welt erblicken kann. In der Welt der Literatur ist bekannt, dass die meisten der besten Schriftsteller ihre besten Ideen in fremden Ländern hatten.

Ich mache gelegentlich nur deshalb Urlaub, um andere Kulturen kennen zu lernen und mit anderen Menschen in Kontakt zu kommen, um Ideen für meine literarische Arbeit zu bekommen. Außerdem lernt man seine Heimat umso mehr zu schätzen, wenn man sie nicht mehr kennt. Das Gefühl, das man nach einem Urlaub hat, wenn man sich auf der Couch niederlässt und einfach nur entspannt, ist unbezahlbar. Wenn man reist, lernt man die Menschen und ihre Kulturen schätzen, und vor allem lernt man sein Leben und das Wenige, das man hat, zu schätzen.

Travelling is one of the few activities that is a kind of reset button in our lives. You go away for a few days or weeks and come back fresh and ready to face the demands of life. For many people, travel is more about convenience than leisure. They only travel when they have a business to attend to. Travelling is also not for escapists, as many people tend to believe. I use the word “escapists” not in the literary sense of the word, but in the sense of people who run away from their problems. Travelling is a hobby like any other.

Most people don’t understand that moving from one place to another equates to enjoyable activities like watching movies, swimming, dancing or drawing. Although it brings more challenges than other hobbies, it is more adventurous and brings the same level of satisfaction or more to those who love it.

Travelling has always been part of our family tradition. My parents taught us from a young age the importance of going on holiday at least once a year. Although they wished we could take many trips each year, we were not well off financially and my parents had to be creative with what little they had, sometimes saving all year for a single trip. We could have used credit cards, but that would only have put us in more financial hardship. My father was very strict when it came to finances and he warned us not to go into debt to buy luxuries. If we wanted something, we had to find creative and legal ways to earn the money for it.

Although we didn’t have much, money was never an excuse for him. My parents found creative ways to get by on a budget. For example, we drove to our destination by car instead of flying, and we took my mother’s home-cooked meals with us. We rarely used credit cards, and when we did, it was a matter of life and death. Most of our holidays therefore took place during the December holidays. Those were the best days of my life. They were also the days when our family bonds were strengthened. We argued and bickered, but in the end we always came back together and found a solution.

We learned more about life on those trips than in the years we spent at home. What I just said may seem far-fetched to someone who doesn’t travel much, considering the shortness of holidays, but the reality is that holidays never go as planned. Holidays are a far cry from the normal routine of life, which is to wake up in the morning, go to work/school and come back home in the evening. A holiday comes with many risks. You are in a foreign country with new people and a new culture. You have to work with the few resources you have to make the trip as fun as possible, but with a certain amount of restrictions so that your family is not stranded.

The beauty of travel is that you can never quite outgrow it. I still go on holiday as an adult, although my reasons may be a little different to those of my parents. Apart from the obvious reason that I want to have fun and distract myself from the stresses of everyday life, holidays release the “creative juices” in me. As a writer, I tend to feel burnt out when I live in the same environment for too long. Sometimes I need a change of scenery so that my artistic work can see the light of day. In the world of literature, it is well known that most of the best writers had their best ideas in foreign countries.

I occasionally go on holiday just to get to know other cultures and come into contact with other people, to get ideas for my literary work. Besides, you learn to appreciate your home country all the more when you don’t know it anymore. The feeling you get after a holiday when you settle down on the couch and just relax is priceless. When you travel, you learn to appreciate the people and their cultures, and most of all, you learn to appreciate your life and the little you have.

More essays to come.

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German Word Of The Day

How to introduce yourself in German (easy PDF script)

When you start learning German, one of the very first things you will probably learn is how to introduce yourself in German. There are several reasons why this topic is important. First, every time you meet new people in a German-speaking country, you are going to introduce yourself in German. You will repeat the same phrases in German so many times, that it makes sense to learn them by heart at the very beginning of your language-learning journey. Second, the self-introduction phrases are relatively easy to learn even if you are a total beginner. Being able to talk about yourself in a new language so quickly gives you an immediate boost in confidence and motivates you to learn more. So don’t hesitate and learn how to introduce yourself in German.

Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. I may earn an affiliate commission for some purchases you make through those links at no extra cost for you.

My tip for you: Download and print “How to introduce yourself in German PDF” , fill it with the information about yourself and learn it by heart as a script.

If you don’t know how to say some words like your country, profession, or hobby in German, use any available  online dictionary to translate.

Practice your introduction with someone who speaks German and tell them to ask you questions as well. If you don’t know anyone who speaks German, try looking for a language exchange partner or tutor online, for example, on Italki . I taught German on Italki for almost 2 years and used it as a student to learn Hindi and English.  You can find not only professional German teachers but also community tutors on Italki . Community tutors are native speakers without formal teacher education. Community speakers usually charge less than professional teachers and they are perfect for practicing informal conversation.

How to introduce yourself in German PDF

1. how to say “my name is ….” in german..

Ich heiße _______ . – My name is (name)  ( li terally means ‘I am called….’) .

Ich bin _______ . – I am (name).

Mein Name ist _______ . – My name is (name, surname) .

Ich heiße Maria. – My name is Maria.

Ich bin David. – I am David.

Mein Name ist Lucy Stein. – My name is Lucy Stein.

First two options are less formal. “Mein Name ist …” is more often used when you say your full name.

2. Country and nationality in German.

Ich komme aus  _______ . – I am from (country).

Ich komme aus Deutschland. – I am from Germany.

Ich komme aus Indien. – I am from India.

Ich komme aus den USA. – I am from the USA.

Ich komme aus der Ukraine. – I am from Ukraine.

Most of countries in German language are used without articles, but there are some exceptions like die USA, die Ukraine, die Türkei  etc. The preposition aus = from always takes the dative case, so if the country has an article, you have to change the article to dative case. I know it can be confusing for the beginners, so you can also just use Google your country name. Easy German has a great video about countries with articles .

If you want to mention your nationality, you can also say:

Ich bin  _______ . – I am (nationality).

Ich bin Mexikaner/Mexikanerin. – I am Mexican.

Ich bin Amerikaner/Amerikanerin. – I am American.

For most nationalities, the ending -in is added for the female form.

3.  Place of residence

Ich wohne in _______ . – I live in (city/country).

Ich wohne in Berlin. – I live in Berlin.

Ich wohne in Australien. – I live in Australia.

Ich wohne in der Schweiz. – I live in Switzerland.

Here the preposition in also takes Dative case, so you have to conjugate the article in dative if the country is used with the article.

4. Age, birthday

Ich bin _______ Jahre alt. – I am (age) years old.

Ich bin _______. – I am (age).

Mein Geburtstag ist im _______ . – My birthday is in (month).

Ich bin 26 (sechsundzwanzig) Jahre alt. – I’m 26 years old.

Ich bin 55 (fünfundfünfzig). – I am 55.

Mein Geburtstag ist im August. – My birthday is in August.

Months in German are very similar to English, read more here .

5. Occupation, job

Ich bin _______ von Beruf. – literally means I’m ____ by profession.

Ich bin _______ . – I’m (profession).

Ich bin Student/Studentin. – I am a student.

Ich bin Rentner/Rentnerin. – I am retired.

Ich bin Lehrer/Lehrerin von Beruf. – I’m a teacher.

Ich bin Programmierer/Programmiererin. – I’m a programmer.

Ich bin Arzt/Ärztin. – I’m a doctor.

Same as with nationalities, the words for professions in German are different for women and men. The ending     -in indicates that the person is female.

6. Languages

Meine Muttersprache ist _______. – My mother tongue is (language).

Ich spreche  _______. – I speak (language).

Ich lerne _______. – I am learning (language).

Meine Muttersprache ist Spanisch. – My mother tongue is Spanish.

Ich spreche Englisch, Französisch und Arabisch. – I speak English, French and Arabic.

Ich lerne Chinesisch und Deutsch. – I am learning Chinese and German.

7. Talking about family in German

Ich bin _______. – I’m (marital status).

Ich bin ledig/verheiratet. – I’m single/married.

Ich habe _______. – I have (children/siblings)

Ich habe ein Kind/zwei Kinder. – I have a child/two children.

Ich habe keine Kinder. – I don’t have children.

Ich habe 3(drei) Geschwister. – I have 3 siblings.

Ich habe keine Geschwister. – I don’t have siblings.

Ich habe einen Bruder/zwei Brüder. – I have a brother/two brothers.

Ich habe eine Schwester/zwei Schwestern. – I have a sister/two sisters.

Ich bin ledig und habe keine Kinder. – I’m single and dont have children.

Ich bin verheiratet und habe 3 Kinder. – I’m married and have 3 children.

Ich habe einen Bruder und zwei Schwester. – I have a brother and 2 sisters.

Ich habe 3 Schwestern. – I have 3 sisters.

More family vocabulary and phrases to talk about family in German

8. Hobbies in German

Mein Hobby ist _______. – My hobby is (hobby).

Meine Hobbys sind _______. – My hobbies are (hobbies).

Mein Hobby ist Musik. – My hobby is music.

Meine Hobbys sind singen und tanzen. – My hobbies are singing and dancing.

Mein Hobby ist Einkaufen. – My hobby is shopping.

9. How to say “I like…/I don’t like…” in German.

To say “I like doing something”

Ich _______ gerne. – I like (doing some activity).

Ich _______ nicht gerne. – I don’t like (doing some activity).

Ich reise gerne. – I like travelling.

Ich koche nicht gerne. – I don’t like cooking.

Ich lese gerne Bücher. – I like reading books.

Ich esse gerne Gemüse. – I like to eat vegetables.

To say “I like something”

Ich mag _______. – I like (something).

Ich mag _______ nicht. – I don’t like (something).

Ich mag Sushi. – I like sushi.

Ich mag Pizza nicht. – I don’t like pizza.

Ich mag Kaffee, aber ich mag Tee nicht. – I like coffee but I don’t like tea.

To talk about your favorite things

Mein Lieblings… ist _______. – My favourite (food/movie/sport) is (name).

Mein Lieblingsessen ist Pizza. – My favorite food is Pizza.

Mein Lieblingssport ist Fußball. – My favorite sport is football.

You can add Lieblings- (favorite) to any word to talk about your favorite things: Lieblingsschauspieler(favorite actor), Lieblingsbuch(favorite book), Lieblingsfilm(favorite movie), Lieblingsgetränk(favorite drink).

Now introduce yourself in German in the comments below!

germanwordoftheday

2 responses to “How to introduce yourself in German (easy PDF script)”

Ich mag diesen Blog. Vielen Dank an den Entwickler

It’s very nice and it is easy to understand but can add some poin like after introduction how to end of introduction phase

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Talking About School in German: 98 Essential Words and Phrases

For most people, school is one of the most significant and memorable parts of life. It’s not all that different for German students.

But the school system in German—and all the vocabulary surrounding it—does take some getting used to for foreigners.

In this post, you’ll learn all the words and phrases you need to talk about school in German, from grade levels, to class subjects, to complaining about homework and more.

Basic School Vocabulary in German

School subjects, people at school, school supplies and materials , places in a school, the german school system, phrases for talking about school in german, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Here are some key terms you might need to know to talk about school in German:

The German school curriculum is quite comprehensive with an emphasis on extracurricular activities . It also encourages students to take up unconventional fields such as sports, fashion, etc. as a full-time career.

The grading system in German education is cumulative. The grading scale ranges from 1 to 5 , with 1 being the highest and anything lower than a 4 counting as a fail. The scores range in decimals of .3, .5 and .7. For example, a student could have grades such as 1.3, 2.5 and 3.7.

The German education system is quite practical and example-oriented. For instance, fractions in mathematics are taught with the help of cake-cutting.

Probability is quite an important topic in math and science classes. This all shouldn’t come as a surprise, though, given Germany’s preoccupation with certainty.

The subjects dealt with at school are pretty much the usual ones:

Here are some of the words for various people who you’ll find in a school, either working there or attending:

If you’re going to school in Germany or sending your kids to school there, you’re going to need to know the words for different school supplies. Here are some of the most common ones: 

A schoolbag plays quite an important role in a German child’s life. In fact, there’s a  tradition called Schultüte (literally “school bag,”) where children starting school are given cone-shaped bags filled with chocolates and stationery.

In the old days, children were told that these bags grew on a special  Schultütenbaum (schoolbag tree) in the teacher’s classroom, ready to be picked for the child’s first day of school. 

These words will help you find your way around a school in Germany, or help a German speaker find their way around if they’re visiting your school: 

In Germany, school attendance becomes mandatory starting at age six . The school policies and structure of each schooling level  depend on where in Germany the student lives .

At the secondary level (after four to six years of elementary schooling), students can choose between one of four types of schools, which we’ll discuss below.

The following are the  types of elementary schools one can find in Germany :

The secondary level (high school)  that follows the primary level can be a choice from any of the below:

Here are some example sentences to show you how these vocabulary terms are used in context: 

Ich gehe in die Schule . (I go to school .) *Note that this usually implies you work at or attend school. It’s somewhat more common to say zur Schule , when talking about your journey to the building itself. Notice also that with the use of the verb gehen (to go), we need to use the accusative case after the preposition in . 

Ich bin in der Schule .   (I’m at school .)  *Note that this refers to your physical location, so you need to use the dative case after the preposition  in . 

Wann machen wir Pause ? (When do we take a break ?) *The Germans say Pause machen, which literally translates to “to do a break.”

Ich mache Sport . (I’m doing P.E. / I’m playing sports / I’m doing exercise.) *Again, the Germans say S port machen (to play sport).

Welche Stunde haben wir jetzt? (Which period do we have now?)

Hast du die Hausaufgaben gemacht? (Have you done the homework ?)

Der Lehrplan für das neue Schuljahr wurde überarbeitet. (The curriculum for the new school year has been revised.)

Deutsch ist einfach . (German is easy .)

Mathe ist schwer . (Math is tough .)

Der Unterricht war interessant . (The class was interesting .)

Der Unterricht war langweilig . (The class was boring .)

Ich habe eine gute Note bekommen. (I got a good grade .)

Ich habe die Prüfung bestanden. (I passed the exam .)

Ich habe die Prüfung durchgefallen . (I failed the exam.)

Du fielst in Geschichte durch. (You’re failing in history .)

Du bestehst bestimmt dieses mal. (You’ll pass this time for sure.)

By reviewing these words and phrases, you’ll be able to talk about school in German with confidence and ease.

So if you’re going to school in Germany, sending your kids to school there or need to talk to a German speaker about schooling, you’ll feel well prepared. 

You can pick up more common German vocabulary like this on FluentU.

Want to know the key to learning German effectively?

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Watching a fun video, but having trouble understanding it? FluentU brings native videos within reach with interactive subtitles.

You can tap on any word to look it up instantly. Every definition has examples that have been written to help you understand how the word is used. If you see an interesting word you don't know, you can add it to a vocabulary list.

And FluentU isn't just for watching videos. It's a complete platform for learning. It's designed to effectively teach you all the vocabulary from any video. Swipe left or right to see more examples of the word you're on.

The best part is that FluentU keeps track of the vocabulary that you're learning, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned.

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StoryLearning

Learn A Language Through Stories

92 Basic German Phrases To Survive Your First Conversation With A Native

Have you ever wanted to learn German?

Or are you planning a trip to a German-speaking country?

To get started and have your first basic conversations in German, you're going to need to learn some words!

In this post, you'll learn 92 basic German phrases and words that will help you on your travels or just at home. 

To make it easier for you, I've divided the phrases into different categories.

German Greetings & Introductions

• “I do not understand!” – Getting Out Of Sticky Situations

Numbers In German

Visiting a german restaurant, transport – getting around in germany.

• Asking For Directions
• Shopping In German
• Dealing with Medical Emergencies
• Finding Hidden Gems

Whether you're going to Germany or Austria or Switzerland, chances are you can get by in English.  But if you learn basic German too, you'll be able to connect more with German speakers. 

Having a few common German phrases will make you experience these countries in a completely different way.

And even at home , learning German will allow you to learn more about German culture and connect with native German speakers in your local community.

You don't need to have a natural flair for language learning. Learning a few key phrases and being able to use them is a great start. And German isn't as hard as its reputation suggests, especially for native English speakers. 

You never know, maybe learning these phrases will motivate you to go on and learn to speak German fluently.

Note:  Want to go beyond basic German phrases and learn German with confidence and fluency? The best way to do so is by working through a comprehensive and well designed course.

My top recommendation is   German Uncovered , my in-depth online German course for beginners that teaches you through the power of story. If you’re ready to get started,  click here for a 7-day FREE trial.

If you want to make a good impression with German speakers, you'll need a few basic phrases to meet and greet people.

After all, you're going to use greetings every time you have a conversation in German!

These phrases are simple, easy to remember and will help you make new German friends. 

#1 Hallo – Hello [any time of day]

#2 Hallo, wie geht’s? – Hello, how are you?

#3 Guten Morgen  – Good morning

#4 Guten Tag [lit. good day] – Good afternoon

#5 Guten Abend  – Good evening

#6 Gute Nacht  – Good night

#7 Vielen Dank  – Thank you very much

#8 Ich danke Ihnen auch –  Thank you, too [in reply to “thank you” from someone else else]

#9 Tschüss, bis zum nächsten Mal  – Goodbye, see you next time

#10 Schönes Wetter heute, nicht wahr? – It's lovely weather today, is not it?

#11 Mein Name ist _  – My name is _____

#12 Ich bin Amerikaner, Kanadier, Engländer (male)  – I'm American / Canadian / English

#13 Ich bin Amerikanerin, Kanadierin, Engländerin (female)  – I'm American / Canadian / English

#14 Woher kommen Sie? – Where are you from?

#15 Freut mich  – Nice to meet you!

⬑ Jump back to the contents

“I Do Not Understand!” – Getting Out Of Sticky Situations

It might seem a little intimidating to speak German, especially if you're new to the language. German people will be understanding if you're struggling to get your message across or catch what they say .

At the same time, don't hesitate to use these expressions to help the conversation run smoothly if you don't understand something or need a little help.

#16 Es tut mir leid, aber ich verstehe nicht  – I'm sorry, but I do not understand

#17  Ich spreche nicht gut Deutsch  – I do not speak German very well

#18 Können Sie das bitte wiederholen? – Could you say that again please?

#19 Können Sie bitte langsamer sprechen? – Could you say that more slowly please?

#20  Schreiben Sie das bitte für mich auf – Please write that down for me

#21 Was bedeutet das? – What does that mean?

#22 Sprechen Sie Englisch? – Do you speak English?

#23  Es tut mir leid – I'm sorry

#24  Ich weiß nicht – I do not know

#25 In Ordnung  – All right

#26  Macht nichts – never mind

Whether you're at the supermarket, ordering in a restaurant, or just having a normal conversation, it's essential to know how to use numbers in German. Eins, zwei, drei….l et's get to it!

• null – zero
• eins – one
• zwei – two
• drei – three
• vier – four
• fünf  – five
• sechs  – six
• sieben – seven
• acht – eight
• neun – nine
• zehn – ten
• elf – eleven
• zwölf – twelve
• dreizehn – thirteen
• vierzehn – fourteen
• fünfzehn – fifteen
• sechzehn – sixteen
• siebzehn – seventeen
• achtzehn – eighteen
• neunzehn – nineteen
• zwanzig  – twenty
• einundzwanzig – twenty-one
• zweiundzwanzig – twenty-two
• dreiundzwanzig   – twenty-three
• vierundzwanzig – twenty-four
• fünfundzwanzig – twenty-five
• sechsundzwanzig – twenty-six
• siebenundzwanzig   – twenty-seven
• achtundzwanzig – twenty-eight
• neunundzwanzig – twenty-nine
• dreißig – thirty
• einunddreißig – thirty-one
• zweiunddreißig – thirty-two
• vierzig – forty
• fünfzig – fifty
• sechzig – sixty
• siebzig – seventy
• achtzig – eighty
• neunzig – ninety
• hundert  – one hundred
• zweihundertfünfzig – two hundred and fifty
• fünfhundert – five hundred
• siebenhundertdreiundachtzig – seven hundred and eighty three
• tausend – one thousand

One of the most enjoyable cultural experiences you can have in a German-speaking country is visiting a restaurant and trying out some of the delicious local dishes.

The following phrases cover all the questions and statements you need to make when eating out, from asking for a table to paying the bill!

#27 Ein Tisch für eine Person bitte  – A table for one, please

#28 Ein Tisch für zwei Personen, bitte  – A table for two, please

#29 Haben Sie schon auf? – Are you open yet?

#30 Können wir (auf einen Tisch) warten? – Can we wait (for a table)?

#31 Können wir dort sitzen? – Can we sit over there?

#32 Entschuldigung! – Excuse me! [Calling a waiter]

#33 Was empfehlen Sie? – What do you recommend?

#34 Was ist das beliebteste Gericht? – What's your most popular dish?

#35 Was ist das? – What is this?

#36 Was für Bier haben Sie?  – What type of beer do you have?

#37 Ein kleines Bier bitte  – A small beer, please

#38 Ein großes Bier bitte  – A large beer, please

#39 Bringen Sie mir bitte eine Auswahl von leckeren Sachen  – Please bring me a selection of nice things

#40 Bitte wählen Sie etwas  – It's up to you / You can decide

#41 Die Rechnung, bitte  – The bill, please

#42 Kann ich bitte die Speisekarte haben? – Can I have the menu, please?

By the way, if you're interested in food and drink as it relates to German culture, take a look at this post about Oktoberfest, the world-famous Bavarian beer festival. 

There are lots of practicalities to consider when taking a trip to Germany, including finding your way around. Finding the right train or bus on time isn’t always easy and you don’t want to end up being the ‘foreigner’ who is holding up the ticket queue!

In this section, you’ll learn some key transport phrases that will help you quickly and easily navigate your way around any German-speaking city or country.

#43 Ich möchte nach _____  – I want to go to

#44 Wann fährt der nächste Zug / Bus nach _____? – What time is the next train/bus to __ ?

#45 Was kostet das? – How much is it?

#46 Einmal/ zweimal (nach _____), bitte – 1 ticket / 2 tickets (to _____), please

#47 Wie lange dauert das? – How long does it take?

#48 Wohin muss ich jetzt gehen? – Where should I go now?

#49 Wann fährt er ab? – When does it leave?

#50 Wie spät ist es (jetzt)? – What time is it (now)?

#51 Hält der Zug/ Bus in _ ? – Does this train/bus stop in _____?

#52 Entschuldigen Sie, ist dies _____? – Excuse me, is this _____ ? [Useful when you're on the bus / train and are not sure when to get off]

#53 Können Sie das bitte für mich aufschreiben? – Can you write that down for me?

#54 Zeigen Sie mir das bitte auf der Karte? – Can you show me on the map?

#55 Wo ist _____ auf der Karte? – Where is _____  on the map?

Asking For Directions In German 

Public transport in Germany is notoriously excellent, but there are some places you'll need to walk or drive to yourself. And for most of us, that means occasionally getting lost and asking for directions!

Here are the phrases you need to ask and receive directions in German:

#56 Entschuldigung, darf ich Sie etwas fragen? –  Excuse me, could I ask you something?

#57  Ich möchte nach _____  – I want to go to _ [If you know the name of your destination]

#58  Ich möchte dahin  – I want to go here [Pointing to your destination on the map]

#59 Ich habe mich verlaufen  – I'm lost (on foot)

#60 Ich habe mich verfahren  – I'm lost (by car)

#61 Wie komme ich dahin? – How can I get there?

#62 Geht es hier lang? – Is it this way? [Useful for checking if you're walking in the right direction]

#63 Zeigen Sie mir das bitte auf der Karte? – Can you show me on the map?

#64 Wo ist __? – Where is _ ?

Shopping And Grabbing A Bargain In German

Whether you're at the supermarket, the shopping centre or the local farmer's market you're going to buy things at some point or another!

And even haggle a bit –  just like you would in English. Grab a bargain in German with these sentences. 

#65  Das gefällt mir  – I like this

#66 Was kostet das? – How much is this?

#67 Bitte wiederholen Sie das  – Can you say that again please?

#68 Schreiben Sie das bitte für mich auf? – Can you write that down for me?

#69 Und wenn ich das alles kaufe? – If I buy these together? [A useful way to knock the price down]

#70 Das ist mir zu teuer  – it's too expensive for me

#71 Geben Sie mir einen Rabatt? – Can you give me a discount?

#72  Ich suche nach _____  – I'm looking for a _____

#73  Ich schaue mich nur um – I'm just looking around

#74 Danke, ich suche noch weiter  – Thank you, I'll keep looking [if you're getting hassled to buy something]

#75 Moment, bitte  – Just a moment

#76 Ja, bitte  – Yes, please

#77 Nein, danke  – No, thanks

Dealing With Medical Emergencies In German 

Hopefully, you'll never need the phrases in this section! Nonetheless, it's always good to know some basic medical vocabulary so that you can handle an emergency if you're unwell or have an accident.

#78 Können Sie mir bitte helfen? – Can you help me, please?

#79 Ich brauche einen Arzt  – I need to see a doctor

#80  Es geht mir nicht gut – I do not feel well

#81  Es geht ihm/ihr nicht gut – he / she does not feel well

#82 Gibt es ein Krankenhaus in der Nähe? – Is there a hospital near here?

#83 Fahren Sie mich bitte zum Krankenhaus  – Take me to the hospital [To a taxi driver]

#84 Es tut hier weh  – It hurts here [pointing to body part]

#85 Ich brauche Medizin  – I need some medicine

Finding Hidden Gems In German-Speaking Countries 

I've included a couple of questions you can ask the locals, so you can find the hidden gems in their cities and have a more authentic German experience!

#86 Es tut mir leid, Sie zu stören, aber…  – I'm sorry to bother you, but …

#87 Kann ich Sie schnell etwas fragen? – Could I ask you something quickly?

#88 Ich suche ein Restaurant mit gutem Essen hier in der Nähe  – I'm looking for a place with good food around here

#89  Ich suche ein nettes Café in der Nähe  – I'm looking for a nice cafe in the area

#90 Wissen Sie etwas über _____?  – Do you know anything about _____ ?

#91 Gibt es hier in der Nähe etwas Interessantes zu sehen? – Is there anything interesting to see in this area?

#92 Trotzdem danke  – Thank you anyway [if the person can not help you]

Your Next Steps In German

So there you have it: a collection of German expressions to help you get started on your new adventure!

With these phrases in your back pocket, you'll soon find yourself having your first basic conversations and getting excited about continuing to improve your German .

So now that you've learned the basics, are you ready to take the next step in your German adventure?

I'm a big believer in the power of story to enable you to learn a language . That's why I've created an entire beginner course to help you learn German online by immersing yourself in a compelling story.

It's my German Uncovered course, and it's designed to take you from beginner to B1 Intermediate level.

Click here for more information on the course and how it'll help you.

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Easy Sentences you need for Introduce yourself in German

Hallo Leute, the world wants to know about you, and it wants to be told in German. These  sentences will give you the boost you need to Introduce yourself in German and letting people know who you are.

1. Mein Name ist… (My name is…)

This is a great first sentence to know in German, it’s the logical way most conversations start.

Read Also: Introducing Yourself and Your Friends in German (Deutsch)

2. Ich komme aus… (I come from…)

This handy little phrase is used to denote your place of birth. For your convenience, here are a few countries:

• Irland (Ireland)
• Grossbritannien (Great Britain)
• Australien (Australia)
• den Vereinigten Staaten (the United States)
• Deutschland (Germany)
• Indien (India)

Note: Aus always takes the dative case, which is why you have to say “den Vereinigten Staaten” and not “die Vereinigten Staaten” when used in this phrase. Aus is also one of those tricky prepositions that can have different meanings depending on the context, so don’t be alarmed if in other sentences it gets translated as “off,” “out” or as something else.

3. Ich wohne in… (I live in…)

Here you can fill in the blank with your Wohnort (place of residence). Both a city or country would work here.

You can also say Ich lebe in … (I live in …)

4. Ich bin ledig. (I am single.)

This little sentence comes in handy both to make sure that the cute guy or girl at the party knows you’re available, and for when a German document inquires about your marital status (and there’s no shortage of paperwork in Germany).

For those already committed, you’re obliged to announce Ich bin verheiratet (I am married).

5. Meine Handynummer ist… (My cell phone number is…)

You might have deduced from this phrase that in Germany a mobile phone is called a Handy, presumably because you can walk around with in in your hand.

6. Ich studiere… (I am studying…)

Germans will undoubtedly want to know how you’re being productive in life. Note that this sentence can only be used to state what your major or subject area is, and not what you’re looking at to prepare for the upcoming test.

A few examples of how to fill in the blank

• Geschichte (history)
• Zahnmedizin (dentistry)
• Volkswirtschaftslehre (economics).

7. Ich bin ….. von Beruf. (I work as a ….)

Literally translating as “I am a ___ by profession,” it’s an important way to ensure a native that you are not arbeitslos (unemployed) and using up the State’s money.

Since the truth matters less than practicing the language, feel free to choose any of the following:

• Maurer/Maurerin (male bricklayer/female bricklayer)
• Krankenpfleger/Krankenschwester (male nurse/female nurse)
• Lehrer/Lehrerin (male teacher/female teacher)
• Tischler/Tischlerin (male carpenter/female carpenter).

Note that in German you usually don’t use an article when saying what you do for a living. You literally say, “I’m lawyer” not “I’m a lawyer.”

8. Ich mag… (I like…)

How about a simple, versatile sentence that can be used over and over?

• Ich mag Pizza (I like pizza)
• Ich mag das Wochenende (I like the weekend)
• Ich mag das Wetter (I like the weather.)

Note: Mag is actually pronounced “mahk,” since a “g” takes on a “k” sound when at the end of a word.

9. Ich hasse… (I hate…)

• Ich hasse Gemüse (I hate vegetables)
• Ich hasse den Regen (I hate the rain.)
• Ich hasse schlechte Filme. (I hate bad movies.)

10. Meine Hobbys sind… (My hobbies are…)

So maybe Hobbys looks like a word that a German with bad English tried to appropriate into his language, but that just makes it all the easier to remember.

For exmaple

Meine Hobbys sind reisen, tanzen und schwimmen. (My hobbies are traveling, dancing and swimming.)

Or you can also say

Eines meiner Hobbys ist Lesen. (One of my hobbies is reading.)

If you love to listen music. You can say

Ich höre gerne Musik. (I enjoy listening to music.)

11. Ich habe …. Geschwister. (I have …. siblings.)

This is a pretty basic question that usually comes up when two people are searching for ways to keep the conversation going. You can also make the same inquiry of the other person:

• Wie viele Geschwister hast du? (How many siblings do you have?)

12. Ich bin …. Jahre alt. (I am …. years old.)

Whether choosing to be truthful or not, keep in mind that the order in German numbers is different than in English. Example: Twenty-six is translated as sechsundzwanzig , or literally “six and twenty.” This little caveat starts at twenty (when life gets more complicated anyway).

Read Also: Learn German Numbers (Deutsche Zählen) and Pronunciation 1 to 999999

13. Mein Lieblings … ist… (My favorite … is…)

German is famous for throwing nouns together and making single words of it, and here’s one example. To state that your favorite movie is “The Notebook” you would say, Mein Lieblingsfilm ist “The Notebook.” Note how “favorite film” becomes a one-word noun.

Knowing this, you can talk about your favorite food ( Lieblingsessen ), favorite sport ( Lieblingssport ) or favorite author ( Lieblingsautor ).

14. Ich lerne Deutsch. (I’m learning German.)

Not only is this one of the most impressive facts about you, but a great way to get permission to practice these sentences on someone. Explaining you’re learning German automatically covers over a multitude of grammatical sins. This verb is usually the equivalent of “studying,” since it’s also used when reviewing old material.

Some similar related words are as:

• Ich lerne Deutsch auf PlanForGermany.com. (I’m learning German at PlanForGermany.com)
• Ich lerne seit einem Jahr Deutsch. (I’ve been learning German for a year.)

If you have any doubt to Introduce yourself in German or have some suggestions for us, or even if we missed some sentences used to Introduce yourself in German to mention. Let us know by writing in a comment box. Thanks for reading Easy Sentences you need for Introduce yourself in German and sharing with your friends.

More articles

Navigating the german language: a comprehensive starter vocabulary, 150+ common german phrases to sound like a native speaker, top german language books for self-learners: a comprehensive review.

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