Or as you'd say in German: Lass uns über „lassen“ reden. The verb lassen can be translated in many different ways: "to let," "to leave," or "to have," among others. Let's take a look today at some examples, and see if we can learn how the different contexts affect the meanings and the translations of the word.
Lange klingeln lassen und dann wie gehabt verfahren.
Let it ring for longer and then proceed as usual.
Caption 38, Antilopen Gang: Enkeltrick
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Also lassen Sie mich mal nachsehen, welche Termine noch frei sind.
So let me take a look what appointments are still available.
Captions 41-42, Berufsleben: das Vorstellungsgespräch
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Ich lass dich nicht raus, ich lass dich nicht gehen.
I won't let you out, I won't let you go.
Caption 15, Ab durch die Heimat: 4 Comedians unterwegs im Südwesten
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As you see above, a common translation of lassen is "to let."
Ich kann euch versprechen, dieser Film lässt niemanden kalt.
I can promise you, this movie will leave no one unmoved.
Captions 47-48, Twinfruit: Glaubhaftigkeit in der Werbung
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Du lässt mich niemals allein.
You'll never leave me alone.
Caption 42, Sophia: Niemals Allein
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Sometimes too, lassen is translated as "to leave," but not in the sense of leaving (verlassen) a place.
König Konrad schickte Boten voraus und ließ sie in der Stadt verkünden.
King Conrad sent messengers ahead and had them make an announcement in the city.
Captions 36-37, Deutsche Sagen: Die tapferen Weiber von Weinsberg
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In cases where somebody is following orders, it wouldn't make much sense (as in the example above) to say the King "let" them make an announcement. In cases like this, you'll occasionally understand lassen as "to have."
Auch Natali will sich das nicht entgehen lassen.
Natali doesn't want to let herself miss out on this either.
Caption 50, Abenteuer Nordsee: Unter Riesenhaien und Tintenfischen
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Often, when lassen is used in a reflexive sense with sich, it's not translated at all. In the example above, it could just as well have been translated as "Natali doesn't want to miss out on this either." In such cases, sich lassen is often redundant in translation.
... um meine neue Adresse in meinen Personalausweis eintragen zu lassen.
... to register my new address on my identity card.
Caption 3, Deutsch mit Eylin: Personalien und Namen
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Wann haben Sie sich scheiden lassen?
When did you get divorced?
Caption 17, Yabla Gerichtshof: Probleme des Zusammenlebens
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The sentences above could have been translated as "... to let my new address be registered on my identity card" and "When did you let yourself get divorced," but this seems pretty clumsy. In these cases, the better translation for sich eintragen lassen is "to register," and for sich scheiden lassen "to get divorced."
Last but not least, I'll "let" you see some example of some common idioms using the verb lassen:
Sie haben meiner Tochter schöne Augen gemacht und sie dann sitzen lassen.
You made eyes at my daughter and then abandoned her.
Caption 20, Oskar; Gehen, wenn es am schönsten ist Loslassen
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Du kannst es ja nicht lassen.
You just can't resist.
Caption 85, Alexander Hauff: Showreel
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ich will niemanden im Stich lassen.
I don't want to let anyone down.
Caption 19, Nicos Weg: Lernen
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Du kannst es nicht lassen is a bit like the English "You just couldn't leave it alone." As der Stich can mean a sting or a stab wound, the saying im Stich lassen, which first appeared in the 1400s, may be related to jousting: if someone left a comrade behind, they risked being stabbed! Luckily, we live in a society today where such violence is socially and legally unacceptable.
Further Learning
Search for lassen in its various conjugations on Yabla German to see the verb used in different contexts. You may also want to read more about it in the previous Yabla lesson "German verbs connected with lassen."
The verb kennenlernen ("to get to know," "to make the acquaintance of," "to meet") is without a doubt an important one, but it's a bit tricky. For our beginners and anyone who needs a review, let's look at various conjugations of this separable verb as we look at some sentences from Yabla German.
First of all, here it is again in the infinitive. Note that kennenlernen is one word:
Der Vermieter möchte uns kennenlernen.
The landlord would like to meet us.
Caption 42, Mein Weg nach DeutschlandL Auf Wohnungssuche
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In this next example, kennenlernen is used in the present tense, and more specifically in the third person singular. You'll note that lernen gets conjugated, whereas kennen remains in the infinitive but moves to the end of the sentence:
Man lernt mehr Leute kennen.
One gets to know more people.
Caption 37, Anna Am Strand: in Mexiko
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The same thing, which is normal for separable verbs, happens in the simple past tense:
Und so lernte die Prinzessin ihren Ehemann kennen.
And this is how the Princess met her husband.
Caption 35, Märchen - Sagenhaft: König Drosselbart
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In the following phrases, which you will most certainly need to know, kennenlernen is integrated into a subordinate clause with zu:
Schön, dich kennenzulernen. -Schön, dich kennenzulernen.
Nice to meet you. -Nice to meet you.
Caption 10, Paula & Heide: aus Berlin
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Freut mich, dich kennenzulernen. -Hallo.
Pleased to meet you. -Hello.
Caption 16, Nicos Weg: Feste und Feiertage
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Nun, ich freue mich, Sie dann kennenzulernen.
So, I am looking forward to meeting you then.
Caption 49, Berufsleben: das Vorstellungsgespräch
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In the present perfect, which is often used to talk about the past in German, we see the participle of the verb:
Ich habe diesen netten Kerl kennengelernt.
I met this nice guy.
Caption 35, Die Wohngemeinschaft: Die Verabredung
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And this example also refers to what has already happened:
Aber ich find's nett, Sie kennengelernt zu haben.
But I think it's nice to have met you.
Caption 36, Die Pfefferkörner: Alles auf Anfang
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Further Learning
There's no shortage of examples on Yabla German, so have a look and practice telling people it was nice to meet them, or talking about when you first met various people you know.
This week, we'll look at vocabulary for describing German apartment buildings, which is often no easy task. Even when a building is not particularly large in comparison to what you might find in other cities, there are some essential words for describing where you are located.
The architecture of many apartment buildings involves a central courtyard, der Hinterhof. The part of the building that is immediately on the street is called das Vorderhaus, while the apartments accessed by going through the courtyard are in what is generally called either das Hinterhaus, das Quergebäude, or das Gartenhaus. The part of the building that runs along the sides of the courtyard and connects these two parts is called der Seitenflügel and is often specified with links or rechts.
So, if you have a visitor and need to describe where your apartment is located, this may be what you specify first. Next, however, you will also need to describe what floor you are on. There are three nouns for this: die Etage, das Stockwerk (der Stock), and das Obergeschoss (sometimes abbreviated OG). Do keep in mind that the ground floor (das Erdgeschoss or das Hochparterre when it's elevated from street level) is not considered the first floor in German-speaking countries!
Unser Büro befindet sich im vierten Stock.
Our office is located on the fourth floor.
Caption 47, Berufsleben: das Vorstellungsgespräch:
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Das Zimmer ist in der vierten Etage.
The room is on the fourth floor.
Caption 13, Nicos Weg: Im Hotel
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Wir können damit ins erste OG [Obergeschoss] hoch.
We can hoist it onto our shoulders, we can go up to the first floor [US second floor] with it
Caption 43, Feuerwehr Heidelberg: Löschfahrzeug
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In order to reach these floors, a visitor will need to either take the stairs, or if they're lucky, find an elevator. There are also two different words used for "the elevator" in German.
Du, ich bin schon im Treppenhaus.
Hey, I'm already in the stairwell.
Caption 64, Die Pfefferkörner: Alles auf Anfang
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Den Aufzug finden Sie vorne rechts.
You'll find the elevator in the front on the right-hand side.
Caption 20, Nicos Weg: Im Hotel
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Ich hab grad gehört, der Fahrstuhl bleibt stecken.
I just heard that the elevator is stuck.
Caption 3, Die Pfefferkörner: Endspurt
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With any luck, they will then find the door of the apartment. Like the front door of a house, there is also a special word for this in German:
Ich stelle den vollen Müllbeutel deutlich sichtbar vor die Haustür.
I place the full trash bag clearly visible in front of the front door.
Caption 37, Deutsch mit Eylin: Putzen
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Dieser Brettschneider hat doch gesagt, dass die Typen direkt vor seiner Wohnungstür gestanden haben.
This Brettschneider guy told us that the guys were standing right in front of his apartment door.
Captions 43-44, Großstadtrevier: Von Monstern und Mördern
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Further Learning
Practice describing where a friend or relative's apartment is in their building. You can also choose an office you've been to and describe which floor it's on. For more information about this topic, including common abbreviations, you can check out this Wikipedia page.
If you ever decide to move to Germany, you may be looking for an apartment or house to rent. Let's take a look today at some of the basic terminology related to renting a place of your own!
Hallo, ich bin Fine und heute bin ich auf Wohnungssuche.
Hello, my name is Fine and today I am apartment-hunting.
Caption 2, Fine: sucht eine Wohnung
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The first step, of course, to find an apartment is auf Wohnungssuche gehen ("to go apartment-hunting").
Ich habe das Internet nach Stellenanzeigen durchsucht.
I have searched on the internet for job listings.
Caption 5, Berufsleben: das Vorstellungsgespräch
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In much the same way as you would search for work via job listings on the internet, you can search die Wohnungsanzeigen ("the apartment listings") online on sites such as Immobilienscout.
Ich würde vorschlagen, da machen wir einen Termin am Freitag um zwölf Uhr.
I'd suggest that we make an appointment for Friday at noon.
Caption 26, Mein Weg nach Deutschland: Beim Arzt
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Once you have found an available apartment that meets your requirements for size, price, and neighborhood etc., you can make an appointment to see the apartment.
Hat der keinen Antrag gestellt? Das würd' ich dringend raten!
Didn't he file an application? I would strongly advise that!
Caption 75, Meine fremde Freundin: Was alle denken
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When you find an apartment you like, you will need to then fill out an apartment application (der Wohnungsantrag or die Wohnungsbewerbung). You may also be required to give a credit report, called a Schufa. This syllable word abbreviation is short for Schutzgemeinschaft für allgemeine Kreditsicherung ("Protective Association for General Credit Security"). It's easy to understand why this is commonly abbreviated!
Es gibt jetzt einen Vertrag.
There is now a contract.
Caption 37, Wincent Weiss & Benni Freibott: Musik sein
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Once your rental application and credit report are approved, the next step is for you to sign a rental contract (der Mietvertrag).
Muss man denn Kaution bezahlen?
So do you have to pay a deposit?
Caption 20, Nicos Weg: Auf Wohnungssuche
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The answer to that question is unfortunately "yes." In most cases, you will be required to pay a rental deposit (die Mietkaution), either directly to the landlord or into a shared escrow account. The amount is usually the equivalent of two or three months' rent.
Ich habe Ihnen den Schlüssel im Vertrauen gegeben.
I gave you the key in confidence.
Caption 47, Lerchenberg: Sascha hautnah
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Once you have signed the contract, it is normal for the landlord to hand over the keys to the apartment. German even has a specific noun for the handover of the keys: die Schlüsselübergabe.
Wie ist denn deine neue Wohnung?
What is your new apartment like then?
Caption 5, Lilly unter den Linden: Umzug in die DDR
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It's really nice, hopefully! Herzliche Glückwünsche on getting your first apartment in Germany! In an upcoming lesson early next year we'll discuss the less-expensive option of moving into a Wohngemeinschaft, called WG for short. Do you already know what that is?
Further Learning
Go to Yabla German and watch the full Auf Wohnungssuche videos from the Mein Weg nach Deutchland, Nicos Weg, and Fine series.
If you subscribe to Yabla, technology and computers likely play a significant role in your life. To augment a previous lesson on verbs related to computers, today we'll cover nouns related to computers and internet technology.
First, let's look at the words for the various parts of a computer, such as the hard drive, the keyboard, and the screen. The noun der Rechner can mean both "the processor" and "the computer" depending on the context. Although many words have been adopted from English (such as der Computer or der Laptop), there's still a lot of vocabulary to learn:
Die Rechner könnten anschließend von Kriminellen zu einem Botnetz verbunden und ferngesteuert werden.
The processors could, consequently, be connected to a botnet by criminals and operated remotely.
Captions 28-29, Apple-Trojaner: Wie man ihn beseitigt
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Aber ist ja nicht schlimm, weil das Originalmaterial insgesamt gerettet wird, und das können die immer noch auf der Festplatte mal irgendwann ...
But that is not so bad, because the entire original material is saved and they can still, on the hard drive at some point...
Captions 30-31, RT Radiotonteam: Erinnerungen retten
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Wenn du auf deiner Tastatur keine Taste für die Umlaute hast, kannst du stattdessen notfalls auch Ae für Ä, Oe für Ö und Ue für Ü schreiben.
If you don't have an umlaut key on your keyboard, you can also, if need be, write Ae for Ä, Oe for Ö, and Ue for Ü.
Captions 20-21, Deutsch mit Donna Blitz: Das Alphabet
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Sieht man das dann auf einem kleinen Bildschirm oder hat man einen Riesenbildschirm?
Do you see it on a small screen then or do you have a giant screen?
Caption 4, Rhein-Main-TV: Interview mit Edmund Stössel
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In diesem Grid können tausende Forschungsinstitute und Universitäten ihre Datenspeicher und Rechner gemeinsam nutzen.
In this grid thousands of research institutes and universities can use their data storage devices and computers jointly.
Captions 38-39, Die Weltmaschine: Der LHC-Teilchenbeschleuniger
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Ich geh nicht eher, bevor du mir die Speicherkarte gegeben hast.
I'm not leaving until you've given me the memory card.
Caption 45, Die Pfefferkörner: Alles auf Anfang
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Sie müssen die Möglichkeit haben zu posten, mit dem Smartphone, Tablet, Laptop, immer und überall.
They have to be able to post with a smartphone, tablet, laptop — anytime and anywhere.
Captions 13-15, Nicos Weg: Das Internet
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Next, there is specific vocabulary related to the internet. Here, there is quite a lot of vocabulary adopted from English, so it's a matter of knowing the article and exactly how it's pronounced.
Wenn ich das melde, dann stellt der Erpresser den Film ins Netz.
If I report it, then the blackmailer will put the video on the internet.
Caption 15, Die Pfefferkörner: Cybermobbing
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Sie will über das WLAN des ICEs im Internet surfen.
She wants to surf the internet via the ICE's WLAN.
Caption 66, Galileo - Zug vs. Flugzeug: Von München nach Berlin
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Wie die Internetseite National Geographic News berichtet, hat Cameron vor ein paar Tagen nahe Papua-Neuguinea eine Testfahrt unternommen.
As the internet site National Geographic News reports, Cameron performed a trial run a few days ago near Papua, New Guinea.
Captions 19-20, Expedition Marianengraben: Zum tiefsten Punkt der Erde
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An welche E-Mail-Adresse soll ich Ihnen die Unterlagen schicken?
What email address should I send the documents to?
Caption 30, Berufsleben: das Vorstellungsgespräch
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Further Learning
For help with pronunciation, go to Yabla German and listen to the examples. Also, can you guess the meaning of der Router, die Maus, and das Lokalnetz?
This week, we'll look at German nouns related to meetings, appointments, and gatherings, and their particular nuances.
Ja, entschuldige noch mal, dass es gestern mit dem Treffen nicht geklappt hat.
Yes, sorry again that it didn't work out with the meeting yesterday.
Caption 14, Das Lügenbüro: Die Bewerbung
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The noun das Treffen may be the most commonly used word for a meeting or a gathering. However, there are circumstances in which die Besprechung (which can also mean "the talk" or "the discussion") or die Sitzung (which is more like "the session") might be more accurate. The noun die Versammlung generally refers to a larger assembly or gathering.
Mein Mann ist noch in einer Besprechung. -Ah ja.
My husband is still in a meeting. -Ah, yes.
Caption 8, Mein Weg nach Deutschland: Auf Wohnungssuche
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Die Sitzung ist hiermit geschlossen.
The session is now closed.
Caption 72, Yabla Gerichtshof: Das verzogene Hündchen
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Diese Versammlung der Kardinäle beginnt normalerweise fünfzehn bis zwanzig Tage nach dem Tod
This assembly of cardinals normally begins fifteen to twenty days after the death,
Captions 6-7, Papst Benedikt Suche nach einem neuen Kirchoberhaupt
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The noun der Termin generally is translated as "the appointment," but can also refer to a deadline (der Abgabetermin). It generally emphasizes a specific date and time. When it comes to a doctor's appointment (also der Arzttermin), you always use der Termin, and not das Treffen.
Und dann könnten wir gleich einen Termin für ein Vorstellungsgespräch machen.
And then we can make an appointment for an interview right away.
Caption 28, Berufsleben: das Vorstellungsgespräch
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Nina hat morgen um acht einen Termin beim Arzt.
Nina has a doctor's appointment tomorrow at eight.
Caption 15, Nicos Weg: Emmas Tag
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The noun die Verabredung is a bit tricky in German, and doesn't have a precise translation in English — you might find it translated as "date," "appointment," "engagement," or "agreement." It is essentially an agreed-upon meeting between individuals (often just two people), and it can even be a date, but not necessarily.
Es kann zum Beispiel bedeuten, dass jemand eine Verabredung nicht eingehalten hat.
It can mean, for example, that someone has not kept an appointment.
Caption 47, Eva erklärt: Sprichwörter
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It is perhaps because of this ambiguity that some Germans will even use the English word and say das Date to specify that there's romance involved. As you can see, it is capitalized in German.
Wir warten. Du hast noch ein Date.
We'll wait. You still have a date.
Caption 56, Die Pfefferkörner: Endspurt
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Further Learning
You can find all of these words in many examples on Yabla German, which will help you get a sense of which contexts they are each used in. For der Termin and das Treffen, make sure that you memorize the gender of each word!
This week's lesson is dedicated to basic German business vocabulary. From news reports about the economy (die Wirtschaft) to videos that take place in office settings, there's quite a lot to be found on Yabla German. In this lesson, we have highlighted all business and workplace vocabulary.
First of all, there are a number of words for "the business" or "the company":
Wir haben einen Vertrag mit der Firma.
We have a contract with the company.
Caption 36, Mülltrennung: in Heidelberg
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Er ist Geschäftsführer des Unternehmens.
He is the director of the company.
Caption 32, Sicherheit im Straßenverkehr: Versicherer entwickeln automatischen Notruf für alle Autos
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Um dies sicherzustellen, habe der Konzern die Frequenz der Belieferungen erhöht.
To ensure this, the group has increased the frequency of deliveries.
Caption 13, Coronavirus: Trotz Hamsterkäufen keine Versorgungsprobleme
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The word for business in general is das Geschäft. Above, you see the word der Geschäftsführer, which would be the director or CEO of a company. The word for "co-worker" is der Arbeitskollege or die Arbeitskollegin, or simply der Kollege or die Kollegin, which is how the employees (der Mitarbeiter or die Mitarbeiterin) at a company would describe each other. They would likely refer to the person they report to as der Chef or die Chefin, which (Achtung!) in German is not someone who works in a kitchen.
Genau, ihre Kollegin, Frau Larsen, hat mir alles gezeigt, die ganzen Büros, und mir die Mitarbeiter vorgestellt.
Exactly, your colleague Ms. Larsen showed me everything, all the offices, and introduced me to the employees.
Captions 9-10, Das Lügenbüro: Die Bewerbung
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„Während ich an meinen Rechnungen saß, kam meine Chefin und hat mir noch mehr Aufgaben zugeteilt.“
"While I was sitting with my bills, my boss came and assigned me further tasks."
Captions 41-42, Eva erklärt: temporale Konnektoren
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In a company, "the department" is die Abteilung. Take a look:
Hier in der Personalabteilung ist eine Halbtagsstelle frei geworden.
A part-time job has become free here in the human resources department.
Caption 40, Berufsleben: Probleme mit Mitarbeitern
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Sie suchen nach jemandem für ihre Marketingabteilung.
They're looking for someone for their marketing department.
Caption 8, Berufsleben: das Vorstellungsgespräch
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In terms of finances and profits, here are some good words to know:
Meine Berechnungen für den zu erwartenden Absatz liegen Ihnen vor.
My calculations for the expected sales are lying in front of you.
Caption 55, Mama arbeitet wieder Kapitel 2: Kompromisse zu finden ist nicht einfach
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Siebenundvierzig Millionen Euro Umsatz hat die Messe in diesem Jahr gemacht.
The trade show made forty-seven million euros in gross revenue this year.
Caption 33, Agrarmesse Grüne Woche in Berlin
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Im letzten Jahr wurde ein Rekordergebnis von einundzwanzig-Komma-acht Millionen Euro Gewinn erzielt.
Last year a record result of twenty-one point eight million euros profit was achieved.
Captions 37-38, Fluglinien Niki Air
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Further Learning
On Yabla German, watch our Berufsleben series to listen to conversations taking place in an office setting.
That is actually the title of a classic detective novel by Raymond Chandler, but the long and short of it is that there are a number of ways to say goodbye in German – some of them longer than others! Let's start with what you probably already know:
Ja, damit sind wir fertig. Auf Wiedersehen!
Yes, with that we are finished. Goodbye!
Caption 77, Das 1. Newtonsche Gesetz - erklärt am Beispiel des Dodomobils
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Ich sehe Sie dann morgen. Auf Wiederhören.
I'll see you tomorrow then. Goodbye.
Caption 52, Berufsleben - das Vorstellungsgespräch
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Because of the -sehen in Wiedersehen ("see you again") and -hören in Wiederhören ("hear from you again"), auf Wiederhören is the proper form to use on the telephone.
Wiedersehen, vielen Dank! -Tschüss. -Tschüss.
Goodbye, many thanks! -Bye. -Bye.
Caption 25, Großstadtrevier - Von Monstern und Mördern
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Tschüss is an informal waym of saying goodbye that originally stems from the Spanish word for goodbye, adios.
Bis morgen. Ciao.
See you tomorrow. Ciao.
Caption 40, Bäppi im Fernsehstudio - Bäppis best model by Hilde Klump
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"Ciao" is actually from the Italian and can, depending upon the context, be used for hello or goodbye. It is not even translated as "bye" here as it has been adopted into English by most American and British dictionaries. It's usage in German is very informal.
Sie wissen schon, was wir meinen. Adieu.
You do know what we mean. Adieu.
Captions 64-65, Die Pfefferkörner - Endspurt
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The French word for goodbye, adieu, has also been adopted by English and is thus generally not translated.
Ich hab was vergessen. -Aha. -Wir sehen uns.
I forgot something. -Aha. -See you.
Caption 66, Die Pfefferkörner - Eigentor
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It is also common to say Wir sehen uns morgen ("We'll see each other tomorrow" or "See you tomorrow"), or Wir sehen uns wieder ("We'll see each other again"), and so forth. It sounds a bit impersonal to the ears of an English speaker, but you can also say man sieht sich, which translates as "We'll see each other" or simply "See you."
Mir hat's super gefallen. Bis dann!
I really enjoyed it. Until then!
Caption 93, Frisbee - Karlsruher Weihnachtsturnier
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Hast du die Mathehausaufgaben denn schon fertig? -Ja, bis später.
Have you finished the math homework already? -Yes, see you later.
Caption 2, Knallerfrauen - Mathehausaufgaben
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Mach's gut, Herbert. Bis bald.
Take care, Herbert. See you soon.
Caption 4, Nicos Weg - A1 Folge 3: Tschüss!
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Bis zum nächsten Mal.
Until next time.
Caption 21, Berlin - Domäne Dahlem
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Many of the ways to say goodbye using bis and some point in the future may be translated, depending upon the context, as either "till," "until," or "see you..." So if somebody says bis morgen, you could translate it as "till tomorrow," "until tomorrow," or "see you tomorrow."
Note that macht's gut, which could be literally translated as "fare well" or "farewell," is used as an informal way to say goodbye in some German regional dialects. Another good equivalent translation could be "have a good one."
But how do you say "to say goodbye" as in "to take leave" of somebody? The most common ways are Abschied nehmen and the reflexive verb sich verabschieden:
Aber als Flüchtling muss man eben oft Abschied nehmen.
But as a refugee, you often have to say goodbye.
Caption 35, Filmtrailer - Als Hitler das rosa Kaninchen stahl
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Und hier verabschieden wir uns auch von euch.
And we will say goodbye to you here.
Caption 39, 48 h in Innsbruck - Sehenswürdigkeiten & Tipps
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Further Learning
I hope that learning about goodbye didn't take too long—this is a lesson and not a novel, after all! Look for some of the ways of saying goodbye on Yabla German, and take special note of how some are used in formal contexts and others in more casual situations. So until next time, mach's gut and stay healthy!
This week we're doing the last part of this German Preposition Cases series. Let's take a look at those tricky dual-case prepositions that require either the accusative case or the dative case for nouns, pronouns, and adjectives.
The German dual-case prepositions are an, auf, hinter, in, neben, unter, vor, zwischen, and über. As a general rule, if the preposition suggests motion or movement from one place to another, it takes the accusative case. If there is no motion or movement suggested, it takes the dative case. Please take a moment to review the dative and accusative cases in the previous lessons.
The nominative pronoun ich becomes mir in the dative case and mich in the accusative case. Note in the following how "because of me" suggests no movement and uses the dative pronoun, whereas "send to me" suggests the motion of sending something and thus takes the accusative pronoun.
Er fragt sich: „Liegt es nur an mir, dass es jetzt schneit?“
He asks himself, "Is it just because of me that it's snowing now?"
Caption 10, Jan Wittmer - Weihnachtslied
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Wenn Sie sie einfach direkt an mich schicken würden...
If you'll just send them directly to me...
Caption 31, Berufsleben - das Vorstellungsgespräch
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The German feminine of the definite article "the" is die. In the next captions, there is no movement when discussing a scale of numbers, so the nominative die becomes the dative der. Apparently, viewing something conveys some motion in that you are actively looking at something, thus a "view of a bridge" uses the accusative die.
Auf der Skala eins bis zehn: Bei dir bin ich zehn
On a scale of one to ten: With you I am ten
Captions 16-17, 2raumwohnung - Liebe mit Musik am Laufen halten
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Das ist die Draufsicht auf die Brücke.
That is the view of the bridge.
Caption 40, 48 h in Innsbruck - Sehenswürdigkeiten & Tipps
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Back to the nominative personal pronoun "I," which in dative becomes mir and in accusative becomes mich. As you'll notice, the passive phrase "is situated" gets the dative case, and the active phrase "to get it behind me" receives the accusative case:
Hinter mir befindet sich die ehemalige amerikanische Botschaft.
The former American Embassy is situated behind me.
Caption 3, Berlin - der alte amerikanische Sektor
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Ja, ich wollte es einfach hinter mich bringen.
Yes, I just wanted to get it behind me.
Caption 9, Die Wohngemeinschaft - Probleme
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Hopefully these examples will help give you an idea of when to use the dative (no motion, passive) or accusative (motion, active) cases with the above dual-case prepositions.
Further Learning
We just went through the dative and accusative cases for the dual-case prepositions an, auf, and hinter. Try looking on Yabla German for dative and accusative examples of the remaining dual-case prepositions in, neben, unter, vor, zwischen, and über. It will help you find them if you look for specific accusative and dative definite articles or pronouns when you do the search!
The words "somebody," "someone," "anybody," and "anyone" are indefinite pronouns that are usually translated as jemand in German. The indefinite pronoun jemand is similar to the definite pronouns I (ich), you (Sie or du), we (wir), or they (sie), but is referring to an indefinite rather than specific person.
Just like the definite pronouns in German, jemand is also subject to changing its form when used in the dative case after prepositions like nach, zu, mit or von. In the dative case, jemand gets an additional -em ending:
Sie suchen nach jemandem für ihre Marketingabteilung.
They're looking for someone for their marketing department.
Caption 8, Berufsleben - das Vorstellungsgespräch
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Es ist lange her, dass ich so eine Verbindung zu jemandem gespürt habe.
It's been a long time since I felt such a connection to anyone.
Caption 53, Die Wohngemeinschaft - Die Verabredung
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Habt ihr mit jemandem Probleme, sagt's ihm ins Gesicht
If you have problems with someone, tell him to his face
Caption 57, Golo - Smile
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Der Vorschlag müsste von jemandem kommen.
The proposal would have to come from someone.
Caption 46, Pastewka - Neue Serie für Kessler
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This is also true when the sentence structure requires the dative case, such as when you give somebody something:
Jemandem einen Korb geben.
To give someone a basket.
Caption 17, Eva erklärt - Sprichwörter
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The above expression usually is an idiom that means you are rejecting something that has been offered. Another figure of speech that you may already know is:
Und wenn ich jemandem die Daumen drücke,
And if I press my thumbs for someone,
dann wünsche ich der Person ganz viel Glück.
then I'm wishing the person a whole lot of luck.
Captions 28-29, Eva erklärt - Redewendungen
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Further Learning
Look for other examples of how jemandem is used in a real-world context on Yabla German and try devising some sentences of your own using jemandem and have a fellow student check your work! If you're feeling brave you can explore the related expressions irgendjemandem and irgendwem!
Reflexive verbs have a substantial presence in the German language. There are quite a few verbs that are not reflexive in English, but always reflexive in German, for example, sich beeilen ("to hurry"). It is important to know which verbs require a reflexive pronoun in German, but also that certain verbs may sometimes be reflexive and sometimes not, which then affects their meaning.
For example, sich umziehen means "to change clothes," while umziehen means "to move":
Dann würde ich sagen, gehe ich mich mal umziehen.
Then, I'd say, I'll go and change.
Hast du Klamotten für mich?
Do you have some clothes for me?
Caption 13, Ultimate Frisbee - Oli erklärt das Spiel
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In wenigen Wochen werden Kato, Scratch und Lina ganz in den Zoo Neuwied umziehen.
In a few weeks, Kato, Scratch and Lina will move full-time into the Neuwied zoo.
Caption 38, Wie süß - Drei Löwen im Wohnzimmer
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Similarly, sich hinlegen means "to lie down" in the sense of going to bed, but hinlegen simply means "to set down" or "to put down."
Ich muss mich beeilen, damit ich mich bald hinlegen kann.
I have to hurry so that I can go to bed soon.
Caption 68, Berufsleben - das Vorstellungsgespräch
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Hm, ich weiß genau, dass ich die Schwimmer hier irgendwo hingelegt hab'.
Hm, I know for sure that I put the floats down here somewhere.
Vorstellen means "to present," whereas sich vorstellen can mean either "to introduce oneself" (with the accusative pronoun) or "to imagine" (with the dative pronoun).
Hallo, heute werde ich dir die Schultern, die Arme und die Hände vorstellen.
Hello, today I'll present the shoulders, the arms and the hands.
Captions 1-2, Der menschliche Körper - die Arme
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Ich könnte mir gar kein Leben ohne Kinder vorstellen.
I couldn't at all imagine a life without children.
Caption 15, Cettina interviewt - Mütter
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Könnten Sie sich uns kurz vorstellen und beschreiben, was Sie hier machen?
Could you quickly introduce yourself to us and describe what you do here?
Caption 6, Feuerwehr Heidelberg - Löschfahrzeug
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