Many of us are living in countries with shopping restrictions due to health measures taken during the coronavirus pandemic, meaning we may need to shop for many things we need on the internet. The word bestellen, most commonly translated in this context as "to order," has thus become an especially important term this year.
Diesen Film können Sie als DVD unter folgender Adresse im Internet bestellen.
You can order this film on DVD at the following web address.
Caption 18, Bibliothek der Sachgeschichten - Müllmännerlied
Play Caption
We also use bestellen when ordering food in a restaurant, although these days that usually means ordering food for takeaway:
Die Tochter hat Pizza bestellt...
My daughter ordered pizza...
Caption 82, Weihnachtsinterviews - Cettina in Linkenheim
Play Caption
Möchten Sie denn schon was zu trinken bestellen?
Would you like to order something to drink now?
Caption 10, Abendessen - mit Marko
Play Caption
Although bestellen is most commonly used to mean "to order" something, there are also a number of other contexts where the verb is used that require a different translation altogether. Quite differently from the English "to order," where something will be coming to you, the German bestellen can also be used to send out greetings (Grüße bestellen) or to ask someone to say thank-you for you:
Bestellt dem Marquis meinen herzlichsten Dank!
Send the Marquis my most heartfelt thanks!
Caption 41, Märchen - Sagenhaft - Der gestiefelte Kater
Play Caption
Bestellen Sie dem Feldmarschall von Kluge,
Tell Field Marshall von Kluge
ich danke für das in mich gesetzte Vertrauen.
I thank him for the trust he places in me.
Captions 55-56, Die Stunde der Offiziere - Dokudrama über den 20. Juli 1944
Play Caption
In the context of biology, you can use bestellen with the preposition um to describe the condition of a species:
Um die seltene Marmorata-Forelle ist es schlechter bestellt...
Regarding the rare marble trout, it looks worse...
Caption 29, Alpenseen - Kühle Schönheiten
Play Caption
Jetzt interessiert mich das aber doch, wie's um den Bestand bestellt ist.
Now, however, I'm interested indeed in how the population is doing.
Caption 5, Abenteuer Nordsee - Unter Riesenhaien und Tintenfischen
Play Caption
Further Learning
Take a look at all of the meanings of bestellen on the Duden website and search for bestellt and bestellen on Yabla German to see other ways the word is used in different contexts.
This week, let's review the vocabulary in German for political and geographical subdivisions. We will start from the largest subdivisions and proceed to the smallest.
Dann natürlich auch, um 'nen fremden Kontinent kennenzulernen,
Then of course also in order to get to know an unfamiliar continent,
weil man aufm Fahrrad eigentlich so nah dran ist wie sonst nicht, wenn man reist.
because on the bicycle you actually are so much closer to it than when you otherwise travel.
Captions 14-15, Mountainbiken - Auf dem Anden-Trail
Play Caption
Welches Land ist ein Nachbarland von Deutschland?
Which country is a neighboring country of Germany?
Caption 27, Bundesrepublik Deutschland - Einbürgerungstest - Part 14
Play Caption
Die Region zwischen Amrum und Sylt wurde wegen der Meeressäuger unter Schutz gestellt.
The region between Amrum and Sylt was placed under protection because of the marine mammals.
Caption 2, Abenteuer Nordsee - Unter Riesenhaien und Tintenfischen
Play Caption
You probably already know the word die Stadt ("the city") and related words like die Hauptstadt or die Großstadt. The word der Staat is not to be confused with die Stadt. Although the United States is die Vereinigten Staaten in German, the word used for a federal state is generally das Bundesland. Der Staat is more often used when referring to something being done or provided by the federal or state government.
Es ist sein erster Besuch in Berlin als Präsident der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika.
It is his first visit to Berlin as the president of the United States of America.
Caption 4, Angela Merkel - Gemeinsame Pressekonferenz mit Barack Obama
Play Caption
Der Staat muss die Gesetze einhalten.
The state has to abide by the laws.
Caption 4, Bundesrepublik Deutschland - Einbürgerungstest - Part 7
Play Caption
In Deutschland gibt es in jedem Bundesland sogenannte Landeshauptstädte.
In Germany, there are so-called state capitals in each federal state.
Caption 15, Bundesländer und ihre Spezialitäten - Baden-Württemberg
Play Caption
When speaking about a district of a city, or a "quarter," the German word is der Bezirk or der Stadtteil or das Viertel. The word der Kiez is used in certain cities on an informal basis to denote a particular part of a district that may even be just a few square blocks. In these places, it is much more commonly used than die Nachbarschaft.
Hallo, ich stehe hier am Eingang des Viktoriaparks im Berliner Stadtteil Kreuzberg.
Hello, I am standing here at the entrance of Viktoriapark in the Berlin district of Kreuzberg.
Caption 1, Berlin - Eva im Viktoriapark
Play Caption
Gitarrist Jürgen Ehle wohnt seit fünfundzwanzig Jahren
Guitarist Jürgen Ehle has lived for twenty-five years
in dem Kiez und schwelgt in Erinnerungen.
in the neighborhood, and luxuriates in memories.
Captions 3-4, Pankow - Rolling Stones des Ostens
Play Caption
In German, die Kleinstadt specifies a town rather than a city. To talk about rural life, there is das Dorf ("the village") and also die Gemeinde, which can be used for a rural community as well as an urban one.
Further Learning
Practice these words and their correct articles by describing where you live. Begin with the smallest area unit and progress until you are at continent level! Yabla German can provide more examples using these words if you get stuck on the declensions.
Last week, we discussed how the ending of a noun may indicate whether it's masculine, feminine, or neuter, and looked at some endings like -er and -ig that typically require the definite masculine article der. As we did last week, we must offer the disclaimer that this is not a 100% reliable way to learn the genders of nouns, due to many exceptions. We encourage you as much as possible to simply learn the appropriate definite article (der, die, or das) along with each individual word so that you'll always know the gender of the noun in the future.
However, if you ever get stuck, it might help to know that -anz, -ei, -heit, -ik, -ion,
-keit, -schaft, -tät, and -ung are endings that often indicate a feminine noun. Let's look at some examples.
Es besteht die Möglichkeit, jedes Board vorher zu testen.
The possibility exists, to test every board beforehand.
Caption 41, Longboarding - mit Lassrollen
Play Caption
Die Region zwischen Amrum und Sylt
The region between Amrum and Sylt
wurde wegen der Meeressäuger unter Schutz gestellt.
was placed under protection because of the marine mammals.
Caption 2, Abenteuer Nordsee - Unter Riesenhaien und Tintenfischen
Play Caption
Beim Volleyball im Sand besteht
With volleyball in the sand,
die Mannschaft nämlich nur aus zwei Spielern.
the team consists, namely, of just two players.
Caption 10, Olympische Spiele - Beachvolleyball
Play Caption
As mentioned last week, there are exceptions particularly for one-syllable words, which will most often not follow the rules. For example, die Einladung ("the invitation") is feminine, but der Sprung ("the jump") is masculine.
Die Einladung kommt noch.
The invitation is still on its way.
Caption 77, Free Birds - Interview mit Nora Tschirner & Rick Kavanian
Play Caption
Und der Sprung an sich geht vielleicht nur drei Sekunden,
And the jump itself lasts perhaps only three seconds
aber es kommt einem ewig vor.
but it seems eternal.
Caption 44, Lucas' Hobbys - Achterbahn und Bungee
Play Caption
Further Learning
Next week, we will conclude this small series with endings that are usually associated with neuter nouns. In the meantime, you can look for the words used in context on Yabla German. If you use flashcards, make sure you're in the habit of always including "the" on the English side (for example, "the possibility" or "the team"), so that you will be sure to include the correct definite article in the translation on the other side of the card.
You may come across the names of some unusual animals on German Yabla, especially in some of the nature series like Abenteuer Nordsee. One problem with a lot of animal names is that the German name, if translated directly word for word, may actually be a completely different animal altogether.
Ein Butterfisch lauert auf Beute.
A rock gunnel fish lies in wait for prey.
Caption 39, Abenteuer Nordsee - Unter Riesenhaien und Tintenfischen
Play Caption
If you look up der Butterfisch on German Wikipedia, you see that they are part of the Pholidae fish species. If you had translated the name to the English "butterfish," however, you would have wound up mistakenly referring to a completely different fish of the Stromateidae species. A German Butterfisch is in fact a "rock gunnel fish" in English, and an English "butterfish" is a Medusenfisch in German. Looking up an animal's name on German Wikipedia and then going to the equivalent English Wikipedia page (or vice versa, of course) is a good way to be sure you are getting the animals' names right!
Ein Steinpicker sucht mit seinen Barteln nach Fressbarem.
A hooknose fish is searching with its barbels for edibles.
Caption 27, Abenteuer Nordsee - Unter Riesenhaien und Tintenfischen
Play Caption
The German term der Steinpicker may translate directly to something like "stone picker," but in English no such species name exists, and as you see above, it's referring to the "hooknose fish."
Taschenkrebse, die berühmten Helgoländer „Knieper“ [Dialekt, Kneifer],
Brown crabs, the famous Heligoland pinchers,
brechen Bohrmuscheln aus dem Kalkstein.
are breaking false angel wing clams out from the limestone.
Captions 29-30, Abenteuer Nordsee - Unter Riesenhaien und Tintenfischen
Play Caption
The example above has two animals which might easily be misidentified, der Taschenkrebs and die Bohrmuschel, which you might be tempted to translate as "pocket crab" and "drill mussel" respectively, but you'd be wrong if you did: neither of these animal names exist in English! In fact, der Taschenkrebs is a "brown crab" or "edible crab," and die Bohrmuschel is not a mussel at all, but a "false angel wing clam."
Further Learning
Watch or re-watch the Abenteuer Nordsee series on Yabla German and pay special attention to the names of animals. Read more about these animals on German Wikipedia and expand your German vocabulary at the same time!
Spanish
French
Italian
Chinese
English
English 
Español
Français
Italiano
Português
Deutsch
