From cooking programs to videos featuring open-air markets, we have lots of food-related content on Yabla German. Just recently, we sent out a lesson about ordering in restaurants. This week, let's look at vocabulary you'll need for navigating a grocery store in Germany. Let's start with the food groups:

Im Sommer kann man das verschiedene Obst und Gemüse sehen, das hier angebaut wird.

In the summer, you can see the various fruits and vegetables that are grown here.

Captions 9-10, Berlin: Domäne Dahlem

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Viele Getränke, aber auch Milchprodukte wie Sahne und Joghurt sind in Mehrwegflaschen oder -gläsern erhältlich.

Many drinks, but also dairy products such as cream and yogurt, are available in returnable bottles or jars.

Captions 11-12, WWF Deutschland: Tipps zur Vermeidung von Plastikmüll

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Und mein Vater wollte sie darin unterstützen, und aß dann auch kein Fleisch, keinen Fisch und keine Eier mehr.

And my father wanted to support her and then also ate no more meat, no more fish, and no more eggs.

Captions 12-13, Deutsch mit Eylin: Ernährungsformen

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Die Säcke mit Getreide und Kartoffeln waren bald leer.

The sacks with grain and potatoes were soon empty.

Caption 37, Märchen - Sagenhaft: Die Weiber von Weinsberg

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Here are some additional categories of groceries:

Da fehlen die richtigen Gewürze.

It lacks the right spices.

Caption 10, Nicos Weg: Was darf es sein?

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Früher konnte man hier Körner, Kräuter und Gemüse kaufen.

Previously you could buy grain, herbs, and vegetables here.

Caption 33, Unterwegs mit Jenny: die Heidelberger Altstadt

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Besonders groß sei die Nachfrage nach haltbaren Lebensmitteln wie Konserven und Nudeln.

Particularly high is the demand for non-perishable groceries like canned foods and pasta.

Captions 8-9, Coronavirus: Trotz Hamsterkäufen keine Versorgungsprobleme

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Ihr mögt ja Experten in Sachen Geflügel sein.

You may be experts in poultry-related matters.

Caption 5, Großstadtrevier: Nicht mit mir

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And finally, here is some additional vocabulary for your next grocery store visit: der Einkaufswagen (the shopping cart), der Einkaufskorb (the shopping basket), der Gang (the aisle), das Regal (the shelf), die Kasse (the cash register / the check-out), die Tiefkühlkost (frozen food), das Kühlregal (the refrigerated shelf), das Würzmittel (condiment), das Sonderangebot (the special offer), die Einkaufstüte/Tüte (the shopping bag), der Kassenbon/der Beleg (the receipt). 

Further Learning
Look at your grocery list and practice asking where the various items might be found in German. You can also watch other videos related to food on Yabla German.

Although it's also the title of a Beatles song (covered by the Beach Boys too!), today we're taking a look at German variations of the adverb warum (why).

Und warum schickt die Lehrerin dann immer ihn Kreide holen?

So then why does the teacher always send him to get chalk?

Caption 40, Der kleine Nick: Nachmittag bei Adalbert

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Ich weiß nicht warum, aber auch die Luft ist in dieser Jahreszeit oft wunderbar klar.

I don't know why, but the air is often wonderfully clear at this time of year.

Captions 15-16, Deutsch mit Eylin: Herbst in Hamburg

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Ja? Warum nicht, warum nicht, warum nicht.

Yes? Why not, why not, why not.

Caption 14, Deutschkurs in Tübingen: Warum, weil - Erklärungen

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It's probably pretty clear that warum can be used in a variety of contexts. But there are also—in English as well as German—different ways of saying "why."

Weshalb hatte er dann eine Pistole?

Why did he have a pistol then?

Caption 21, Großstadtrevier: Schatten der Vergangenheit

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Weshalb hast du Entspannung gebraucht?

Why did you need relaxation?

Caption 18, Konjugation: Das Verb „brauchen“

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As you see above, the adverb weshalb has been correctly translated into English as "why." But these two German sentences could just as well have been translated in different ways:

Weshalb hatte er dann eine Pistole?
What did he have a pistol for, then?
How come he had a pistol, then?
For what reason did he have a pistol, then?

Weshalb hast du Entspannung gebraucht?
What did you need relaxation for?
How come you needed relaxation?
For what reason did you need relaxation?

The adverb weshalb can be used when you are explicitly asking about the purpose of something, and is, to some extent, the equivalent of the English "what for." The adverb weshalb tends to be used more often in a written context, but is also commonly used in spoken German.

Everything in a word's meaning will vary depending upon the context. It's simply more natural to say something one way than another, with varying factors such as the subtlety of the intended meaning and the formality or informality of the context all playing roles. In the following case, three different equivalent English words and phrases were used just to differentiate the German words— plus it would read pretty badly using "why" three times in a row!

Die Frageworte „wieso“, „weshalb“, „warum“ bedeuten alle das Gleiche. Aber „wieso“ und „warum“ werden am häufigsten verwendet.
The question words “how come,” “for what reason,” “why” all mean the same thing. But “how come” and “why” are the most commonly used.
Captions 6-7, Deutsch mit Eylin: Fragewörter

So while they may mean approximately the same thing, it's up to you to decide which German word works best in context. Here are some more words with similar "why" meanings:

Also, kann's Gründe geben, weswegen wir dann doch 'n bisschen später ankommen?

That is, is there any reason why we might arrive a little later?

Caption 60, Galileo Zug vs. Flugzeug: Von München nach Berlin

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The adverb weswegen is used more in writing than in speech, but if somebody ever asks you Weswegen?—and you want to be flippant—you can answer Deswegen! ("Why?" —"Because!")

Wozu braucht man einen Fruchtbarkeitstee, wenn man bereits schwanger ist?

Why do you need fertility tea if you are already pregnant?

Caption 9, Großstadtrevier Nicht mit mir - Part 5

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The adverb wozu is also often translated as "what for."

Further Learning
Look for the German "why" adverbs warum, weshalb, wieso, weswegen, and wozu on Yabla German and see some of the various contexts in which they are used. Then write a list of English sentences and see if you can make multiple translations to German using the words above.

It's hard to break old habits of speech when you are learning to pronounce words in German that you already knew before, such as many place names. It can take a while to change the pronunciation that you learned a long time ago in your native language. Such may be the case with the capital city of Germany, Berlin.

In English, "Berlin" is pronounced bur-LIN. The first part sounds like "brr," when you are cold, and it's certainly a cold enough place in winter. The second part rhymes with "win" and is the stressed syllable. You probably pronounce it this way already, though if you happen to come from Berlin, Connecticut or Berlin, New Hampshire, you might naturally put slightly more emphasis on the first syllable. Don't do that if you are talking about bur-LIN, Germany!

Ironically, a number of Germans I know, when they are speaking English, mispronounce the English pronunciation of Berlin as BURR-lin. Maybe they're trying to sound more American with the heavy emphasis on the R, but I usually don't have the heart to correct them. In the following video, a male American student says "Berlin" with the American pronunciation, followed by his female native German teacher saying "Berlin" with a proper German pronunciation:

„Wenn ich Urlaub habe, gehe ich nach Berlin... -nach Berlin." Gut.

"When I am on vacation I go to Berlin... -to Berlin." Good.

„Nach Berlin." -„Gehe ich nach Berlin", ja.

"To Berlin." -"I go to Berlin," yes.

Captions 64-65, Deutschkurs in Tübingen - Nebensätze als Satzanfang

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In German, of course, "Berlin" is pronounced very differently. The first syllable sounds like "bear" and the second syllable like "lean": bear-LEAN. Of course, the bear (der Bär) is the symbol of Berlin! The German teacher above is in Southern Germany, but in Northern Germany and especially in Berlin, people tend to emphasize the "i," sounding more like bur-LEEEN :

Aber seit ich in Berlin lebe,

But since I've lived in Berlin,

arbeite ich als Kellnerin und Barista in Cafés.

I've worked as a waitress and barista in cafés.

Caption 16, Berlin - Judith und die „Brezel Bar“

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Das ist tatsächlich ein Hotel in Berlin mit einem ganz verrückten Konzept.

This is, in fact, a hotel in Berlin with a completely crazy concept.

Caption 2, Berlin - Indoor-Camping im „Hüttenpalast“

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Kommst du auch aus Hamburg?

Do you also come from Hamburg?

Nee, aus Berlin.

No, from Berlin.

Captions 33-34, Großstadtrevier - Nicht mit mir - Part 4

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Du kommst gar nicht aus Berlin.

You're not from Berlin at all.

Caption 24, Großstadtrevier - Nicht mit mir - Part 5

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Further Learning
Go to Yabla German and search for videos about Berlin. You can also watch the music video of the song "Berlin" by the 1980s German punk band Ideal. The chorus repeats Ich steh auf Berlin, which means "I like Berlin." It shows a lot of street scenes and demonstrations from the early 1980s West Berlin, when the city was much rougher than it is today!