Even with our smartphones and GPS, we sometimes need to ask a local for directions or where we can find a certain type of establishment. Let's look at some important verbs and phrases you need to know.
Wie komme ich von hier zum Hauptbahnhof?
"How do I get from here to the main train station?
Caption 66, Deutsch mit Eylin: Öffentliche Verkehrsmittel in Hamburg
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In addition to this structure, you should know the words der/die/das nächste and der/die/das nächstgelegene (singular), as well as in der Nähe.
Wo ist die nächste / die nächstgelegene Tankstelle?
Where is the nearest gas station?
Gibt es einen Geldeautomaten in der Nähe?
Is there an ATM nearby?
Das ist im Zentrum, in der Nähe vom Arbeitsamt.
That's in the city center near the employment office.
Caption 13, Nicos Weg: An der Ampel links
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Wenn ich mich nun plötzlich für Mantras interessiere, gehe ich in die nächste Buchhandlung
If I'm suddenly interested in mantras, I go to the nearest bookstore
Captions 51-52, Deutsch mit Eylin: Informationsfülle
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Das nächstgelegene Krankenhaus wird angeflogen.
[They're] flying to the nearest hospital.
Caption 12, Rettungsflieger: Im Einsatz
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When giving directions, the word for straight is geradeaus, and this can be combined with gehen or fahren. For turning, you can say abbiegen, but also fahren for someone who's in a car or on a bike.
Am Zoo musst du ungefähr noch mal hundert Meter geradeaus.
At the zoo you have to go straight again about a hundred meters.
Caption 43, Melanie und Thomas: treffen sich
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Also, geradeaus, dann rechts, dann links, und dann wieder geradeaus, ja?
So, straight ahead, then right, then left, and then straight again, yes?
Captions 19-21, Mein Weg nach Deutschland: Unterwegs auf der Straße
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To cross a street or plaza, you can use the verb überqueren or simply gehen with the preposition über.
Da muss man aufpassen, wenn man die Straße überqueren will.
You have to be careful when you want to cross the street.
Caption 22, Shuah: Auf der Straße in Berlin
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Dann geht ihr über den Grafenplatz und kommt in die Krugstraße.
Then you cross Grafenplatz and get on to Krugstrasse.
Caption 19, Nicos Weg A1 Folge 42: An der Ampel links
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Giving directions can quickly get quite complicated! Here's an example with other important vocabulary, such as the separable verbs entlanggehen and vorbeigehen.
Geht die Krugstraße entlang, überquert die große Kreuzung, dann geht ihr am Theater vorbei und an der nächsten Ampel rechts. Weißt du, wo?
Go along Krugstrasse, cross the big intersection, then you go past the theater and turn right at the next traffic light. Do you know where it is?
Captions 22-25, Nicos Weg A1 Folge 42: An der Ampel links
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Further Learning
Pick four locations in your neighborhood and practice describing how to travel between them. Then describe where the nearest ATM, pharmacy, or gas station can be found, consulting the examples on Yabla German if you need more guidance.
This week, we'll look at German verbs, adjectives, and adverbs that relate to taking care and being careful.
You may already know the word vorsichtig. As is normal for German adjectives, it is also an adverb, so it means both "careful" and "carefully."
Seid vorsichtig und macht bloß nichts kaputt.
Be careful and don't break anything.
Caption 47, Playmobil: Skispringen mit Familie Hauser
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Fahr vorsichtig, ja?
Drive carefully, OK?
Caption 35, Die Pfefferkörner: Alles auf Anfang
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Other words that can mean "careful" are sorgfältig, which implies a thoroughness or accuracy, and behutsam, which implies gentleness and caution.
Hast du die schon mal so sorgfältig bügeln sehen?
Have you ever seen them iron so carefully?
Caption 19, Playmobil: Skispringen mit Familie Hauser
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Wir alle sollten unsere Kontakte auch weiter behutsam einschränken.
We should all continue to cautiously restrict our contact.
Caption 57, Wir müssen über Corona reden: Mit Olaf Scholz, Luisa & Dr. Daniel Zickler
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Und ich nahm ihn ganz behutsam in die Hand
And I took it very gently in my hand
Caption 5, Nicole: Papillon
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Then there is also the word schonend. This relates to the verb schonen, which has a number of possible translations, including "to treat with care," "to protect," "to preserve," and "to rest" or "to go easy on."
Und es wird schonend mit dem Boden umgegangen, damit er viele Jahre Gemüse bringen kann.
And the soil is treated carefully so that it can produce vegetables for many years.
Captions 27-28, Berlin: Domäne Dahlem
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Um die Pferde zu schonen, werden die Vierbeiner übrigens selbst auch gedoubelt.
In order to treat the horses with care, by the way, these four-legged actors also have doubles.
Caption 21, Für Tierfreunde: Pferde beim Film
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Na ja, Frankfurt ist ja eine Stadt, die sehr früh als Großstadt politische Entscheidungen getroffen hat, Umwelt zu schonen.
Well, yes, Frankfurt is a city that, very early on, as a major city, made political decisions to protect the environment.
Captions 50-51, Erstes Frankfurter „Schuljahr der Nachhaltigkeit“ Abschlussfeier
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Other verbs that relate to being careful or watching out are aufpassen and achtgeben, which can both relate to watching out for your own wellbeing or that of others.
Da muss man aufpassen, wenn man die Straße überqueren will.
You have to be careful when you want to cross the street.
Caption 22, Shuah Auf der Straße in Berlin
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Kannst du auf die anderen achtgeben?
Can you watch over the others?
Caption 12, Heidi Kann Heidi Peter retten?
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Further Learning
You can look up more examples with the words vorsichtig, sorgfältig, and behutsam on Yabla German in order to better understand the slight differences in their meanings.
In German, there are two words that can be translated as "the accident": der Unfall, which is when you fall off your bicycle, and der Zufall, which refers to a random occurrence or coincidence. When you talk about something happening zufällig ("accidentally"), it implies this aspect of randomness. When we want to talk about something happening "accidentally" simply in the sense of it being "unintentional," there is a better adverbial phrase to use:
Jetzt bin ich aus Versehen zu weit gelaufen und muss den Bus nach Hause nehmen.
Now I accidentally walked too far and have to take the bus home.
Caption 38, Shuah - Auf der Straße in Berlin
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A less commonly used synonym for aus Versehen is ohne Absicht. Die Absicht means "the intention," "the aim," or "the purpose."
Das war Absicht.
That was on purpose.
Caption 16, JoNaLu - Überall Banditen
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When we speak about something done "intentionally" or "on purpose," we can use either mit Absicht or the adverb absichtlich.
Ich konnte ja nicht wissen, dass du Max mit Absicht belogen hast.
I couldn't indeed have known that you lied to Max on purpose.
Caption 25, Die Pfefferkörner - Cybermobbing - Part 6
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Jemand hat Jannik Sternberg absichtlich vom Gerüst geschubst.
Someone intentionally shoved Jannik Sternberg off the scaffolding.
Caption 50, Großstadtrevier - Von Monstern und Mördern - Part 2
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Further Learning
Look absichtlich and aus Versehen up on Yabla German. Think of a few scenarios in which you would need to clarify whether an action was intentional or not and build a few sentences in the past tense. Here are a few pairs of nouns and verbs to get you started:
die Mail / weiterleiten
dich / anrufen
seinen Kaffee / trinken
die Tasche / zu hause lassen
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