In a previous lesson, we looked at the verbs fallen and gefallen. There's also the noun der Gefallen, which means "the favor."

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Today's phrase is (jemandem) einen Gefallen tun. This phrase is a good example of the dative construction in German, where jemandem is in the dative case and einen Gefallen is in the accusative case.

Da kann man hin und wieder auch mal jemandem einen Gefallen tun.

You can occasionally do someone a favor.

Captions 23-24, Nicos Weg: In der Redaktion

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When you are the one asking for or getting a favor, here are some phrases that will come in handy:

Und meistens sagt er ja, obwohl er es in Wahrheit nur macht, um mir einen Gefallen zu tun.

And he mostly says yes, although he really only does it in order to do me a favor.

Captions 21-23, Deutsch mit Eylin: Hast du Lust?

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Dirk, ich bin's. Kannst du mir einen Gefallen tun?

Dirk, it's me. Can you do me a favor?

Caption 24, Großstadtrevier: Von Monstern und Mördern

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„Dürfte ich Sie mal um einen Gefallen bitten?“

"May I ask you for a favor?"

Caption 57, Deutsch mit Eylin: Höflich sprechen, Konjunktiv 2 benutzen

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Let's look at a few examples with other dative pronouns. 

Aber sie sagt nicht mal danke, obwohl ich ihr einen Gefallen getan habe.

But she doesn't even say thank you, although I did her a favor.

Caption 43, Die Wohngemeinschaft: Probleme

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Bevor wir mit den Top Drei fortfahren, tu uns einen Gefallen und drück auf den Daumen.

Before we continue with the top three, do us a favor and press on the thumb [click on the "like" button].

Captions 35-36, Die Top Ten: Die unglaublichsten Tiererlebnisse

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Du schuldest uns aber einen Gefallen.

But you owe us a favor.

Caption 33, Die Pfefferkörner: Alles auf Anfang

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Further Learning
Can you write a sentence about doing a group of people a favor, using the third person plural? Which pronoun will that require? Otherwise, you can—as always—find more examples on Yabla German.

Fügen is a verb that means "to join," "to fit," or "to add." In its reflexive form, sich fügen, it means "to comply" or "to submit." You will often see it with a prefix, and that is what we want to talk about today. Here are three particularly common verbs: 

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Es gibt drei weitere Wörter, die du einfügen kannst.

There are three more words that you can insert.

Caption 52, Deutsch mit Eylin: Höflich sprechen, Konjunktiv 2 benutzen

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Als Nächstes können wir die Nudeln und den Blumenkohl hinzufügen.

Next, we can add the pasta and the cauliflower.

Caption 29, Bundesländer und ihre Rezepte: Niedersachsen

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Zudem verfügen sie über einen ausgezeichneten Geruchssinn.

They also have an excellent sense of smell.

Caption 55, Evolution: Meeresbewohner

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There is also the related expression zur Verfügung stehen ("to be available"). The noun die Geringfügigkeit, on the other hand, refers to insignificance.

Der Computer steht Ihnen zur Verfügung.

The computer is available to you.

Caption 24, Berufsleben: das Vorstellungsgespräch

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Und wenn es nur um fiese E-Mails geht, dann wird es bei Gericht wegen Geringfügigkeit abgelehnt.

And if it's only about nasty emails, then it will be rejected in court because of insignificance.

Captions 20-21, Die Pfefferkörner: Gerüchteküche

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The verb (sich) fügen should not be confused with fugen, which is more of a technical verb used in construction and craftsmanship. It most often refers to creating or filling joints between tiles, bricks, or other building materials. It is rarely used with a prefix or in its reflexive form. If you can remember that die Fuge (without an umlaut) means "the gap" or "the joint," this can perhaps help you to not get the verbs mixed up. 

Die Fliesen müssen noch gefugt werden.
The tiles still need to be grouted.

Der Tischler fugte die Holzbretter perfekt ineinander. 
The carpenter joined the wooden boards perfectly.

Interestingly, the other meaning of die Fuge is a type of musical composition featuring a main melody that is imitated and joined by additional melodies that are woven together. As you may have guessed, this is known as a "fugue" in English.

Further Learning
You will find many more versions of the words above used in context on Yabla German.