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Lesson 1 - Conversation

Small Talk

In this lesson, Mrs Schmidt and Mrs Williams meet and have a small talk.

It is not necessary to install an audio player in order to be able to listen to the conversation. Just start by clicking on the first word, and the player plays the single words first and then the whole sentence. In order to repeat a word, click on the respective word. If you want to hear a sentence, click on the ear after the respective sentence. In order to make the pronunciation easier for you to understand, every sentence is additionally written in phonetic script. Besides, every sentence is translated into English language. However, if the German sentence structure differs from the English one, the sentence is translated literally.

 

German text

  

English translation
Frau Schmidt: Guten Tag, sprechen Sie Deutsch? Good afternoon, do you speak German?
  ['gu:tən ta:k 'ʃprɛçən zi: dɔytʃ]   Literally: Good day, speak you German?
       
Frau Williams: Ich verstehe ein bisschen Deutsch. I understand a little German.
  [ɪç fɛɐ'ʃte:ə ain 'bɪsçən dɔytʃ]    
       
Frau Schmidt: Sind Sie Amerikanerin? Are you (polite form) American (female form)?
  [zɪnt zi: ameri'ka:nərɪn]    
       
Frau Williams: Nein, ich bin Engländerin. No, I am English (female form).
  [nain ɪç bɪn 'ɛŋlɛndərɪn]    
  Und woher kommen Sie? And where do you come from?
  [ʊnt vo'he:ɐ 'kɔmən zi:]   Literally: And where from come you?
       
Frau Schmidt: Ich komme aus Hamburg. I come from Hamburg.
  [ɪç 'kɔmə aus 'hambʊək]    
  Kennen Sie Hamburg? Do you know Hamburg?
  ['kɛnən zi: 'hambʊək]   Literally: Know you (polite form) Hamburg?
       
Frau Williams: Ja, ich mag Hamburg sehr. Yes, I like Hamburg very much.
  [ja: ɪç ma:k 'hambʊək ze:ɐ]   Literally: Yes, I like Hamburg very.
  Hamburg ist eine schöne Stadt. Hamburg is a nice city.
  ['hambʊək ɪst 'ainə 'ʃø:nə ʃtat]    

Now you have listened to your first conversation in German. In order to learn about new words and grammar, click on the respective buttons above. After learning, you have the opportunity to do some tests if you click on the buttons "Word Practice", "Grammar Practice" or "Sentence Practice". To learn more about German pronunciation, click on "Pronunciation", and you will find special sites about the alphabet and the phonetic script which is used here. You will also find pronunciation videos which help you to learn special sounds if you roll over "Videos" in the menu bar.