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For a phrasebook specifically about the German dialect spoken in Switzerland, see Swiss-German phrasebook

German Speaking Areas. Dark Orange: native language; Light orange: Secondary language or non-official; Red square: German minorities

German (Deutsch) is a Germanic language spoken by over 100 million people worldwide. It is the official and main language of Germany, Austria, and Liechtenstein. It is also an official language of Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Belgium and a national language in Namibia. German is also spoken by minorities in the French regions of Alsace (German: Elsass) and Lorraine (German: Lothringen), in the northern Italian province of South Tyrol (German: Südtirol, Italian: Alto Adige or Sudtirolo), and in a small part of southern Denmark.

Standard German (Hochdeutsch) is also generally spoken by many as a second language in much of Central Europe, with small groups of native speakers as well due to the historical influence of Austria (the former Austrian Empire) and Germany over the region. Small isolated communities can be found elsewhere in the world.

Grammar

Many languages in northern Europe belong to the Germanic language family, although German grammar itself retains many conjugations and declensions from proto-Germanic that have since been lost by other language relatives such as English.

In common with many other European languages, German has two "you" verb forms which denote the relationship the speaker has to someone else. To express familiarity, one uses the du form; for formality, the Sie form. As a general rule the Sie form is used when one might address someone as "Madam" or "Sir". If on first name terms, one uses the du form. Grammatically, the Sie form takes the 3rd person plural ending.

German nouns are divided into 3 different genders: masculine, feminine and neuter. The article of a noun depends on the gender: der (m), die (f) and das (n). Inanimate objects frequently have, often arbitrarily, genders assigned to them; for example, Tisch (table) is male, Tür (door) is female, while Tor (gate) is neuter. While the gender nouns denoting a person usually correspond to their natural gender (for example Mutter (mother) is female and Vater (father) is male), there are some exceptions. A grammatical rule that overrides this includes the diminutive -chen noun ending which will result in a neuter. (for example Mädchen (girl) is actually neuter, and not female as you'd expect).

Third-person pronouns also depend on the grammatical gender of the subject: er (m), sie (f) and es (n). However, you will generally be understood if you use the wrong gender as there are only a few (obscure) nouns which mean different things depending on gender, and their correct meaning will always be clear from the context.

Furthermore, German nouns are declined. There are four grammatical cases: nominative (subject), accusative (direct object), genitive (possessive), and dative (indirect object). Each varies depending on the noun's gender and whether it is singular or plural.

All nouns begin with a capital letter, even in the middle of a sentence. This is an important way to distinguish between some verbs and objects. It also arguably makes reading easier, though writing is somewhat complicated by the need to find out whether a verb or adjective is used in a substantivized form.

Dialects

There are very strong accentual and dialectic differences in German-speaking countries. A German from the north and one from the south of the country can have great difficulty understanding each other's dialects. Standard German, or "Hochdeutsch", is universally known and taught, and although not everyone speaks it well it can be understood by most German speakers. Generally, the further south one travels, the broader the influence of dialect on standard speech. The Main River serves as a rough "border" between the northern and southern German speaking cultural worlds. Switzerland, in particular, tends to use its own form of German, even often in the media. As a rule, one should not expect all people one encounters (especially in the rural areas) of Alsace, Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Austria, South Tyrol and Switzerland to speak standard German well, but a dialect instead. In Alsace most people prefer to speak French with outsiders, and do NOT consider their dialect to be German as such! Dialect, where still spoken, is very much for family and home. People in Alsace are often reluctant to speak High German with Germans! They are often less put off speaking their dialect to someone from Switzerland or Baden, due to the fact they are pretty much mutually intelligible.

In the north of Germany, some people speak a related language called Plattdüütsch or Low German ("Plattdeutsch" in German). It is very closely related to Dutch and mainland Scandinavian languages. Nearly all Platt speakers also speak German.

The German spoken in Switzerland is referred to as Schwiizertüütsch. There are various varieties of Swiss German depending on the region and it is even widely used in the media, though news broadcasts are in standard German. Dialects are not usually used in the media in Germany, Austria or Liechtenstein except for regional programming. Thus, this is rare in the German speaking world, as "Hochdeutsch" is more or less the sole language of media outside Switzerland. Nevertheless, all German-speaking Swiss learn standard German in school, and usually write in standard German, so unless you approach somebody really old who has never been to school, you'll be fine with standard German. The German dialects spoken in Vorarlberg (Austria), Baden-Württemberg (Germany) and Alsace (France) are related to Swiss German.

In the Italian South Tyrol, like in most of Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and southern Germany, most people speak a local dialect. However, standard German and Italian are both taught in the schools. The German spoken in South Tyrol is very similar to that of neighboring Austria and Bavaria to the north.

Pronunciation guide

German pronunciation is relatively straightforward, although spelling is somewhat more involved.

Vowels

a
like 'u' in "cup", 'a' in "target". In Austria, it sounds more like "au" in "Paul".
e
like 'e' in "ten", or 'e' in "emotion"; a schwa at the end of words with 2 or more syllables
i
like 'i' in "bingo"
o
like 'oo' in "door", like 'o' in "mole"
u
like 'ou' in "you"
ä
(Umlaut, transcribed as 'ae') like 'e' in "ten"
ö
(Umlaut, transcribed as 'oe') like 'i' in "Sir" (not a sound in English)
ü
(Umlaut, transcribed as 'ue') like 'ew' in "EWWW (disgust)" or the French 'u' in "tu"
y
same as 'ü', but also consonant "j" in words of foreign origin ("Yacht"), sometimes pronounced more akin to "i", in general "y" shows the most irregularities in pronunciation of all vowels

Length of Vowels

A vowel is shortened when followed by a double consonant.

A vowel is lengthened by a subsequent 'h', or by a double vowel, depending on the word. An exception is 'i', which is lengthened by a following 'e' or 'eh'.

Examples: the h in Hahn makes the a long; the aa in Haar is also long, the e in Tier makes the i long. (See below for "Diphthongs".)

Consonants

Consonants are pronounced quite strongly (except perhaps the 'r').

b
like 'b' in "bed"
c
like 'ts' in "bits" before 'i' and 'e'; like 'k' in "kid" otherwise
d
like 'd' in "dog"
f
like 'ph' in "phone"
g
like 'g' in "go" (never as in "giraffe")
h
like 'h' in "help"
j
like 'y' in "yoga"
k
like 'c' in "cat"
l
like 'l' in "love"
m
like 'm' in "mother"
n
like 'n' in "nice"
p
like 'p' in "pig"
qu
like "kv" in "kvetch" or "bank vault" or like "qu" in "quest". "Q" is always used with "u" in German.
r
like 'r' in "arm", like 'r' in "feather". Terminal 'r' are almost silent but with the hit of an 'r' sound. 'R' beginning a word or syllable are pronounced from the back of the throat, almost as in French. In southern Germany (Bavaria), Austria and Switzerland, the 'r' is rolled as in Spanish in all positions except the initial.
s
like 'z' in "haze"
t
like 't' in "top"
v
like 'f' in "father"
w
like 'v' in "victory", never like 'wh' in "whisky"
x
like 'cks' in "kicks"
z
like 'ts' in "bits"
ß
like 's' in "was"

Common diphthongs and other digraphs

Note: these combinations are not always used as diphthongs. At syllable boundaries and sometimes even in a syllable, they are spoken as separate vowels (e.g. soebenzoh-AY-ben)

au
like 'ow' in "how"
ae
transcription for 'ä' if not available on a keyboard or in URLs
ah
like 'a' in "bar", longer than 'a'.
äu
like 'oy' in "boy"
ei
like 'i' in "wine"
eu
like 'oy' in "boy"
eh
long 'e'
ie
like 'ee' in "week", longer than 'i'.
ieh
like 'ee' in "week", longer than 'i', fundamentally no difference to 'ie'.
oe
transcription for 'ö' if not available on a keyboard or in URLs
oh
like 'oo' in "boobies", longer than 'o'.
ue
transcription for 'ü' if not available on a keyboard or in URLs
uh
like 'ou' in "youth", longer than 'u'.
ch after 'a', 'o' and 'u'
like 'ch' in Scottish "loch", spoken in the throat, like 'j' in Spanish
ch after 'i', 'e' and consonants
like 'h' in "huge"
ch at the beginning of a word
like 'ch' in "character"
ck
like 'ck' in "blocking"
ng
like both 'ng' in "singing", never like 'ng' in "finger"
ph
like 'f' in "fish"
sch
like 'sh' in "sheep"
sp at the beginning of a word
like 'shp' in "fish pool"
ss
like 'ss' in "sass"; in contrast to 'ß', makes the preceding vowel shorter. Also used as transcription for 'ß' in URL or on foreign keyboards.
st at the beginning of a word
like 'sht' in "ashtray"

Phrase list

The following phrases are for Standard German, and will generally be well understood across the German-speaking world. See the Swiss-German phrasebook for the local variety spoken in Switzerland.

Basics

Common signs


OPEN
Offen, Geöffnet
CLOSED
Geschlossen
ENTRANCE
Eingang
EXIT
Ausgang
PUSH
Drücken
PULL
Ziehen
TOILET
WC, Toilette(n)
MEN
Herren, Männer
WOMEN
Damen, Frauen
FORBIDDEN
Verboten
Good day.
Guten Tag. (GOO-ten tahk, formal) better: Hallo (informal)
How are you? (Informal)
Wie geht's? (vee GATES?) used as a real question, not a form of greeting.
How are you? (Formal)
Wie geht es Ihnen? ("Vee gate s eenen?)
Fine, thank you.
Gut, danke. (goot, DAN-keh)
What is your name? (formal)
Wie heißen Sie? (vee HIGH-sun zee?)
What is your name? (informal)
Wie heißt du? (vee HIGHST doo?)
My name is ______ .
Ich heiße ______ . (eesh HIGH-suh)
Nice to meet you. (formal)
Nett, Sie kennen zu lernen. (net zee KEN-en tsoo LER-nen)
Nice to meet you. (informal)
Nett, dich kennen zu lernen. (net deesh KEN-en tsoo LER-nen)
Please.
Bitte. (BEE-tuh)
Thank you.
Danke schön. (DAN-kuh shurn)
Thanks.
Danke. (DAN-kuh)
You're welcome.
Bitte schön! (BEE-tuh shurn)
Yes.
Ja. (yah)
No.
Nein. (nine)
Excuse me. (getting attention)
Entschuldigen Sie. (ent-SHOOL-dee-gun zee)
Excuse me. (begging pardon)
Entschuldigung. (ent-SHOOL-dee-goong)
I'm sorry.
Es tut mir leid. (es toot meer lite)
Goodbye
Auf Wiedersehen. (owf VEE-dur-zane)
Goodbye (informal)
Tschüss
I can't speak German (well).
Ich kann nicht [so gut] Deutsch sprechen. (eesh kahn nikht [zo goot] doytsh shprekhen) better: Ich spreche kein Deutsch (eesh spreh-khuh kine doitsh)
Do you speak English? (formal)
Sprechen Sie Englisch? (shprekhun zee ENG-leesh)
Is there someone here who speaks English?
Gibt es hier jemanden, der Englisch spricht? (geept es heer yeh-MAHN-dun dare ENG-leesh shprikht)
Help!
Hilfe! (HEEL-fuh)
Good morning.
Guten Morgen. (GOO-tun MOR-gun)
Good evening.
Guten Abend. (GOO-tun AH-bunt)
Good night.
Schönen Abend noch. (shur-nun AH-bunt nokh)
Good night (to sleep)
Gute Nacht. (GOO-tuh nakht)
I don't understand.
Ich verstehe das nicht. (eesh fur-SHTAY-uh dahs nikht)
Where is the toilet, please?
Wo ist die Toilette, bitte? (voh eest dee twah-LET-uh BEE-tuh)
With pleasure.
Gerne (GERR-nuh)
Do you know where ... is?. (formal)
Wissen Sie, wo ... ist? (VEE-sun zee voh ... eest)

Problems

Leave me alone.
Lass / Lassen Sie mich in Ruhe . (LAHS(-un zee) meesh een ROO-uh)
Don't touch me!
Fass / Fassen Sie mich nicht an! (FAHS(-un zee) meesh neekt AHN!)
I'll call the police.
Ich rufe die Polizei. (eesh ROO-fuh dee poh-lee-TSIGH)
Police!
Polizei! (poh-lee-TSIGH!)
Stop! Thief!
Halt! Ein Dieb! (HAHLT! ighn DEEB!)
I need your help.
Ich brauche deine/Ihre Hilfe. (eesh BROW-khuh DIGH-nuh/EE-ruh HEEL-fuh)
It's an emergency.
Das ist ein Notfall. (dahs eest ighn NOHT-fahl)
I'm lost.
Ich habe mich verirrt. (eesh HAH-buh meesh fer-EERT)
I lost my bag.
Ich habe meine Tasche verloren. (eesh HAH-buh migh-nuh TAH-shuh fer-LOH-run)
I lost my wallet.
Ich habe mein Portemonnaie verloren. (outdated) (eesh HAH-buh mighn port-moh-NEH fer-LOH-run)
Note: Portemonnaie is of French origin, but usual in German. The pronunciation follows the French one, though a dialectal tinge is not unheard of.
better: Ich habe meinen Geldbeutel verloren. (eesh HAH-buh mighn geh-ld-boy-tehl fer-LOH-run)
better in Austria: Ich habe meine Geldtasche verloren. (eesh HAH-buh miney geh-ld-ta-chee fer-LOH-run)
I'm sick.
Ich bin krank. (eesh been krahnk)
I've been injured.
Ich bin verletzt. (eesh been fer-LETST)
I need a doctor.
Ich brauche einen Arzt. (eesh BROW-khuh IGH-nuh ARTST)
Can I use your phone?
Kann ich dein/Ihr Telefon benutzen? (kahn eesh dighn/eer tay-lay-FOHN buh-NOOT-sun?)
Can I use your mobile?
Kann ich dein/Ihr Handy benutzen? (kahn eesh dighn/eer handy buh-NOOT-sun?)

Numbers

In German, the roles of dot and comma are swapped compared to their English counterparts. The grouping separator in big numbers is a dot (.), not a comma(,); the separator between decimal fractions and integer is a comma (,), not a dot (.).

E.g.: 1,000 in English is 1.000 in German; 3.14159 in English is 3,14159 in German.

Numbers above twenty are said "backwards". Twenty-one (einundzwanzig) is literally spoken as "one-and-twenty". This takes a bit of getting used to, especially in higher regions. Eg. 53,426 (dreiundfünfzigtausendvierhundertsechsundzwanzig) is spoken as "three-and-fifty-thousand-four-hundred-six-and-twenty". Native English speakers may note that the nursery rhyme 'Four and twenty blackbirds' as well as some older literature (Sherlock Holmes for example) uses this convention from medieval English.

0
null (null)
1
eins (Lautsprecherbild ighnss)
2
zwei (tsvigh)
3
drei (drigh – sounds like the English word dry)
4
vier (fear – sounds like the English word fear)
5
fünf (fuunf)
6
sechs (zekhs)
7
sieben (ZEE-ben)
8
acht (ahkht)
9
neun (noyn)
10
zehn (tsayn)
11
elf (elf)
12
zwölf (tsvoolf)
13
dreizehn (DRIGH-tsayn)
14
vierzehn (FEER-tsayn)
15
fünfzehn (FUUNF-tsayn)
16
sechzehn (ZEKH-tsayn)
17
siebzehn (ZEEP-tsayn)
18
achtzehn (AHKH-tsayn)
19
neunzehn (NOYN-tsayn)
20
zwanzig (TSVAHN-tsig)
21
einundzwanzig (IGHN-oont-tsvahn-tsig)
22
zweiundzwanzig (TSVIGH-oont-tsvahn-tsig)
23
dreiundzwanzig (DRIGH-oont-tsvahn-tsig)
30
dreißig (DRIGH-sig)
40
vierzig (FEER-tsig)
50
fünfzig (FUUNF-tsig)
60
sechzig (ZEKH-tsig)
70
siebzig (ZEEP-tsig)
80
achtzig (AHKH-tsig)
90
neunzig (NOYN-tsig)
100
(ein)hundert ([ighn]-HOON-dert)
200
zweihundert (TSVIGH-hoon-dert)
300
dreihundert (DRIGH-hoon-dert)
1000
(ein)tausend ([ighn]-TOW-zent)
2000
zweitausend (TSVIGH-tow-zent)
1,000,000
eine Million (igh-nuh mill-YOHN)
1,000,000,000
eine Milliarde (igh-nuh mill-YAR-duh)
Note the difference to American English numbers, often mistranslated!
1,000,000,000,000
eine Billion (igh-nuh bill-YOHN)
number _____ (train, bus, etc.)
Nummer/Linie _____ (NOO-mer/LEE-nee-uh)
half
halb (hahlp)
the half
die Hälfte (dee HELF-tuh)
less
weniger (VAY-nihg-er)
more
mehr (mayr)

Ordinal Numbers

1.
erster (ayr-stayr)
2.
zweiter (tsvigh-tayr)
3.
dritter (dri-tayr)
4.
vierter (feer-tayr)
5.
fünfter (fuunf-tayr)
20.
zwanzigster (TSVAHN-tsikhs-tayr)
100.
(ein)hundertster ([ighn]-HOON-dert-stayr)
101.
(ein)hunderterster ([ighn]-HOON-dert-ayr-stayr)

Time

now
jetzt (yetst)
later
später (SHPET-er)
before
vor (for)
morning
Morgen (MOR-gen)
in the morning
morgens (MOR-genss)
tomorrow morning
morgen früh (MOR-gen FRUU)
afternoon
Nachmittag (NAHKH-mit-tahk)
in the afternoon
nachmittags (NAHKH-mit-tahks)
evening
Abend (AH-bent)
in the evening
abends (AH-bents)
night
Nacht (nahkht)
in the night
nachts (nahkhts)

Clock time

In German speaking countries as in many other European countries, it's usual to use a 24 hour clock, ranging from 0.00 to 24.00. Okay, 24.00 is actually the same as 0.00, but one day later.

one o'clock AM
ein Uhr (IGHN oor)
two o'clock AM
zwei Uhr (TSVIGH oor)
noon
zwölf Uhr or Mittag (TSVOOLF oor or MIT-tahk)
one o'clock PM
dreizehn Uhr (DRIGH-tsayn oor)
two o'clock PM
vierzehn Uhr (FEER-tsayn oor)
midnight
Mitternacht or null Uhr or vierundzwanzig Uhr (MIT-er-nahkht or NOOL oor or FEER-oont-TSVAHN-tsikh oor)

Expressing "fractional hours" differs slightly among various regions of Germany. The "normal" way of doing it is:

  • Quarter past one - Viertel nach eins or Viertel zwei
  • Half past one - Halb zwei (half two)
  • A quarter to two - Viertel vor zwei or Dreiviertel zwei

Some Germans have trouble understanding the latter form, whereas the former sounds cringeworthy to those, who grew up with the latter. Usually Germans who don't understand you will ask and saying the number (11:45 "elf Uhr fünfundvierzig") is sure to get the confusion out of the way, though it may sound somewhat stilted and bureaucratic.

Duration

_____ minute(s)
_____ Minute(n) (mih-NOO-tuh [mih-NOO-ten])
_____ hour(s)
_____ Stunde(n) (SHTOON-duh [SHTOON-den)
_____ day(s)
_____ Tag(e) (TAHK [TAH-guh])
_____ week(s)
_____ Woche(n) (VOKH-uh [VOKH-en])
_____ month(s)
_____ Monat(e) (MOH-naht [moh-NAH-tuh])
_____ year(s)
_____ Jahr(e) (YAHR[-uh])
in _____
Im Jahr _____ (im YAHR _____) (also: _____ (the year without any further qualifiers)) Sometimes the old dative ending is used making it "im Jahre..." which sounds somewhat antiquated and quaint

Days

today
heute (HOY-tuh)
the day before yesterday
vorgestern (FOR-gess-tern)
yesterday
gestern (GESS-tern)
tomorrow
morgen (MOR-gen)
the day after tomorrow
übermorgen (uuber-MOR-gen)
this week
diese Woche (DEE-zuh VOH-khuh)
last week
letzte Woche (LETS-tuh VOH-khuh)
the week before last week
vorletzte Woche (for-LETS-tuh VOH-khuh)
next week
nächste Woche (NEX-tuh VOH-khuh)
the week after next week
übernächste Woche (uuber-NEX-tuh VOH-khuh)

The week is considered starting on Monday in Germany.

Monday
Montag (MON-tahk)
Tuesday
Dienstag (DEENS-tahk)
Wednesday
Mittwoch (MIT-vokh)
Thursday
Donnerstag (DON-ers-tahk)
Friday
Freitag (FRIGH-tahk)
Saturday
Samstag (ZAMS-tahk), in some regions, especially the North, "Sonnabend" (ZON-ah-bent)
Sunday
Sonntag (ZON-tahk)

Months

January
Januar (YAH-noo-ahr), in Austria "Jänner" (YEH-nna)
February
Februar (FAY-broo-ahr.), in Austria "Feber" (FAY-ber)
March
März (mehrts)
April
April (ah-PRILL)
May
Mai (migh)
June
Juni (YOO-nee)
July
Juli (YOO-lee)
August
August (ow-GOOST)
September
September (zep-TEM-ber)
October
Oktober (ok-TOH-ber)
November
November (noh-VEM-ber)
December
Dezember (day-TSEM-ber)

Writing Time and Date

In the clock time, hours and minutes are separated by a '.' instead of ':', but the latter is also widely used. Another usual way is to write the minutes raised like an exponent.

The date is always written in the order day, month, year, e.g.:

12/24/2003 is in German 24.12.2003. 24th of December 2003 is in German 24. Dezember 2003

Don't get confused about that, especially if you're an American!

Years prior to 2000 are pronounced like this example: 1957 neunzehn-hundert-sieben-und-fünfzig (the - are only here for clarity, it would be written as one word, when written down, a literal translation would be nineteen-hundred-seven-and-fifty) So far years after 2000 are pronounced like this example: 2014 zwei-tausend-vierzehn (again, written as one word, a literal translation would be two-thousand-fourteen)

Colors

black
schwarz (shvahrts)
white
weiß (vice) - as in "miami vice"
gray
grau (grou) - rhymes with "cow"
red
rot (roht)
blue
blau (blou) - rhymes with "cow"
yellow
gelb (gelp)
green
grün (gruun)
orange
orange (oh-RAHNGSH)
purple
purpurrot (PURR-purr-rhot), violett (veeo-lett) or lila (LEE-lah)
pink
rosa (ROH-zah) or rosarot (ROH-zah-roht)
brown
braun (brown)
silver
silber (zsil-bur)
gold
gold (gold)
light -
hell- (hell) as in hellblau
dark -
dunkel- (dune-kel) as in dunkelblau

Transportation

Bus and Train

How much is a ticket to _____? (bus, train)
Was kostet eine Fahrkarte nach _____? (vass KOSS-tet igh-nuh FAHR-kahr-tuh nahkh _____?)
How much is a ticket to _____? (airplane)
Was kostet ein Ticket nach _____? (vass KOSS-tet ighn TICK-et nahkh _____?)
One ticket to _____, please. (bus, train)
Bitte eine Fahrkarte nach _____. (BIT-tuh IGH-nuh FAHR-kahr-tuh nahkh _____)
One ticket to _____, please. (airplane)
Bitte ein Ticket nach _____. (BIT-tuh ighn TICK-et nahkh _____)
Where does this train/bus go?
Wohin fährt dieser Zug/Bus? (voh-hin FEHRT dee-zer TSOOK/BOOSS?)
Where is the train/bus to _____?
Wo ist der Zug/Bus nach _____? (VOH ist dayr TSOOK/BOOSS nahkh _____?)
Does this train/bus stop in/at _____?
Hält dieser Zug/Bus in/bei_____? (helt DEE-zer TSOOK/BOOSS in/by _____?)
When does the train/bus for _____ leave?
Wann fährt der Zug/Bus nach _____ ab? (VAHN FEHRT der tsook/booss nahkh _____ ap?)
When will this train/bus arrive in _____?
Wann kommt dieser Zug/Bus in _____ an? (vahn KOMT dee-zer TSOOK/BOOSS in _____ ahn?)

Directions

How do I get to _____ ? (cities)
Wie komme ich nach _____ ? (vee KOM-muh ikh nahkh _____?)
How do I get to _____ ? (places, streets)
Wie komme ich zum/zur _____ ? (vee KOM-muh ikh tsoom/tsoor _____?)
...the train station?
...zum Bahnhof? (tsoom BAHN-hohf?)
...the bus station / bus stop?
...zum Busbahnhof / zur Bushaltestelle? (tsoom BOOSS-BAHN-hohf/tsoor BOOSS-hahl-tuh-shteh-luh?)
...the airport?
...zum Flughafen? (tsoom FLOOG-hah-fen?)
...downtown?
...zur Stadtmitte? (tsoor SHTUT-mit-tuh)
...the youth hostel?
...zur Jugendherberge? (tsoor YOO-gent-hayr-bayr-guh)
...the _____ hotel?
...zum _____ Hotel? (tsoom _____ hoh-TELL)
...the American/Canadian/Australian/British consulate?
...zum amerikanischen/kanadischen/australischen/britischen Konsulat? (tsoom ah-mayr-ih-KAHN-ish-en/kah-NAH-dish-en/ous-TRAH-lish-en/BRIT-ish-en kon-zoo-LAHT?)
Where are there a lot of...
Wo gibt es viele... (?) (VOU gipt ess FEE-luh...)
...hotels?
...Hotels? (hoh-TELLSS)
...restaurants?
...Restaurants? (rest-oh-RAHNTS?)
...Bars? (bahrss?)
...bars? (pub)
...Kneipen? (KNIGH-pen?) (pronounce the K)
...sites to see?
...Sehenswürdigkeiten? (ZAY-ens-vuur-dikh-kigh-ten?)
Can you show me on the map?
Kannst du/Können Sie mir das auf der Karte zeigen? (kahnst doo/KOON-en zee meer dahss ouf dayr KAHR-tuh TSIGH-gen?)
street, road
Straße (SHTRAH-suh)
left
links (links)
right
rechts (rekhts)
Turn left.
Links abbiegen. (LINKS AHP-bee-gen)
Turn right.
Rechts abbiegen. (REKHTS AHP-bee-gen)
straight ahead
geradeaus (guh-RAH-duh-OWSS)
towards the _____
Richtung _____ (RIKH-toong)
past the _____
nach dem(m)/der(f)/dem(n) _____ (nahkh daym/dayr/daym _____)
before the _____
vor dem(m)/der(f)/dem(n) _____ (for daym/dayr/daym _____)
Watch for the _____.
Achte/Achten Sie auf den(m)/die(f)/das(n) _____. (AHKH-tuh/AHKH-ten zee ouf dayn/dee/dahss _____)
intersection
Kreuzung (KROY-tsoong)
north
Norden (NOR-den)
south
Süden (ZUU-den)
east
Osten (OST-en)
west
Westen (VEST-en)
uphill
bergauf (bayrk-OUF)
downhill
bergab (bayrk-AHP)


Taxi! (TAHK-see)'''
Take me to _____, please.
Bitte bringen Sie mich zum/zur/nach _____. (BIT-tuh BRING-en zee mikh tsoom/tsoor/nahkh _____)
Note: Use 'zu(m,r)' for streets and places and 'nach' for cities and villages.
How much does it cost to get to _____?
Wie viel kostet es bis zum/zur/nach _____? (vee feel KOSS-tet ess biss tsoom/tsoor/nahkh _____?)
Take me there, please.
Bringen Sie mich bitte dahin. (BRING-en zee mikh BIT-tuh dah-HIN)

Lodging

Do you have any rooms available?
Sind noch Zimmer frei? (ZINT nokh TSIM-mer FRIGH?)
How much is a room for one person/two people?
Wieviel kostet ein Einzelzimmer/Doppelzimmer? (vee-feel KOSS-tet ighn IGHN-tsel-tsim-mer/DOP-pel-tsim-mer?)
Does the room come with...
Hat das Zimmer... (HAHT dahss TSIM-mer...)
...bedsheets?
...Bettlaken? (...BET-lahk-en?)
...a bathroom? (toilet)
...eine Toilette? (igh-nuh to-ah-LET-tuh?)
...a bathroom? (with cleaning facilities)
...ein Badezimmer? (igh-n BAH-duh-tsim-er?)
...a telephone?
...ein Telefon? (ighn tell-eh-FOHN?)
...a TV?
...einen Fernseher? (igh-nen FAYRN-zay-er?)
May I see the room first?
Kann ich das Zimmer erstmal sehen? (kahn ikh dahs TSIM-mer ayrst-mahl ZAY-en?)
Do you have anything quieter?
Haben Sie etwas Ruhigeres? (HAH-ben zee ET-vahs ROO-ig-er-ess?)
...bigger?
...größeres? (GROO-ser-ess?)
...cheaper?
...billigeres? (BILL-ig-er-ess?)
OK, I'll take it.
OK, ich nehme es. (OH-kay, ikh NAY-muh ess)
I will stay for _____ night(s).
Ich bleibe eine Nacht (_____ Nächte). (ihk BLIGH-buh IGH-nuh nahkht/_____ NEKH-tuh)
Note: The plural of 'Nacht' is 'Nächte' .
Can you suggest another hotel?
Können Sie mir ein anderes Hotel empfehlen? (KOON-en zee meer ign AHN-der-ess ho-TELL emp-FAY-len?)

Note: It's not a good idea to say this, as it may be taken in an insulting manner. Try saying "Gibt es hier in der Nähe ein Reisebüro?" ("Is there a tourist agency nearby?") instead.

Do you have a safe?
Haben Sie einen Safe? (HAH-ben zee IGH-nen SAYF?)
...lockers?
...Schließfächer? (SHLEESS-fekh-er?)
Is breakfast/supper included?
Ist Frühstück/Abendessen inklusive? (ist FRUU-shtuuk/AH-bent-ess-en in-kloo-ZEE-vuh?)
What time is breakfast/supper?
Wann gibt es Frühstück/Abendessen? (VAHN gipt ess FRUU-shtuuk/AH-bent-ess-en?)
Please clean my room.
Würden sie bitte mein Zimmer saubermachen? (VUUR-den zee BIT-tuh mign TSIM-mer ZOW-ber-MAHKH-en?)
Can you wake me at _____?
Können Sie mich um _____ Uhr wecken? (KOON-en zee mikh oom _____ oor VECK-en?)
I would like to check out.
Ich möchte auschecken. (ikh MOOKH-tuh ows-check-en)

Money

Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars?
Nehmen Sie US-Dollar/australische/kanadische Dollar an? (NAY-men zee OOH-ESS DOLL-ahr/ouss-TRAHL-ish-uh/kah-NAH-dish-uh DOLL-ahr?)
Do you accept British pounds?
Nehmen Sie britische Pfund an? (NAY-men zee BRIT-ish-uh PFOOND?)
Do you accept credit cards?
Kann ich mit Kreditkarte zahlen? (kahn ikh mit kray-DEET-kahr-tuh TSAH-len?)
Can you change money for me?
Können Sie mir Geld wechseln? (KOON-en zee meer GELT WEKHS-eln?)
Where can I get money changed?
Wo kann ich Geld wechseln? (voh kahn ikh GELT WEKHS-eln?)
Can you change a traveller's check for me?
Kann ich hier Travellerschecks einlösen? (kahn ikh heer TREV-el-er-shecks IGHN-loo-zen?)
Where can I get a traveler's check changed?
Wo kann ich Travellerschecks tauschen? (voh kahn ikh TREV-el-er-shecks TOW-shen?) (TOW rhymes with "cow")
What is the exchange rate?
Wie ist der Wechselkurs? (vee ist dayr VEK-sel-koorss?)
Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)?
Wo ist ein Geldautomat? (voh ist ign GELT-ow-toh-maht?)

Eating

A table for one person/two people, please.
Ein Tisch für eine Person/zwei Personen, bitte. (ighn TISH fuur IGHN-uh payr-ZOHN/TSVIGH payr-ZOHN-nen, BIT-tuh)
Can I look at the menu, please?
Ich hätte gerne die Speisekarte. (ikh HET-tuh GAYR-nuh dee SHPIGH-zuh-kahr-tuh)
Is there a house specialty?
Gibt es eine Spezialität des Hauses? (gipt ess igh-nuh shpeh-tsyah-lee-TAYT dess HOW-zess?)
Is there a local specialty?
Gibt es eine Spezialität aus dieser Gegend? (gipt ess igh-nuh shpeh-tsyah-lee-TAYT owss DEE-zer GAY-gent?)
I'm a vegetarian.
(men) Ich bin Vegetarier. (ikh bin vay-gay-TAH-ree-er) (women) Ich bin Vegetarierin (vay-gay-TAH-ree-er-een)
I'm a vegan.
(men) Ich bin Veganer. (ikh bin vay-GAHN-er) (women) Ich bin Veganerin (vay-GAHN-er-een)
I don't eat pork.
Ich esse kein Schweinefleisch. (ikh ESS-uh kign SHVIGN-uh-flighsh)
I only eat kosher food.
Ich esse nur koscher. (ikh ESS-uh noor KOH-sher)
Can you make it "lite", please? (less oil/butter/lard)
Könnten Sie es bitte nicht so fett machen? (KOON-ten zee ess BIT-tuh nikht zo fett MAHKH-en?)
fixed-price meal
Tagesessen (TAHG-ess-ess-en) / Menü (meh-NUU)
Note: While "Tagesessen" should be used in pubs and taverns, "Menü" is the correct word in classic restaurants.
Without, eg. I would like spaghetti without cheese
Ich möchte die Spaghetti, ohne Käse (Ikh merkhte dee schpagetti, ohna kayze), "Ohne" being the key word here.
à la carte
a la carte (ah lah KAHRT)
breakfast
Frühstück (FRUU-shtuuk)
lunch
Mittagessen (mit-TAHK-ess-en)
tea (meal)
Kaffee (kah-FAY)
supper
Abendessen or Abendbrot (AH-bent-ess-en or AH-bent-broht)
Note: "Abendbrot" is mainly used in rural areas. Most Germans, even the non-English speaking, understand dinner as well.
I would like _____.
Ich möchte _____. (ikh MERKH-tuh)
I would like a dish containing ____
Ich möchte etwas mit ____ (ikh MOOKH-tuh ett-vahss mit _____)
Literally means "I want something with ____"
chicken
Huhn (hoon)
beef
Rindfleisch (RINT-flighsh)
fish
Fisch (fish)
ham
Schinken (SHINK-en)
sausage
Wurst (voorst)
cheese
Käse (KAY-zuh)
eggs
Eier (IGH-er)
salad
Salat (zah-LAHT)
(fresh) vegetables
(frisches) Gemüse ([FRISH-ess] guh-MUU-zuh)
(fresh) fruit
(frisches) Obst ([FRISH-ess] OWPST)
bread
Brot (broht)
toast
Toast (tohst)
noodles
Nudeln (NOO-deln)
rice
Reis (righss)
beans
Bohnen (BOH-nen)
May I have a glass of _____?
Könnte ich ein Glas _____ haben? (KOON-tuh ikh ighn glahss _____ HAH-ben?)
May I have a cup of _____?
Könnte ich eine Tasse _____ haben? (KOON-tuh ikh IGH-nuh TAH-suh _____ HAH-ben?)
May I have a bottle of _____?
Könnte ich eine Flasche _____ haben? (KOON-tuh ikh IGH-nuh FLAH-shuh _____ HAH-ben?)
coffee
Kaffee (kah-FAY)
tea (drink)
Tee (tay)
juice
Saft (zahft)
(bubbly) water
Mineralwasser or Sprudel(-wasser) (mee-ne-RAHL-wah-ser or SHPROO-del-[wah-ser])
water (tap)
Leitungswasser (LIGH-toongs-wah-ser)
Note: Tap water is quite uncommon in German restaurants.
beer
Bier (beer)
Note: At least in Germany and Austria, you should say what kind of beer you want. There are: Export (EKS-port), known as 'Helles' (HELL-as) in Bavaria and as 'Lager' (LAH-ger) in Switzerland; Pils (pilss); Hefeweizen (HAY-fuh-vigh-tsen), known as 'Weißbier' (VIGHSS-beer) in Bavaria; dunkles Hefeweizen (DOONK-less HAY-fuh-vigh-tsen); Alt (ahlt) in the Düsseldorf region; Kölsch (koolsh) in Cologne and probably most of the rest of the Rhineland; Bockbier (BOCK-beer) sometimes in the South of Germany. If you only say beer, you will usually get a Pils.
red/white wine
Rot-/Weiß-wein (ROHT-/VIGHSS-vighn)
May I have some _____?
Kann ich etwas _____ haben? (kahn ikh ET-vahss _____ HAH-ben?)
salt
Salz (zahlts)
black pepper
Pfeffer (PFEF-er)
butter
Butter (BOO-ter)
Excuse me, waiter! (getting attention of server)
Entschuldigung! (ent-SHOOL-dih-goong)
I'm finished.
Ich bin fertig. (ikh bin FAYR-tikh)
It was delicious.
Es war hervorragend. (ess vahr hayr-FOR-rah-gent)
Please clear the plates.
Würden Sie bitte abräumen? (VUUR-den zee BIT-tuh ahb-ROY-men?)
The check, please.
Zahlen, bitte. (TSAH-len, BIT-tuh)

Bars

Do you serve alcohol?
Haben Sie alkoholische Getränke? (HAH-ben zee ahl-koh-HOHL-ish-uh guh-TRENG-kuh?)
Is there table service?
Kommt eine Bedienung zum Tisch? (kommt IGH-nuh buh-DEE-noong tsoom TISH?)
A beer/two beers, please.
Ein Bier/zwei Bier, bitte. (ighn beer/tsvigh beer, BIT-tuh)
See note in previous section.
A glass of red/white wine, please.
Ein Glas Rot-/Weißwein, bitte. (ighn glahss ROHT-/VIGHSS-vign, BIT-tuh)
A quarter/eighth of red wine, please.
Ein Viertel/Achtel Rotwein, bitte. (ign FEER-tel/AHKH-tel ROHT-vign, BIT-tuh)
Note: It's usual to order wine by quarters or eighths (of a liter).
A little/big beer, please.
Ein kleines/großes Bier, bitte. (ighn KLIGH-ness/GROH-sess beer, BIT-tuh)
Half a liter, please. (of beer)
Eine Halbe, bitte. (IGH-nuh HAHL-buh, BIT-tuh)
Note: This probably won't be understood in the North of Germany.
A bottle, please.
Eine Flasche, bitte. (IGH-nuh FLAH-shuh, BIT-tuh)
Rum and coke, please.
Bitte eine Cola mit Rum. (BIT-tuh IGH-nuh KOH-lah mit ROOM)
Note: In German, the mixer comes first. In common parlance some drinks are just named after a list of their ingredients with the alcoholic part mentioned first (e.g. Wodka [red] Bull)
whiskey
Whiskey (VIS-kee)
vodka
Wodka (VOT-kah)
rum
Rum (ROOM)
water
Wasser (VAH-ser)
club soda
Mineralwasser (Mee-ne-RAWL-vas-ser)
tonic water
Tonicwater or simply Tonic
orange juice
Orangensaft or simply O-Saft (oh-RAHN-gehn-zahft or OH-zahft)
Coke (soda)
Cola (KOH-lah), though "coke" is understood and will get you the brand from Atlanta more likely than not
Do you have (any) bar snacks?
Haben Sie (irgendwelche) Snacks? (HAH-ben zee EER-gent-VELL-khe SNEKS?)
One more, please.
Noch einen(m)/eine(f)/eins(n), bitte. (nokh IGH-nen/IGH-nuh/IGHNS, BIT-tuh)
Another round, please.
Noch eine Runde, bitte. (nokh IGH-nuh ROON-duh, BIT-tuh)
When is closing time?
Wann schließen Sie? (vahn SHLEE-sen zee?)
Cheers!
Prost! or Zum Wohl! (zoom wole)
Note: "Prost" comes from Latin "prosit" which can be translated as "may it be good/beneficial" and is still understood though somewhat antiquated

Shopping

Do you have this in my size?
Haben Sie das in meiner Größe? (HAH-ben zee dahs in MIGH-ner GROO-suh?)
How much is this?
Was kostet das? (vahss KOSS-tet dahss?)
That's too expensive.
Das ist zu teuer. (dahss ist tsoo TOY-er)
Would you take _____?
Würden Sie es für ___ verkaufen? (VUUR-den zee as fyr _____ vayr-COW-fan?)
expensive
teuer (TOY-er)
cheap
billig / günstig (BILL-ikh/GUUN-stikh) (Note: "Billig" also can mean "not good/low quality")
I can't afford it.
Ich kann es mir nicht leisten. (ikh kahn ess meer nikth LIGH-sten)
I don't want it.
Ich will es nicht. (ikh vill ess nikht)
I know that this is not the regular price.
Ich weiß, dass das nicht der normale Preis ist. (ikh vighss, dahss dahss nikht dayr nor-MAH-luh PRIGHSS ist)
You're cheating me.
Sie wollen mich abzocken. (zee VOLL-en mikh AHP-tsock-en)
Note: Actually, the translation would be: Sie betrügen mich. But that sounds too hard. The word abzocken is a rather familiar use of language.
I'm not interested.
Ich habe kein Interesse. (ikh hah-buh kighn in-ter-ES-se)
OK, I'll take it.
OK, ich nehme es. (oh-kay, ikh NAY-muh ess)
Can I have a bag?
Kann ich eine Tüte haben? (kahn ikh IGH-nuh TUU-tuh HAH-ben?)
Do you ship (overseas)?
Versenden Sie auch (nach Übersee)? (fayr-ZEN-den zee owkh [nahkh UU-ber-zay]?)
I need...
Ich brauche... (ikh BROW-khuh...) (BROW rhymes with cow)
...toothpaste.
...Zahnpaste. (TSAHN-pahs-teh)
...a toothbrush.
...eine Zahnbürste. (IGH-nuh TSAHN-buur-stuh)
...tampons.
...Tampons. (TAHM-pohns)
...soap.
...Seife. (ZIGH-fuh)
...shampoo.
...Shampoo. (SHAHM-poo)
...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen)
...Schmerzmittel. (SHMAYRTS-mit-tel)
Note: You will get medicine in pharmacies ("Apotheke" , with big red A-Sign) only, not in normal drugstores
...cold medicine.
...etwas gegen Erkältung. (ET-vahs GAY-gen ayr-KELT-oong)
...stomach medicine.
....Magentabletten (MAH-gen-tah-BLET-ten)
...a razor.
...einen Rasierer. (IGH-nen rah-ZEER-er)
...a razor (blade)
...eine Rasierklinge. (IGH-ne rah-ZEER-kling-uh)
...an umbrella.
...einen Regenschirm. (IGH-nen RAY-gen-sheerm)
...sunblock lotion.
...Sonnencreme. (ZON-nen-kraym)
...a postcard.
...eine Postkarte. (IGH-nuh POST-kahr-tuh)
...postage stamps.
...Briefmarken. (BREEF-mahr-ken)
...batteries.
...Batterien. (baht-uh-REE-en)
...writing paper.
...Schreibpapier. (SHRIGHP-pah-peer)
...a pen.
...einen Stift. (igh-nen SHTIFT)
...English-language books.
...englischsprachige Bücher. (ENG-lish-shprahkh-ig-uh BUUKH-er)
...English-language magazines.
...englischsprachige Zeitschriften. (ENG-lish-shprahkh-ig-uh TSIGHT-shrift-en)
...an English-language newspaper.
...eine englischsprachige Zeitung. (IGH-nuh ENG-lish-shprahkh-ig-uh TSIGH-toong)
...an English-German dictionary.
...ein Englisch-Deutsch-Wörterbuch. (ighn ENG-lish-DOYTCH woor-ter-bookh)

Driving

I want to rent a car.
Ich möchte ein Auto mieten. (ikh MOOKH-tuh ighn OW-toh mee-ten)
Can I get insurance?
Kann ich es versichern lassen? (kahn ikh es fayr-ZIKH-ern LAH-sen?)
stop (on a street sign)
stop (SHTOP)
one way
Einbahnstraße (IGHN-bahn-shtrah-suh)
yield
Vorfahrt gewähren (FOR-fahrt guh-VEHR-ren)
exit (on highway)
Ausfahrt (OWS-fahrt)
no parking
Parkverbot (PAHRK-fayr-boht)
speed limit
Geschwindigkeitsbeschränkung (guh-SHVIN-dikh-kights-buh-SHRENG-koong) (a compound noun made from "Geschwindigkeit" = speed and "Beschränkung" = limit)
gas (petrol) station
Tankstelle (TAHNK-shtel-luh)
petrol
Benzin (ben-TSEEN)
unleaded petrol
Benzin bleifrei (ben-TSEEN bly-FRY)
diesel
Diesel (DEE-zel)
toll
Maut (MOWT)

Authority

Most police officers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland will speak functional English. Even if you have some capability in German, you may still want to stick to English just in case you make a mistake.

I haven't done anything.
Ich habe nichts getan. (eesh HAH-buh nikhts guh-TAHN)
It was a misunderstanding.
Das war ein Missverständnis. (dahs vahr ighn MEES-fayr-shtand-nees)
Where are you taking me?
Wohin bringen Sie mich? (VOH-hin BRING-uhn zee meekh?)
Am I under arrest?
Bin ich verhaftet? (been eekh fayr-HAHF-tut?)
I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen.
Ich bin amerikanischer/australischer/britischer/kanadischer Staatsbürger. (eekh been ah-may-ree-KAH-neesh-er / owss-TRAH-leesh-er / BREET-eesh-er / kah-NAH-deesh-er SHTAHTS-buur-gurr) or, if female, amerikanische/australische/britische/kanadische Staatsbürgerin (ah-may-ree-KAH-neesh-uh / owss-TRAH-leesh-uh / BREET-eesh-uh / kah-NAH-deesh-uh SHTAHTS-buur-gurr-een))
I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate.
Ich will mit der/dem amerikanischen/australischen/britischen/kanadischen Botschaft/Konsulat sprechen. (eekh veel meet dayr/dame ah-may-ree-KAHn-eesh-uhn / ows-TRAH-leesh-uhn / BREE-teesh-uhn / kah-NAH-deesh-uhn BOHT-shahft / kohn-zoo-LAHT SHPREKH-uhn)
I want to talk to a lawyer.
Ich will mit einem Anwalt sprechen. (eekh veel meet IGH-nem AHN-vahlt SHPREKH-uhn)
Can I just pay a fine now?
Kann ich jetzt einfach eine Strafe zahlen? (kahn eekh yetst IGHN-fakh igh-nuh SHTRAH-fe TSAH-len?)
Note: Be sure that it is clear from the context that you aren't offering a bribe. Trying to bribe an official will get you into real trouble.
This German phrasebook has guide status. It covers all the major topics for traveling without resorting to English. Please contribute and help us make it a star!