German for Beginners
Lektion 17c
Im Kaufhaus - Etagen
At the Department Store (3)
A German lesson about shopping in Germany
Druckversion - Printer version
Below is a graphic of an imaginary Kaufhaus showing various floors and eine Abteilung located on each floor. The diagram also indicates the German floor numbering system (DE) compared to the US. (The letter E stands for das Erdgeschoss, the ground floor, also called das Parterre.) There are two common words for "floor" or "story" in German: the French-based die Etage (like das Parterre) and the Germanic der Stock/das Stockwerk. Most German department stores seem to prefer the French version. In the examples, notice how German says phrases like “on the fifth floor” or “to the second floor.”
Another term used for floors is das Obergeschoss. The second floor, for example, is sometimes called das zweite Obergeschoss. Any floor above the Erdgeschoss is an Obergeschoss. A basement floor below the Erdgeschoss is called an Untergeschoss (subfloor). To say "on the second subfloor" you would say "im zweiten Untergeschoss."
Study the sample questions and answers (in German and English) next to the diagram, so that you can answer similar questions in the exercises that follow. If you need to review your ordinal numbers (first, second, etc. for the floors), see Lektion 12. All answers are based on the diagram and use the German floor system.
Frage: In welcher Etage befindet sich die Spielwaren-Abteilung?
Antwort: Die Spielwaren-Abteilung ist in der 3. (dritten) Etage.
Q: On which floor is the Toy Department located?
A: The Toy Department is on the third floor.
F: In welche Etage muss ich hingehen, um eine Bluse zu kaufen?
A: Gehen Sie in die 1. (erste) Etage. Dort finden Sie Damenmode.
Q: Which floor do I have to go to in order to buy a blouse?
A: Go to the first floor. That's where you'll find Ladies' Clothing.
(Note that this would be called the 2nd floor in the US!)
F: Wo kann ich einen Rechner kaufen?
A: Die Computer-Abteilung ist in der 6. (sechsten) Etage/im 6. Stock.
Q: Where can I buy a computer?
A: The Computer Department is on the sixth floor.
F: Wo ist das Restaurant?
A: Es ist ist ganz oben in der 7. (siebten) Etage/im 7. Stock.
Q: Where is the restaurant?
A: It's all the way at the top on the seventh floor.
F: Wo kauft man Parfum/Parfüm?
A: Das findet man im Erdgeschoss.
Q: Where can one buy perfume?
A: That's on the ground floor. (First floor in the US.)
Although our graphic doesn't show it, German department stores often have one or more floors below the ground. Sometimes the English/French word Basement is used, but more often the floors below the ground level are referred to as...
- 1. Untergeschoss (erstes/1.U) = first subfloor
- 2. Untergeschoss (zweites/2.U) = 2nd subfloor
- 3. Untergeschoss (drittes/3.U) = 3rd subfloor
...in which the ground level (Erdgeschoss) is "zero" and each floor below that is 1, 2, 3, etc., with 3 below 2. This floor naming system is also used in parking garages (Parkhäuser) that have levels below ground.
The Dative of Interest
German has a dative construction that is similar to the English “I'm going to buy myself a computer.” - In German, the dative reflexive form can be used with the verbs kaufen (buy) and anschaffen (acquire, get) to indicate for whom something is being bought: myself, himself, themselves, etc. Here are some examples:
Er kauft sich einen Hut. - He's buying himself a hat.
Wir wollen uns ein neues Auto anschaffen. - We want to get ourselves a new car.
Ich kaufe mir eine Krawatte. - I'm buying myself a tie.
Habt ihr euch einen neuen Kühlschrank gekauft? - Did you guys buy yourselves a new refrigerator?
Kaufst du dir ein Buch? - Are you buying yourself a book?
Dative Reflexive Prounouns
ich - mir
du - dir
er - sich
sie - sich
es - sich
wir - uns
ihr - euch
sie - sich
Sie - sich
For more about the dative and reflexive verbs, see: The Dative Case and German Reflexive Verbs.
N E X T > Exercises (Übungen)
P R E V I O U S > Part Two (17b)
S T A R T > Part One (17)
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