Essential German Phrasebook

Germany, Cologne, young couple orientating with city map
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Don't have time to learn German? You know you need to know a few basics, but you're a busy person. Here's some help in the form of a one-page “phrasebook” for people in a hurry. You can print out the complete one-page version of the phrasebook.

ESSENTIAL GERMAN 1
Common Phrases Getting Around
yes - no - maybe
ja - nein - vielleicht
yah - nine - fee-lycht
train - plane - car
Zug - Flugzeug - Auto
tsoog - FLOOG-tsoyk - OW-toe
Hello! - Goodbye!
Guten Tag! - Auf Wiedersehen!
GOO-ten tak - owf-VEEder-zane
train station - airport
Bahnhof - Flughafen
BAHN-hof - FLOOG-hafen
Good morning!
Guten Morgen! GOO-ten morgen
left - right
links - rechts linx - rechts

At the Hotel Food & Drink
Is breakfast included?
Mit Frühstück? mitt FRUY-stuyck
bread/rolls
Brot/Brötchen broht/brutchen
downstairs/upstairs
unten/oben
oonten/oh-ben
beer - wine - juice
Bier - Wein - Saft
beer - vine - zahft
Dining Out Shopping
waiter - waitress
Ober - Kellnerin
oh-ber - kellner-in
That's cheap/expensive.
Das ist billig/teuer.
dahs ist billik/toy-er
Where's the restroom/toilet?
Wo ist die Toilette?
vo ist dee toy-LETa
department store - grocery store
Kaufhaus - Lebensmittelgeschäft
kowf-house - -ge-sheft

Essential Phrases Part 2

This section includes phrases that enhance your “coping skills,” or ways of dealing with a lack of understanding. Note: The phonetic (fo-NET-ik) pronunciation guide for each phrase is only approximate. 

ESSENTIAL GERMAN 2
Deutsch English
Sprechen Sie Deutsch/Englisch?
SHPREK-en zee DOYTsh / ENG-lish
Do you speak German / English?
Noch einmal, bitte.
NOCK EYEn-mahl BIT-tuh
(Repeat) Once again, please.
Wie bitte?
VEE BIT-tuh
What did you say? / What was that?
Langsamer, bitte.
LAHNG-zahmer BIT-tuh
More slowly, please.
Bitte Wiederholen Sie!
BIT-tuh VEE-der-HOL-en zee
Please repeat that.
Ich verstehe nicht.
ICK fer-SHTEH-uh nickt
I don't understand.
Ich habe eine Frage.
ICK HAB-ah EYE-nuh FRAG-uh
I have a question.
Wie sagt man...?VEE zahgt mahn How do you say...?
Ich weiß nicht.
ICK VYEss nickt
I don't know.
Doch!
dock
On the contrary! / Yes. (in reply to a negative question)
Wo ist/sind...?
VO ist/sint
Where is/are...?
wann? - wer? - wie?
vahn - vehr - vee
when? - who? - how?
warum? - was?
va-RUHM - vahs
why? - what?
Schon gut!
SHON goot
Okay!
Ich habe kein(e)...
ICK HAHB-a kine(uh)
I have no... / I don't have any...
Ich habe kein Geld.
ICK HAHB-ah kine gelt
I don't have any money.

 

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Your Citation
Flippo, Hyde. "Essential German Phrasebook." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/essential-german-page-phrasebook-4074572. Flippo, Hyde. (2023, April 5). Essential German Phrasebook. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/essential-german-page-phrasebook-4074572 Flippo, Hyde. "Essential German Phrasebook." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/essential-german-page-phrasebook-4074572 (accessed March 19, 2024).