German Language Game: Ja gerne
Quick German Language Game: "Ja gerne!" - (Yes, I'd like to!)
A quick online German game to learn and practice 20 words and phrases in the context of a mini-story.
Michael arrives at his friend Karl's place in Heidelberg.
Karl's girlfriend Renate opens the door.
Her sister Claudia is also there, and introductions follow.
What is the right form of address to use here, "Sie" or "du"?
If you're visiting a German-speaking country, it's important to understand when to use "Sie" or "du".
Sometimes a mistake is cute, as when an American student addressed my six-year-old son with "Sie".
Still, kids aside, it's always safe to address someone you don't know with "Sie" (shop keepers, people on the telephone, new people you're introduced to, etc.)
If anyone wants to switch to "du", they'll let you know. And anyway, that's a fun little social ritual.
Say the words and phrases OUT LOUD, right after or along with the speaker.
That's a great way to sharpen your pronunciation and to internalize idiomatic expressions.
For example, standard expressions such as:
Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen. [Pleased to meet you. (formal)]
Wenn es dir recht ist. [If it's all right with you. (familiar)]
Wir duzen uns. [We say "du" to each other.]
Wir können uns treffen. [We can meet.]
NOTE that "studieren" means "to study at a university or college".
Studierst du? [Do you go to university? (fam.)]
Gehst du in die Schule? [Do you go to school? = grade, middle or high school].
Words in German Language Game
- Freut mich... - I'm pleased...
- ...Sie kennenzulernen - ...to meet you (formal) [kennenlernen]
- Sei nicht so formell. - Don't be so formal. (familiar) [sein]
- duzen - to use "du", the familar form of address
- euch - to each other [referring to "you"]
- ihr könnt euch duzen - you can say "du" to each other (fam.)
- wenn - if [conjunction]
- Wenn es dir recht ist. - If it's all right with you. (fam.)
- natürlich - of course
- wir Studenten - we students
- uns - to each other [referring to "we"]
- wir duzen uns alle - we all say "du" to each other
- studieren - to go to university or college
- studierst du? - do you go to university? (fam.)
- hier in Heidelberg - here in Heidelberg
- ich studiere in München - I go to university in Munich
- vielleicht - perhaps
- sich treffen - to meet each other
- vielleicht können wir uns treffen - perhaps we can meet each other
- Ja gerne! - Yes, I'd like to!
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More Than a German Language Game
And don't forget: You can practice German online for FREE with our 36-Scene German 1 Story: "Michael in Deutschland" and our 72-Scene German 2 Mystery Story Sequel: "Blüten in Berlin?".
(If you already know that "Blüten" means blossom in German - you'll learn that Blüten has still another meaning...).
Just login HERE.
If you have any language questions - don't hesitate to contact us!
German Language Game: Ich freue mich
Quick German Language Game: "Ich freue mich..." - (I'm pleased...)
A quick online German game to try out and practice 15 words and phrases as part of a mini-story.
Michael is in Heidelberg to visit his friend Karl.
Karl's girlfriend Renate opens the door, and as it's the first time they meet introductions are in order.
Introducing yourself to someone in German is not a big deal, but you need to known how.
Here's your chance to practice it.
Say the words and phrases OUT LOUD, right after or together with the speaker.
That's a really good way to sharpen your pronunciation and absorb grammatical structures without thinking about them.
For example:
- ich freue mich (I'm pleased) is reflexive in German. Don't analyze, just learn the phrase.
- Komm herein. (Come in.) "Komm!" is "Come!" (fam.) "Herein" means "in" - to where the speaker is. ["Hinein" would mean away from the speaker.]
- ein Freund Karls (a friend of Karl's). Note: the German possessive "Karls" (of Karl's) does not have an apostrophe.
- aus Boston - means "originally from Boston". (That's where they met.)
Words in German Language Game
- er findet - he finds [finden]
- die Straße - the street
- sie öffnet - she opens [öffnen]
- die Tür - the door
- endlich - finally
- Schön dich kennenzulernen - Nice to meet you (fam.)
- auch - also
- ich freue mich - I'm pleased [sich freuen]
- Komm herein! - Come in! (fam.)
- meine Schwester - my sister
- sie besucht mich - she's visiting me
- gerade - just (now)
- Dies ist Michael - This is Michael
- ein Freund Karls - a friend of Karl's
- aus Boston - from Boston
If you like our games, please SHARE us with your friends.
More Than a German Language Game
And don't forget: You can practice German online for FREE with our 36-Scene German 1 Story: "Michael in Deutschland" and our 72-Scene German 2 Mystery Story Sequel: "Blüten in Berlin?".
(If you already know that "Blüten" means blossom in German - you'll learn that Blüten has still another meaning...).
Just login HERE.
If you have any language questions - don't hesitate to contact us!
German Language Game: Ich suche...
Quick German Language Game: "Ich suche..." - (I'm looking for...)
A quick online German game to learn and practice 16 words and phrases in the context of a brief story.
Michael has arrived by train in Heidelberg.
Now he's looking for the street where his friend lives.
He asks a passerby, who gives him directions.
Asking for and understanding basic directions in German should really be part of your essential toolkit for traveling in a German-speaking country.
Say the words and phrases OUT LOUD, right after or along with the speaker.
It's an excellent way to improve your pronunciation and internalize grammar without thinking about it.
For example: folgen + dative case.
- die Straße = the street
- Sie folgen der Straße = you follow the street
No need to "learn" this structure ("die" becomes "der" with some verbs). Just be aware of it.
After it comes up a few times, it will seem quite familiar.
Words in German Language Game
- Entschuldigung - Excuse me
- ich suche - I'm looking for [suchen]
- die Straße - the street
- sie ist nicht weit - it's not far [ref. die Straße]
- gut - good
- laufen - to walk
- dann bin ich richtig gelaufen - then I took the right route
- Sie folgen der Endemannstraße - you follow Endemann Street
- nach links - to the left
- ich sehe - I see [sehen]
- dann geradeaus - then straight ahead
- nach rechts - to the right
- auf die Schillerstraße - onto Schiller Street
- das ist einfach - that's easy
- vielen Dank - many thanks
- gern geschehen - you're welcome
If you like our games, please SHARE us with your friends.
More Than a German Language Game
And don't forget: You can practice German online for FREE with our 36-Scene German 1 Story: "Michael in Deutschland" and our 72-Scene German 2 Mystery Story Sequel: "Blüten in Berlin?".
(If you already know that "Blüten" means blossom in German - you'll learn that Blüten has still another meaning...).
Just login HERE.
If you have any language questions - don't hesitate to contact us!
German Language Game: Ich bin froh
German Language Game: "Ich bin froh" - I'm glad (that ...)
Level: Elementary (A2)
Playing Time: 2 1/2 minutes
Play and learn 10 German everyday words and phrases. You'll learn vocabulary, German word order, and practice your pronunciation.
You'll figure out and practice how the conjunction "dass" changes the word order.
As you play, say the words, phrases, and sentences OUT LOUD.
Words in German Language Game
• ich bin froh - I'm glad
• du bist hier - you're here (familiar)
• dass du hier bist - that you're here (fam.)
• Ich bin froh, dass du hier bist.
• es ist nett - it's nice
• von dir - of you (von +dative)
• mich - me (direct object)
• abholen - to come for, pick up
• du holst mich ab - you're picking me up
• dass - that (conjunction)
• dass du mich abholst - that you're picking me up
• Es ist nett von dir, dass du mich abholst.
The best way to memorize new vocabulary is to learn the words in chunks, in a context that you can remember.
Writing them out on a sheet of paper or on small index cards is also good.
And, say the words and phrases out loud whenever you can.
If you like our games, please SHARE us with your friends.
More Than a German Language Game
A quick reminder: You can practice German online for FREE with our 36-Scene German 1 Story: "Michael in Deutschland" and our 72-Scene German 2 Mystery Story Sequel: "Blüten in Berlin?"
("Blüten," of course, means blossoms in German. But the German word Blüten has still another meaning that may surprise you.)
Just login HERE.
And, if you have any language questions - don't hesitate to contact us!
German Language Game: Jemand
Quick German Language Game: "Jemand" - Someone.
Learn and practice 11 German words and phrases in the context of a mini-story.
The setting is the Baggage Claim at the Frankfurt International Airport. Michael runs into the woman who sat beside him in the airplane.
This mini-story is also part of our German 1 course. (You can play the full course for FREE by registering HERE.)
Practice the words, phrases, and sentences OUT LOUD.
Words in German Mini-Story Language Game
- abholen - to pick up (separable prefix verb)
- sie holt ab - she picks up, she's picking up
- jemand - someone
- meine Tante - my aunt
- mich - me (direct object)
- wo - where
- sie wohnt - she lives
- ich wohne - I live
- auch - also
- auf - on
- die Straße - the street
A good way to memorize new vocabulary, is to look at the list of words and sound them out.
Even better, also write them out on a sheet of paper or on small index cards.
If you like our games, please SHARE us with your friends.
More Than a German Language Game
And don't forget: You can practice German online for FREE with our 36-Scene German 1 Story: "Michael in Deutschland" and our 72-Scene German 2 Mystery Story Sequel: "Blüten in Berlin?".
(If you already know that "Blüten" means blossom in German - you'll learn that Blüten has still another meaning...).
Just login HERE.
If you have any language questions - don't hesitate to contact us!