The Everything German Phrase Book: A quick refresher for any situation

288 Pages·2008·0.5 MB·English

by  Edward Swick

THE
EVERYTHING
®
________Series________
Dear Reader,
Danke schön! Thanks for choosing The Everything® German Phrase
Book as your vehicle for learning or brushing up on your German. I
think you’re going to find it easy to use and the perfect companion for
your journey through the German-speaking world.
My long-held interest in German is no mystery. Some in my family
came from Germany, so I had the advantage of hearing the language
from childhood. When I began my formal study of German, I realized
my interest in it was the fundamental part of my future profession, and
I ended up in graduate school in Hamburg. That marvelous city
became my second home and my base for adventures into other areas
of Germany. After I became a teacher of German in the United States,
I never lost the need to travel back to my second home and became
acquainted with every region of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
My hope is that this book will help to guide you in discovering the
wonderful things and friendly people that the German-speaking
countries of Europe have to offer. You’re going to be surprised how
many smiles you’ll earn when you approach a shopkeeper or passerby
with one of your German phrases.
Have fun learning. Viel Spaß!
The EVERYTHING Series
®
These handy, accessible books give you all you need to tackle a
difficult project, gain a new hobby, or even brush up on something
you learned back in school but have since forgotten. You can read
from cover to cover or just pick out information from our four useful
boxes.
Alerts: Urgent warnings
__________________________________________
Essentials: Quick handy tips
__________________________________________
Facts: Important snippets of information
__________________________________________
Questions: Answers to common questions
__________________________________________
When you’re done reading, you can finally
®
say you know EVERYTHING !
PUBLISHER Karen Cooper
DIRECTOR OF ACQUISITIONS AND INNOVATION Paula
Munier MANAGING EDITOR, EVERYTHING SERIES Lisa
Laing COPY CHIEF Casey Ebert
ACQUISITIONS EDITOR Lisa Laing ASSOCIATE
DEVELOPMENT EDITOR Elizabeth Kassab EDITORIAL
ASSISTANT Hillary Thompson
Visit the entire Everything® series at www.everything.com
THE
EVERYTHING
®
GERMAN
PHRASE
BOOK
A quick refresher for any situation
Edward Swick, M.A.
Copyright © 2009, F+W Media, Inc.
All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be
reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher;
exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.
®
An Everything Series Book.
® ®
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trademarks of F+W Media, Inc.
Published by Adams Media, an F+W Media Company
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322 U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com
ISBN 10: 1-59869-755-2
ISBN 13: 978-1-59869-755-1
eISBN: 978-1-44050-164-7
Printed in Canada.
J I H G F E D C B A
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
is available from the publisher.
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with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that
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advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a
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—From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the
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Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their
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Visit the entire Everything series at www.everything.com
Contents
The Top Ten German Phrases You Should Know
Introduction
CHAPTER 1 Introduction to German
Reading German
Vowels
Consonants
Contractions
Capitalization
Cognates
CHAPTER 2 German Grammar Basics
Names and Nouns
The Art of Articles
Declensions
Verbs Perform the Action for You
Endings Make the Difference
Adjectives
Adverbs
Know Your Pronouns
Being Negative
Asking Questions
CHAPTER 3 Essential German
Survival German
Language Basics
Being Polite
It’s Time to Count
What Time is It?
The Calendar
CHAPTER 4 Meeting People
Greetings
Introductions
The Verb Haben
Nationalities and Languages
The Verb Sein
Family Members
CHAPTER 5 Airports and Hotels
Using Ich Möchte
Verbs That Move You
Airport and Flight Vocabulary
Baggage Claim, Immigration, and Customs
At the Hotel
CHAPTER 6 Taking in the Town
Asking for Directions
Places to Go
Types of Transportation
Renting a Car
Car and Driver
Useful Driving Verbs
CHAPTER 7 Time for Dinner
Eating Out
What’s on the Menu?
Beverages
Dishes and Silverware
Ordering a Meal
Dietary Restrictions
CHAPTER 8 Shopping and Services
Stores and Businesses
Laundromat and Dry Cleaner
Hair Salon or Barbershop
Clothing and Jewelry
Colors and Sizes
CHAPTER 9 Activities and Entertainment
Verbs When You’re a Participant
Verbs When You’re a Spectator
Sports and Games
Hobbies
Movies and Television
Going to the Theater
CHAPTER 10 German for Business
Jobs and Professions
German in the Workplace
On the Phone
Office Supplies and Equipment
Banking and Changing Money
In School
CHAPTER 11 German Medical Phrases
Common Ailments
Parts of the Body
Going to the Doctor
Going to the Dentist
Going to the Pharmacy
Emergencies and Disasters
CHAPTER 12 In Your Community
At the Market
Quantities, Weights, and Measures
At the Bakery
At the Post Office
Computers and Cybercafés
CHAPTER 13 Miscellaneous German
Weather Words
Descriptive Data
Personality Traits
Mood Management
The Language of Romance
CHAPTER 14 Common German Expressions
Espressions with Es Gibt
Expressions with Machen
Expressions with Gehen
Expressions with Lassen